American music composer, Travis Naoshi Bernau, was born to immigrant parents in Utah Valley, Utah, in 1989. His mother came from Japan in search of education and opportunities, while his Dutch Indonesian father came from the Netherlands simply in search of adventure. Together they settled down in Utah to raise a family, infusing Travis’ upbringing with Japanese, Dutch, and Indonesian influences through music, food, art, calligraphy, festivals, language, and family. He was first introduced to music through his Dutch “opa”, grandfather, who played the accordion at all family gatherings. At age six, he started taking piano lessons and enjoyed improvising. At age 10, he and the family moved to Las Vegas, NV, where he has lived for over 20 years.
In Las Vegas he continued private piano lessons, and through his schooling added the alto and baritone saxophone, horn, mellophone, and vibraphone to his repertoire. He also participated in musical theater, a community choir, and horn choir. In college he continued with piano lessons as his emphasis for his composition degree. He sang in several choral ensembles and went on a couple of tours. Throughout his academic career he had many influential professors. Chief among them were Professors Timothy Hoft, Diego Vega, and Virko Baley. In the spring of 2014, he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Composition from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.
Travis Bernau’s music is inspired by his rich life experiences. Nature is often his muse, guiding his compositions to mirror grand scenic vistas and adventurous treks. The composition process translates these experiences through a kaleidoscope of improvisations until a backbone of a melody takes shape. Here imagination and experience blend, highlighting the composition with dreams of food, travel, science, astronomy, science fiction, and fantasy. The final revisions add harmony, melody, and emotions until the direction the music is asking for becomes clear.
Once clear, the composition is ready for an audience. It is Travis’ greatest desire to inspire that audience in the same vein as the “masters”. J.S. Bach, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Ravel, are renowned worldwide for their ability to inspire with their music. Travis hopes that one day his compositions will garner a fraction of that positive influence. To not only motivate and move people, but to inspire people to act, do good, and better the world.