John Elliott

About

A composer from Portugal, specializing in music for videogames, my real name is João T. Araújo.
While studying music for 9 years, music composition for 6 years and interactive music and sound design for 2 years, I've focused on creating music for videogames while maintaining a deep interest in creating art in various forms (installations, performance pieces, theater plays).
I've worked in several games - small and short productions, with limited groups and resources, which taught me how to operate in teams and make the best work with what I was provided. Recently, I've been joining game jams to show the world what I have to offer to this area.
I'm currently working on a PhD in Arts as well, doing research on videogame composers' expansion of knowledge into areas of sound design, implementation, programming, and soft skills. I am also part of the multimedia department of the Center for Research and Studies of Fine Arts of FBAUL.

Work beyond videogames

(2019) Death unto Darkness - Live Action Role Playing game - MIDI Orchestration:

MIDI Orchestration of composer Júlia Durand's music for the 2019 DuD LARP.

(2018) OPUS - Theater play - Music and acting:

Theater play by the Lisbon's University of Theater and Cinema's Theater department.

(2018) Breathe - Performance piece:

Performance piece for the Art and Technology course of the PhD in Arts.
Based on Matt Makes Games' Celeste.

(2017) Behavioral Economics - Installation - Music and game design:

Installation as part of the Master's in Multimedia thesis.

(2016) nG - Sound installation - Sound design and music:

Sound installation for the Multimedia in Performing Arts course of the Master's in Multimedia.

(2016) nG - Performance piece - Music:

Performance piece for the Multimedia in Performing Arts course of the Master's in Multimedia.

(2009 - ) Concert music:

Over 35 pieces, ranging from electronic to symphonic orquestra music, nine of them played in concerts.

nG sound installation in the Semibreve festival at GNRation, Braga, Portugal.

Favorite videogames

Kentucky Route Zero
The Beginner's Guide
Hyper Light Drifter
Transistor
Black and White

Favorite soundtracks

Kentucky Route Zero
Transistor
Hyper Light Drifter
Civilization IV
Celeste

Favorite composers

John Cage
Terry Riley
Richard Vreeland
Darren Korb
Tigran Hamasyan

Cosplay of Tooth and Tail's Hopper at Comic Con Portugal 2017.

CV

Name: João Tiago Maia de Araújo
Pseudonym: John Elliott
Based in: Lisbon, Portugal
E-mail: johnelliott.comp at gmail.com

Education:
(2000 - 2012) Calouste Gulbenkian's Music Conservatory - Degree in Music (Composition);
(2012 - 2015) Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (ESML) - Bachelor's Degree in Music (Composition);
(2015 - 2017) Engineering Faculty of the University of Porto (FEUP) - Master's Degree in Multimedia (Sound Design and Interactive Music);
(2017 - ) University of Lisbon - PhD in Arts (Performance and Moving Picture Arts).

Experience:
Multiple DAWs and digital audio processing software (Reaper, Audacity, Pure Data);
Foley, sound recording and editing;
Programming (Python, Java (Processing), and C# (Unity + FMOD));
Sound implementation middleware (FMOD);
Work in multiple videogames:
- (2016) Y.S.N.P. - Digital Games class assignment (music and sound design);
- (2016) Project Yin - Sound Design for Digital Media class assignment (music and sound design);
- (2016) O jogo do Joãozinho - Project Management class assignment (sound design);
- (2017) Axis of Getting Punched - "Games vs Nazis" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2017) Romantic - "Resist Jam" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2017) The Martian Anomaly - "Music Game Jam" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2018) INSECT!ON - "Global Game Jam 2018" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2018) Shell Shook - "The Very First Extra Credits Game Design Jam!" game jam (credits music and sound design);
- (2018) Immobile - "Game Maker's Toolkit Jam" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2019) Identifaction Doomsday - "Global Game Jam 2019" game jam (music and sound design);
- (2019) Home? - "Global Game Jam 2019" game jam (music and sound design).
Multiple installations and performance pieces:
- (2015) 235-152-369;
- (2016) nG (performance piece);
- (2016) nG (sound installation);
- (2018) Breathe (performance piece);
- (2018) OPUS (musical direction and performance).
Multiple original concert pieces:
   - 12 electronic pieces;
   - 11 solo pieces;
   - 3 duo pieces;
   - 2 trio pieces;
   - 1 string orchestra piece;
   - 1 quartet piece;
- 1 percussion and live electronics piece;
   - 1 chamber orchestra piece;
   - 1 symphonic band piece;
   - 1 symphonic orchestra piece.

Languages:
Portuguese (native);
English (fluent);
French (beginner);
German (beginner);

Papers:
(2012) John Cage – Biographical programme note for Póvoa de Varzim's Music Festival;
(2015) Boulez and John Cage – Paper for Musical Analysis B6 class;
(2017) Non-interactive Interactivity: building a seemingly interactive installation - Dissertation.

Presentations:
(2011) Student concert, Braga - “Floresta de Tíria” and “Démodé”;
(2012) Student concert, Braga - "Démodé", “Stars” and “Reflection”;
(2012) Student recital, Braga - "Reflection" and "Manto";
(2012) Student concert, Braga – “Yggdrasil”;
(2013) Peças Frescas concert, S. Luís theater, Lisbon – “10 Seconds of Silence”;
(2015) Peças Frescas concert, S. Luís theater, Lisbon – “TV Grotesque no.4”;
(2016) Semibreve festival, GNRation, Braga - "nG" sound installation;
(2016) Private presentation, Plano B, Porto - "nG" performance piece;
(2017) Private presentation, FEUP, Porto - "Behavioral Economics" installation;
(2018) CYSMUS' 3rd Workshop (conference on music and cyberculture), FCSH NOVA, Lisbon - "Semiotic Ghosts: turning videogames into concert music"
(2018) Música Viva festival, O'culto da Ajuda, Lisbon - "Improvisation" as part of the José Luís Ferreira Electroacoustic Music Lab;
(2018) Private presentation, ESTC, Lisbon - "Breathe" performance piece;
(2018) Teatro da Comuna, Lisbon - musical direction and performance at "OPUS" theater piece.