Ever since my introduction to piano at the age of 6, I have loved music. At age 11, I added cello to my musical repertoire and have been playing both instruments to this day. Always anxious to compose my own music, I managed to produce my first album in 2002 during my sophomore year of high school under the pseudonym “Xolin” (pronounced ZOL-in).By the time I graduated from high school in 2005, I had created five original collections of music: “Chiano Lake” (December 2002), “Monton’s Way” (December 2003), “Con-formist” (December 2004), “Hypochronic Stillness” (May 2005), and “In the Wake of Fever” (December 2005). Before continuing my formal education, however, I decided to take some time off and live abroad.From February 2006 to August 2006, I lived with a host family in Costa Rica while volunteering at a butterfly farm through the intercultural organization AFS. After only three months of living in total immersion, I felt conversationally fluent in Spanish.Upon my return to the States, I was eager to continue my academic career and resume my search for colleges that specialized in the arts. After much research, it was Columbia College Chicago that most attracted me. Located in downtown Chicago, Columbia offered an extensive art program, particularly in the audio arts and music.From September 2007 to May 2010, I discovered a myriad of audio skills and elements, from basic microphone function to legal aspects of song copyright. I also fell in love with the art of sound for film. While my concentration was in studio recording, I became increasingly interested in location sound and post-production. In 2008, I also released my sixth album, “Scream Louder”. After graduation from Columbia in May 2010, I became an AV technician for PSAV Presentation Services.I live on Chicago’s North Side with my cat, Trixie.