BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
We all love music that tells a story.
Whether composed for an opera or ballet, we soak up the passion and tragedy of the melodies — even without watching the action itself. Just think of the countless suites we enjoy through recordings or concert performances; Stravinsky’s Firebird, or excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, evoke feelings initially linked to the characters, but remain stirring when heard purely for the sake of their score.
But what if music could depict a different story? Not the narrative of an opera or ballet, but one that leads you into another world? Imagine a place where you could guide what happens to the characters, and become part of their adventure. In this world, the music follows you – not the other way around.
This is the power of video games. And their soundtracks — which so often recall the musical devices used in opera and ballet – are booming in popularity. While music is a crucial element to any game, it’s just as exciting to hear performed live as it is when bursting from your PC or PlayStation.
To Starling Tan, the intimacy of classically inspired video game music can “heighten the impact of a story – whether through recurring or transformed leitmotifs, careful selection of instrumentation, or textures”.
“I find that giving a piece of music a purpose in that way – and seeing, or experiencing, how well it’s achieved – is particularly compelling and unique to programmatic music, of which game music is often a subset alongside film music, opera, and ballet,” Starling says.
Starling (pictured below) is the artistic director of SOUND BYTE – a Sinister Creative event that shines the spotlight on Australian music for indie games.
An ensemble of renowned Melbourne musicians will present a live performance of scores from Untitled Goose Game, Submerged, and Paperbark, among other Australian-composed titles. There’ll be an interactive exhibit of upcoming and previously released games to check out during interval, too.
Starling is a musician in her own right – a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger whose work has been praised by the likes of Gareth Coker (Ori and the Blind Forest, Halo Infinite) and Hayato Asano (Blue Reflection, Atelier Ryza).
In curating the program for SOUND BYTE, she had a clear vision in mind.
“As a classical musician and game music composer and enthusiast, I have the hope that SOUND BYTE will help to break down some of the prejudices surrounding game music as a somehow inferior or niche art form or genre when compared to classical or even pop music,” Starling says.
Game music is often influenced by classical styles or training (Starling notes Tchaikovsky’s role in inspiring Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy score). Yet, there still exists a perception that music for screen can’t stand up to centuries-old classics in the concert hall.
“I’ve observed that there is to some extent a belief in classical music spheres that ‘pop’ or ‘video game music’ is somehow inferior to Western art music, which can be perpetuated by educators from an early age,” Starling says.
Whether such prejudice is fuelled by the commonly held view that game music a commercial artform – or that it’s simply too new to compete with a program of classical works – Starling is nevertheless optimistic. She believes these attitudes are finally “dying out as musicians learn to think for themselves”.
Take one look at her Sinister Creative team – founded by award-winning classical pianist Nicholas Young, and featuring talent such as classical arts administrator Jade Norfolk, or recorder player-turned-artistic director Ryan Williams – and you’ll quickly see where this hope is grown.
Events like SOUND BYTE may appear outlandish to those who question the place of screen music in an environment dominated by classical composition. But they also show us the extent to which music can bring people together. Of working as a composer in this industry, Starling uses descriptions such as “supportive” and “close-knit community where everyone seems to know each other” – what could be more welcoming than that?
Sinister Creative marketing lead and co-artistic director Danna Yun adds: “Working on game music can be an incredibly fun and creatively satiating experience.”
“I can only speak from my own experience, but often with the case of working with indie game designers, you’re not just an external hire delivering a product for the game project – you’re part of the team. And you get to help create the world of the game with everyone, with you there to achieve that through musical evocations.”
To gamers themselves who are used to experiencing these soundworlds while playing in solitude, SOUND BYTE presents an opportunity to come together as a community, and enjoy this passion with likeminded people.
“Live performance gives fans the opportunity to bring their personal experience of the music, and have it transformed into a collective emotional experience, creating a sense of community and warmth,” Starling shares.
It’s Starlings plan for SOUND BYTE to celebrate game music for listeners, gamers, and industry practitioners alike. Through this event, she’s working to offer a chance for us all to ““feel invigorated, enriched, and uplifted by the experience of hearing these fabulous works performed live against the backdrop of the games for which they were originally composed – and to go away with a changed perspective or deeper appreciation for the Australian games industry and its music.”
SOUND BYTE: a concert showcase of Australian video game music takes place at 7.30pm May 6 at The Toff in Town, Melbourne. The ensemble will feature pianist Nicholas Young, drummer Alex Gooding, and guitarist Meena Shamaly among others. The event is presented by Sinister Creative x Freeplay.
Images supplied.