J Ralph

You've heard J Ralph before probably, maybe without knowing it. Millions of people have actually listened to J. Ralph's music, yet he's far from a household name. The 29-year-old musician's dreamy, hypnotic compositions have become a hit with advertisers, appearing in ads for Volkswagen, Nike and others.

J. Ralph -- whose given name is Josh -- has no formal musical training. He spent time working in hip hop studios and got a big record deal for his debut CD, which went nowhere. Then an ad agency found one of his orchestral songs and licensed it. More ads followed. Among the most famous is one called "Big Day" for Volkswagen : It features a beautiful bride, her father, who frequently checks his watch, and a frantic young groom in a Jetta racing to the church. The ad debuted during the 2001 Super Bowl and ran for three years -- an eternity for a commercial.

One of many unique instruments in J. Ralph's cavernous studio is this 60-inch gong. "Anything that makes sound, I find inspiration in," he says. "Whether it's raindrops, or crickets, or newspaper rustling, or drums, or gongs or anything."

J Ralph - One Million Miles Away (Volkswagen Big Day Commercial)

J Ralph - NPR 'All Things Considered' Interview