3 x 5 Interview with Richie Nieto

In Fives:

What are five timbres/sounds/instruments of which you cannot get enough?

Waves crashing on a beach, a tongue drum, distant highway traffic, Andy Summers’ guitar tone on “Omegaman”, and my dachshund’s footsteps and collar jangle.

Name five resources (equipment, people, etc.) without which you could not live (figuratively speaking, of course).

In no particular order, my Mac computer, the internet, my lovely wife, caffeine and Soundminer.

If you could speak with your five-year-old self, what would be one thing about your work now that would impress him/her/you? What is something you would find very interesting he/she/you wouldn’t?

My five-year old self would be in awe of all the sounds and music coming from my computer, and that I work on video games. He wouldn’t be so impressed about the tech stuff like database apps, file formats and sample rates.

In Fours:

When beginning a new project, what would you work to complete within four hours time?

Organizing all the information regarding the project and the clients, outlining all the schedules for the following few weeks, and gathering sources of reference and inspiration.

If you could categorize your work into four food groups, what would they be and why?

Practical assets (music bridges, percussion stingers, foley, the stuff that has a more mundane function in a project), emotional assets (mostly when I pull out the symphonic samples library or design more subtle sounds and ambiences to set a mood), driving assets (I bring out the loud drums and heavy guitars, or design weapon and battle sounds to get the blood pumping) and fun & quirky assets (anything goes, really, just creating funny sounds and tunes).

What are four parameters of writing/working (e.g. timbre, rhythm, form, etc.) of which you are consistently conscious? Please explain.

Style (will the music or sound effect match the overall vision of the project), mood (will it convey the right emotion for the level or scene), sound (is it sonically up to my standards) and technical requirements (does it comply with all the tech specs from the client).

In Threes:

What are three things that consistently surprise you in working with music/audio?

The unpredictability of clients’ tastes, the unpredictability of my own ideas, and how everything seems to work out in the end.

If you had to choose between the following three free items, what would you chose and why?

A new instrument (if so, what), A 3-day recording session at the studio of your choice (if so, which studio), A performance of one of your works by a major ensemble (which work and which ensemble)

I’d choose a new instrument – namely, a fully-loaded Warr guitar, just because I have always wanted one. Besides, I already have a studio at home that I like, and a major ensemble performing my work would be nice but too fleeting. And they would probably snicker while rehearsing my stuff.

If you had a third arm to work, what would you use it to do?

Probably facepalm while I’m on the phone taking notes about music changes.

In Twos:

Finish this rhyme with a phrase that describes you: two, four, six, eight…

Sometimes I may be wrong but I’m never late.

Is it form over function or function over form? Briefly explain.

It depends on whether the goal is aesthetics or practicality. I think there is room for all kinds of creative output. Every idea has a useful byproduct, intended or not.

Who would you prefer as your No. 2 and why? Robin (of Batman), Rocky the Squirrel, Ethel Mertz, Ed McMahon, Scottie Pippen or No. 2 (from Austin Powers)?

Isn’t Bullwinkle Rocky’s sidekick? Anyway, I would prefer Number 2 from Austin Powers. He was the only smart guy in the movie – he pointed out that ONE MILLION DOLLARS was really not a lot of blackmail money to ask to not blow up the world. He could help me with bidding for projects.

In Ones:

Please describe a project on which you have always wanted to work.

I’d love to work on a great shooter, along the lines of a Gears of War, a Modern Warfare 2 or a Left 4 Dead. I’m pretty sure it will happen sooner or later. Not to be arrogant, it’s just that I’m extremely stubborn when I set my sights on something.

Please describe a project that served as a pivotal change in the development of your skill set.

Probably the straight-to-DVD film “Shallow Ground” in 2004. It had a tiny $72,000 budget but they managed to shoot it on film. I was the whole sound post department for it: dialogue editor, ADR engineer and editor, Foley performer and engineer, sound designer, and re-recording mixer. I mixed it in 5.1 surround at a Dolby–approved facility over a weekend. It was a bit overwhelming at the time, but it prepared me to be able to tackle almost anything.

If there were to be one thing in music/audio that you wish more people would try, what would that be?

Send all your clients my way.

Ok, Let's Go With It!

With the semester over and a few small projects winding down, I wanted to give a sneak preview of some of the audio that's been taking time away from other leisurely activities (my hardcore hiphop album, for instance).

(photo by Patti Sullivan-Howd)

In the Audio File of the A/V media box, you'll find two new additions:

1) Ok, Let's Go With It and

2) My SFX Demo

The SFX Demo reel is a collection of the sounds I've created for use in the upcoming small game projects with Team Komano. Some are library sounds since I'm not yet committed to breaking things in my apartment - something or another in the lease frowns upon glass being caught in the shag of the carpet. However, the majority are original and created using traditional sound design techniques - a combination of using the EMU PK-6 and library sounds with lots of editing (pitch shifts, EQ, layering, reverb, etc.).

Ok, Let's Go With It is, in part, my project from class. I say in apart because the total project will be six minutes while what you hear concludes just after four. We'll be editing the track next semester. Ok, caveat aside, here's the deal.

All timbres you hear were created with a Kurzweil K2000 using Unisyn, a middleware software program that bypasses hard programming on the synth. In short, it's easier than using the buttons on the hardware. A MIDI mock up was created in PTLE 7.4 and transported into Digital Performer. The majority of editing was completed in this program.

The title comes from the challenge set forth by Scott Wyatt, the director the EMS here at UIUC. Instead of dropping the class with what I felt was an overwhelming amount of work at the time, he charged me to work quickly in both decision making and execution. This was his attempt to get me to think more intuitively and relieve my concern will an emphasis on formal planning. An experiment well-received. Here is a brief outline of what to expect:

Section A 0:00 – 1:30


Single-pitch repetition is used to make salient other musical features: persistent tempo shifts, pitch bend, percussive attacks via velocity contouring; an overall sense of expansion/contraction is to be developed here and used throughout the work.

Section B1 1:30 – 2:20

Retention of pitch repetition and pitch bend but accompanied by consistent tempo, introduction of new pitch material and a “passing off” of material to other voices. More subtle velocity contouring for emphasis on pitch deviance and a greater focus on orchestration of single lines. B1 ends with sustained pitch growing out from pitch descent.

Section B2 2:20 – 3:20

Material from previous section develops through layers and expansion of the pitch space. Final gesture in B1 is a model for growth of timbrally-layered gestures. Reintroduction of tempo fluctuation will aid in focusing on ebb and flow of gestures into section C

Section C 3:20 – 4:05

Texture thins out to make way for an introductory section focused almost entirely on pitch bend with reincorporation of pitch repetition. Leads into section similar to A with more emphasis on softer attacks and subtle pitch bend.

Comments are always welcome and I'd love to know what you think. Thanks for listening!

It Are Go Good with Pizza

Planning, learning, composing, ear training, singing, listening, learning, reading, papering, penciling, orchestrating, sound designing, learning, writing, recording, editing, dubbing, editing, editing, editing, bouncing, converting, burning, sending, learning, meeting, greeting, interviewing, asking, learning, applying, denying, failing, STOP! And round it goes again…


Don’t forget; wifing, familying, friending, eating, sleeping, bathing and maybe (just maybe) time for hobbying

It’s enough to make your brain do this.

3 x 5 Interview with Henrik Nåmark

"Things are made slowly and in pain."
/ Hugh MacLeod (gapingvoid)

In Fives:

1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

My mother's been singing and playing the guitar all my life. I guess that's why I feel so comfortable when I sing and play myself. For some reason I've been selected to do the sound design in every project that needed audio. I've done voiceovers for short films and trailers and sound design for games and student movies. Like many others I started with music a long time ago but understood that since I'm not an orchestral composer I might as well do sound design too.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

It speaks to the heart.

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

Slowly and in pain.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (i.e. short, short, short, looong), please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I climb indoooooors.

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

André 3000, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Al Jarreau and Bobby Brown.

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or just good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

The Four Tops.

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Al Jarreau, Richard Bona and Michael Jackson.

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Los Del Rio (Macarena), Dr. Bombay and Aqua.

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist.

Dear Mr Jarreau, are you really that great to women or is it just a jargon?

Hey mr Bona, would you kindly tell me what the beautiful song "Eyala" is about?

Michael, did you really molest those children?

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

I'm currently writing my thesis about sound design. As it looks we're going to evaluate a few middleware tools from a software perspective. Unfortunately I don't have a music or sound design project at the moment so feel free to contact me :)

2) And how are they both going?

The thesis is coming along slowly but surely. The other non-existant project is what it is ;)

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

I'm learning a lot about middleware which is improving my understanding about the tools.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential.

Other creative people.

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

Sound design.

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

Don't take life too serious, it's a video game anyway :)

Interview with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

One of my absolute favorite composers of the 20th-21st centuries:

50 Worst Videogame Voice Acting Lines

I've cross-posted this to other forums, so for those of you who've seen this link pop up already, I apologize. Some really great weekend fun. Thanks to my friend John Griffin for sharing.

Click to hear bad acting.

3 x 5 Interview with Sean Beeson

In Fives:

1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

I have always had a fascination with technology, and was practically born playing video games. At a very young age, I began composing, and later decided to combine my love of games, technology, and music. While I am conservatory trained, I am mostly self-taught. My first foray into game audio was creating a music replacement mod for Morrowind. (The Morrowind Orchestra: Opus 1) Since then I have scored dozens of games across all platforms.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

Harnessesable Transcending Wordless Image-Provoking Emotions (Did I do that right? haha)

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

Lundabarishly

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I like to coooooook

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

Debussy, Van Halen, Bela Bartok, Scott Joplin

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or just good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

4 on da Floor!

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Halloween Music, David Haas, Anything that mocks music from 1950's tv shows (Raymond Scott - think Ren and Stimpy)

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Early Haydn, Early Mozart, Early Sean Beeson :P

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist.

1. Haydn... I know you as part of your job, you had to write a LOT of music. But why so unoriginal? I am not surprised even by your surprise symphony!

2. Mozart, were you poisoned? Did you REALLY write your first pieces that young?

3. What were you thinking!! You should have chosen a different career haha

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

Steam Pirates and The Mangler

2) And how are they both going?

Great, I am far ahead of schedule, which although not rare, is quite an accomplishment seeing as how my wife and I moved and had a baby in the same week!

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

Both games are requiring rather laid-back (yet thematically driven) scores. The music plays a large role, but finding a medium where my score can be 'heard' without being too present, is a constant challenge.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Shoes. Decent sample libraries, and coffee are great, room lighting is a close second, but I must have a great pair of shoes! If I don't wear shoes I just feel like I haven't "gone" to work.

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

Effectiveness of my writing. Brevity and simplicity is an important trait in music, and many times I find my scores to have content that is not used to its full potential.

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

I enjoy writing music! With every piece, I try to create a musical journey, and I hope that those who listen can feel my excitement in my creations.

Updates Among Us

Dear Blog,

I apologize for neglecting you. It's not my fault that I've decided to take on so much work that you have not been updated regularly. Really, they made me do it!

So, wow, there's so much going on in the world of audio. Here are a few highlights:

• I'm nearing completion of one of the flash games, put out by Team Ko'Mano, LEAP. The audio will be completed and submitted before the month's end. Check out one of the cool pieces of artwork for the game:

• To focus on an unanounced project during the month of December, I will be supervising two composers for the remaining projects, P.U.L.S.E. and Red Core, each of which will be completed and released before the year's end. I will still be in charge of all sound effects and compression, but will be relinquishing my compositional duties. My time and efforts will be directed elsewhere. You can check out Jonah Hontos' and Brad Stark for their work on other projects. I'm really looking forward to working with these guys.
• Class is still in session and I have four weeks to complete my project. I have completely shifted focus from my original project. I've been charged by Scott Wyatt to take a new approach to writing in which I'll be focusing more on orchestration and less on the material produced. The exercise is intended to improve my skill set with game audio in that the pacing requires quick writing yet still polished work. Essentially, I will have completed 5-6 min of writing within 2.5 weeks and will orchestra for the next four. This goes against the grain of my soul, but it's proving to be a valuable in terms of following my intuition. Writing more, criticizing later and less.
• I will have the next 3 x 5 up by tomorrow, so keep posted for more! I'm exhausted just form the typing!

3 x 5 Interview with Kat Bella

In Fives:
1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

When I was 10 years old I was given an electric keyboard for Christmas. I played it every day and slowly I began to learn songs by memory. Eventually, I learned chords and how to piece instruments together by layers. As I entered the online community, I shared my music and people began to request custom music from me. I decided to go public with my works by putting together an online portfolio.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

Instilling powerful emotions in others.

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

Record, play, edit.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (i.e. short, short, short, looong), please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I love to write.

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

My mom, my best friend, my older sister, and my online buddy Alex Weaver.

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or just good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

Four on the floor.

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Steve Jablonsky, Jeremy Soule, and Within Temptation.

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Sheryl Crow, Kayne West, and Justin Timberlake.

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist. For example: "Dear Mr. Bach, how do you have such magnificent counterpoint?"

- @ Within Temptation: “What equipment does your keyboardist use?”

- @ Jeremy Soule: “What made you decide to compose for video games?”

- @ Steve Jablonsky: “Can I spend the day with you?”

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

- Symphonic II: This is my second full album. It’s classical music with the potential to be a soundtrack for something fantasy related. It has many of the same melodies as Symphonic I, but with some darker themes.

- Arkalian Baldur’s Gate NPC Mod Soundtrack: This is being done for a good friend of mine who is creating a custom NPC for this popular RPG. The themes of this vary, though it has an overall adventurous sound, different tracks are being composed for different parts of the mod.

2) And how are they both going?

Well enough. Symphonic II I hope to finish by the holidays and Arkalian is a work in progress that will probably extend into 2010.

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

Both are challenging in their own ways since the types of music being made are a little different, but Symphonic II has some sounds which are completely new to me. Combine the new sounds with the old themes in Symphonic I and yeah, I’d say that’s a good recipe to learn and grow.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Volume. I need for the volume to be as high as possible while recording. I love being immersed in the music I’m making. That’s how I know if I’m doing a good job. If I’m not immersed, the song’s a dud.

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

I would love to expand my equipment to add some more variety to the sounds I create. Having the capability is one thing but having the means to exercise that capability makes for great music…or anything really.

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

I’ve never taken a formal music lesson in my life.

Mother of Troy's Mother

I honestly can't remember the last time I was bored. I think it was some time around when the first Matrix came out, circa 1999. Today is definitely no exception.

My work with Team Ko'mano proved to be a wonderful experience. I was able to get the project completed on time and, for my first game audio project and the amount of time I had, I was relatively pleased with the quality of work. It was far different from what I've done before, but it was an extremely positive and invigorating experience. I know it's worth pursuing further.

Because of the great blend of personalities and work ethics, I am working on three more projects which are all to be completed by the end of the year. I'm knee deep in the next project, LEAP, an action oriented platformer wherein the player scales an ever-crumbling building. My aim is to be done with all audio assets by November 10th, if not sooner.

If you're on Facebook and want to stay posted, feel free to become a Team Ko'Mano Fan. Hey, you might even get a chance to play a build of a game!

Music from a Tree

From Living on Earth:

Diego Stocco, a sound designer in Burbank, California discovers the wealth of sounds he can produce by playing a tree.

3 x 5 Interview with Brian Vlasak

In Fives:

1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

I was raised surrounded by the serene and sometimes austere natural environment that is upstate New York. This peaceful location stood in direct contrast to the turmoil caused by everyday life and the dichotomy that exists served as a “perfect storm” for the formation of my unique aesthetic goals. It was the formal education that I received at The Crane School of Music that allowed me to open up my musical tastes to the 20th-century because of the rigorous listening and score study requirements that my principal composition teacher enacted upon me. The tastes and understandings learned in my undergraduate schooling were complimented, augmented, and refined at the University of Iowa’s School of Music in such a way that it allowed me to develop a highly-developed sense of aesthetic goal. Since graduating with my Ph.D. in 2007, I have spent a great deal of time formulating and codifying a philosophical stance and writing music to explore the arguments laid out in this forthcoming treatise.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

Pure intellectual and emotional stimulation.

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

Precise construction.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

Not a big fan, Beethoven’s Fifth.

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

David Heinick -- Webern, Bartok, Glass, Reich, Crumb; David Gompper -- Robert HP Platz, Feldman, the Burgundian school; Ketty Nez -- Stockhausen, Saariaho; John C. Griffin -- Joplin, Korngold.

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or Four-on-the-floor music?

The Four Tops -- NEVER understood the appeal of the Beatles: they need haircuts to match those suits.

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Anton Webern, Robert HP Platz, and Depeche Mode

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

John Adams, Alberto Ginestera, and American Idol (...while I recognize that American Idol is, indeed, not an artist, I view it as creating an archetype of drivel that I just cannot stand)

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist. For example: "Dear Mr. Bach, how do you have such magnificent counterpoint?"

a. Dear Dr. Webern, how were you able to hear such crystalline, unique, and pristine sounds in your head during a time of blind nationalism and traumatic upheaval?


b. Members of Depeche Mode, how do you view your music’s perceived relevance now as opposed to twenty-five years ago? As a follow up, do you believe that the music written two-and-a-half decades ago sounds dated at all in terms of sound or message and do you see that status changing anytime soon? Why or why not?


c. Dear John Adams, why do you allow yourself to be called a post-minimalist when it appears that the whole reason you repeat patterns is not because of an overarching philosophy of non-linear, vertical time, but because you wish to use common triadic sonorities that function in a quasi-common practice fashion?

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects in progress.

a. [untitled work] for clarinet and alto saxophone. This work is the second of five pieces to be included in my first “meta-work” wherein several pieces are to be linked together and played through back-to-back without interruption. This particular meta-work is an extended meditation on the nature of death in different societies throughout the world and the progression of the five pieces reflects the progression of time through the night. In this, the second work, the death poem of the 18thcentury monk Kyoshu serves both as the inspiration and formal underpinning upon which it is based.

b. “Violin Concerto” (title pending) for solo violin, flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, viola, and violoncello. This “micro-concerto” was commissioned by Iowa City violinist Nikki Gnatek for performance in the fall of 2010. It is in the planning stages now, but should be around 15 minutes in length and in one movement.

2) And how are they both going?

The [untitled work] still needs a title, final tweaking, and entry into Finale, but the actual composition is complete. The “Violin Concerto” is in the planning stages now.

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

My duet really stretched my aesthetic philosophy to the limit in that I wanted to write a piece that was rhythmically active -- without a consistent pulse -- and did not spend a great deal of time ruminating over one sustained sound and how different interactions with that same sound would change the perception of it. As for the Concerto, this pick up from where I left off with the duet and add to the challenge to my aesthetic views by forcing me to develop an extended piece over an extended period of time without interruption. I’m a big “sectionalizer”, so I foresee the idea of a one-movement-work as being particularly challenging to me; however, as David Heinick taught me, if one were to grow complacent in one’s compositional goals and aims, we as composers would cease to strive for anything more than what we are comfortable with.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Last year I purchased an Amish-made writing desk and matching chair that serves as nothing more than my writing space. I have found that having that one particular spot in which to compose fosters creativity, because it is simply not meant for anything else; let’s think of it as a “safe-place”. In addition to that, I must have my small, black Moleskin writing journal in which to work out formal and pitch relationships and my colored pencils with which to help me maintain order with my pitch-collection choices.

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

To become more spontaneous! All too often, I find that I have written myself into a corner and have to erase days worth of work simply because I refused to think beyond constructing an object with specific rules associated with it; that error, of course, not only wastes valuable time, but also can be quite discouraging.

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

Listen with an open mind. Know that when I approach a work it is to explore a certain sound and that how we perceive that sound changes with every small utterance of something around it; I suppose this is the influence that Glass, Reich, and Feldman have had on me. I am absolutely fascinated with the idea one’s concept of the linear progression of time “getting lost in the music” and wish to impart that same fascination upon the audience. Indeed, it is only when we slow down our thought process that we are not only able to truly begin to understand the nature of sound and how it changes over time, but also tune out all that is around us and work towards a sense of peace and tranquility that is often lacking from our lives. Perhaps this is the ultimate goal of Western art music: to allow us to forget, even for just a moment, all of the horror and pedantry of everyday life and replace it with the pure experience that is exercising our intellect and feeling with our heart simultaneously.

Vhen I grow up, I vant zees job.

A quick look into the sound design of "The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Athena." After watching, I realize how much fun this kind of work is. And, wearing stilettos is sometimes required to get the job done.

It Starts, Akimbo

Here’s just a quick update on my latest project for class. We’ve moved past programming timbres using the a Kurzweill K2000 and are now in the composition phase. The goal is to create a work around six minutes using all the sounds (about 95) for a specific, formal intent. I’ve included a PDF of my intent in my A/V materials should you be interested in reading about it. A brief snippet:


“This project focuses on the relationship between symmetry and asymmetry and how each of these aspects might be enclosed within or superimposed upon the other.“

Jolly day!

3 x 5 Interview with Nathan Madsen

In Fives:

1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

I started studying various instruments including saxophone, piano, flute, trombone and percussion as well as singing in choir at a young age. I come from a very musical family which has always strongly encourage music performance and excellence. I have two degrees in music- a bachelors and masters. I started messing with audio in college by making funny songs for my roommates like "Math is Fun" and "I have to go" which seems to be a romantic ballad but is actually all about having to use the bathroom. I love working with all things audio and strive to constantly better myself, my craft and deepen my understanding.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

I love all things audio.

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

emotive - thinking.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (i.e. short, short, short, looong), please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I love to skiiiiiiiiiiiii. :)

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

John Williams, my grandfather (a conductor and professor of music), Nobuo Uematsu, Maurice Ravel

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or just good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

The Fab Four.

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

Guilliaume Boulard, Miles Davis, John Williams

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Kayne West, Kayne West, Kayne West (he deserves all three)

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist.

Kayne West, why do you do such stupid, ride things?

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

Lego Universe: MMO: A fun Lego game! That's about all I can say right now.
Jumpgate Evolution: MMO An epic space game! That's also about all I can say right now.
 
2) And how are they both going?

Pretty good.

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

They are challenging my with regards to: Overall scope

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Inspiration (I can make all of the other details come into place)

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

Sound design

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

That I do my best every time.

What's Done is Done

Well, we made it! After two intense weeks of writing, editing and sound designing, I have completed my first game audio project. What an experience! It has been a great experience working with these two guys:

They were encouraging, patient and offered a lot of latitude to me with regard to the music. I love their work ethic. Here's an additional image of the original game, Solar (basic).

I will have a release date for Solar (advanced) in a few days. I will also be including a post-mortem of my experience with writing, including formal and substance choices. Here's to fun!

3 x 5 Interview with John C. Griffin

In Fives:

1) In exactly five sentences, give us what you feel is important biographical information about your musical/sonic background.

I grew up exposed to a wide variety of music. My parents listened to everything from Hank Williams to George Gershwin to Richard Wagner and everything in between. In junior high, I became obsessed with film and television music, which I believe convinced me to be a composer more than anything else. It was only later that I discovered rock and pop music. When I got to college, I became more familiar with twentieth-century avant-garde music.

2) Please state, in exactly five words, your interest in music/sound.

Music is my life, man!

3) Now please state, in exactly five syllables, how you might describe your process of work.

One note at a time.

In Fours:

1) Using the rhythm of the famous four-note opening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (i.e. short, short, short, looong), please tell us a fact about you that we may not know.

I like hard roooock!

2) Who are four people that have influenced your musical tastes?

Mom, Dad, my friend Matt Priest, my composition instructor David Gompper

3) Name your preference: The Fab Four, The Four Tops or good ol' Four-on-the-floor music?

The Fab Four, baby!

In Threes:

1) Name three artists (composers, popular music, etc.) that make you feel all warm and squishy inside.

The Beatles, Jerry Goldsmith, Bela Bartók

2) Name three artists that make you want to wretch.

Michael Bolton, Creed, Jim Brickman

3) Address either three of your listed artists (in either category) with one question each or three questions to one artist. For example: "Dear Mr. Bach, how do you have such magnificent counterpoint?"

“Dear Creed: Why is your vocal style so irritating and yet so similar to other bands?”


“Dear Beatles: How were you able to write such complex songs without being able to read or notate music?”


“Dear Bela: Did you intend the third movement of “Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste” to be creepy, or do I just think that because it was used in The Shining?”

In Twos:

1) List and describe two projects on which you're currently working.

An arrangement of Frank Zappa’s “Get Whitey” for the Opus 21 Ensemble, and a flute and tape piece for Martha Councell-Vargas.

2) And how are they both going?

I have just started the Zappa project, and it is going okay. The flute and tape piece is still at the conceptual stage.

3) How do you feel they are challenging your current skill set?

Reducing a piece composed for 24 instruments down to 6 or 7 instruments has been the biggest challenge with the Zappa, for obvious reasons. I have never written an instrument and tape piece before that did not utilize a click track, so that will definitely be a challenge.

In Ones:

1) Name one environmental element of the creative process that you find essential (e.g. coffee, a certain chair, etc.)

Peace and quiet. (I guess that’s two elements, but…)

2) What is one area in which you hope to improve your work?

Orchestration

3) What is one thing you would like people to know when listening to your work?

As you may have surmised from above, I am inspired by an enormous range of influences, all of which creep into all of my music, I’m sure.

Incoming Interviews: The 3 x 5

In an effort to get to know people and create a wider community for myself and others, I have put together an interview called the 3 x 5. Its aim is to not only learn more about the interviewee, but to stimulate creativity in thought process and answers and also learn more about each other (e.g. how we think, what our creative goals are, our working process, etc.).

My goal is to collect responses from a wide range of composers, sound designers, audio programmers, etc. and publish the results on my blog for all to see. My hope is to have enough responses so as to post a new interview each week.

I'm not biased as to who is to be interviewed (students to seasoned pros), so long as there is passion and an open-mind to the interview questions.
 
I've already received a handful of responses and will begin posting them this week, but if you feel like being taken to task and want to be considered for an interview, shoot me an email at grhufnagl (at) gmail (dot) com and I will speak with you about the process.

Check back in a few days for the first interview along with some great music. Happy listening!

NYT: "Classical" Composers & Video Games: A Fun Read

An older article from the NY Times, but a nice read for the weekend. Enjoy!

IN the video game BioShock turbulent Rachmaninoff-like music plays while an evil composer named Cohen shouts, “Presto, presto” before incinerating a hapless pianist and his instrument. In Battlefield: Bad Company gamers hear a string quintet playing earthy music redolent of Bartok. In Alone in the Dark: Inferno the evocative timbre of the female choral group the Mystery of Bulgarian Voices adds to the suspense as the hero fights for survival in Central Park.



These are just a few of the recent soundtracks written and performed by classically trained musicians who are finding new outlets for their talents in the booming video game industry.

Read the full article here.

Gamasutra Feature with Rob Bridgett

I've put a permanent link of Gamasutra Audio Features under my Audio Resources, but I thought this one was worth sharing with my formalist friends.

Here's a look into the process by which some audio designers might create the dramatic audio curve in the development cycle of a game. To quote the beginning.

Video game sound can often be perceived as a car-crash of sound effects, wall to wall music, and out of context or hard-to-understand dialogue. However, there are some well established artistic techniques within similar media, such as TV and Film sound, that can help allow for moments of relative calm which serve to intensify moments of subsequent chaos, without needing to turn everything up to 11 all the time.

This feature examines common examples of dynamics from horror cinema and how those rules can be adapted to game design and game audio in any genre through graphic visualisation and planning techniques.

(example of a graph to plot out the audio intensity curve)

Re-cap 9/21/09-9/27/09

Whoa...

busy weekend. So, yeah, there's a lot to tell and not a lot to tell. (huh?) Well, in true "I have a point to make" form, I will provide information in bullet-point form.

*Spent 'nother six hours in the studio for class again. Almost have 100 sounds completed and will do so tonight. I'm not sure what the next step is, but it's likely to be the actual composing stage of the class.

*As previously mentioned, I'm working with Team Ko'Mano on their iPhone port of Solar (Basic) which will have new content added and become Solar (Advanced). All sound assets are due on October 9th (yikes!), but sound effects are complete along with the majority of the main title music. This is a completely new experience for me, having not written with a very specific purpose in mind. However, the guys on the team are great and supportive. Not to mention, their website is cool, so check it out when you have a chance.

*I had a very interesting conversation with a guy named Luke Eddins who has a small business called Luke Hits. His business mission is this:

The goal of Luke Hits is to give little-known unsigned artists (yes, the dude who records killer songs on his home computer in middle-of-nowhere Kansas) with sweet hit songs a chance to get heard. That simple.

In my quest to find sound design work, I had put up an ad on Craigslist, which he found through an "All Call" of "Sound Design." Long story short, there might be some possible sound design work in the future for commercials or other web content. So cool! Essentially I would have to bid for the contract by writing something up, but it could become something entirely worthwhile.

*I have other exciting plans in the works, but am not at liberty to talk about them right now. Thanks for stopping by on this beautiful day (66 degrees and sunny). Here's to roads filled with dreams and beautiful rainbows. Sounding off!

Marty O'Donnell - Bungie Composer

Interesting interview with Bungie (Halo) game composer Marty O'Donnell. (f you have any trouble viewing the video, just click on the area below this text.)

My First Game Audio Project

I received an email from a really polite gentleman from the UK who is porting a Flash game called Solar Basic over to the iPhone and needs music and SFX for it.

"Can you do it?"

"Yes I can!"

The levels of awesome-i-tude are numerous:

1) The project is small in scope - They need 6 music tracks, ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes in length plus 8-10 sound effects.

2) The work is pretty much done, so this means I need to get all of this completed in about 3 weeks. "Can you do it?" - "Yer darn tootin'!"

3) It'll be on the iPhone, so I'll be sure to post it when it is all done so those of you who have one (not including myself) can get an idea of what it's like. Here's a glimpse of the title screen:

You can also use this link to play the game as is now. You'll notice there are already music and SFX implemented, but he has to have all of them redone in order to port the game over. Let's get crackin'!

Re-cap 9/14/09-9/20/09

I was a good human this week. Productive, receptive AND, I got to have pizza and beer (my favy). Let's recapitulate:

*Spent another six hours in the studio this week for class, one of which resulted in many technical errors. "It's part of the game," I told my brain, so I rewrote a plan for the next three sessions in order to stay on task.

*I met with Scott Wyatt this week to go over the three audio replacment videos I made. Although he had a lot of adivce with regard to the engineering, his encouragement lead me to feel I am moving in the right direction. The basics of the conversation were; use the space, highlight visual changes and make it louder! Louder? Oh, yes, much louder.

*As per my earlier post, I won my first sound design bid for the Bikram Yoga gym. Exciting? That's affirmative. I'm still waiting to hear back from another bid, but you never know how these Indie Gamer projects will turn out. Stay tuned for more.

*I began work over the weekend for a composition contest. The goals include the following:
This year we'll have first, second and third place winners. First place will get $100, second place gets $75 and third place gets $50. Each winner will be able to select a book, CD or other type of resource that deals with audio, music, sound, production or game development of their choice. The goal behind the contest is to give new(er) composers the chance to have their material heard by industry pros, gain some exposure and get another chance to support a game.

So, for the contest we must:
1) All music in the score must be written by you and only you.
2) Only one submission per person. Any one can take part in the contest! The contest is free to join.
3) All submissions must be received by 10 PM Mountain time on Oct. 7th 2009.
4) All submissions must in OGG or WAV format as these are the only two formats that will work with the game engine.
5) Please include your screen name as well as your real name when submitting your materials. This helps me keep everything straight and in order.

The goal is to write two tracks (one idle, one combative) for a horror First-Person Shooter game. I'm almost done with number one and will get number two out the door, hopefully, within the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

*Ok, last bit of news (gosh I talk a lot). I am in the process of negotiating with two separate groups to write music (and SFX) for the games. I don't have much detail, but one of them is looking to go to Game Developers Conference once the game is complete. Exciting, exciting!

Well, enough for now. I will hopefully have more audio posted within the next few weeks and more news to come for sure. Again, it's nice to 'see' you here. Feel free to come in and watch TV whenever you want!

What does death sound like?

A short video giving some detail about how the audio designers of Dead Space (2008) came up with some of their ideas. Intense! Warning, graphic violence:

A Minor Victory

So I bid on this ad for a Yoga business which needed the following:

And yesterday, I received this notification:

It's a small win, but I think this goes down as my first bid I've won for sound design. Carry on, carry on...

Re-cap 9/7/09-9/13/09

Week 1 of the blog went quickly, and I imagine that's because it's been a very busy week. Here are some of the things I've been up to:

-Spent six hours in the EMS studio at UIUC and listened to some killer award-winning music written on the Kurzweil K2000. I also spent time programming and creating 12 instruments. My goal is around 100 by October 1st. Oh, and here's a link to the lab if you're interested.

-Emailed several recording studios in Chicago and a local place about internship opportunities in the future. I need to get that foot in the door! Unfortunately, Pogo Studios in Champaign doesn't have any available, so enrolling in Mark Rubel's class will my next option. Oh, here's a video of Mark that I linked on my Facebook page in case you didn't get to see it:



-I also enrolled as a student member of the Audio Engineering Society, which I've permanently linked on the right column. It contains tons of information for audiophiles, including conference notes, interviews and job opportunities.

-What I'm most excited about, however, is that I'm waiting to hear back about two bids I've submitted. One was a request for a Yoga gym that needed "check-in" sounds for members, and the other is music for a kids game. For the kids quiz game, the creator wanted: Game is a quiz gameshow based in a classroom. Music should be uptempo and cute - particularly influenced by Sims 3 title track but not as "neighbourhoody". Clean loops (no fade ins/outs, breaks, snyc issues). You can find a clip of the music in the media player listed as My School Quiz (Title).  I'd love to hear what you think!

Well, that's enough for now. I'm tired, it's Sunday, and I need a bit of rest. Hope to hear from you and look for more in the future!

Crispity Crunchity Sound Design

You're not hardcore unless you live hardcore.

Hownagl do you do?

Since there are approximately 133,000,000 blogs in existence, I considered, reconsidered and subsequently re-reconsidered doing one of my own. I mean really, what could I say that couldn't be said elsewhere? You said it already. She's said it. Hell, even that guy selling grilled steak on Green Street has almost said it. Know what I'm sayin'?

This attitude, however, is not that of a creative-type nor of an optimist, two things which I consider myself to be. After all, looking forward and acting on those lookings willingly takes courage and, well, will power. Or is it William power? Or does he go by Bill? Hrmmm...

So, here goes.

The idea is multiple-fold. And, in true blog fashion, I've made a list to make sense of it all. Listen:

1. I have always wanted a way to compartmentalize sites, tools, downloads, conversations et al in order to access information handily. AND, I want to share them with whomever may want/need them. So as I discover said interestings, I will be keeping track of them on the right-hand column (unless the damn site changes, then it might be somewhere else).
2. Secondofly, I've always wanted to centralize my audio/visual items, both to share with the community and to hear feedback/criticism. You may use the embedded media player to play streaming versions of these items, and higher quality files will be uploaded in the future. Please don't be shy, though, with your responses. What you hear and say will be welcomed with open eyes, ears and virtual arms :)
3. Most importantly, I've wanted a way to hold myself accountable to my daily actions. After all, the subtitle above suggests that. This means that I will be sharing weekly updates to my work at home, in class and other relevant experiences along the way. I'm thinking of calling it a 'recap' of the week if you Bill, I mean will...or won't. I mean, it doesn't really matter (it does).

That's essentially 'it.'

Things, I'm sure, will change during this process and I intend to provide more than just information, links and work updates. I hope to include entries with fun and interesting articles, anecdotes of note, and occasional trivia that may or may not be stimulating and may or may not be trivial.

So, if you like what you read, have suggestions or want more of 'this' or 'that,' please do not hesitate to contact me via this blog (via comments) or email (grhufnagl at gmail dot com). I'm all ears (and other sensory body parts).

Many Gratefuls,

George