Resonate is a music industry conference focusing on industry training, business development, accessibility and collaboration.
This year’s online-only event takes place on November 26 and will feature two of the games industry’s leading creators: Colin Anderson and Ged Grimes, who’ll be discussing Making Music for Games.
Colin Anderson is a founder of Denki (creator of the BAFTA award-winning Quarrel) and the former head of audio at DMA Design. Colin was the brains behind Grand Theft Auto’s pioneering radio stations format and composer of the now infamous country & western track: The Ballad of Chapped Lips Calquhoun and the expletive-ridden metal ballad: Four Letter Love.
Ged Grimes is a composer, performer and producer. He’s a founder member of Danny Wilson and the current bass player in Simple Minds. In the videogames world, he’s the founder of Jack’s Hoose Music, Heist Records and the creator of soundtracks for numerous games, including Earthworm Jim 3D, Enter the Matrix, the BAFTA-award winning Quarrel (yes, with Denki) and the superb Gaelic-infused soundtrack for Bards Tale IV: Barrows Deep.
Making Music For Games
Ged & Colin will provide insight into the life of a freelance composer and game producer. They’ll discuss how being a musician can lead to writing music for games, what you can expect in terms of deals. Find out the best protocol, software, key tools and more…
Resonate 2020
Founded in 2017 and directed by the team at 23rd Precinct Music, Resonate is an open platform for artists, composers, producers and music practitioners in Scotland (and beyond) to come together, discuss challenges and opportunities and grow the industry for the benefit of all.
This year’s event pulls in speakers from across the music industry, from composers and artists, through to business experts, publishers, distributors, and publicists.
As the music sector struggles with the ongoing impact of Covid on the live scene and the debate around streaming platforms continues, the 2020 event offers a way for creators at all levels to navigate the rapidly evolving future.
Colin Anderson told us why he was keen to take part:
I’ve been building bridges between the music and videogame industries since I started making games in the early 90s.
Despite the obvious similarities and overlap between these creative industries, there remain some large differences that make it relatively difficult for musicians and music publishers to break into videogames.
Even established artists and publishers who might already have worked successfully in film or television can find it surprisingly hard to extend that success into games.
I’ve been fortunate in my career to work both as a composer creating music for games as well as a game director commissioning new work from composers or licensing existing tracks from publishers.
Seeing the industry from both sides has given me unique perspectives on the problems and I’m looking forward to sharing those with the Resonate audience to give them the best chance of finding success for their music in the games industry.
Ged Grimes reflected on his experience in the games sector:
When I was first approached in the mid 90s to write music for computer games, many of my contemporaries in the record business thought I was mad to do it… “A backwards step,” they said…
How wrong could they be! Writing soundtracks for games for the past 20 years or so, has greatly broadened my musical horizons and opened up some amazing opportunities.
Composing for games presents some unique challenges but the hugely important role that music now plays, means the composer is key in creating a successful game.
I’m keen to share some of those challenges with the Resonate audience and advice on how to live a double life in music…
One with Simple Minds and the other as a game soundtrack composer.
Resonate 2020 takes place on November 26. The whole event will be streamed online using the HopIn platform. Tickets are an incredibly reasonable £10 (plus £1.50 booking) and are available now.
You can find out more about the whole event and buy tickets on the Resonate website.
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