Lujia Yang
“The amount of support from my professors, and the collaborative atmosphere among peers helps me grow as a musician. Their guidance and feedback is both insightful and encouraging."
Storytelling. We’re not talking about putting pen to paper, or reading, or shooting a film. Instead think Star Wars, Interstellar, and The Legend of Zelda – film and video game soundtracks. A vital storytelling technique that can make or break the success of a director or a game developer. That’s Lujia Yang’s career focus.
Her first step: enrolling in a Bachelor of Music with a Major in Composition for Film and Video Games and couple that with a Bachelor of Commerce.
Lujia decided to study at ANU because the School of Music (SoM) provided an opportunity to “study among world-class musicians and composers.”
Another draw card for Lujia was, “the University’s strong reputation for academic excellence and the many opportunities for study and extracurriculars.” She adds, “Not to mention the campus itself is beautiful and has a great sense of community.”
Indeed, she has fully immersed herself, joining the ANU Music Society, ACT Youth Orchestra, and the Asian Students in Australia Association (ASIAA Club).
Lujia's favourite course has been MUSI2227: Music, Sound and the Moving Image, taught by Professor Kenneth Lampl, where she learned new composition tools and techniques and composed music for game trailers and horror movie cues.
“The amount of support from my professors, and the collaborative atmosphere among peers helps me grow as a musician. Their guidance and feedback is both insightful and encouraging. The collaborative environment also makes for an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and helps me create music that I’m proud of.”
Always on the hunt for the best brunch and coffee spots, Lujia comments, “The café on the third level of SoM is a great place to catch up with peers, lecturers, and tutors to find out what’s going on in the department. I've had some really interesting conversations with musicians at ANU over a cup of coffee. It’s a really nice, tight-knit community.”
When she's not studying, Lujia is playing gigs with her band or travelling. She also enjoys exploring everything the bush Capital has to offer.
“My favourite thing about the city is its natural beauty and peacefulness. Canberra is a city surrounded by natural landscapes, including mountains, parks, and lakes. It's a great place to go hiking, biking, or just take a leisurely stroll. One of my favourite spots is Mount Ainslie, which offers incredible views of the city and the surrounding landscape.”
Lujia advises prospective students to step outside your comfort zone and try new things.
“Use this time to explore different interests and discover what you're truly passionate about. Take advantage of the wide range of courses, resources and extracurricular activities available to you, and don't be afraid to take risks and try new things.”
Acquiring skills in both music and commerce, Lujia’s well-prepared to navigate the competitive world of the entertainment industry. Perhaps one day, you'll be immersed in a video game, blasting through zombies to the rhythmic cadence of her captivating compositions.
