Jonathan Moore ’98 is a music composer and producer of Jonny Moore Music, who recently worked on scoring the pilot of Auroratrek's newest animated epic fantasy series, Quest of the Key. Jonathan shares that "Creating the soundscape for this fun episode has been one of the most rewarding music experiences of my young composing career, so huge thanks to them for taking a chance on me."  Following a degree in music theory and composition from Bowdoin College, Jonathan spent time at InMusic Brands (a family of leading music technology and consumer electronics brands) and ISINA Music (a worldwide music talent search company) before moving abroad to freelance and work in international schools. You can read more about Jonathan in his Alumni Spotlight interview below.

Tell us a little about yourself, when did you graduate? Where do you live?

I graduated in 1998 as a lifer at Wheeler (K-12th grade!). My father was chair of the performing arts department so as a faculty kid the school really was a second home for me. For the last decade I’ve been living abroad with my amazing partner, with stints in Europe, Asia and Africa. Currently I'm privileged to be living in Warsaw, Poland which is a hidden gem as far as Europe goes.   

Describe your current job or project and how you got there.

Over the past few years I’ve been pushing into the composing and media scoring profession, trying to get some traction in a super competitive space.  My background and schooling have always steered me back towards music, and I’ve found that capturing moods and helping tell stories through audio is something my brain is particularly adept at. I recently finished scoring the second episode of a fun family friendly animated series call Quest of The Key. It's adventure fantasy with wonderful writing and it lets me flex my musical muscle and experiment with all sorts of sounds. 

What is your favorite memory from your time at Wheeler?

One of my favorite memories is freshman year, lacrosse season. The varsity goalie hung up his cleats, and with no backup, the upperclassmen started recruiting gullible underclassmen to train to be the starting goalie. I played midfield throughout middle school, was a good athlete, and just cocky enough to say “yeah, I’ll stop anything you throw at me”. I trained with an excellent coach for weeks, honing my technique. Finally one practice, he invited our better attackers to warm me up from a safe distance. The first shot I ever faced from a player hit my knee and knocked me out for one week. Lesson learned and ego fully checked! I went on to earn first team all-division honors that year.   

What would you consider the most important thing you learned at Wheeler?

You have something to offer that nobody around you can match. There will be classmates and friends and colleagues later in life that seem to excel in everything they touch, and thus seem untouchable. But they are not, and they are just as vulnerable as you. Be comfortable with who you are, and display your skills whether tangible or not. 

What person, activity, or experience most influenced you while at Wheeler? How?

Super tough to answer given how much time I spent there and how many incredible people helped shape me. One character that always stands out is the timeless Rob “Otter” Brown! Beyond his environmental studies class, he recruited me to join the Envirothon team as the forestry “expert”, which baffled me as I was barely an average academic compared to my classmates. He made me feel like I had something to offer and we won states and got to travel to Michigan for the nationals which ended up being an amazing experience. People like Otter see that others need a push and an opportunity to branch out…Wheeler is full of these types. 

Describe Wheeler in 3 words.

Inspiring. Compassionate. Family.

What advice would you give those currently at Wheeler?

When you’re lucky enough to get an education at a place like Wheeler, it’s very easy to fall back on the institution’s reputation and support systems as you plan for life after high school. Don’t settle into that track. The school’s weight in the academic world is a product of the independence and skills it gives its students, not the other way around. When you enter senior year, you will feel the pressure of university from all angles, especially as you watch your peers prepare. Remember to stop and ask yourself two questions; Do I know what I want to do/study next? Is secondary education necessary for my passion? If you know what your calling is, follow it, whether that involves college or not. But if you have no idea (and most probably don’t!), there are many ways to find your path that don’t require dorm life. Secondary education knows no age, and it rewards people who use it to focus on what they’ve chosen, rather than as a tool to choose their focus.