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I spent the last few minutes writing a fairly personal cover letter while applying for a producer position at Activision, working on their Guitar Hero Franchise. I thought I'd post it here as well rather than just filing it into 'My Documents.'

I am a gamer, avid musician, and general technophile. But we’ll talk about that later. First let’s delve into ‘me’ as a producer.

Prior to jumping feet first into the game industry, I was responsible for finding solutions to communication problems between clients and firms regarding advanced tax planning issues. This required me to identify specific areas where communication was breaking down. Next, I organized the efforts of CPA’s, Tax Lawyers, Accountants, and Graphic Artists to produce meaningful interactive presentations conveying these complex ideas. The bottom line was user experience, with individual clients filling the role of end user. It was my responsibility to make sure all these moving parts functioned together to deliver a product that was complete, and comprehensible to the layman. I researched new technologies and techniques to achieve our goals and presented these options to the firm’s partners. Ultimately I was tackling upcoming issues before they became problems.

I learned music theory at my parent’s insistence starting at the age of seven. Being the middle child with five siblings, I was always dropped off for piano lessons and had to wait through my younger sister and brother’s lessons. The time after my lesson wasn’t a total loss- my piano teachers son had a Nintendo (and I didn’t) so those hours of waiting were spend mastering the finer points of Mario, Contra, and Double Dragon. So in a perverse way, Video Games and music have always been bound together in my mind.

Fast-forward to my 16th birthday. Perhaps the greatest present I’ve ever received: An American made Fender Stratocaster. I’d eventually gut it and replace all pickups with active-matrix EMG pickups. Two single coils and a humbucker. All the members of my first garage band, Isostacy, were avid players of Rare’s monumental ‘James Bond: Golden Eye.’ Once again, music and video games bound together in my life.

One last leap forward: The winter of my sophomore year of college. I elected to take the winter off, and go to school during the summer. The reason behind this was an invitation to be an instructor in the Park City Mountain Resort Snowboard School. In preparation for many snowy drives, I purchased a 2004 Subaru WRX. I installed an in-dash DVD/NAV system. Also, I installed a PS2 in the glove box, and wired two Guitar Hero Guitars through the trunk access panel. Literally everywhere I went we could play Guitar Hero. I don’t need to tell you that once again, music and video games were bound together in my life.

I thank you for taking the time to read about my adventures, and I truly hope for the opportunity to extend my tales through a career with Activision.