Hi, I’m Phil Gold.
Hi, I’m Phil Gold. I’m a composer, recording artist, author, and educator. I compose, record, and release original music under the name therealphilgold, write about creativity and life in Europe, create online courses that have reached more than a million learners, and occasionally write children’s books involving fart jokes and stubborn vegetables.
At first glance those might seem like very different pursuits. To me, they’re all driven by the same thing: curiosity.
Currently, I divide my time between composing music, writing, creating educational content, and exploring Europe from my home in Valencia, Spain.
Music
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing in bands, writing songs, and performing whenever I had the chance. Today I compose, record, and release original music under the name therealphilgold. My original music spans contemporary classical, cinematic instrumentals, Americana, acoustic, blues, and rock.
Over the years I’ve built a catalog of more than 140 original recordings, available through streaming platforms and increasingly focused on licensing for film, television, advertising, and other media. While the styles vary greatly, my goal is always the same: to make music with memorable melodies, emotional honesty, and a story to tell.
Teaching and Learning
Professionally, I’ve spent most of my career helping people learn, communicate, and lead more effectively. My work includes corporate learning and development, communications, leadership training, consulting, and speaking.
My online courses on LinkedIn Learning and Coursera have reached more than one million learners worldwide. Subjects range from communication and leadership to technology management, with a particular emphasis on making complex ideas practical and approachable.
Writing
Writing is another creative outlet.
My travel blog began as a way to document life after moving from the United States to Portugal and later to Valencia, Spain. Along the way it has grown into a collection of stories about travel, local culture, photography, and the unexpected moments that make exploring new places so rewarding.
I also write on Medium about creativity, leadership and business practices, music, independent publishing, travel, and the occasional topic that simply refuses to stay out of my head.
Most recently, I’ve ventured into children’s books, because sometimes the best ideas involve fart jokes, princesses with unfortunate odors, and entirely unreasonable vegetables.
Voice and Communication
Looking back, I’ve realized that every part of my career has involved communication in one form or another. Whether I’m composing music, teaching technology, writing articles, or standing behind a microphone, I’m always trying to help people understand, feel, or imagine something new.
Life in Spain
After spending a fantastic five years in Portugal, my wife Kristie and I now live in the beautiful city of Valencia, Spain. Between us we share our home with two cats, a remarkably enthusiastic canary named Albert, and a never-ending list of projects that somehow always seems to get longer.
Living in Europe has given me the opportunity to immerse myself in new cultures, improve my Spanish and Portuguese, travel extensively, and find inspiration in places I never expected.
Thanks for stopping by
Whether you’re here because of the music, the writing, the courses, or simple curiosity, I hope you find something that makes you smile, think, or wonder, “What would happen if…?”
I hope you’ll enjoy exploring the site as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it. If you’d like to connect about music, licensing, writing, speaking, or simply to say hello, I’d love to hear from you.