hiː ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd nˌɪɹ ðə tˈɑːp ʌv hɪz klˈæs fɹʌm bˈɜːkliː kˈɑːlɪdʒ ʌv mjˈuːzɪk ɪn bˈɔstən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ wɪð dᵻɡɹˈiːz ɪn fˈɪlm skˈoːɹɪŋ ænd mjˈuːzɪk pɹədˈʌkʃən, ænd mˈuːvd tə mˌɪniːˈæpəlɪs tə fˈɜːðɚ hɪz mjˈuːzɪk kɚɹˈɪɹ.
He graduated near the top of his class from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1994 with degrees in film scoring and music production, and moved to Minneapolis to further his music career.