Dmytro Nebesh, (he/him)

(BM ‘22, music for new media)

Audio Designer, Sound Designer, Composer

Dmytro Nebesh is an audio designer based in Baltimore Maryland. He is currently working as a full-time sound designer at Firaxis Games while working as a freelance audio designer on the side. Freelance projects have included Liquid Space Dimension, Umoja, and Detroit Remember When – A Tribute to Dick Purtan. Dmytro was part of the first ever cohort of students to study music for new media at Peabody and graduated in 2022.

Tell us about your journey to your current career path. What were the pivotal moments? What surprised you?

Peabody was vital for how I got into my career space. Music for New Media taught me most of my skills in video game audio. Professor Kennedy taught me how to use Wwise and implement music, which led me to discovering how to implement my own sound. After learning how to implement sound and program in an engine, I needed to learn how to make my sound effects sound good. Griffin Cohen and Geoff Knorr taught me how while taking their sound design course, which led me to getting a job interview at Firaxis Games.

What opportunities did you take advantage of in school that helped you to build helpful skills and experiences?

I had the opportunity to apply for a grant and run a hybrid ensemble concert. It took a lot of planning and coordination, but it was all worth it. I learned a lot about budgeting, organization, and how to manage multiple moving parts. I also took advantage of all the awesome classes Peabody offered such as Griffin and Geoff’s Sound Design Class, Hip Hop Production with Wendell Patrick, and Orchestration with Joel Puckett. The professors in general, especially a huge amount from the theory department, were all incredibly helpful in thinking about how music plays a role in media.

How do you share your work with colleagues, collaborators, and audiences using media and work samples?

I try to share a lot of my work on YouTube. I find it the easiest to use and the platform that everyone uses when they have downtime. It’s easy to just share a link to a YouTube video rather than through a google drive link that requires a password and needs a download since it can’t play the full piece of work. Putting it on YouTube also lets you connect with the general public and discover new audiences. It has a downside of being bloated and saturated, but every convenience it has is worth it. Especially since most of my works are used with visuals.

How has your network and/or community impacted your professional journey?

My network has helped me learn all sorts of cool techniques. I find myself going on LinkedIn and seeing all these cool video game development tips or sound design tips. After I find a real cool process, I try it out on my end. I then find that all my work colleagues see the same sound design tips that I do, and we all discuss and filter through it to grow in our field. Meeting up with Video Game developers at GDC drove my passion for audio even further. It was just a joy to learn from all these amazing developers and make friends with people making cool creative games.

Who has been an influential mentor for you and why?

I have had many influential mentors and I want to name a few. Griffin Cohen for continuing to help me navigate the video game world. Adam Schneider, a work colleague who continues to teach me awesome sound techniques. Chris Kennedy and Thomas Dolby, they created an amazing program that I cannot recommend enough! Ildar Khannanov helped me with my capstone project for my Theory minor, along with Jessica Hunt who also met with me during my theory capstone and taught me a lot of theory. Christina Manceor, she helped me develop my LAUNCHPad grant and learn so many important management skills. All these people have helped me develop the skills I need to be successful in any creative art form.

What is an obstacle or challenge you’ve faced in your career journey, and how did you overcome it?

I still face the obstacle of balancing my life, my passions, and my work. I must decide every day what my priority is. If I make my career my top priority every day, I will eventually dread it and perform poorly. Managing work life balance is incredibly difficult, and as a student you usually end up making your career your entire life. If you do that, the work you do becomes unfocused, sloppy, and not acceptable. The solution is to give yourself time to breathe. I am guilty of working long hours and I am aware of the quality that work becomes after making that decision.

Have your goals and priorities changed over time? If so, how?

I continually shift my goals and discover new ones. At a game studio, you end up having loads of conversations about game design and intention. Especially with how audio is supposed to provide feedback to the player, and that got me more invested/interested in game design. So, recently I made a goal of trying to create my own video game because of how much I love this industry. It may take me 2 years it might take me 20. All I know is that I am having fun doing it.

Hear more from Dmytro Nebesh here in his Max Q podcast episode!