Composer Code

Composer Code

By Matt KenyonLeisureVideo Games
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Composer Code episodes

  • How to get paid as a VGM artist with Sebastian Wolff

    In this dense episode of Composer Code, I chat with the fountain of knowledge known as Sebastian Wolff

    Sebastian is a sharp, yet humble and soft-spoken gentleman who has a keen vision for the future of video game music-makers.

    He’s founded multiple companies including Loudr, and more recently, Materia Collective. Materia Collective is the largest collaborative community of VGM creators in existence.

    In this episode, we chat through how Sebastian got into video game music, his insightful views on piracy, the future of the video game music community, and the importance of metadata.

    Thanks for listening! Use the timestamps below to navigate to a particular section.

    1. Sebastian’s introduction to VGM (1:40)

    2. VGM’s unique position in media (4:00)
    3. His entrepreneurial journey (5:00)
    4. Rejecting the “label” label (6:08)
    5. The secret to managing Materia Collective 😉 (9:50)
    6. The difference between the VGM community and film scoring community (12:48)
    7. The lifeblood of getting paid: metadata (14:30)
    8. What artists need to know about the music industry (18:23)
    9. Materia Collective business model and vision (19:27)
    10. Investing in opportunities with time and money (22:29)
    11. The biggest source of revenue for many artists (25:40)
    12. The power of collectibles (29:30)
    13. Licensing sheet music arrangements (33:48)
    14. The different types of copyrights (46:06)
    15. Advice for composers breaking into the industry (49:15)
    16. The difference between licensing and buyouts (51:50)
    17. Sebastian’s favorite games and OSTs (58:00)

    RESOURCES

    ———————

    Materia Collective homepage:

    https://www.materiacollective.com/

    Jessica Curry’s soundtrack to So Let Us Melt:

    https://jessicacurry.bandcamp.com/alb…

    Sebastian’s industry reading list:

    https://medium.com/@SebastianWolff/mu…

    Business Skills for Composers Facebook group:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/busin…

    This interview is also available on YouTube:

    Composer Code is also available on all popular podcast services. Just give it a search and you’ll find it!

    Enter your email below to get future content delivered fresh to your inbox as soon as I release it.

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    1 hr 3 min
  • Ep 6: The Sage of VGM Metadata Will Help You Get Paid (Sebastian Wolff)
    In this dense episode of Composer Code, I chat with the fountain of knowledge known as Sebastian Wolff Sebastian is a sharp, yet humble and soft-spoken gentleman who has a keen vision for the future of video game music-makers. He’s founded multiple companies including Loudr, and more recently, Materia Collective. Materia Collective is the largest collaborative community of VGM creators in existence. In this episode, we chat through how Sebastian got into video game music, his insightful views on piracy, the future of the video game music community, and the importance of metadata. Thanks for listening! Use the timestamps below
    1 hr 3 min
  • Putting a deadline on creativity with Carlos Eiene (insaneintherainmusic)
    Success = consistency over perfection

    That’s the biggest takeaway I took from my value-packed interview with Carlos Eiene, aka, insaneintherainmusic.

    We chatted about his origins, his influences, his advice for young composers, the STARS system he uses for sight-reading music, his fascination with checklists, and the neuroscience of remembering things.

    We walk through his entire process for making videos, from the idea to the upload, and how he balances the improvisational nature of jazz with shipping consistent content.

    What does Carlos think about when he solos? What’s his sacred checklist?

    He breaks down the power of repeatable processes. Oh, and why he hates the book, “The War of Art.”

    This multi-instrumental, incredibly talented video game jazz musician has so much value to offer. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. 🙂

    ———————

    TIMESTAMPS — JUMP TO YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERVIEW!

    1:00 — The origin story (his first video game music and jazz experiences)

    5:30 — What made him fall in love with jazz
    7:00 — How has he gotten so good at so many instruments?!
    7:50 — “Hitting the shed” and other cool Berklee slang 😂
    9:03 — The single most valuable way to improve as a soloist
    10:25 — His “desert island” album and other influences
    14:30 — His whole process from idea to upload (The Sacred Checklist™)
    16:30 — The power of mechanical, repeatable processes
    19:10 — The balance between improv and practice in his videos
    21:32 — “What’s going on in your head when you solo?”
    25:03 — His tools for mixing and the simple secret to good mixes
    29:45 — Our beef with audiophiles and snobbery
    31:25 — The “STARS” system for sightreading
    34:05 — Carlos calls me out for sucking at the piano 😂☠
    35:00 — Mind-Blowing Algorithmic Sax Soli™(holy crap)
    44:45 — Creative philosophy and dealing with backlash
    49:57 — Why Carlos hates the War of Art!!
    52:30 — Scheduling, Calendars, Deadlines, Oh My!
    55:40 — The part of video production he can’t stand
    58:45 — The future of insaneintherainmusic
    1:00:00 — The VGM Real Book!
    1:02:49 — Keys to YouTube and Patreon growth
    1:05:22 — Interview recap

    Thanks for listening!

    This interview is also available on YouTube

    1 hr 7 min
  • Ep 5: Creativity, Deadlines, Spreadsheets, and VGM Jazz (insaneintherainmusic / Carlos Eiene)
    Success = consistency over perfection. That’s the biggest takeaway I took from my value-packed interview with Carlos Eiene, aka, insaneintherainmusic. We chatted about his origins, his influences, his advice for young composers, the STARS system he uses for sight-reading music, his fascination with checklists, and the neuroscience of remembering things. We walk through his entire process for making videos, from the idea to the upload, and how he balances the improvisational nature of jazz with shipping consistent content. What does Carlos think about when he solos? What’s his sacred checklist? He breaks down the power of repeatable processes. Oh, and
    1 hr 7 min
  • Composing for Cuphead with Kris Maddigan
    I had the privilege of interviewing Cuphead composer Kris Maddigan

    We talked about his process for composition, the power of reading and studying those who’ve gone before you, and a simple but powerful principle for success as a video game composer.

    KRIS’ READING LIST:
    JAZZ THEORY & BIOGRAPHIES:

    Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble – Berklee Press

    Mark Levine books

    Jazz Composition Theory and Practice – Berklee Press

    Henry Mancini – Sounds and Scores

    Barbershop Arranging Manuel

    Scott Joplin Complete Piano Works

    They All Played Ragtime – Harriet Janis and Rudi Blesh

    Early Jazz and The Swing Era – Gunther Schuller

    Duke Ellington, Jazz Composer – Ken Rattenbury

    Bill Dobbins – Jazz Arranging and Composing, A Linear Approach

    Gary Lindsay – The Jazz Arrangers Manual

    GENERAL CREATIVITY:

    Peak: How to Master Almost Anything – K. Anders Ericsson

    Drive: Daniel H. Pink

    Mastery: Robert Greene

    The Creative Habit: Twyla Tharp

    Payoff: Dan Ariely

    Ignore Everybody: Hugh MacLeod

    The Talent Code: Daniel Coyle

    Talent is Overrated: Geoff Colvin

    Creativity: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

    Flow: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

    Steal Like an Artist: Austin Kleon

    Jonathan Lethem: The Ecstasy of Influence

    The Gift: Lewis Hyde

    Free Play: Stephen Nachnanovitch

    David Lynch – Catching the Big Fish

    In this interview, I sit down with the insightful Kris Maddigan, who composed one of the most originative and captivating soundtracks for the incredible game, Cuphead.

    Our conversation is candid, raw, and fueled by bourbon. We go on tangents about Paul Simon, the tapes Kris had in his car growing up, the hard life of a freelancer, and more.

    We chat about what he learned from Cuphead, how he views himself in the wake of Cuphead’s success, and what’s next for him.

    His advice for young composers is some of the best I’ve heard, as well.

    Thanks for listening!

    This interview is also available on YouTube

    1 hr
  • Ep 4: Cuphead Composer Interview (Kris Maddigan)
    I had the privilege of interviewing Cuphead composer Kris Maddigan We talked about his process for composition, the power of reading and studying those who’ve gone before you, and a simple but powerful principle for success as a video game composer. KRIS’ READING LIST: JAZZ THEORY & BIOGRAPHIES: Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble – Berklee Press Mark Levine books Jazz Composition Theory and Practice – Berklee Press Henry Mancini – Sounds and Scores Barbershop Arranging Manuel Scott Joplin Complete Piano Works They All Played Ragtime – Harriet Janis and Rudi Blesh Early Jazz and The Swing Era – Gunther Schuller
    1 hr
  • Ep 3: Dealing with Creative Burnout (Steven Melin)

    I sat down with my good buddy and fellow composer Steven Melin to chat about creative burnout. This recorded conversation was recently featured on his podcast, Sonic Storytellers.

    Check out his awesome channel here: youtube.com/stevenmelin

    In this conversation, we discuss how composers experience creative burnout differently from other artists, how composers can prevent creative burnout (hint: a lot of it has to do with keeping life in balance!), and what we can do as composers once we’re in the thick of creative burnout.

    There are a lot of great takeaways in this conversation about how taking care of ourselves helps us take care of our craft.

    Resources mentioned

    Adam Neely’s Berklee Senior recital:

    https://youtu.be/vPPbdVl8X_4

    Deep Work by Cal Newport:

    http://amzn.to/2mAH1xi

    Pomodoro Technique:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

    Day One App:

    http://dayoneapp.com/

    Composer Code is also available on all popular podcast services. Just give it a search and you’ll find it!

    Enter your email below to get future content delivered fresh to your inbox as soon as I release it.

    Subscribe to our mailing list
    * indicates required
    Email Address *

    49 min
  • Ep 3: Dealing with Creative Burnout (Steven Melin)
    I sat down with my good buddy and fellow composer Steven Melin to chat about creative burnout. This recorded conversation was recently featured on his podcast, Sonic Storytellers. Check out his awesome channel here: youtube.com/stevenmelin In this conversation, we discuss how composers experience creative burnout differently from other artists, how composers can prevent creative burnout (hint: a lot of it has to do with keeping life in balance!), and what we can do as composers once we’re in the thick of creative burnout. There are a lot of great takeaways in this conversation about how taking care of ourselves helps
    49 min
  • Ep 2: Stealing – the Only Path to Originality (8-bit Music Theory)
    I had the awesome privilege of interviewing my favorite YouTube content creator, 8-bit Music Theory.

    The conversation was super valuable and a lot of fun. We talked about the Genesis (pun) of his love for video game music, how his jazz drumming degree helped him understand rhythm in video game music, and how starting a YouTube channel analyzing video game music was really a way to scratch his own itch.

    He gives incredible advice on how to find your own sound (spoiler: it has a lot to do with stealing), and why transcription is valuable for every musician.

    We also geek out on the Beatles and talk a little bit about his non-VGM influences.

    All-in-all, he’s a super nice dude and I highly commend his channel. Thanks so much for listening!

    This interview is also available on YouTube

    Composer Code is also available on all popular podcast services. Just give it a search and you’ll find it!

    Enter your email below to get future content delivered fresh to your inbox as soon as I release it.

    Subscribe to our mailing list
    * indicates required
    Email Address *

    32 min
  • Ep 2: Stealing – the Only Path to Originality (8-bit Music Theory)
    I had the awesome privilege of interviewing my favorite YouTube content creator, 8-bit Music Theory. The conversation was super valuable and a lot of fun. We talked about the Genesis (pun) of his love for video game music, how his jazz drumming degree helped him understand rhythm in video game music, and how starting a YouTube channel analyzing video game music was really a way to scratch his own itch. He gives incredible advice on how to find your own sound (spoiler: it has a lot to do with stealing), and why transcription is valuable for every musician. We also
    32 min

About Composer Code

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It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this: namely, the knowledge, expertise, and best practices of established VGM composers, arrangers, and content creators. Join Matt Kenyon, VGM geek extraordinaire, as…