Andrea Zocco is a multi-talented electronics engineer at Marvell who has become a familiar face on Italian TV. Not for acting. But for his musical prowess on game shows.
He’s been on a total of eight game shows so far, all that test the contestants’ knowledge of music. Andrea says most of the shows challenge you to guess the title of a song in under 10 seconds.
Recounts Andrea, “I remember my second competition. I guessed 10 songs within 30 seconds. It was a challenge but exciting.” He adds, “Having a knack for quickly identifying tunes comes from years of passionate listening and a bit of technical strategy.”
From his ability to quickly recognize a song – and musical artists – Andrea’s sharp memory and love for music have made him a standout competitor. Andrea is based at Marvell’s Pavia site, just outside of Milan, which he says has numerous television studios.
Here’s what it looks like in an actual game show in one called “Singing in the car”.
Andrea’s poise on live TV hasn’t gone unnoticed by bosses and colleagues who recognize his ease in front of a live audience.
Having always been fascinated by music from different eras, Andrea’s journey into TV game shows began in 2013 when he decided to participate in a casting call for a popular music game show – his first one. Despite initial doubts from friends, Andrea’s determination and knowledge impressed the judges, securing his spot on the show. He says, “Casting starts with giving a short intro of yourself so producers can see you’re comfortable on camera and have personality.”
As an engineer at Marvell for the past six years, Andrea’s entertaining side brings a unique perspective to his job. Whether he’s analyzing a digital design simulation for a chip or recalling song lyrics, Andrea has the ability to think on his feet and engage with an audience. He says this comes in handy when traveling for work and in meetings where he presents.
Andrea’s passion for music influences his work at Marvell in other ways too. He says he often draws upon his creative side to develop innovative solutions, such as new ways to verify chip design development.
Andrea particularly likes music from the 30s and 40s and notes that many of today’s songs are just modern takes on those classic tunes. While he doesn’t play a musical instrument, he does possess extensive knowledge of historical music.
Andrea brought home the top prize in a game show about two years ago of 800 euros (nearly $900). He’s currently waiting to hear back from yet another casting audition he did just recently. All of us at Marvell are rooting for him!
