about me

M errick Ohata is a musician and creative originally from Oak Park, IL. A graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, he spent the majority of his youth playing the saxophone in various bands at school and singing in a local children’s choir. He first began writing short songs and melodies in middle school, continuing with the encouragement of his band directors and studying music theory and composition under Kirk Garrison and Dr. Dennis Northway. Since his first pieces, his works have been performed both locally and internationally, including a commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and the premiere of his orchestral The Tale of the Ocean King in Caussade, France. He is now in his third year pursuing a BM in Composition in the studio of Michael Hersch at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

Many have found inspiration in the parallels between the realms of music and mathematics, and Merrick is no different. Fascinated with the depths of humanity, he is also pursuing a BS in Applied Math and Statistics as part of the Johns Hopkins-Peabody dual degree program, allowing him to further explore the relationshps between mathematical structures, music, and a universal human connection. His interest in language and communication took him to France, where he spent a semester studying at a local high school and playing with the community orchestra, and led him to complete independent studies focusing on the Enigma machine and constructed linguistics and anthropology before the conclusion of his high school education. He is now thrilled to find himself in a thought-provoking and challenging setting to continue his studies in language, music, and math.

When he's not studying or writing music, Merrick enjoys rock climbing, martial arts, and developing his Realm of Eřok, a world-building project.