Meet Fernando J. Moguel | Musician, singer, multidisciplinary producer, illustrator, writer and educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fernando J. Moguel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fernando J., can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always loved creating. As a child, I carried a notebook and pencil everywhere, drawing characters, writing stories or poems, making maps, creating puzzles, or inventing my own alphabet whether in the car or at the store. I loved imagining my own worlds and universes, inspired by the stories, games, shows, books, and movies I adored.

It’s amusing to look back at my early drawings and see how my characters and stories closely resembled those that inspired them. This wasn’t done intentionally or maliciously; I simply wanted to create something as deep and inspiring as the works that captivated me. Now, I understand that this mimicry was part of the learning process, helping me develop a vast palette for my own ideas.

Another significant influence was my love of music, nurtured by my parents from an early age. In elementary school, my father gave me a Hohner chromatic harmonica in a soft green case, passed down from his dad. It was my first instrument, and I began composing music with it. My dad taught me singing, and my parents also enrolled my brother and me in piano lessons.

Among the various activities our parents encouraged (like Tae-Kwon-Do, soccer, chess, basketball, and singing), they also introduced us to acting, leading to auditions and commercials through an agency. At one point, I auditioned for a live-stage tour with Barney (the purple dinosaur) and was selected as one of the Barney kids. For two years, I traveled and performed in places like Houston’s Compaq Center, New York’s Radio City Music Hall, and Mexico City’s National Auditorium. I am extremely grateful for these experiences outside of a traditional classroom at such a young age (I was 9 and 10), which included traveling and meeting diverse people in a professional and creative environment.

During this tour, I met The Wiggles, the renowned Australian children’s music group, and recorded a song with them. This collaboration continued for many years, and at 15, I became the Yellow Wiggle for the Latin American Wiggles, filming in Sydney, Australia. At 19, after a regional tour and filming another show produced by The Wiggles, I pivoted to university in Sydney, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in contemporary music. This program covered history, theory, performance, composition, multi-media production, and more. During my studies, I focused more on production, moving away from live performance, though I continued to perform in local Wiggles shows and as a musician with a few bands. I also started doing my first children’s music production work for clients. Alongside of this, I kept up my passion for drawing by taking online tutorials on illustration and practicing it in my own time. And of course, I continued to compose my own music.

Near the end of my university years, I started exploring songwriting that diverged from my usual style, inspired by literature, mythology, science, and philosophy, and astrophysics, topics that have always greatly interested me. This led to the creation of songs like “Siddhartha,” “Plato’s Cave,” “Midas,” “The Wings of Icarus,” and “Quixote,” combining cinematic, classical, electronic, folk, and world music elements, and with a focus on storytelling. This project, named Syne, also included plans for animated music videos, leading me to study animation and develop storylines and characters, including a tall, clock-like figure that I wanted to feature in the eventual video for “Plato’s Cave”.

Anyway, I eventually came back to Houston (where I’m originally from). It was a difficult transition, and I definitely felt lost during that time after uni, without a clear direction to follow. During these years, I did different kinds of creative freelance work, some photography and illustration gigs here and there, I took on cinematic music scoring projects for a few short films (which I really enjoyed), and continued producing children’s music for clients.

In parallel, I continued my own creative work. I refined some of the songs, storylines, and characters that I had created for my “Syne” project. Also around this time, in early 2017, I began writing a few poems based on historical figures, science concepts, and cultural and educational topics. Two of my first ones were Galileo Galilei and Tale of the Beckoning Cat (the lucky cat that you often see in many Asian restaurants). I continued to write these poems for fun and create illustrations for them, and six months later, I had a finished collection of 50 illustrated poems. I had also started integrating some of my characters, stories, and even lyrics from my “Syne” project into the book, and eventually I landed on a name for the book: Mr. Pendlum’s Compendium (Mr. Pendlum, the tall clock-like figure, was now a more prominent character in my creative universe).

Eventually, I found myself working in an IB World School, managing their TV studio and leading the communications department (funnily enough, my newly printed illustrated poetry book prototype was the catalyst for the job offer). Though I had been involved in the children’s education industry through the entertainment side, this was my first entry point into the formal education system. Getting to interact with students, families, and teachers more closely gave me an added appreciation for education and increased insight and awareness about the many challenges in the field.

I was still intent on creating animated videos for my “Syne” songs, and now, for my poems as well. I continued studying animation on my own time. However, in 2018, I decided to delegate and find an animation studio to work with. I searched far and wide for a studio that had a style that I liked and was within my limited budget. Also vital for me was finding a studio that was open to working with my own characters, storyboards, and concept material. I came across a studio with their talent based in Ukraine and the Czech Republic that was dedicated to making animations and art for heavy metal bands. Their portfolio aesthetic was very dark and reflective of heavy metal themes; however, I thought that they had a very appealing style that could translate well to other source material, so I decided to reach out. The studio was All4Band.com, and they agreed to take on my project.

On January 13th, 2019, I released my first animated music video: Siddartha (Running Water).
“Siddhartha” Music Video: https://youtu.be/Uu46SO0F1Ts?si=sFmeakWHvT3NBmeF

And a few months later, I released Midas.
“Midas” Music Video: https://youtu.be/bVf8KLk8Y9Y?si=GN3xigu5JFB71ks1

Also around the same time, I started producing original children’s music inspired by science and other educational topics under my own children’s music project called Little Syne, which I would later rebrand to Fernandito Jm. In early 2020, I animated my first full music video for my original children’s song, “It’s The Shapes”, though I considered this simple animation more of a learning exercise leading one step closer to my goal of eventually animating my own “Syne” music video.

“It’s The Shapes” Music Video: https://youtu.be/vKjOsOLnT4k?si=J7FO5QX-FYuynkJ1

Anyway, going back to the IB World School, I departed from the school in early 2020, and, not long after, I found myself working in an ed-tech company called Idea Lab Kids, being brought on originally to do some acting on camera, script writing, and lesson designing. I also lent a hand to the post production team by doing some illustration and animation work. As I began taking on a bigger roles in creating processes, directing the filming sessions, and offering creative ideas for the platform that we were developing, I transitioned into the role of Product Manager for the company, managing several creative teams and working across departments to support the development of our ed-tech platform, STEAM-On Demand.

With the arrival of COVID, I also had plenty of time to dedicate to my creative freelance work on the side and, of course, to my own creative projects. In 2020, about 7 years since putting down my original concept sketches and drafts for the song, I produced and released the animated music video for Plato’s Cave, again, animated by the incredibly talented Maria Goruleva of All4Band studio.

Plato’s Cave Video: https://youtu.be/TSg_-9vDjQI?si=SMZNV6ieLaqoC2rK

Though I was relatively productive, creatively speaking, during this time of COVID, like most people, I craved having a connection with people and being able to engage in a community. So, like many people during this time, I turned my attention towards the Metaverse and NFT communities that were popping up. I dove pretty deeply into it and managed to make many positive connections in these spaces. I even did some creative writing for one of the leading Metaverse/NFT Blogs, and did some production work and virtual performances for Polygonal Mind, one of the leading creative studios that built many of the 3D environments for some of the most popular Metaverse spaces, like Sandbox and Decentraland. It was definitely a fun time and a great learning experience exploring the utility of emerging technologies like blockchain, VR, and AR.

Then, near the end of 2021, our ed-tech company moved from our office near Memorial City to an office in a place called the Ion. This large building, that had previously been the old, well-known Sears building, had recently been revamped and turned into a state-of-the-art hub with the intent of creating a thriving innovation district in the heart of Houston. It was a very new building and the community still nascent, but it provided a unique opportunity: a place to meet innovative and like-minded people, interact with them on a regular basis, and get to know them gradually over a long course of time, something only universities and few other kinds of places provide. So during 2022 and 2023, I shifted much of my focus from my creative projects to networking and community engagement. In short time, I became a very integrated part of several niche communities, such as aerospace, ed-tech, and arts, and of the larger community overall, and I made many close friends, colleagues, and collaborators from many disciplines and walks of life. I became known as a leader and mentor in the areas of creativity, art, and education and was increasingly invited to speak and present on these topics. I speak of this with gratitude, being very aware that this was a “right time, right place” kind of moment.

So what am I up to these days? Well, I currently work on a regular contract basis for the Mayor’s Office of Education for the City of Houston, where I get to apply my love for character design, illustration, multi-media production, creative writing, and storytelling to make our communication more engaging for youth. I continue to support the ed-tech company as a creative director, directing our filming sessions to produce new educational content for the platform. I compose music for short films and animated videos, make illustrations for children’s books, write scripts for podcast episodes, and many other fun, creative things for clients. I continue to be very involved in Houston’s tech and innovation community (I am now a 5-minute skateboard ride from the Ion).

And of course, I continue with my own creative projects, something I will never cease to do. My illustrated poetry book, Mr. Pendlum’s Compendium-The Illustrated Multiverse Volume 1 is published and available on Amazon and online retailers, with many of its poems narrated, animated, and musicalized as a digital compendium, and I have a 5-year plan to release at least 10 more books, as well as 10 new songs and 3 more animated music videos, including one animated by me.

Mr. Pendlum’s Compendium: https://www.thesyneverse.com/mpc-tim-v1

This journey is a constant process of learning, trying new things, and readjusting. It has only ever looked clear and connected in hindsight, but getting to explore and tinker is the true fun and beauty of the creative process, and the process of life. I feel like I’m only just beginning.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Over the last few years, I’ve been rediscovering Houston and its many hidden gems. Here’s is a sample itinerary I put together with some of my favorite Houston’s highlights. I normally like having a loose itinerary with a good list of things do to but flexible enough to go with the flow and the mood of the moment. Feel free to mix and match!

DAY 1: Exploring the Museum District
Morning: Start your day with a visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where you can explore exhibits ranging from dinosaur fossils to precious gems.

Afternoon: Have lunch in the museum area, then walk to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to admire its vast collection. Afterward, head to the Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel to experience their unique art and meditative spaces.

Evening: Enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant, then cap off the day with a tranquil Candlelight Concert, an intimate music experience in a beautifully lit venue.

DAY 2: Hermann Park and the Health Museum
Morning: Buy some high-quality duck food and start your day at McGovern Lake in Hermann Park, feeding the ducks.

Afternoon: After your stroll around the lake, visit the Houston Health Museum to learn about the human body and health innovations. Then, explore the Centennial Gardens.

Evening: Have dinner in the area, followed by a free performance at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, an iconic Houston venue for outdoor shows.

DAY 3: Space Center Houston and Clear Lake
Daytime: Dedicate this day to exploring Space Center Houston. It’s a full-day affair with exhibits on space exploration, NASA’s history, and possibly a tram tour of the Johnson Space Center.

Evening: Return to the city and relax with a late-night coffee at Agora, a cozy spot perfect for unwinding after a day of adventure.

DAY 4: Houston’s Natural Side
Morning: Visit Memorial Park, one of Houston’s largest green spaces. Enjoy a walk or a jog through its trails.

Afternoon: Explore the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center to learn about local wildlife and ecosystems.

Evening: Have dinner in the area, perhaps trying out some local Texan cuisine, and/or catch a live music gig at one of Houston’s many live music halls and venues.

DAY 7: Downtown Adventures
Morning: Start with a ramen brunch at Ramen Tatsuya.

Afternoon: Walk around the Houston Tunnels for an underground tour of the city’s downtown. Then, visit the Houston Cistern and take a leisurely walk around Buffalo Bayou Park.

Evening: Check out an event at the Ion, showcasing Houston’s innovative and technological advancements.

DAY 6: The Heights and Discovery Green

Morning to Afternoon: Spend the day in The Heights, shopping and sightseeing in this trendy neighborhood known for its historic homes, boutique shops, and art galleries.

Evening: Depending on the season, see a movie or go ice skating at Discovery Green. Enjoy the mole tasting platter at Xochi for dinner, offering a modern take on Oaxacan cuisine.

DAY 7: Leisure and Culture
Daytime: Dedicate your last day to any activities or sights you might have missed or wish to revisit. This is a good time to check out any temporary exhibits or events happening in the city. Alternatively, you could drive down to Galveston to spend a day at the beach and strolling around the quaint historic downtown area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Always, I dedicate my work to my parents and brother. They’ve supported me unconditionally, from the very beginning. My parents always encouraged and enabled us to be curious and try many different things. Throughout our childhood, both my brother and I were in soccer, piano, basketball, Tae=Kwon-Do, singing, acting, chess, and many other activities.

Aside from the activities, our parents also enriched us with all genres of music and all kinds of art, from different backgrounds and cultures. Most importantly, they encouraged us to be open-minded and to think for ourselves.

And my brother, who is three years younger. We have always been very close, and growing up, it was like having a friendly and skillful “rival” at everything—chess, soccer, basketball, ping pong, etc. We would play against each other in all sorts of sports and games, and we would also have lengthy and deep conversations about the universe and about our personal “theories” of the cosmos. We still have those awesome talks to this day.

I wouldn’t be who I am without them and all that they’ve done. My achievements are theirs as well.

I also want to mention Yev, who is the most amazing, wonderful, and supportive person one could hope to have in life.

I have wonderful friends and mentors, Mabast Ahmad, Mykyta Rudskyi, David Reid, James Phelan, Olivera Jankovska, Ted Tagami, Christine Galib, Jesse Martinez, and I could go on.

My other mentors are the creative minds—authors, poets, composers, physicists, etc.—who I study, learn from, and am inspired by: Phillip Pullman, Carl Sagan, Koji Kondo, Hans Zimmer, Neil Gaiman, Dr. Seuss, Liu Cixin, Billy Collins, Carlo Rovelli, Malcolm Gladwell, and Adam Grant to name a few.

Website: https://www.thesyneverse.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernando.j.m/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-jm/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/syneverse

Other: Mr. Pendlum On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6cn3HWERlSkkrI6NYAx76Q?si=lkLmTB34Qgim3eYy4aG0DA FJM Creative Portfolio Site: https://www.fernandojm.com/

Image Credits
Main photo is taken by Ambar Paula