Happy Holidays, VGM Academy community! December brings the gift of more knowledge and wisdom in the form of this new interview with composer Jason Graves. Lately, Jason has been working in TV on DC Universe’s Swamp Thing, but he came up for air to discuss all sorts of good stuff in our 45-minute conversation.
Jason is a two-time British Academy Award-winning composer who has worked on several smash hit games, including:
- Tomb Raider
- Far Cry Primal
- The Order: 1886
- Dead Space
- Moss
In this interview, we discuss how his background as a percussionist/drummer has given him a unique advantage as a composer, a couple dos- and don’ts- of networking, and how Jason would train an apprentice if he only had 2 months to impart as much wisdom as possible. Jason also shares his favorite purchase under $100 that he’s made recently for his game music career.
We also briefly touch on working at home with kids, and how to balance that - parents, we salute you all! You can watch the entire interview here:
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Greg O’Conner-Read of TopDollarPR for his help in coordinating this interview with Tom – thanks Greg!
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You also forgot to mention that he composed the music for Command & Conquer 4, and that game has both a disastrous gameplay and a score that deviated completely from the industrial rock and pop style set forth by the legendary Frank Klepacki, which is a shame as JG wasn’t meant to do C&C to begin with.
And YOU forgot your manners, pal. How many games have you composed for or worked on? Totally OK that you prefer Frank’s work, and that maybe aren’t a fan of Jason’s. That’s preference, that’s life. But I feel badly for you that you went out of your way to consume my content and insult my guest by leaving a nasty comment. I recommend really looking at where that negativity comes from and work on that. But until then, this is my house - show some manners when you’re expressing your opinions or take a hike. Got it?
Loved the interview. Especially the inside notes on how Order 1886 has been recorded. Love those kind of stories, where composers share their knowledge, but also little gems and candies how stuff emerged into their minds or how a certain parts has been recorded. Been fan of Jason’s music for a long time and everytime I hear him talk and geek out, it’s a fountain of ideas and inspiration and a joy to listen to. So thank you for making these. Gotta get a decent mic. He’s got a point in that….not surprisingly 🙂