Lund Music Studio

As a product of the ’80s, I find myself fascinated by video games.  I still spend a lot (too much?) of my free time gaming, and I defend video games as an art form to anybody who puts them down.  For almost as long, I’ve been fascinated by the music that makes the “soundtrack” to these interactive experiences.

I still remember running my video games through a cassette recorder so that I could listen to the music when I wasn’t playing… in a very real way, it’s an “interactive soundtrack” because you can remember doing things as the music was playing.  I would get a huge kick out of listening to music from Mario is Missing! or Mega Man 3 in the car.

Video game music has come a long way since the days of Pong.  Now, video game music is indistinguishable from film music, and I consider both to be the modern-day popular venue for the orchestral and choral instrumentations of classical music.

Games that are heavy into story-telling feature some truly excellent work — I think the WarCraft series music is enjoyable for any fan of orchestral music, and I’ve even gotten goosebumps from some of the pieces in the latest Mario game!

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of singing with the Houston Symphony Choir in a Video Games Live! concert.  VGL is a touring show that pays tribute to video game music, giving it the sound of an orchestra (along with some killer electric guitar and drum kit) and the energy of a rock concert.  It was an incredible experience for a singer who mostly works with classical masterworks, and one I hope to repeat when the VGL crew comes through Houston next summer.

More information about Video Games Live!

Last week, OverClocked ReMix, a website that specializes in presenting arrangements both electrical and acoustic of video game tunes, released a “project album” called Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption.

This marked another contribution I have been thrilled to make to the genre of game music.  Along with about a dozen other men, I contributed to the Fabul Men’s Choir by recording my voice singing choral parts.  Composer Andrew Luers then took these sounds and layered them together to create a choral sound for his track “Fighting for Tomorrow”, a great and enjoyable piece.

The album itself is truly impressive — a monumental undertaking, comprising over fifty arrangements in various styles of music from the game Final Fantasy IV (originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1991).

More information about this album
OCRemix, the parent project website of this work

There is an upcoming event in Kingwood that you will not want to miss!  Carl Orff’s famous cantata Carmina Burana will be performed on April 25th by the Kingwood Chorale, along with the Lonestar College Chamber Singers and the Kingwood Park High School choir.

Dr. Todd Miller, the artistic director of the Kingwood Chorale, has been rehearsing the Chorale and Chamber Singers for months in preparation for this concert, along with James Park, who has been leading his singers at Kingwood Park through the piece.

All singers came together for their first rehearsal a week ago yesterday, and the result was amazing.  Dr. Miller has mentioned that it is quite likely this will be a choral performance the scope of which North Houston has never seen.  Simply witnessing first-hand the raw power and dynamic contrast possible from such a group is worth admission price alone, but these groups in particular are quite talented.

If you are free this Saturday, come check out Carmina Burana.  Tickets are available at the door, or at Kroger and H.E.B. in Kingwood.