I have Brian Schmidt to thank for the songs that my sons hum on the way to school. Schmidt works for Microsoft and has composed music for more than 120 interactive games, including John Madden Football, Jurassic Park, and the Star Wars Trilogy.

Just how do you get a job like that? Schmidt has bachelor’s degrees in music composition and computer science and a master’s degree in computer applications in music. He worked for Sega and Sony as a freelance consultant before joining Microsoft as a program manager for Xbox and Windows game audio and media.

Schmidt was part of the effort to lobby for video game music as a Grammy category. It was added in 2000.

I’m always intrigued by how boundary crossers make their impact in the world.