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It's a Musical Clue: Talking Game Music Connect

With the music-focused gaming event returning for a second year in the heart of London, we talk to the organisers about the concept and their expectations.

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Last year's inaugural Game Music Connect in London focused attention on an aspect of the industry that until then hadn't been properly celebrated (Video Games Live aside). Composers from a variety of games joined together for a day of discussion, panels and more, covering all aspects of gaming music and the production of soundtracks.

A year on and the organisers are pulling together the last details for the second event, that'll run on in a month's time on September 24th at the Southbank Centre in London. The show will nclude speakers like Tomb Raider's Jason Graves, Thomas Was Alone's David Housden and many more.

We talked to co-founder and Dead Space 3 composer James Hannigan about the concept and the plans for this year's event.

Where'd the idea for such an event originate from?

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In my humble experience, the games industry has historically been fairly insular and inward-looking, going about its business mostly behind closed doors and finding it very difficult to shake off the geeky ‘computer industry' image that formed around it in the 70s and 80s.
Its members are very good at talking to each other, especially about technology, and to people already in the industry and to initiated hardcore gamers who understand the lingo - at industry sponsored events, conferences and so on - but possibly less so at engaging the wider public or reaching those outside the industry in related fields or other entertainment industries.

And this, I feel, is in stark contrast to the accessible way in which, for example, the film industry effortlessly manages to engage the public - and media - in discussions around the content of films and the creative processes behind filmmaking. So Game Music Connect is, in the context of music at least, an attempt to try to remedy this in some way and get away from the geeky and somewhat corporate image games sometimes have in order to find both a forward-looking audience within the industry itself and among those interested in music for games outside it wanting to learn more about the craft.

This is especially relevant now that we are seeing so many creative people glide between working in games, films and television, and with the emergence and growth of an innovative independent sector as well.

A large part of Game Music Connect is centred on the artistry of making music for games. We ask questions like: What motivates the musical decisions composers, audio directors and designers take when they make games? Do they even get to make such decisions? What is it that makes the work personal for them and more than just a job? Game Music Connect places a lot of emphasis on the emotional content of games, the storytelling, the function of music in them and the creative processes involved in soundtrack creation - all through the lens of personal experience, with anecdotes from seasoned practitioners and industry luminaries.

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In that sense, it's less a ‘how to' on game music but more an insight into the working environment of top composers and audio directors active in games today. That said, there are still technical and practical demonstrations on interactive music and some discussion of practical matters and business related issues as well.

It's a Musical Clue: Talking Game Music Connect

Do you feel that music and composing is overlooked during the publisher media drives leading to release, and certainly after as well?

I think things have certainly improved on many fronts and I very much doubt that, at the ‘AAA' level at least, music and composing remains overlooked by any major studio now. But that isn't to say that there aren't other areas of tension or pressures on publishers, audio directors and composers ‘compromising' music to some extent - as you will find in any industry.

Games are big business now and the inherent risk of making AAA games does lead to playing it safe with music to some extent, and gives rise to the phenomenon of delivering similar experiences over and over again to reach established target audiences for a specific genre, or series, and to exist within a familiar marketing framework. That's all well and good and still enjoyed by many millions, but it's arguable that, as with Hollywood blockbusters, many big games are becoming less ‘personal' and unique in their visions and goals.

One of the many challenges and frustrations faced today by a creative in the games industry is, I feel, just how one goes about transcending those market-imposed (and technological) restrictions in some way and still come up with something that hopefully has some artistic value. How does a creative person produce something that feels real and from the heart in such a climate? Is that - or should that - even be a goal in games? So one thing we'd like to explore this year is just how much personal creative freedom is afforded composers working in AAA games and in the independent sector, respectively.

What's the benefit/goal from an event such as this?

Composers, audio directors and possibly even sound designers with an interest in where sound and music intersect in games I think will enjoy Game Music Connect. And those interested in working in games and in learning from those active in the field could I think take away a lot from this. As I hope will aspiring or amateur composers, and those merely with an interest in music for the medium.

Did you talk to many composers before setting this up, and what were their thoughts about the success or viability of it?

No. Only with co-founder and host John Broomhall. John and I have been friends for around twenty years and as well as being a fellow composer, he's a long serving industry commentator and contributor to magazines such as Develop in the UK, and has had active involvement in many industry events over the years.

We met up for a drink in a country pub a year or so before the first Game Music Connect and formulated what we wanted the event to become - and, more importantly, what we felt would make it distinct from everything else out there and found we're very much on the same page with it. And you honestly couldn't ask for a better host for an event like this than John Broomhall.

It's a Musical Clue: Talking Game Music Connect

Why London?

Because it's relatively close by for us and a major centre for the arts in the UK and beyond, it felt like the perfect choice. The fact that it's in a beautiful location beside the River Thames, facing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament helps a lot as well!

How'd the first event go last year? What was the feedback from the guests attending and from the audience?

It went very well and sold out. It wasn't easy bringing a new yearly event into being, that's for sure. But everyone I got to speak with after the event appeared to enjoy the day and felt they had taken away something of value from it. That's really gratifying after the hard work of putting it on, and I know John feels similarly about that.

Based on the first year's event, what have you decided to change for the next Game Music Connect, and what are you looking to focus on?

It's impossible for us to cover every aspect of music in games in one single day and, even with topics added or expanded upon this year, there will be some things we simply have to leave out for next time or go into greater depth with later. As well as our continued look at blockbuster games and their composers, we will be covering the independent sector this time and looking a little more into the challenges of interactive music and orchestral production in games.

You can get more information on the event from the official website.



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