Staff Members :: Don

Biography

As a kid, I grew up playing role-playing games. Of course, my first encounter with this was Final Fantasy IV. From that moment on, I've been hooked on RPGs, and can be considered an FF fanboy at heart; however, this doesn't mean I solely base my game selection on the Square family. I'm also an extremely big fan of the Suikoden, Wild Arms, Shadow Hearts, Xenosaga, and Breath of Fire series, as well as small standout RPGs introduced occasionally.

While I didn't actually start listening to VGM until I hit college, due to lack of a computer, etc., I was always enjoying it as I played the game. While I technically first heard it playing classic NES games such as Mario, I really didn't start paying attention to it until I was in high school. In that short amount of time, eight years, I've narrowed the gap as to what I haven't heard.

I've become a big fan of Yasunori Mitsuda's work and my favorite work of his would be KiRite and I recommend that all give that album a listen. He's probably my favorite composer of all time. His musical style speaks directly to my soul. That being said, I'm not closeminded when it comes the music to which I listen. I'm always up for discovering new artists and, thanks to the kind forum members, I've encountered some interesting music.

But as time goes on, I've, too, progressed. I rarely listen to "popular" mainstream music anymore because I find it entirely too repetitive in terms of lyrics and, in some cases, the musical style as well. There are a few artist exceptions, such as Shakira, Within Temptation, and Rammstein, which is surprising for two reasons: one, because they cover two extremely different genres, and two, I'm not a big fan of metal (in Rammstein's case). I've also developed a knack for Fusion Jazz, but am still exploring this area in full. I find that the more instrumental the music, the more I can appreciate it.

But enough about my musical interests. What else goes on inside Don's head? That is a complex question that will receive a complex answer. I'm an aficionado of analytical chemistry, I enjoy long walks on the beach and love to cook (for all those hopelessly romantic females out there), an advocate of stem cell research, and a cornucopia of other tidbits, which one biography would do me no justice. For those, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy the forums and if you need any help or just want to talk, don't hesitate to contact me.

Site Role

I have several major roles on the site. On the forum, I am an administrator and take a large role in leading the community there. I'm also a regular solo reviewer and you can read my contributions from the list below. Finally, I regularly participate in coordinating interviews and liaising with artists from across the world.

Contributed Reviews