Noah Copeland has always had a deep reverence for film and video game soundtracks. This obsession took root when he was nine years old.

“I would beg my mom to let me play Sonic the Hedgehog at the Walmart kiosk while she was grocery shopping,” Copeland said. “Sometimes, I wouldn’t even play the game. I would just stand there and listen to the music.”

As Copeland grew into his teens, he pursued music, learning to play guitar and forming a local rock group. “I was starting to get influences from rock bands like AC/DC and Van Halen,” he said. “When you want to start making music, your adolescent mind defaults to becoming a rock star. I had no idea that being a composer for media was even an option, let alone that I’d end up doing it. After the rock band fizzled out, I was uncertain of my future in music and gave it up.”

But as a freshman in college, things changed. Local director Dan Tibbs, who was filming a project for the 48 Hour Film Festival, asked Copeland if he would compose the score for the film.

“I thought, why not? I’ve never done it before. Could be fun,” Copeland said.

It was more than just fun. The collaboration turned out better than Copeland had anticipated, and his work was awarded Best Musical Score by the festival judges. This was his first film score, and for Copeland, it was a watershed moment. Since then, he has worked on over 20 films, video games and commercials. He is currently working a score for the feature length film Scott and Crowley: A Comic Book Adventure, as well as an original game called Deen the Bean, a charming 2D platformer inspired by the Gameboy.

“I love telling these stories and experiences through music,” Copeland said. “Everytime I write for something new, I feel like I’m nine years old again, playing Sonic for the first time.”