Every month, VGM Academy Members get to attend a live, members-only Q&A with experts and veterans in the game music and audio industry. In the past, we’ve had guests like Russell Brower (World of Warcraft, Diablo III, Hearthstone), Darren Korb (Bastion, Transistor, Pyre), and producer Shota Nakama (Final Fantasy XV, Code Vein, God Eater 3). These talks are always a lot of fun and very informative, because every question comes directly from an Academy member – not from the host.
Last month, we had the pleasure of being joined by composer Borislav Slavov. Borislav currently works at Larian Studios – the studio that just recently announced their collaboration with Wizards of the Coast to bring us Baldur’s Gate 3. He was also the composer for Divinity: Original Sin II, and had a unique story to share about getting into the gaming industry as a musician.
“I’m still used to joking with my fellow composers that I’m the best composer among the programmers and the best programmer among the composers.”
Borislav shared his story with us: he graduated with a degree in computer science and worked as an IT specialist for a large software company until he could no longer ignore his passion. He decided to fully embrace his dream of becoming a composer and began developing himself and working towards that transition.
“I was an IT Specialist by education, but then I realized the real passion in my life was actually music and video games and I said ‘Ok, I can’t run away from my heart anymore.’ So I spent all of the money that I had in my bank account to buy my first modest gear… and here we are! […] If you discover who you are, if you know who you are, and if you are willing to follow your heart nothing can stop you, really.”
He went on to answer several questions submitted by VGM Academy members on topics like succeeding without a formal music education, combining sample libraries with recorded musicians, sample library recommendations, and creating your own sounds to use in your projects.
VGM Academy Members can access the full transcript here
But my biggest takeaway from our talk was the recurring themes of passion and following your heart. This was at the core of everything: his focus, his approach to networking, and his approach to writing music.
“Keep your passion alive. Don’t give up, be yourself, and with a pinch of luck it’s just a matter of time to get there. I promise you this.”
This live audio/video call was hosted in June 2019, and while we weren’t able to record this specific conversation, the full transcript is available within the VGM Academy Members Network.
If you’d like to be able to attend a live Q&A with an industry expert like Borislav Slavov, join the VGM Academy Members Network. Our upcoming Expert Q&As are with composer/producer/orchestrator Chad Seiter (July 24th) and composer Austin Wintory (August 25th). Don’t miss your chance to get your question answered by one of these industry experts!
