CanvasRebel Magazine Interview with Riot Games 2XKO Music Composer Jesse Zuretti
Stories & Insights January 9, 2025
We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Zuretti. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.
Jesse, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
When I first started composing music full time, I made a promise to myself that I’d leave the industries I make music for better places (musically) than when I found them. It’s not an easy task because the quality of music right now is so exceptionally high, and only getting better as each day goes by. But, that’s what makes this mission worth it — the challenge to acknowledge how good music is so I continue to evolve, grow, learn, and strengthen my skill sets. I think a lack of this thought is often the genesis of a self-created obstacle that will eventually rise to block a music composer’s full potential. Accepting that in this very moment you may not be doing your best to evolve, and that the effort you put forth to contribute to the evolution of your artform — this is a piece of the code necessary to successfully build towards leaving your industry a better place than when you found it. At least this is my personal philosophy that I live by and focus on in my journey on my mission.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a music composer and producer currently working on an upcoming Riot Games fighter, 2XKO. Before entering into the game dev world, my first composer gig was with Marvel for several years starting in 2018. Very luckily my work with Marvel snagged a few awards in the process. I also work with bands & producers like Intervals (Memory Palace), Brand of Sacrifice (“Purge”), Monuments (“Nefarious”), George Lever (Sleep Token, Loathe), and Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend). I play guitar and composer synth & orchestra for Metal Blade Records band DAATH.
My first gig composing was with Marvel in 2018 – which came after building a rapport with them via my music for my high school band I started in 2004 (and technically still exists today). After making music for Marvel for several years, I started branching out to find new opportunities with other studios and creatives. I spent a good deal of my time during the first few years of the pandemic sharpening my skill sets so I could be competitive in the incredibly talented composer world around me.
I like to pride myself on being able to say “YES!” to just about any genre that can be named, and deliver music that both hits the target dead center, and also turns on a lightbulb in the attic. I have an endlessly insatiable hunger for more when it comes to music, and I think it helps broaden the vocabulary I have when being tasked with making music for clients. My favorite thing to do is take a reference, dig deeper into that references origins, discover the roots of its influences, and find a way to respect the bigger picture behind the initial objective. I try to think of it like Method Acting, but for music. Before you can actually get to the point of Method Acting, you have to develop a DNA-level understanding of the character, their life, their moods, their behaviors, their history, and their language. This is how I handle making music for *anything* I work on.
A big part of my curiosity to explore further down into the deepest depths of the music ocean stems from my devotion to the science of forensically analyzing human behavior, and personal growth through self-reflection and accountability. I truly enjoy the obstacles created when looking deeper within, and broadly outside. This translates very well for many facets of storytelling through moving pictures (be it video games, film, tv, etc). Especially aspects like linear themes and creating music that covers not just the audio personality of a character, but also historical and physical attributes that help tell the story.
A lot of what I’ve described above may sound exhausting to some, but I never tire of it. There hasn’t been one single day where I’ve questioned my dedication to music as a creative – not since the first day I picked up an instrument. It feels genetic, inherent, and pre-ordained to a degree — and because of that, I can’t imagine a day without this engine running on all cylinders.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
The moment I got my first job I saved and spent most of my money on my pursuit of making music — dating back to 2002 when I was 16 years old working at Sam Ash music as a kid after school. From day one, I never wanted to spare an expense on creating the best that I could — and that of course came with a lot of lessons. Without a doubt in my mind, I stressed my financial stability out to the point of tears many times as a kid and into my early adulthood. But I always made things happen — even if it meant selling gear, working extra hours, staying up later to finish school work, doing extra gigs for side money — I still never let a day slip where I would let my goals out of sight.
I’m not in any way advising folks reading to put it all on the line if you believe in yourself, BUT, I’m also not saying to avoid it. One of the hardest things we have to learn in our lives is how to see ahead of the RIGHT NOW. I believe that if you align your determination to constantly evolve and grow your skill sets — along with being willing to risk temporary financial discomfort — you will eventually find yourself in a rhythm of achieving your goals with less financial pressure. As long as you understand that developing your business senses are just as important as your music performance and writing proficiency — you’ll be fine. But if you question your dedication, rely heavily on professionals or the wiser folks in your life to advise you.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
If I create a piece of music that I am proud of, then I’ve achieved a high level reward that I can’t find anywhere else. I had a very narrow support system for making the music I did early on, because I chose to focus on a very unpopular (at the time) genre of music that wasn’t highly regarded by the masses. It still really isn’t. And because of that pursuit, I’ve learned that without confirmation or praise or support of my goals, I can’t rely on anyone to make me feel like I’ve made the right choice. The good thing about exercising this muscle is that it also helps you learn to take compliments and praise with a grain of salt. If at the end of the day, the music (or art) that you make makes YOU feel happy and proud, and you’ve built this Olympic-grade strength to pursue your artform despite not having a lot of support — you are given a reward that has no tangible value, yet feels like you have everything you’ll ever need.
Contact Info:
Website: https://www.jessezuretti.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessezuretti
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jzuretti
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/jessezuretti
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessezuretti
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