Meet Josué Vera | Film & Video Game Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josué Vera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josué, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned regarding work life balance is that you really do have to make time for the “life” part of it. I get so engrossed in work, for whatever reason that may be, that I stop prioritizing aspects such as my health and spending time with family and friends. There will be times of high volumes of work, but I’ve had to learn to balance them out. Something as simple as making time for hobbies can go a long way, especially for those of us in the creative workforce. We need those life experiences to nurture our craft and art.

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.
I’m a music composer for film, video games, and podcasts. I craft scores that tell and support stories and heighten the storytelling experience. I look for ways to highlight subtext and support the story’s narrative, helping open a space for empathy and emotion. One of my favorite things as of late is helping create this story puzzle in which as the plot progresses, the pieces start falling together, and it’s not until that one final piece in which you get to see the full picture.

I’m also a co-founder and member of Trivium Studios LLC, a company that created and produced Video Game Music Con, Puerto Rico, the only conference in the island dedicated solely to video game audio. We’ve had a successful two consecutive years with guests from the industry, like our main speaker Tom Salta, and live music.

My latest endeavor is co-creating and producing the upcoming podcast Shrouded Stories: Beyond the Great Wall, set to premiere this fall! It consists of a collection of audio stories retelling classic Chinese mythology tales, accompanied by a casual discussion episode in which we go over the narratives and give some, in my case much needed, cultural context.

In everything I do, I hope to bring forth a space of common ground in which people can share knowledge and emotions and connect. A space for empathy in which you can embody the other’s experiences, the other’s culture and life, and for a brief moment relate to them in whatever shape or form that may take.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have a lot of friends that haven’t yet visited NYC, so I’d say I’d give them the full tourist experience. Let’s go to Broadway, let’s get lost in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, let’s take a bike ride in Central Park, and let’s end the day with a live comedy show. I’d also take them to The Strand book store and leave with way too many books, followed by a walk on the High Line, and finishing the night at Wonderville arcade bar in Brooklyn.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s a core group of friends I made in my time at NYU that have remained an integral part of my support system. I have to give direct credit to Shuhui Yao, Alexandra Funes, and Simon Li. They’ve been there through lots of highs and lows and have shown great and consistent support. I also have to give a shoutout to my two friends and colleagues at Trivium Studios, Dannyellis Meléndez and Juan Cruz. A lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish has been thanks to their support and their excitement to be a part of the crazy rides we get on together.

Website: www.josueveramusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josueveramusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosueVeraMusic

Shrouded Stories Podcast: http://www.shroudedstories.com