Musician • Developer • Artist

About

My story is one about stubbornly following your dreams, and having fun along the way.

Hello I'm Dylan Cunningham.

Before software, music was my entire world. I spent my early years performing in big bands and jazz ensembles, studying music theory, and eventually attending my dream school: Berklee College of Music. There I grew tremendously as a writer, producer, and performer, met musicians I'm lucky to still call friends, and played some unforgettable shows.

large crowd at a concert
Playing a packed show with The Trap Music Orchestra at the Berklee Cafe.
large crowd at a concert
Cheesing with the crowd during a show in Hamilton, ON (thumbs up!)

After graduating, I spent another five years working as a professional musician. I played weddings, festivals, clubs, theatres, backyards, basements, and anywhere people wanted some live music. The pay was terrible, and I was having the time of my life. Playing hundreds of shows taught me far more than how to play guitar or perform. It taught me discipline, preparation, collaboration, checking my ego, and how to stay calm when things fall apart (it happens!). Some nights went great. Some didn't. Either way, you figure it out, learn something, and show up next time prepared.

I think kid me would be very proud of the person I've become, the things I've seen, and the music I've gotten to play.

large crowd at a concert
An annual highlight: Come Together Music Festival . A bi-annual music festival showcasing talent from all over Canada, playing at a beautiful 1:1 scale wild west village in Northern Ontario. Also I play drums sometimes!

Then COVID brought the live music industry to a standstill. Overnight, the gigs were gone. Like many people, I suddenly had to rethink my future and what I wanted for myself.

I moved to Nova Scotia to be closer to family and decided it was time to return to school. I knew I wanted a career that challenged me creatively, allowed me to build things, and rewarded consistent learning and curiosity. I also knew I was interested in technology. After all, Iwas the de facto IT guy growing up in my parents' house.

Walking up a snowy hill in Nova Scotia

The transition felt surprisingly natural. Music had already taught me how to practice diligently, break difficult problems into manageable pieces, accept feedback and criticism, and keep improving. Programming demanded many of the same skills, but in a whole new medium.

I graduated after helping my team place second in my college's inaugural hackathon and was honoured with the 2024–2025 Student of the Year award for my work building a full-stack training application for healthcare students.

Along the way, I explored a wide range of technologies, and built so many fun projects: screensavers in Java, Zombie Simulations in C++, Discussions Forums in C# ASP.NET, Games using a range of tools, web applications in JavaScript and TypeScript, and even a simple HTTP server written in plain C.

large crowd at a concert
My graduating class at Nova Scotia Community College. Your boy in the back!

Today, I bring the same mindset to software engineering that I brought to music: practice intentionally, keep learning, listen to the people around me, and care deeply about the craft.

I enjoy working with other developers, solving interesting problems, and building software that people genuinely enjoy using. I'm comfortable moving between the frontend, backend, and everything in between, and I'm happiest when I'm learning something new or figuring out a problem I haven't seen before.

I'm currently looking for a full-time software engineering or application support role where I can keep growing, contribute to meaningful products, and work alongside people who care about building great software.

That's the next chapter. I'm pretty excited about it.