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With a foundation in classical piano and a passion for EDM production, composer/producer Trevor Hoffmann seamlessly fuses two musical worlds that might seem worlds apart. His classical training instilled a deep understanding of harmony, structure, and emotional storytelling, while his time immersed in electronic music opened a fascination with sound design and technology. Today, he channels both influences into his hybrid approach, crafting orchestral themes that soar over pulsing electronic textures and sculpting beats that carry the emotional depth of a symphony. This balance of tradition and innovation has become the cornerstone of his work, especially in genre-blending projects for film, animation, and interactive media. Read on to hear more about his work in multiple media.
You have a background as both a classical pianist and an EDM producer. How did these two worlds come together in your current work as a hybrid composer-producer?
I’ve always felt that classical and electronic music share much of their DNA. My training as a classical pianist gave me a deep appreciation for harmony, structure, and the emotional weight that can be carried by a single phrase. When I discovered EDM, I became fascinated by sound design and the way technology could completely reshape the listener’s experience.
In my twenties, that duality defined my weekends. Early in the evening, I’d be at the symphony hearing Mahler or Chopin, and later that night, I’d be at an EDM venue with Adventure Club dropping a massive dubstep set. I love moving between those worlds.
In my current work as a composer-producer, I’m constantly blending those influences, writing orchestral lines that soar over electronic textures, or sculpting beats that breathe with the same dynamics you’d find in a symphony. It’s especially useful when scoring animated episodes, where the script writers often create wild genre-bending moments…like dubstep-country or ballet-techno. It’s so much fun to bring those mashups to life.
What draws you to composing for children’s media and interactive storytelling? Was that a conscious career direction or something that evolved organically?
It’s been a very organic evolution. I didn’t initially set out to specialize in children’s media, but I’ve always been drawn to storytelling that leaves room for imagination, play, and some really crazy musical experimentation. Scoring for kids’ shows and interactive projects lets me lean into that. The music within one episode can be whimsical one moment, adventurous the next, and then completely off-the-wall silly. So while it wasn’t a conscious plan at first, I quickly realized that this was a place where I could bring together my classical training, electronic production, and love of storytelling in a way that really makes an impact.
What’s one genre you haven’t worked in yet but would love to explore?
Having worked on hundreds of episodes over the last decade, I feel like I’ve covered a lot of ground, but I also know there is an incredible amount of music from different cultures that I’ve barely scratched the surface of. What excites me most is the idea of traveling and learning directly from those traditions, especially where the musical language is very different from our Western way of thinking.
Mongolian throat singing, microtonal music from Indonesia, or traditional Chinese opera, for example, all open up completely new approaches to sound and storytelling. Immersing myself in those worlds and finding ways to integrate those influences into my own work is something I would love to explore more deeply.
For Lego Friends, you pulled influences from K-pop, EDM, Avicii, and BLACKPINK. What’s your process for translating those adult genre influences into kid-friendly music that still feels authentic and cool?
When I’m writing for Lego Friends, I start by studying the genre closely to understand what makes it feel authentic. With K-pop, for example, it is about high-energy hooks, glossy production, and playful shifts in mood. For EDM or Avicii-style influences, it is the sense of build and release, the euphoria that comes from a great drop.
The next step is translating those elements for a younger audience. That often means simplifying the lyrical themes, brightening the harmonic language, and keeping the sound design fun and accessible. A big part of it is remembering that kids are incredibly savvy listeners. They know when something feels authentic, so I make sure the tracks still carry the same drive and excitement as the adult versions, just with a tone that fits their world.
Composing for a game-based learning platform must come with unique constraints. How did you navigate interactivity while maintaining emotional depth with Nurture?
The most important aspect of getting the right balance is creating adaptable musical themes. For instance, when a child successfully navigates a challenge, the music might shift to a more uplifting motif, reinforcing feelings of accomplishment and resilience. Conversely, moments of introspection or learning from mistakes are underscored with softer, more reflective melodies, promoting emotional regulation and a growth mindset. Many of the themes are crafted in a very nuanced way to encourage learning, because the platform’s primary mission is to equip young learners with essential life skills such as adaptability, compassion, creativity, and critical thinking through immersive, story-based games… all while having lots of fun. It’s a wonderful project to be a part of, and I take a lot of pride in helping foster such great qualities in the next generation.
What was it like collaborating with Daniel Ingram on Billie Bust Up? And do you have any dream collaborators, whether it be an artist or franchise?
It’s always a blast working with Daniel (even after 15 years)! He writes the most incredible songs and I have the opportunity to produce/orchestrate the sound worlds to support them. His imaginative songwriting and direction give me an incredible framework to create some pretty neat stuff. In Billie Bust Up, some songs, like “Dutch’s Razzle Dream Hotel,” explore multiple genres within a single tune. For that track, we recorded live rock bands, big jazz ensembles, and a full 70-piece orchestra, then mixed it all together. It was ambitious but an absolute dream for me.
I’ve worked with so many incredible artists over the years, but one dream collaboration would be a song featuring Paul Meany of Mutemath. He’s been a hero of mine for a long time.
From a production standpoint, how do you manage transitions between interactive gameplay and fully orchestrated musical numbers without breaking immersion?
Executing smooth transitions in interactive gameplay requires a lot of careful strategy and planning. From a production standpoint, attention to instrumentation, tempo, and harmonic flow is crucial. Matching sonic textures and maintaining consistent rhythmic and melodic elements helps preserve immersion, even as the music moves between reactive gameplay and linear sequences. The goal is always for the music to feel like an organic part of the world rather than a separate layer on top of it. A strong understanding of middleware is also incredibly valuable. When I expanded my skills in FMOD and Wwise, the quality and flexibility of my writing for interactive media increased dramatically.
Walk us through your typical workflow on a project, from initial concept to final mix.
A typical workflow for an episode starts with a detailed discussion with the key creatives to outline their vision and any important details. From there, I retreat to the “music cave” to hash out ideas, which sometimes means starting over many times as I experiment with different sound worlds…playing random stringed instruments, programming synths, banging on household items. This is my favorite part of the process, and there is always plenty of matcha involved.
Once I’ve developed key themes, I share them with the creatives for feedback, then craft the rest of the episode and send a preview. There’s often some back and forth, especially during the first episodes of a new series. Finally, I address any notes, prepare all the cues in a Pro Tools session, and send them off to the mixing stage. It sounds simple, but the process is full of experimentation and iteration.
Do you use any unconventional tools or processes in your hybrid composing that help you bridge orchestral and electronic music?
Not really, unless my brain counts as an unconventional tool. I’ve experimented with a lot of ways to bridge classical and EDM, with varying degrees of success. One of my favorite learning experiences back in university was writing a dubstep-orchestra piece that the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performed. Some of the orchestration worked wonderfully, while other parts were more catastrophic, like writing the wub-wub dubstep bass wobbles for the tuba. It was a hilarious challenge, and it taught young Trevor some important lessons on writing for the orchestra.
Where do you see the future of kids’ media and interactive music headed in the next 5–10 years?
I see the next 5–10 years as an exciting period for kids’ media and interactive music. Advances in technology will make experiences even more immersive, allowing music to respond in real time to choices, emotions, and perhaps even physiological feedback. I think we’ll see more genre-bending scores that blur the line between traditional orchestration, electronic music, and world music, creating truly dynamic soundscapes for young audiences.
At the same time, there will be a growing focus on using music to support learning and emotional development. Interactive scores will not just enhance gameplay, they’ll actively help children build skills like empathy, problem-solving, and creativity. I’m excited to be part of a field that continues to combine innovation with meaningful storytelling.
Are there any emerging technologies or platforms that excite you from a music storytelling perspective?
Augmented and virtual reality have excited me for a while now. There have been some incredible projects created for it already, but I think we have just scratched the surface of its capabilities. That, combined with the Dolby Atmos surround systems that are easily accessible for home theatres, will make for amazingly immersive sound experiences.
If you could dream up your ideal project, no limits, what would it look and sound like?
I would love to create an album that seamlessly brings together all the music I have experienced as a performer/producer, though maybe “seamless” isn’t the right word. It would be more of a tapestry with many seams… Baroque harpsichord weaving into southern gospel bluegrass, which morphs into Whitacre-style choral music, and eventually leads to epic EDM.
I’ve thought about this a lot, but haven’t fully attempted it yet. I’ve been fortunate to have a career that has taken me through so many genres, and I’m truly grateful for those experiences. I’m always looking for ways to distill and reanimate my journey in musical form, creating something that reflects the full spectrum of my musical adventures.
