“I can't wait until I’m able to work and collaborate with some of the most creative minds of my generation,” Tristan Wilcher shares. 

Embarking on his college career, Tristan brings a passion for books, production and beat-making, and music business to the USC Iovine and Young Academy.  If he’s not reading or making films, you can find him in the studio. This incoming freshman already has experience directing a commercial under his belt. What will he do next? Find out more about Tristan’s road to IYA (and how he teamed up with iHeartRadio) below. 

What were you looking for in an undergraduate program?

When I found out about this program I didn’t think it was real because of how perfect a fit it was. Growing up, I’ve always excelled in school, particularly in math, design and English courses. After school I’d find myself making music and videos to fill the time. After a while, I got pretty good at just making stuff and realized I had a solid knack for business too. Throughout high school I developed my own businesses revolving around videography and music, selling instrumental beats, studio time, making commercials, sports mixtapes, etc. By the time graduation rolled around I was seriously contemplating not even going to college because I didn’t think any school would offer me what I was really looking for; a multidisciplinary, new-age approach to learning and creation. I looked around and it seemed like there weren’t too many programs like that, especially in my home state of Indiana. But eventually, I found the IYA program at USC and I was hooked.

What are you most looking forward to at IYA?

In April I got the opportunity to visit campus and meet some of my future classmates. Talking to them was the thing that pushed me over the edge and made me think, “Yup, this is my future home.” Everyone was so diverse and they had such unique perspectives that challenged my own. I can't wait until I’m able to work and collaborate with some of the most creative minds of my generation.

What are three goals you want to accomplish during your time at IYA and/or USC?

- Release a completely self produced album

Let’s say you were miraculously provided $1,000,000 in seed funding tomorrow. What would you create?

I’d create a company whose mission is to take smaller businesses into the virtual world. I think with the constant advancement of technology, predominately the future of social media and virtual reality, a lot of smaller companies will fall under if they aren’t prepared. We’ll create websites, augmented reality add ons for their products, VR stores, social media advertisements, and AI help-bots tailored for their fit.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

One of the things I’m most proud of is building myself up to working with iHeartRadio. There was a short film that I wrote and directed along with the help of the production company I work with and some friends. The film played at a local drive-in theater for a film festival last October. One of the people watching happened to be the Vice President of Sales at iHeart. He really liked my short film and invited me to a meeting. That meeting opened many doors for me including directing a commercial that aired on Fox59, voicing a radio ad that aired on radio station 98.3, and making some great connections not only in Indianapolis, but in LA as well.

Describe one thing most people don’t know about you.

A lot of people don’t know that I still like to read. I love wondering, “What if?” so I used to really be into these dystopian science fiction novels. Books like Legend, The Institute, and Uglies stick out to me right now. Recently I’ve been reading these psychology books like The Blank Slate and Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie, but reading still holds a special place in my heart.

What is one thing a significant person in your life taught you that you’d like to share?

My mom taught me to work hard without expectation. She’s always been my role model and although she never had to tell me that, I saw from her example that being good at something and going hard at it goes so much farther than just talking about it.

What is one skill/thing that you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic?

I tapped into making beats just before the pandemic hit and I got heavily into it during lockdown. I got pretty good at it pretty quickly because that’s what I put most of my time towards. Adding on to that, I learned how to make a website and even sold my first beat during that time.

What is your favorite app/website and why?

Definitely YouTube. I love watching video essays on random topics and it has a huge rabbit hole of music sample libraries.

If you could be any kitchen appliance, what would you be and why?

What do you like to do/watch/read during your downtime?

If I have nothing to do I’ll be at the studio. I’m usually there everyday to work, but if there’s no sessions going on that day I’ll make my own stuff.

“I can't wait until I’m able to work and collaborate with some of the most creative minds of my generation,” Tristan Wilcher shares.

Fresh Encounters: Tristan Wilcher