AES143 Student Recording Competition Interview: Fryderyk Hoang Dong
1) Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and what do you study?
I study at Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland and currently I am doing a final year of Master's degree out there. I major in music recording and production but sound design for visual media has always been my passion that I wanted to keep working on.
2) What initiated your passion for audio? When did it start?
I think my music background is a complete basis for my interest in audio. I have been playing piano since I was 6 years old and actually did a Bachelor degree in Classical Piano Performance at the same time with Sound Engineering. These two are equally important in my life, but piano came first. During my high school years I decided I wanted to expand my horizons and knowledge and that's how I decided on going into audio field professionally.
3) Tell us about production of your submission? What is the story behind it? What inspired it? How long did you work on it? Was it your first entry?
The video for the piece I submitted is originally a music video for a song by electronic artist Flying Lotus called "Tiny Tortures", of whom I am a big fan. I have seen great potential in it in terms of telling a story with sound design which didn't exist in original music. I decided to work on it and entirely created a new sonic layer. My main objective was to focus on emotional side and help the storytelling of a great picture directed by David Lewandowski. It was my first AES student competition entry.
4) What/who made you join AES?
AES is a very good networking resource, especially for young professionals who are just starting out in the field.
5) Tell us about your favourite experiences at the 143st AES convention in NY!
Student Party was a pleasant experience which happened I think in a studio somewhere in Hell's Kitchen if I remember well. I saw a very weird looking grand piano and then realized the day after that it was the Alicia Keys' famous Piano sampled also by Native instruments. I saw it live and got to play on it for a bit, but didn't even realize that it was Alicia Keys' piano. Wow!
