MINDY PETERSON, NCTM

Photo by Roméo A. on Unsplash

The author of “A Composer’s Guide to Game Music” explains the nuanced art form of crafting soundscapes that dynamically respond to every player’s move. We discuss why gaming music imprints more strongly on our memory than music from other forms of entertainment; opportunities for newcomers to the field; what inspires Winifred Phillips most about the industry; her newest exciting project (access available now!); and her recommendations for music students and their educators. Join us to elevate your understanding of how music enriches the gaming experience.

Guest

Winifred Phillips is an award-winning video game composer who has also written an award-winning bestseller, “A Composer’s Guide to Game Music.” Winifred has composed music for games in many of the biggest and best franchises in gaming, including Assassin’s Creed, God of War, Total War, The Sims, and LittleBigPlanet. She is an in-demand speaker and author.

Notes

We discuss:

• Why Winifred wrote her book, “A Composer’s Guide to Game Music.”
• The book includes info re:
  • acquiring the necessary creative skills to understanding the function of music in games to finding work in the field
  • detailed coverage of essential topics, including musicianship and composition experience; immersion; musical themes; music and game genres; workflow; working with a development team; linear music; interactive music, both rendered and generative; audio technology, from mixers and preamps to software; and running a business.
  • indispensable guidance for musicians and composers to protect their musical identities while working in a highly technical field
• The unique role that music plays in shaping the overall gaming experience compared to other forms of media
• The unique challenges in adapting music to respond to player choices
• How Winifred approaches composing interactive music, and what that process looks like
• One fascinating aspect of game music is the use of leitmotifs and recurring themes to represent characters, places, or concepts. We discuss how these musical themes are developed, and how they enhance players’ connection to the game’s world.
• In her book, Winifred describes the concept of “immersion” as an essential aspect of game music. She explains how music contributes to creating an immersive gaming experience and how composers can achieve this effectively.
• Jobs and careers – beyond composing – related to video game music that budding young gamers/musicians may not be aware of but may want to consider
• Winifred’s recommendations to listeners who want to learn more or are considering a career in the field; her advice to newcomers who are looking to acquire the necessary creative skills for a job in this field; and the best way to go about finding work in the industry
• How Winifred sees the future of video game music evolving, and what excites her the most about the potential of music in upcoming gaming experiences
• The new and exciting projects she is working on!
• Why video game music concert tours are so successful
• How composing linear music for TV, radio, and film differs from the “conversational” composing employed for video game music
• How audience reception of video games and video game soundtracks has changed since 2005, when Winifred wrote for God of War
• The unique challenges that come from writing music for a video game based on a previous game series, movie, or other IP, rather than writing a score for a completely new title
• Winifred’s experiences as a player of video games herself, what sounds she gravitates towards when playing a game, and how playing further informs her work as a composer

Connect/Other Resources

• Winifred’s book: A Composer’s Guide to Game Music (August 2017)
• Winifred’s website and blog
• Winifred Phillips’ Articles on GameDeveloper.com
• Winifred Phillips on Facebook
• Winifred Phillips on Twitter
• Winifred Phillips on Instagram
• Winifred Phillips on LinkedIn
• Winifred Phillips on Threads
• An interview with Winifred has been published as a part of the Routledge text, Women’s Music for the Screen: Diverse Narratives in Sound, which collects the viewpoints of the most esteemed female composers in film, television, and games.
• Winifred mentions the following resources:
  • Game Audio Network Guild
  • Game Developers Conference
  • GameSoundCon
  • GameDeveloper.com
  • Follow #gameaudio on Twitter

Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:

• Ep. 26: Music’s Role in Video Games, with Dr. Ryan Thompson, MSU Game Design and Development Program
• Ep. 132: The secret life of… the recording studio engineer; with John Long
• Ep. 138: Classroom STEAM integration through music production & songwriting; with Writers Room U
• Ep. 56: How do artists and songwriters get paid when I stream their song or hear it played in a store? With Songtrust’s Anna Bond
• Ep. 66: Olympic trainer Daniel Stewart on enhancing motivation and performance with music
• Ep.78: How and when are songs selected for TV & film scenes? with Jody Friedman
• View all episodes related to Sports & Entertainment
• View all episodes related to Education & Community

In-Episode Promo

The Business Side of Music podcast

JAMBAR: This is a quick break to tell you about my new favorite energy bar – a bar that has combined two of my favorite things: music and food! JAMBAR is a Certified Organic whole food bar that was created by Jennifer Maxwell, a food science and nutrition expert, athlete, and musician. Jennifer was also co-creator of the original, iconic PowerBar in the 1980s that launched the entire energy bar industry!

Jennifer’s love for music inspired the creation of JAMBAR, and you can see that reflected in the music-themed flavors that include Musical Mango, Jammin’ Jazzleberry, Chocolate Cha Cha, and Malt Nut Melody.

One of the things I like best about these bars, besides the great taste, is that they are higher in protein and less sweet than the all-natural bars I’ve found in the past. Each JAMBAR is packed with ten grams of protein and is minimally sweetened with only all-natural sweeteners. JAMBARs are non-GMO and gluten-free; and two of the four flavors use plant-based protein, for a dairy-free option.

On top of all that, JAMBAR donates a whopping fifty percent of net profits to programs that support the art of music and active living.

For a convenient way to eat whole foods on the go, while supporting causes that are making the world a better place, join me in reaching for JAMBARs. Available at Amazon, select retailers, and jambar.com. For more info, you can also visit Episode 160.

Coda

Winifred shares the story of being on the music composition team for LittleBigPlanet 2. Winifred says: “I was asked to compose the music for the Victoria’s Lab level. After submitting that music, the development team redesigned the level because they were inspired by the music.  This was very meaningful to me.“

Closing Words

A huge thank-you to Winifred for joining us today and sharing with us a peek-behind-the-curtain of the game music world and this unique art form of interactive game music composition. Thanks also to Molly Hennig for introducing me to Winifred’s work. All the best to you, Molly, in your PhD work; I have a feeling I’m going to be requesting an interview with YOU before long for this podcast!

I’m really excited by the educational potential of today’s topic – I think gaming soundscapes are the perfect medium for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)/STEAM (STEM with the inclusion of Arts) projects across all ages – K-12, and continuing in college where you can bring together departments and disciplines for cross-training and collaboration – disciplines including psychology, technology, computer science, programming, engineering, music, visual arts & graphics, business & marketing. The possibilities are endless! If you are already doing this in your K-12 school or college, I would love to learn more about your program and experiences. You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

All Enhance Life with Music episodes are evergreen; so check out the back catalogue for more ways that music can make your life better.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.

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