Should I go to university to study music? | Q+A

[@awintory]

I am honestly overwhelmed by the many great questions on here everyone!! Enough for 20 videos (or a single 20 hour video)! I'm definitely taking note of the ones I think will lend themselves to meatier replies. Either way THANK YOU for the response!

[@aramissilvereke]

Ooh I'd be down watching the 20 hour video!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thank you so much for the shoutout! I really appreciate your kind words. :-) Also, I'm totally down for a heated debate to get to the bottom of life's mysteries - let's throwdown! ;-)

[@dallascrane1176]

!!!

[@awintory]

COMPOSER THUNDERDOME IS UPON US!!

[@eitanmedina9098]

I don't think I've ever encountered an artist who cares about his fans more than you do. I'm impressed. Again xD

[@chanceypantsbowden]

He's the Brandon Sanderson of music. Always super transparent, and teaching others his craft!

[@Geologese]

I can't agree more

[@spaz_ol4485]

I love Austin's passion and intellect which is evident in everything he does, creates, shares, etc. I'd watch him discuss his favorite fast food choices.

[@sihplak]

One thing that has terrified me about considering the future is the idea of moving to an expensive city like LA, especially being someone who grew up in poverty in the Midwest (poverty as in family reliant on SSI, housing assistance, SNAP, etc). Is there any way to prepare for such a move, presuming such a move is necessary, such that I won't be terrified of not being able to afford to live due to the disparity of wages and living costs? I don't wanna risk moving to LA to pursue a career in music only to end up on skid row.

[@amayamusicyt]

Thanks for all the information, Austin. You too are a goldmine in this platform :D

[@shlt111]

Give us some jucy internet-drama pls: 1) are there any types of music that you hate? 2) composers that you think get too much undeserved attention or don't have any attention but really deserve it 3) Is it possible for working composer like yourself to actually dislike some famous classic pieces from the past or it's impossible, cuz you see it like the whole of many differrent components (i.e. not just melody, but structure, used instruments etc) 4) when you in the middle of creating something new do you ever find yourself in the mindset that nothing make any sense and all you do is try to combine cacophony of disconnected sounds 5) Do you plan to make a video about some japanese (game) composers in the future?

[@JVera-ow4bs]

This is a gold mine. Thank you!

[@acerbiskyb]

I’m instantly filled with regret for quitting percussion in the 6th grade every time I hear Austin talk about music. His passion for music and his philosophy in making it is truly infectious & inspiring. This video was an absolute delight! As is every episode of Game Maker’s Toolkit with Austin!

[@kdports]

I don’t know if it’s superfluous to leave a comment saying I really loved this, but I’m gonna do it anyway

[@TomStrahle]

I remember working on Pode. I thought the music was great. Also thanks for the love Austin.

[@LiraeNoir]

Question for Austin: when scoring a videogame, what are the tools from the game engine that can be used? I can think about basic things like dynamic EQ (to duck under in-game VOIP or dynamic dialogue for example) and maybe compression, and obviously you need to plug into game states to trigger cues based on what's happening in the game. But, is there more? To say it another way: if a dev team was making a new game engine (with no middleware, no fmod, no wwise) what would be your list of feature requests from their engineers?

[@J-MLindeMusic]

My first "composer" gig was writing music for this very ambitious animation project by a ridiculously (wish I could underline this) small team - more of a passion project really. My mindset was that I got nothing to lose, everything to gain no matter how the project would go, so I was as professional as I could be and put my 100% into the music. Still in touch with the director and I've written more music for his projects!

[@dtearney]

Thank so, so much for answering my question in this video, Austin! I'm grateful for the time you took with elaborating your response as well. Seriously, thank you. As for other questions, I've always been fascinated with how the world of mainstream music and orchestral scoring are different. I know that, in some cases, such as the movie "Skyfall" or "Resident Evil: Village", you have professional composers working with professional singers who don't normally work in that world. I'm curious to know more about what that working relationship is like. Are there times where a trend in popular music influences your own work, or perhaps the work of someone you admire? Even if not to try something similar, but to do the exact opposite. I'm sure there is a great deal to comment on when it comes to how both worlds view each other and their work, but I imagine you'd have an interesting point of view on it. Thanks!

[@pierred.zgoneccompositeur9651]

I would have a straightforward and maybe already-asked-several-times question : How do you find new collaborations ?

[@nofriendsmatt]

every single video you make is a goldmine of information and i (we) could never thank you enough for sharing your thoughts and experience with us.

[@clark2109]

I'm sure music and fiction writing are different in important ways, but creatively speaking I think the University experience for me was less about what the professors taught you, and more about the connections with other writers and the feeling of being free to experiment on low stakes projects.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

The two are not comparable. Learning music theory, as dry and dull as it can be is still fundamental to the understanding of how one can write music better. Mind you, not "better music". That is all a matter of inspiration and no amount of teaching will give you better inspiration. But teaching can channel the inspiration you have into the best possible form you can come up with. Of course there are examples of succesful musicians who never underwent proper training. But it takes them years of experimenting until they reach maturity in style. And if others have reached similar conclusions and solutions to musical problems decades and centuries before you, why not try to learn from them? That is what composers and theorists have been doing throughout the centuries. And even geniuses like Mozart did receive training in music theory, and it helped his writing style immensly as he grew into a mature composer.

[@clark2109]

@@Quotenwagnerianer I don't think they're that different in this respect. Writing has its own version of "theory," as well as general principles of structure, style, etc taken from its own history. Maybe those lessons are less accessible in music than they are in writing without an academic guide. I don't know, but either way, I'd still say that the most valuable part of a university is the structure and network providing a space to do your own practice/experimentation.

[@Bartonfinkmusic]

I’m a composer but my degree was in creative writing and specifically screenwriting. The similarities in approach are without a doubt there. Music is story after all. I use the same stuff I learned for writing fiction as I do for writing music.

[@diogo1444]

Loved the video. Continue the good work. You are so passionate about music and about the world of music. You interact with the audience everytime you can :)

[@HeimburgerMusic]

Is that the Iron Giant score? Sweet! Great video. I also find John Williams' philosophy about trying to pick the hits kind of weird. I look at it this way. We have absolutely no idea who history will remember in the future. In 100 years, names that are all over the news now may be forgotten. Maybe the chief historical figures 100 years from now will be people alive right now that no one's ever heard of. We can really only try to be the best versions of ourselves that we can and try to help those around us to do the same.

[@Rodrigo-ov7lv]

Thank you for doing this. Looking forward to the next Q&A!

[@samwisegamgee1243]

I know this is the first episode, but I already love this series. 🥰

[@GavinW15]

Oh man, I have so many questions I've been wondering about but I'll just throw a few of the general ones out there. What would you say is the most challenging aspect when composing for a game that is unique to games and not for other forms of media? Is the composer responsible for finding and hiring all the musicians to record their music or does the studio, producers, etc make the final decision? In your opinion, what is a common tell-tale sign that a composer is new to games or inexperienced?

[@spooky_lights]

Thank you Austin for dropping so many great insights.

[@badkite8279]

Great format, great answers! Super cool of you to speak so openly to help others!

[@petebrennanmusic6939]

After two decades of failure... I decided that university is my last (and only) chance. A decision that I made in no small part because of Austin, his music and his videos/podcasts. The man is truly an inspiration. The only question I can think to ask is do they still beat up nerds in school?? Im gonna be a lot older than the other students and can't run away nowadays. Not with my knees. Thanks Austin. You're a 💎 in the Internet rough. Take care.

[@rwlab1253]

I am mind-blown about the insights from the video! Thank you Mr. Wintory! My Question: where do you find inspirations or ideas when you are having a block in creativity?

[@stephengoodman9058]

Not a question, just a general cheerleading post. This was great, lots of good stuff expressed here. I enjoyed the reference to Game makers toolkit; it’s a great channel and my big KZbin find of the last month.

[@jessemyers_music]

A question for you, perhaps for another Q&A: In your formative years out of school (let's say, between then and the success of Journey) was the work you found more of a result of the connections you made in school, or were you doing the grind of making reels, cold emailing, etc.? I know going to a more "renowned" performing school allowed me to skip hoops to find higher paying gigs than the average person. It sounds like the cost/benefit for USC/NYU wasn't necessarily worth it looking back for the path you chose, but those two places at the very least tend to have high-achieving students and a solid network to begin a career. Love your openness and your spirit as always.

[@talonearley2770]

I'm not even wanting to pursue composing I'm pursuing writing and directing but composing fascinates me, I just love music and listening to you. It would be interesting if you talked about how at least you yourself like to be directed when it comes to music, that would be very educational for myself at least haha.

[@funkymonkey7022]

This video came at the perfect time for me. Big thanks for all of the resources, this has given me a lot of stuff to do.

[@DOComposer]

Amazing Q+A and wonderful insightful points that every composer should take into account. Thanks for the music and recommendations. DO MORE OF THESE. Best of success with your career as well Austin.

[@JackMason21]

If you could go back in time and re-experience (from the outside) a personal experience, what would you pick? Thanks Austin!

[@AynenMakino]

A straight up Q&A, I like it! Ok, so here's one: What do you feel about composing contests as part of one's career path? Should a starting composer take them seriously, or is it more 'a bit of fun'? What makes a good contest? What makes a bad one? And since you've been on the other side of it by organising composing contests of your own: What do you want to put into a contest, and what do you want your participants to get out of it? Thanks!

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

I'm not Austin and I'm not a composer but I have a take on this, because I studied music history and have come across multiple cases of composing contests in the life of important composers. The gist of it: They are a waste of time. Not one composer was made through a contest.

[@MrKnt93]

this was so awesome! I have to say that I definitely agree with your philosophy, but I do want to ask…when do you know that the project isn’t for you and you must leave? Or when does it get to a point to where you gotta walk off a project? I also highly recommend Tom Holkenborg’s (Junkie XL) KZbin channel. His Studio Time show is some of the most detailed I’ve seen about the music production side of composing and in only hear I’ve definitely learned a ton!

[@azuazu5167]

I'm 21 and live in LA. My dream is to be in a rock band. I took a year off after high school then went to community to take ONLY music classes that I was interested in and I dropped any that I felt were a waste of time like... choir (sorry choir ppl). I knew from the very beginning that i did not want to go to a university. I've always felt like that wasnt the path i should take. I'm at the point where I pretty much took every community college class i could find that I felt was beneficial for me. Unfortunately, my summer plans (find a fun music related job cause i need money and form a band) did not pan out. So now, i have to consider continuing taking at least one music class in community while i still figure the other. I dont regret my decision to not aim to go to a university, but i am glad i did go to community and it is something i definitely recommend.

[@levonibranyan]

Have you ever considered a "charity" project of helping out an indie studio per year with a pro bono Music for the game?

[@gerardo4104]

Thanks Austin, great video. I really appreciate your help!

[@joeedgar]

Here's a question: I recently watched a fantastic video of Carlos Rafael Rivera discussing a scene from The Queen's Gambit, which is honestly one of my favourite scores of all time. In the video he talks about how orchestration is equally as important to elevate the story as other aspects of composition, and I have to agree. In my opinion it's what separates good scores from the best, and I also personally find it one of the most rewarding parts of composing. However, I've also often heard that many composers, especially on films, have orchestrators to help with this, simply because they don't have time to do it themselves. My question is, how important do you think orchestration is, and how often do you do it yourself? And is it normal for composers to do it themselves if they have time on a video game or miniseries such as the Queen's Gambit?

[@maxisenberg9093]

it should be a crime that you don't have more subscribers

[@caireann]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insight! It's awesome that you've decided to start with this Q&A series, I know this will help out many aspiring composers. Not a composer myself, more of a developer (though in a different field), and my question is this: The sound design in games has come a long way from the separate tracks like 'this is world map music, and now is battle music'. It was especially apparent in Erica, where tracks seamlessly morphed into another based on the player's timed response and choices. How do you approach writing a piece that has to take so many variables into consideration, and how closely do you have to work with programmers? Do they set up the requirements or is it the other way round? - Weronika

[@chris_wicksteed]

Looking forward to this series! I'll put forward a couple of videogame related questions, if I may... How do you approach looped music, particularly in terms of form? How do you stop a piece from feeling static, while also avoiding climaxes that become predictable and grating after a while? Do you compose in sections? Etc. To what extent are you considering sound effects and ambience when you're writing? Do you carve out space for these in your composition, or do you just leave it to the audio engine to deal with it?

[@Johannes_Brunnhuber]

There's that Mark Twain apology, "I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one". I guess we're all struggling for the elusive magic of simplicity in our music, prose and code. I don't know how applicable it is to the audience of this channel but I (as an a-musical fledgling developer) would love to know what you wish all your collaborators did. What are good habits of your favourite non-musical creative partners and how would one best find one's creative kin?

[@dragonthesharkyt]

Very interesting. I've got a question: For many films, particularly regarding sci-fi, the score is often very classical (i.e John William's full orchestra for the Star Wars Films and Interstellar's thundering organs). For those kinds of films, would you say for composers to re-define the sound of the environment, or to do what everyone else is doing? Because for the games you've worked on (in this case, Journey), you were able to introduce a new style of writing for games, being able to keep with the more traditional methods of composition, but also introducing new sounds and effects to the table.

[@Turner1]

I sent an email with this question a while back but I’ll post it here too because I’d love to see if others want to hear from you about it as well. I’d love to get more of your take on the director/composer relationship. How much say does a director have over where the music goes or the tone of the music? When do their notes and feedback become nitpicking? What qualifies as overstepping their bounds? Where can the composer draw the line? In my specific instance, music is a large part of this short film we’re making and the director is firm about not wanting music outside of a few scenes when I, the composer, disagree and am not sure what best practices are to handle it. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks Austin!

[@kujasan]

To be honest, i really thought you would have already done that. At this point, i think you don't need the university anymore, unless you want to pursue teaching. =P Here's a serious question though. It is really more from the perspective of a writer, but in many aspects that seems interchangable. When i was younger i always thought "i am gonna become a novelist somehow". I had no idea how. But after a while i began to suspect, it would take many, many hours of actual writing, at the very least. In the last 2 decades i had, as most people following their inner needs, many ups and downs. Financially and otherwise. I did not manage to make a living out of it yet. Maybe i never will. Which isn't really a problem. My way of thinking, the base of my worldview, many of my weekly hours are formed by the very thing that i... am. A writer. I don't really get why or when that happened. Was it the latest book? Or the reaction of my social bubble that slowly but surely began to describe me that way? The question to you is as follows: If i get everything i need from living this way - thinking, writing, living - without publishing, without being paid, without being read by the publicity; is there a deeper reason to push farther for that eluding steps to professionalism? loosely based on George Berkeley - if an artist is not being received, is he even creating art? is his art dead? Is there something to be won pushing against the years of rejection? Or is there something to be lost? If you even read this far, thank you, even if you have no answer. Keep being you.

[@abbasakbar6597]

I've been missing PWL these past few weeks, so this Q&A was awesome! I thought about pursuing jazz composition and bass performance during high school, but ultimately moved in a different direction. Hearing your passion makes me want to pick up my bass and start writing again, just for fun.

[@Big007Boss]

Funniest or dumbest music question you've been asked?

[@DimiKaye]

Thank you for this video series Mr. Wintory, it will definitely be super educational to listen your thoughts on topics in the future. I have a question but I need to preface it with something first. I grew up in a very small town in Greece and I never had the chance to learn from a music teacher (because of distance to the nearest teacher, lack of money, then I moved to another country where I worked 12hour days mornings/evenings etc.). What I had was (and still is) my love for guitar and composition. Through the 20 years of me playing, it was relatively easy to learn technique from books, magazines and videos, but theory was always "messy", meaning that I believe you need to start from 0 in order to have a proper understanding of how theory works. Only in the last 3 years I found an understanding for the basics which I can definitely say made things easier for me, not only for composition but for improvisation too. My question is : What materials would you recommend (books, videos etc.) to someone who wants to start learning music theory from 0 and develop their understanding? Thank you for taking the time to make these videos! Stay creative!

[@fanuelanteneh8437]

How to nail a tone(theme) of a game/movie?

[@MrCovers101]

Illuminating as always Austin, thank you for all you put out into the world - I’m glad you acknowledge those of us starting down the path who are not 18 years old anymore! You give the response to university most in line with my own thinking, and although I am now starting my own part time study in composition for video games, it’s good to let people know there are droves of people that never needed it. A question I would love to hear you tackle - what benefit is moving to a “hub city” these days? I am beginning my journey of branding online and networking with people, finding those relationships which will hopefully pay dividends while I search for my first paid job, but I’m curious how important being physically near known media cities is. My city has a strong video game reputation, and moving to a city like London (I’m U.K. based) would right now be near impossible, but I cant help but wonder what more experienced hands think the benefit of it is. If it is sincerely a huge factor I may have a closer look at it as a possibility. Thanks again!

[@wolgwang7868]

Amazing video man! Really love to hear your insights. Something that i have doubts about it's, how a composer living in latin america should approach the pursuit of a career in VGM if they are unable to move to big cities such as LA, what it would be a good approach and what is your opinion about that? Thanks again for all your videos Austin, they are always like fuel when i need to get inspired and always learn a lot from them. Have a nice day.

[@AnyOldMusic]

Cheers for the insights on these questions. If you’re taking a list for future videos of this kind, I’d be curious to know “what your ideal working day looks like”?

[@ellen4332]

Really looking forward to this series! Any thoughts on developing a portfolio? I don't have any collaborators or projects to compose music for and wonder if just a bunch of my random compositions would even be looked at by potential collaborators

[@samwisegamgee1243]

Not a super solid answer, but I'd really recommend looking into the indie game dev scene. A lot of small devs are always looking for musicians, and many are willing to pay for your talents as well! There are tons of indie dev forums available around the web too, so it's pretty easy to get in touch with people. I used to be very active on Lemma Soft Forums, and the forum guidelines require people to be upfront about their projects and intentions and project completion status, so there's a lesser chance that you'll be scammed or have your time wasted. Itch.io has a pretty great community too, although they'll primarily post semi-finished work, so they might not need assets. With all that being said, the toughest part of being involved with indie development is the prospect of the game getting shelved before it's released, especially since many indie devs are making games as a side career/hobby. =/ You can still use the work in your portfolio, but obviously released work might be more impactful than unreleased work.

[@synthguy7774]

There's an old saying. If there's no opportunity, make your own opportunity. I would recommend starting off by getting stock footage or commercials, learn basic video editing, and make music that fits certain situations. This may not necessarily be a portfolio but this will be good practice. Then I would recommend making a good website and use your good writing skills to self promote your own brand. Then I would try to make friends with video game developers but try your best to understand the culture the revolves around game development. You don't necessarily have to become a programmer but I believe dabbing into programming well at least make you into somebody worth conversing with. Don't be desperate for clients either. I work for people that were more than happy to buy music and then, they urgently told other friends to message me about an urgent Discord friend request just so they can ask me about what free daws to use because they got interested in making music all of a sudden? Like I knew what they were trying to do LOL. As a composer myself, I would even say that any developers who are starting out should use stock music when starting out, but always remember that if you want a product that stands out, the music is one of those underlooked things that can possibly make that happen. Even if you do high quality work programmers or other people don't necessarily respect game audio people unless they're well established. Even top composers get treated with disrespect especially in an industry are publishing audio works are not as rigid as they are with TV or film. Royalties? What are those? We often remedy that by charging by the minute and high level composers charge $5,000 per minute. And this is also my next point, open up your horizons to other types of audio work such as film or TV. I notice that people who work in indie film have more respect for composers while indie game developers shrug us off. Who knows, you may even get royalties if the film becomes successful enough. As for the respect kind of thing, I think there is a certain jealousy that game developers have towards composers and it's because the average person would say we are also part of the team, but we're the only ones who don't have to deal with the stresses of crunch time and actually get to enjoy our pizza and soda, and cozy up in a comfort of my own home while everyone else is in hell. Sure, the most incredible jobs are often hard to get but at the end of the day, they are jobs.

[@choiby]

Hey Austin - thank you for your formidable ability to create and generously share content of all types, whether it's music or advisory gems like this video. I love the way you honestly express your perspective and am solidly reassured at how much your general philosophy resonates with mine. My question for you is this - if you had 6 hour days instead of 24 hour days, what would you cut from your schedule in order to maximise the time available to you?

[@coalescence3835]

Thanks a lot for this, Austin! I would love to see you discuss live orchestra versus samples? How would you recommend getting libraries to sound real, or at least sellable on a real album? Thanks, dude!

[@alinkbetweengames4328]

What is your recommended place for finding film scores like The Iron Giant one in the background?

[@ChrisSiddallMusic]

Pretty sure I know where you can find that one.....! (www.chrissiddallmusic.com) ;-)

[@SuperSumalu]

This was great! I hope this becomes a series, as you are a wealth of knowledge! Do you find having a classical education opens more doorways to you as a professional?

[@alx8912]

Extremely insightful, please keep this going!

[@morganainsleymusic]

My question is how much does notation play a role in your compositional process? Do you tend to sketch MIDI straight into your DAW, or do you ever work with notation? I kind of feel a little stuck because I’m not an amazing pianist and so I find it hard to explore my ideas playing them into a DAW vs being able to write more complex/nuanced material in notation, but it’s harder to work that way with film and other media (sync to picture, using samples and sound effects/ambiences etc) so I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place

[@michael_bullard]

You’ve spoken before about working with people like your orchestrator and video editor over a long period. How do you connect with those people, and is it difficult to maintain that relationship in LA, where I presume there are a dozen creators for each editor and so forth?

[@AndyRu]

Hey Austin, great video! I've seen a lot of film and game audio professionals mention their experience with internships or mentors as pivotal experiences when starting their careers in the industry. Would you recommend seeking out that sort of student/tutor partnership for somebody just starting out today, or is that not necessarily the best way to go about things? Thanks!

[@alirezayousefirad]

Thanks for sharing your amazing experience,sir if you want to compose music for a cue with lot of tension and chaotic action scene, do you consider scales,keys,normal chords etc or you just try to make the music as dissonant and tensive as possible without considering being in a key or considering melody,run etc being in a particular chord,I ask this question because I cant understand how media composers do this chaotic scores that are not based on regular music theory and seem to not have a definite key!

[@xaido7139]

Great video!

[@coalescence3835]

By the way, I wonder if you know (or if you’d like) Daniel James’ channel. Watching that guy compose live is so inspiring, because of how much he really knows what he’s doing. Curious to know what you think!

[@scancelado]

Yes new episode with troy!

[@ianjschulzcompositions]

Hey Austin, big fan and really liking the informative videos! I just had one question (if you have time with so many here), I'm moving ton New York in the near future and am worried that it's a step in the wrong direction as opposed to LA, is there any benefit to being in the NY area as an aspiring composer, or will my time be better spent working with a studio to learn the technology side while I keep doing individual study? Thanks so much!

[@awintory]

There's no question that NY is distinctly different from LA. Each has unique qualities but the overwhelming majority of film/TV opportunities are found in LA. Games are more dispersed and people are accustomed to working remotely (as such LA, is not the main hub for games. In fact, I'd argue there is none, with major hubs being more or less equally London, San Francisco, Seattle, Montreal, Tokyo, LA, Austin, etc). NY has more advertising and, of course, Broadway-type opportunities than anywhere else.

[@ianjschulzcompositions]

@@awintory Thanks for the insight! I would love to work on games as well, so perhaps that could be an opportunity I pursue while in NY!

[@awintory]

@@ianjschulzcompositions Conceptually, there is nothing stopping you! The vast majority of my experience with game work has been remote work with people all over the world!

[@VambraceMusic]

When working with samples, do you use a balanced template where the articulations of each instrument are as close as possible to what they would sound like live or do you start from scratch with every mockup? Is the mixing and programming something you do intuitively at this point? I know you try to avoid working with samples as much as possible but i havent had the pleasure of working with live players yet :) Greatly appreciate what you do on this channel. Thank you!

[@achillesamusic]

Dig the new video quality👌 How do you step up your career game as a freelancer ? As i'm currently i'm in this situation,eagering to get better quality work and clients I've thought of some alternatives(courses,more media content/presence,meetups etc...) but i would be really interested for your insight on this aspect!

[@mrmangoberry8394]

So far, I’ve really only written for piano. How should I get started on moving on to different ensembles?

[@SonosVitae]

Just u know... Separate things like bass, solo, hords, into other instruments. Like the whole orchestra is one big piano, but instead one sound and 2 hands, you have 100.

[@alinkbetweengames4328]

The orchestration books that he mentioned in the video are great resources for learning orchestration. However, like all aspects of composition, your orchestration only gets better with practice, so write lots of music.

[@MaxRamos8]

Actually i Suggest just spending some time listening to wind ensembles. Even better if you can join a local community orchestra or band.

[@suitNtie22]

Question for yah Austin. This is an issue that I deal with frequently in my own life and career. Do you ever experience intense Envy over other peers work? If so then how do you deal with that feeling? I got my own methods of dealing with it mainly stepping back and looking at my own works but I'm very curious how an industry veteran deals with this sort of thing?

[@mikesannitti6042]

Lately I've been on a kick watching videos on the music theory and construction of 16 bit music (specifically sonic 1-3) My question is do you share a similar appreciation for the composition and problem-solving with a basic 9 channel system? Would you ever try to make a score mimicking those 25 year old constraints?

[@samwisegamgee1243]

Oooh this is an awesome question! 😁

[@MaxRamos8]

I don't understand your question and so I'd like to learn about this limitation! What is sonic 1-3 and what is a 9 channel system?

[@mikesannitti6042]

@@MaxRamos8 I was referring the 16 bit Sonic the Hedgehog games. On the Genesis the hardware only allowed for 9 channels for different musical tracks, some with very limited tones. Yet composers were able to put together some very memorable and complex music that had stood the test of time.

[@mikewells6593]

How much coding should I learn as a videogame composer? Would I be expected to implement the music? Should I look into Wwise, or can I just sit in my comfort zone in Pro Tools?

[@MaxRamos8]

Coding??? I don't think that's really necessary unless you are doing work for your own game, that's a very different field. Most of the time you will just send the finished audio off, maybe some STEMS if they want to go through it with you

[@lumberjacker9]

I signed-in to youtube so I could like this video. Very helpful! Do you have any advice for getting work for scoring when you have no resume with scoring any projects? Would you recommend giving yourself focused projects that might convey one's skillset?

[@MaxRamos8]

I would suggest writing music to commercials or other media with the music taken out, as well as movie trailers. Then, maybe think of a theme or setting you would like to do music for and search for stock images that might help you see what you want to convey and use that to help you finish writing

[@lumberjacker9]

@@MaxRamos8 thank-you!

[@rafammarket]

Austin, I have to thank you for all the time and info you always share with the world! I'm currently focus on make my way through the videogame and media music industry but I have the (bad) luck of been in a country where there's no such industry. The next step I would like the most is moving to another country (i.e. USA) and try there, but I would like to have some job, contacts or financial support before, so I could afford it. Is there any advice you could share for those in a situation like mine? What jobs are related with the vgm composition that I could consider too (or even first)? Thank you again for your time!

[@haleysmith1327]

This was great. I'd be interested to know how the size of a development team can affect your work as the composer.

[@JLo83]

If you're someone like Darren Korb, it doesn't hurt you at all. The only limits are your imagination, writing ability and the tools available to you.

[@emelyn7145]

Hi, thanks for doing this! What software/equipment would you recommend for a beginner composer? I've only really been exposed to Sibelius so I was wondering if there was something better or even just different that is worth checking out?

[@aramissilvereke]

As a film composer who is getting into game scoring, what main area would you recommend one to study and learn to prepare for a game scoring gig?

[@swinehorde9118]

Hey Austin. Can you describe a new musical scene that you just thought up right now?

[@randomacountboy]

New q and a when pls?? These are fantastic!!!!

[@awintory]

In a little bit but thank you!! :) Probably in a month or two

[@flughyf.b.8112]

Is there a clear distinction in the process between scoring for games and scoring for films? If so, which is trickier to do?

[@johnberry5597]

Austin, do you have a bag of unused (or at least unpublished) melodies or arrangement ideas that you can dip into for a project if you needed? Or would you consider it to be sacrilege to use a piece of music for a project if that piece was not originally conceived of for that purpose? Even of it might be well suited...

[@MaxRamos8]

"if it ain't broke don't fix it" 😅

[@brianware8934]

TL;DR version for this. I used to play alto sax, clarinet, piano, started guitar, then had a stroke. I’m fairly functional now, but playing instruments is still out of my reach but there’s music stuck in my head I want to get out. Any suggestions for free or exceedingly cheap software I can play with to start, if not playing, at least getting the notes to “paper”, as it were? Being on disability, my income is lacking and I can’t afford the $100, $200, $500 programs I’d like to go for.

[@MaxRamos8]

Yes, there is Noteflight and musescore which are free browser notation software that can be upgraded with a subscription. Imo that's the easiest, if you are willing to learn more about audio production, I suggest using a free version of a DAW such as Studio One Prime

[@MaxRamos8]

And if you have a budget I suggest buying either Finale or Sibellius which are professional notation software

[@adriikko]

Absolutely great video!! All the info felt super useful and thank you for all those recommendations and resources :) Also I would like to ask you a few questions, do you usually work over the paper or a notation software such as sibellius, or through daw? Both perhaps? Do you think someone is more or less talented for being capable of using one rather than the other? Thanks in advance! P.D Your music is amazing!

[@MaxRamos8]

I don't think somone is less talented if they use one over the other, but I mean it is a difference if you are just throwing in pre-made samples which is not really writing. It's best to learn both if you can, so if you need to focus on specific parts you can "cross play" so each one can complement each other

[@d4n_the_man]

Sometimes when I'm making music, I find that I have to take a break from listening to what I'm making as I start hating it due to over saturation. I also find that looking at the music while it's playing, whether it's sheet music or in a DAW, makes it difficult to fully appreciate it and I end up closing my eyes to get a better perspective. Does something like these or similar happen for you?

[@MaxRamos8]

Yes, that's actually very great I'd to follow your instincts! In my audio production class it was frilled in to take a break from a project when you get frustrated maybe even up to the next day so you can listen with fresh ears. Also when you are mixing you should do what's sounds good, bot worry if you made enough changes