Birthday:
November 8
About
Are you a member of ACM SIGGRAPH?
No
Have you shown art in any SIGGRAPH Art Shows?
No
Have you shown in any SIGGRAPH Animation Screenings?
No
What countries do you work in?
USA
Short Bio
I was born and spent the first half of my life in a small old-fashioned country in the Europe's southeastern edge. Now I'm happy to enjoy the best half of my life in high-tech, sunny California. I lost much of my hearing after a severe ear infection when I was a child. With no medical options at that time, many people just wrote me off. I'm forever grateful to my parents, who didn't give up on me and refused to let me settle for anything less what I deserved. My father believed that musical training can help me fend off further hearing loss. At age 9, he bought me an accordion and put me in a music class to study music theory. I loved playing accordion, it was the perfect instrument for me because accordions are naturally loud. I discovered that if I rested my cheek on the instrument, I could actually hear and feel most of the sounds, because they where transferred through bone conduction directly to my inner ear. Studying music theory has ended up being a real gift to me as it gave me the knowledge and skills I needed when I started making my own music. Once I hit my teenage years, music became my passion. To me music was more than just something to listen to or play. It was a way to connect with people, and to communicate and share feelings and thoughts without the need of spoken words. I even tried to write my own music on acoustic guitar, but since I could only hear the low frequencies, my tunes sounded quite monotonous. I dreamed to be able to hear all of the wonderful sounds other people took for granted! My greatest desire - to be able to hear all the sounds around me, led me to the path of yet another passion - high-tech. In the 80s, new technologies emerged as a key to improving sound quality and music listening experience. I was fascinated by the power of the new technologies in music and beyond. The computer revolution was going to change the world and the possibilities for enhancing our lives were limitless. After graduating with a Master's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, I jumped head-on into the new world of software. I was certain of one thing: the next wave of innovation is going to be powered by software. Over the course of my coding career, I have worked on many diverse projects, mastering the entire software lifecycle — from the initial conception to the actual product launch. I have learned countless languages, gained extensive experience in application development and in graphic design and animation, as well. In the 90s, I participated in three digital art competitions in Tokyo, Japan, where I won two honorable awards for digital art and the Bronze prize for digital graphic animation and digital music. After graduating with a Master's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, I jumped head-on into the new world of software. I was certain of one thing: the next wave of innovation is going to be powered by software. Because of my faulty hearing, things have never come easily to me. I have found ways to overcome all difficulties by working really hard. Most importantly, I have learned how to think differently, solve problems in unique ways and to simply look at things with an open, more creative mind. While my career gave me purpose and satisfaction, I never stopped dreaming of making my own music someday. I'm blessed to live in times of unprecedented technological advancements. Today’s sophisticated hearing aid technology made it possible for me to hear sounds and frequencies I've never heard before - clock ticking, birds chirping, wind blowing. Since I've got my digital hearing aids two years ago, I’m amazed just how wonderful the world of sound really is.
