ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Wally Young has spent his life honing the interplay of experience and understanding. His works focus on uniting seemingly disparate ideas together: spoken word/song in “Mine-Haha”, combining two quartets with narrator; the traditions of art/technology with sonic playscapes and shared interactive musical environments; and beginnings/endings in “Vaarwel”, which explores the idea that though things end, life itself carries on- though different- a life is no less beautiful for having experienced those endings.

He was pupil of Ladislav Kubík at the Florida State University College of Music, and his mentors have been Ladd Thomas, Michael Corzine, and Boyd Jones on the organ. A multi-instrumentalist, he also plays piano, guitar, and saxophone.

In addition to being a composer, Wally is equal parts a maker, programmer, and technologist. Wally has worked on several pieces of modern media, pilots, films, special features, immersive experiences, and has done notable work with education in augmented reality (AR), an emerging technology which enables people to learn, communicate, and play in ways like never before.

By uniting disparate ideas, Wally’s work seeks to communicate how our differences make a stronger whole, and seeks to create a deep emotional impact. By exploring the various facets of disparate ideas, he attempts to communicate his perceptions of the “truly human” aspects of life- how those differences make us stronger, and just as human affordances make the world more accessible, hopes to enhance the total human condition. Originally from Daytona Beach, he now splits his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco.