WHEN David Housden graduated from University Campus Suffolk with a degree in music production in the summer of 2011, he gave himself 12 months to “make it”.

Little did he know that during the following 18 months he would become a successful freelance computer games composer, that Jonathan Ross would hand-pick him to record the soundtrack to a video game and that he would be nominated for a Bafta.

“When I graduated I said to myself I would give myself a year working part-time and composing in my spare time,” said 26-year-old David, of Colchester Road, Ipswich. “I would have looked into teaching or some other proper career in music if I didn’t make it. But as it turns out, I’m getting paid every day to write songs in my bedroom. It is the dream. University is a gamble but it paid off for me.”

He will attend the London Hilton on Park Lane tonight for the British Academy Games Awards, in its 11th year.

He could return home with the Best Original Music award after producing the soundtrack for computer game Thomas Was Alone, destined for the new PlayStation 4 console.

“People were dropping round with champagne on the day I found out,” he said. “I was even trending on Twitter for a few hours. Everyone was hugely made up for me, especially my parents. It’s been a really long road to get here.”

David has already received esteemed recognition in the capital.

Last summer he was sitting in a studio with television chat show host Jonathan Ross, discussing music plans for his innovative computer game Capture Catcha Aliens.

“I got talking with a Microsoft producer and six weeks later I was being interviewed in London for a computer game project.

“It turned out Jonathan Ross was behind it all and would cast the deciding vote, so the demo I made was hand-picked by him.

“Soon enough we were sat together in a room in London and talking about the music. He is exactly like he is on TV – a larger-than-life character.

“It was quite surreal. We were listening to music and he was banging his head to an eclectic range of music.

“So I made the soundtrack and he was very happy with it.

“Hopefully tonight will go well but I will just enjoy the evening.”