Bobby Rigo

Tell us about yourself as an artist/musician. What do you do?

I’m a music producer and composer, so I’m mostly on my computer. I’ve created music for/with others and music for myself. I have a keyboard and microphone as physical instruments and plenty of digital instruments to fill in the gaps. I try to create songs that are more like an experience, occasionally drifting off the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure. My goal as an independent musician is to make listenable experiences.

How long have you been making music, and what sparked your interest in music?

The first time I ever started playing music was when I was five, playing piano by ear. I’ve been making music professionally for about ten years now, since 2012. I started taking music seriously about five years ago. That’s when I started giving my other hobbies a backseat and focusing on making music regularly, and finding my sound.

Tell us about your time at NOMU so far? Do you have a favorite memory or experience during your time here?

I came to NOMU during the semester after COVID hit, and the pandemic gave me a chance to evaluate where I was in my life. I realized that I wasn’t happy, and I decided to go back to school. I had a rough history with school, so I knew that I wanted to do music coming back. I started doing the audio production classes. I got interested in the theory side of music for one reason or another, so I dropped the audio production stuff for a bit. I’ve been focused on figuring out how music works before making it and guessing around notes. With those classes, I’ve become a better musician and became more comfortable with the piano in terms of reading and writing music. Now that I’m back taking audio production classes, I can generate ideas quicker, and it’s been a blessing on both the audio production and theory sides of the music program here.

In terms of a favorite memory, my daily experiences at NOMU are becoming important memories. Getting feedback from amazing musicians here, positive or negative, has been gratifying. When I hear that somebody likes the music that I make, it really means a lot, and it’s something I remember. If something I’ve made resonates with somebody, I’m honored. The memories I’m making right now are the best.

When you're writing or playing music, what influences constantly inspire you as a musician/artist (specific artist, film, art piece, etc.)?

Everything. I’ve spent a lot of my life listening to many different types of music, and all that music comes to play when I think about my music. I have a bad habit of changing my style frequently, but I’ve found a style that I’ve been really enjoying lately, and that incorporates many different qualities from many styles, some more subtly than others. Music for me is about feeling, and how you feel as the song fades out. Depending on the song's theme, I want to really hit that feeling with the inclusion of things like lyrics, instruments, song structure, the melody, and the chords underneath. I’m not usually thinking about any one artist when I’m making my own music. Some of the artists that have both inspired me as an artist and as a person would include Porter Robinson, Madeon, Owl City, Jon Bellion, among so many others.

What are your plans or goals in your life now concerning school, music, or just personally, any other pursuits?

I’ve always said that I want to make music and get paid for it. I don’t have dreams of being famous or going on tour and everyone knowing my name. Would I love to do those things? Sure, that would be fun. I would love to produce music for others, be my own recording artist, make scores for movies and games, or even be part of an orchestra/ensemble. I just want to be creative musically and have enough money to support myself. Wherever that takes me musically, I’m all in for that.

Any hobbies outside of music that you're interested in?

Outside of the act of making music, I love playing video games, watching anime, and going to concerts. I like to play music, so naturally, I enjoy playing the piano. I like to cook and experiment with different flavors and seasonings (nowhere near professionally. It’s just for me). Health is wealth, so I go to the gym regularly. I also really love spending time on Spotify or Bandcamp and falling down a rabbit hole of discovering new music and artists that are similar to what I’m listening to. Not only does that make me a better musician, but I have more music to listen to and share with others!

Is there anything you’d like to add, anything you want to tell whoever might be reading this interview, or anything you want people to know about you?

Nothing that I haven’t already said. If you’ve checked out my music at all, that means a lot to me, and I hope you’ve found something you like! I hope with anything I do now or in the future that it’s something you’ll be interested in and it’s something you’ll enjoy. I hope the music I make, that’s been inspired by the music that’s taken me to new worlds, can take you somewhere too!

Album Credits:

Gravity

Jacket
Regret
Adventure