Fraser discovered the Sound Design MSc programme through an alumna working in the games industry and decided ECA would provide the best environment to develop his skills within. During his time here, he took full advantage the additional opportunities on offer beyond the curriculum. 

Since graduating, Fraser has built a career in composing, sound design, and mixing for both short- and long-form media, working with several major brands and composing his own original song for the video game ‘osu!’.

Why ECA?

I first heard about the Sound Design MSc at ECA through an alumna, Anne-Sophie Mongeau, who went on to work on It Takes Two and Tomb Raider. A sound designer friend of mine had met her and told me about the course, which immediately caught my attention. At the time, I was living in Edinburgh and seriously considering a career in game audio. Once I looked into the programme, I realised how unique it was - combining technical depth with creative exploration and offering opportunities that aligned perfectly with my ambitions. It quickly became clear that ECA provided the best environment to develop the skills and experience I needed to move into the industry.

Tell us about your time at ECA

My time at ECA was hugely rewarding, both creatively and personally. One of the highlights was the friendships I made - we went on countless field recording trips together, and I learned just as much from my peers as I did from the lecturers. Being surrounded by such talented, like-minded people was inspiring, and many of the connections I made have turned into lifelong friendships that I still value today.

Project-wise, I worked on several game audio pieces, including a collaboration with a game design student and my final MSc project. These not only taught me how to design and implement sound for games but also gave me a surprising by-product: I learned the fundamentals of game development itself. Having that extra outlet for creativity was both challenging and incredibly fulfilling.

The Creative Coding module was especially eye-opening, pushing me to think about sound and music in completely new ways. Beyond the curriculum, I took full advantage of the additional opportunities on offer: Dolby Atmos mixing workshops, microphone-building sessions (including constructing miniature mics with Roderick, which sounded fantastic), field recording trips, and guest lectures from professionals across game audio, composition, business, and sound recording.

If I could go back and start again, the only thing I’d do differently would be to try even more modules. The course offers such a wide range of possibilities that it’s impossible to experience everything in one run - but that’s also what makes it so exciting. 

Tell us about your experiences since graduating

I was surprised by how quickly the year at ECA went by - it remains one of the best years of my life. It was both creatively fulfilling and a huge step up in my audio knowledge, skills, and career direction. While I initially planned to pursue a role in game audio, I instead found myself stepping into the world of audio post-production.

I now work at Forever Audio, where my role spans composing, sound design, and mixing for both short- and long-form media, as well as running voiceover sessions. The studio also works across ADR, Dolby Atmos mixing, and many other exciting areas of audio, which means I’m constantly learning and developing.

Every module from the MSc has proven valuable, but perhaps most impactful was the enthusiasm I absorbed from the lecturers and my peers. That energy has carried through into my work, and I’ve developed a real excitement for exploring innovative audio concepts - from miniature microphones and spatial audio to advanced composition techniques.

Since graduating, some of my proudest achievements have included composing music for brands such as Betfair, Papa Johns, and Mailchimp; sound designing campaigns for McDonald’s, Minecraft, T-Mobile, and Royal Caribbean; and working on numerous projects for Tonies, Paddy Power, Sky Vegas, Sky Bet, Spotify, and many others. One personal highlight has been creating an original song for the video game osu!, which has since become one of my most popular songs

Alumni wisdom

If you’re starting the course, dive in wholeheartedly - every project can become a strong portfolio piece, and the feedback you get is invaluable. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but also nurture the areas you’re already passionate about, as they’ll help define your voice.

If you’re graduating, remember that ECA has already equipped you with more than you think - the skills, the connections, and the creative spark. Keep that momentum going, stay curious, and trust that the work you’ve done will open doors.