We had the good fortune of connecting with Dakota Dennis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dakota, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Act and jump at opportunities, despite your fears and apprehensions. The more you build up faith in yourself, the easier it will be to approach new situations.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The majority of the art that I’ve created over the years has been music. In my teens, I began teaching myself how to compose with computer programs. I wanted to see if I could write the kind of music that inspired me as a kid.
Growing up, I had to spend a fair bit of time indoors due to constant issues with asthma. To keep myself entertained, I began to get into video games, which heavily sparked my creativity. One of the elements that seemed to stick with me the most were the different music tracks I would hear from each game, and how they were written to compliment and accentuate the situations they were meant for. This lead to a passion for communicating ideas, feelings, themes, and locations through music, even without written lyrics.
As my passion for music continued to grow, I noticed that I also began to develop an appreciation for the work of voice actors. It became fascinating to watch people sell a character so convincingly by how they could alter their voice, or make a career from just their natural voice. This pushed me to start making projects of my own where I would have to utilize my voice and keep it in the best shape possible. Livestreaming became a fantastic way to combine my interests and passions, getting to use my voice every show, while also meeting new people and expanding my audience.
As of now, I’m still doing my best to write new material and learn more about music theory and composition. I had the honor of recording my very first paid voice-over gig recently, and I am thrilled to see what else I may have the privilege of working on.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
With California being such a varied place, I try to have friends experience as much as possible, while not being too overwhelmed. For large, event-filled days, some of the obvious locations would be Disneyland or Universal. On days that are a bit more relaxed and intimate, there are a plethora of beautiful hiking locations, such as Malibu Creek. Whether it be Santa Monica, Venice Beach, or Malibu, there are a number of gorgeous spots to visit the beach, with things to see and experience at each one. Santa Monica has the Boardwalk, with numerous novelties, while Venice is quite a bit more eccentric, with unique shops and oddities. Overall, Southern California tends to provide diverse experiences, no matter where you choose to go.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kennedy Dennis, my wife. Throughout our relationship, she has been endlessly supportive. She has encouraged me to pursue my hobbies, improve upon them, and work at making them into something more. Were it not for her, I don’t think I would have half of the confidence that I do now when taking on new challenges.
Website: https://www.twitch.tv/scrumplet_official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrumplet_/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakota-dennis-4b888263/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Scrumplet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dakota.james.716/
Other: https://soundcloud.com/dakota-james-emery-dennis