Jerry Martin is an American composer, best known for his work composing music (particularly

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

) for television commercials, and being the lead composer for several games in ''

The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation game, life simulation video games developed by Maxis and video game publisher, published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling ...

'' franchise, including '' SimCity 3000'', ''

'', ''

The Sims Bustin' Out ''The Sims Bustin' Out'' is a video game that was released in 2003/2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and N-Gage. It is the second title in ''The Sims'' console series and the first ''The Sims'' title not released on ...

'', ''

The Sims 2 ''The Sims 2'' is a 2004 strategic life simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major title in ''The Sims'' series, and is the sequel to ''The Sims.'' The game was released for Microsoft Windo ...

'' and ''

SimCity 4 ''SimCity 4'' is a city-building simulation computer game developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. It was released on January 14, 2003. It is the fourth major installment in the ''SimCity'' series. ''SimCity 4'' has a single expan ...

''.

Early life and education

Martin began taking music lessons at the age of 10 and played

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

and

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

in various ensembles through his high school and college education. Martin received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition from

California State University, Hayward California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the 23-campus California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post ...

and a Master of Fine Arts from the Center for Contemporary Music at

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

Career

In 1985, he founded his original music composition and production company called "Musicontrol". From 1985 to 1995, Martin composed and produced music for various projects such as video soundtracks to national TV and radio commercials, working with over 90 individual film, video and ad agency producers on over 200 different commissions from companies such as

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

, the NBA,

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

, and others. In 1996, Martin joined the

Maxis Maxis is an American video game developer and a division of Electronic Arts (EA). The studio was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun, and acquired by EA in 1997. Maxis is best known for its simulation games, including '' The Sims ...

division of

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...

as studio audio director and Lead Composer. From 1996 through 2004, he composed and produced music and directed the audio for multi-platinum video game franchises such as ''

'' and ''

SimCity ''SimCity'' is an open-ended city-building video game series originally designed by Will Wright. The first game in the series, ''SimCity'', was published by Maxis in 1989 and were followed by several sequels and many other spin-off "''Sim ...

''. In 2005, Martin started his new company, Jerry Martin Music, and is currently working on various professional and personal musical projects.

Works

Video game soundtracks

* ''

''http://www.jerrymartinmusic.com/video_credits.php Jerry Martin's video game credits at his official site * '' The Sims Livin' Large'' * '' The Sims House Party'' * '' The Sims Hot Date'' * '' The Sims Vacation'' * '' The Sims Unleashed'' * '' The Sims Superstar'' * '' The Sims Makin' Magic'' * ''

'' * ''

The Sims Online ''The Sims Online'', also known as ''EA-Land'', was a massively multiplayer online variation on Maxis' computer game ''The Sims''. It was published by Electronic Arts and released in December 2002 for Microsoft Windows. The game was sold in retai ...

'' * ''

'' * '' SimCity 3000'' * '' SimCity 3000 Unlimited'' * ''

'' * '' SimCity 4 Rush Hour'' * ''

SimCopter ''SimCopter'' is a 1996 flight simulator video game developed by Maxis. It puts the player into a 3D city. Like ''Streets of SimCity'', ''SimCopter'' lets the user import '' SimCity 2000'' maps into the game. It is also the first game to use th ...

'' * ''

SimTunes ''SimTunes'' is a children's software toy designed by Toshio Iwai and released by Maxis in 1996. It involves painting a picture using large pixels, where each color represents a musical note. The player places up to four different-colored Bugz, w ...

'' * ''

SimPark ''SimPark'' is a 1996 video game by Maxis. The object of the game is to cultivate and manage a successful park. Similar to '' SimTown'', it is targeted more towards children than the average player. ''SimPark'' attempts to show the importance of e ...

'' * ''

SimSafari ''SimSafari'' is a construction and management simulation game released by Maxis on March 19, 1998. It is similar to '' SimPark'', except that the park is set in Africa rather than in North America, and therefore has African animals and plants. ...

'' * '' SimGolf'' * ''

Streets of SimCity ''Streets of SimCity'' is a racing and vehicular combat 3D computer game published by Maxis and Electronic Arts in 1997. The game features the ability to visit any city created in ''SimCity 2000,'' as well as a network mode, allowing for players t ...

'' * ''

Supercross 2000 ''Supercross 2000'' is a 3D racing game based on the sport of Supercross. It was published by EA Sports for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 consoles in North America on October 31, 1999, and in Europe in February 2000. Its sequel, ''Supercross'', ...

'' * '' Tony La Russa Baseball'' * '' SimCasino''

Companies whose TV commercials feature Martin's compositions

AT&T Communications AT&T Communications is a division of AT&T that focuses on mobile phone, broadband, fixed line telephone, home security, network security, and business services. The division houses AT&T Mobility, AT&T Internet, AT&T Phone, AT&T Labs, AT&T Di ...

* Acer Corporation * Alamo Car Rental *

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

Avocet The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...

* Buick Dealers Association * Cost Plus Imports *

* Emporium * GMC Trucks Dealers Association * Gallo Salame * Grass Valley Group * Growing Healthy Inc. * Hilltop Shopping Center *

Hitachi Data Systems Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) was a provider of modular mid-range and high-end computer data storage systems, software and services. Its operations are now a part of Hitachi Vantara. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. and part of ...

Dealers Association * KTVU Channel 2 *

Landor Associates Landor is a brand consulting firm founded in 1941 by Walter Landor, who pioneered some research, design, and consulting methods that the branding industry still uses. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company maintains 26 offices in 20 count ...

Longs Drug Stores Longs Drugs is an American chain owned by parent company CVS Health with approximately 70 drugstores throughout the state of Hawaii and formerly in the Continental US. Before being acquired by parent company in 2008, it was a chain of over 500 s ...

Lucky Stores Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in San Leandro, California, in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by Albertsons in Utah and Save Mart Supermarkets in Northern California. In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, ...

* NBA * Nationwide Marketing * Olympic Stain *

Pacific Bell The Pacific Bell Telephone Company (Pacific Bell or Pac Bell) is a telephone company that provides telephone service in California. The company is owned by AT&T through AT&T Teleholdings, and, though separate, is now marketed as “AT&T”. The ...

* Philip Morris *

Primerica Primerica, Inc. (NYSE: PRI) is a company that provides insurance, investment and financial services to middle income families in the United States and Canada. Primerica is the parent company of National Benefit Life Insurance Company, Prime ...

Project Open Hand Project Open Hand is a California nonprofit organization that provides medically tailored meals and groceries to elderly and homebound people in San Francisco and Alameda County. Founded in 1985 to deliver meals to people with AIDS, it also took o ...

* RSCVA * Raychem Corporation * Quantum * Rolm * Safeway Eastern Division * Sierra Pacific Power *

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

* Sun Microsystems * SYVA * Suzuki USA *

* Toyota USA *

Dealers Association *

Weinstock's Weinstock's, originally Weinstock, Lubin, and Co., was an American department store chain headquartered in Sacramento, California. It was founded by Harris Weinstock and his half-brother, David Lubin. The chain was purchased by Hale's in 1949, b ...

Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United St ...

Wesson Oil Wesson cooking oil is a brand of vegetable oil manufactured in Memphis, Tennessee, and sold by Richardson International. Historically, Wesson was cottonseed oil, but as of 2009 the products sold under the Wesson brand are oil mixtures that may in ...

* Yamaha USA

References

External links

Jerry Martin's official siteComposer profile
at

OverClocked ReMix OverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-commercial organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs, both with new technology and software and by vari ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Jerry Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American jazz composers Electronic Arts employees American male jazz composers California State University, East Bay alumni Maxis Video game composers