Laura Shigihara | en

Laura Shigihara has been working as a freelance video game composer and sound designer since 2005. She’s created music and sound effects for over 15 published titles since then, ranging in genre from orchestral themes, to quirky uptempo boss battles, and even including songs featuring her own vocal tracks. Laura has been a fan of video game music since the days of the original 8-bit Nintendo. Her music has been compared to that of Yoko Shimomura and Yasunori Mitsuda in terms of style.

Graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in International Relations and Business, Laura decided to pursue a career in music after an unexpected detour landed her record contract offers in Japan for singing and production. Although she didn’t accept for various reasons, she still chose a music related job working as the audio director of a Japanese-American company where she created music and sound effects, and co-hosted an audio talkshow. Shortly after she began composing for game soundtracks. After completing several contracts, she decided to make it her career.

In addition to work, in her spare time Laura has been making an rpg for the PC called “The Blue Star” which she hopes to release towards the end of 2009. Laura also teaches piano to elementary school children twice a week, and occasionally plays the piano and sings at venues around her area, from Yoshi’s Jazz Club to local events. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, hiking, dancing, drawing, going on adventures, and of course games (some of her favorites include Chrono Trigger, Starcraft, Yoshi’s Island, Secret of Mana, the Megaman series, Suikoden, Street Fighter 2, Star Tropics, and many others). .