Hitoshi Sakimoto

Greetings all. I notice that there is a request to speak about what is so special about Hitoshi Sakimoto, but first allow me to introduce. My name is show here so I need not mention that. I am currently in my final semester at New York University as a candidate for an M.A in Music Composition.

I have struggled much to increase awareness of Video Game Music at this particular juncture. I'm not dealing with message board avatars there, I am dealing with academics. Dealing with academics is like dealing with the Roman politicians during the time of Julius Caesar; you have to do alot of begging, lying, and play your cards right without getting killed. Although the risk of getting killed is not there, the possibility of getting a job is, and although I am known there for my passion, and am looked down upon by certain colleagues for my views.

Fortunately, I've been lucky enough to have assisted the music dept. chairman with video game music related issues. He has been very receptive to the idea of game music, and I had to work extremely hard in his classes to be recognized for my academic ability, enough so that I earned his respect for him to offer me a job to aid him in any situations which may involve game music. He has many clients whom are well known in the music field; Eminem, Dr. Dre, Madonna, Elton John, and many others. I cannot say which cases I was involved in, but he's kept me fairly busy.

As for my own musical work, http://www.myspace.com/danieldecastro.

I have an A.S. in Music Theory and Counterpoint, an A.S. in Music Technology, both from Queensborough Community College with honors, a B.A. in Music Composition from New York University (Magna Cum Laude), and now doing my M.A. there as well. Pardon me if some may find this pompous and arrogant of me to list my credentials, but it may help for some. If this does not matter to you, you can disregard this, and my apologies for my hubris.

Let me tell you how my experience has been in trying to create awareness of game music at these academic institutions. If there were a hell, that would be the appropriate description, but it was not without some good intelligent people who realized the worth of this field. Sadly, these were not the people in power at these institutions, and I'm pretty sure that the chairman is bound by some political restrictions to convince the director of the composition department to start at least a seminar in game music composition. I've encountered criticism after criticism from some very good students, and the director. It's led me to question my own intelligence and mental well being at times.

Fortunately, I believe I am a rational thinker, as philosophically, my stance as a freethinker aid me in my confidence to find truth in the claims others make, and thus far, I believe I've found a cauldron of Modernism disguised as Post Modernism amongst certain faculty and colleagues. They seem to like music of the abstract nature there, music in which the academics happen to find "Rock Music" influence where I would find no such things. There is an enormous interest in avant garde electronic music there inspired from composers like Edgard Varese, and a passion for instrumental music inspired by the musical language of Penderecki, Lutoslawski, Ligeti, and other composers of the sort. To many here, the majority of the music from those composers would seem unbearable abstract rubbish. Some call it "Egghead Music". To them it is anything but abstract, and the moment you demonstrate distaste with such a language, you are looked down upon as a "Closedminded" individual by the director at which point he will advise you to "Open your mind".

I consider myself to be one of the most openminded individuals on the planet! I would support the passions and preferences of the fans of the aforementioned composers at the cost of my life! But, why must I be made to feel guilty in being told to "Open My Mind" simply because I do not enjoy the works of their favorite composers? It's almost like the catholic priests I encountered who would tell me to open my mind when I proclaimed my philosophical atheism to them! I ask no such thing from others! But I do ask that as I respect the tastes an views of others, that my tastes are also respected. I take pride in challenging myself! Show me some evidence that god exists I say, and I am told "Oh, but you must have faith." I don't believe in faith I believe in reason! Give me a reason why I should open my mind to your music; "Because it will prepare you to do anything and everything in the music field, in your career". Can you show me evidence of that? No? Well guess what? I have evidence to the contrary. Most great composers of the current day will tell you something different, they will say, "Keep an open mind to all composers, even penderecki, lutoslawski, and ligeti". I hear no such thing from the director, and this man is a highly praised man by the students and faculty. He will smile at you, wave his hand to you, give you hugs, but the times I've shown him the music that I love, he's considered it simplistic, and is always quick to make negative or biased claims towards game music, claims like, "Game music is not concert music", or "It is clear that no one here is interested in learning about game music". He is not the only one of this opinion there, and it frightens me because it is terribly untrue. I've showed him some of the finest works written in game music, works of similar craft and substance as those of the masters we learn about in school.

During my first semester at NYU, I presented music from games to my class. I had selections from Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Final Fantasy 7's "One Winged Angel-orchestral", Final Fantasy X "Decisive battle", Overworld from Final Fantasy 7 orchestral, Siegfried's stage from Soul Blade, and even the work of a colleague that I found came closest to the standards academia might deem worthy of admiration and respect, but apparently, all of this music was too simplistic and was looked down upon by some of the smartest students. I felt very stupid, almost like there was something wrong with me. I gave descriptions to the class about how I felt regarding the atmosphere of the music using word like "Futuristic", "Fantasia", "Pastoral", "Heroic", "Brazen", and several other words, but was asked questions like "What makes music sound futuristic?" I felt terrible that I could not give a better answer at the time.

I tried again to do a presentation, but it was a failure; the equipment would not work as I wanted to set the music to a DVD I had created for the Chairman. I had received support from some of the students, and I knew of some who voiced their distaste with the obvious one-sidedness of the director's tastes at our composer's meeting where we would be subjected to music that the director believes listening to will prepare us for our careers. The majority of the students seem to lack interest in music that has harmonies, melodies, and rhythms derived from a mix of classical music, fusion jazz, pop, and world music. They are more interested in abstract music with use of "Max MSP", "C Sound", and other synthesis programs. So I had to go out of my way to search for music of this nature in games so that I could make a better impression. So I set out to searching, and had to put myself in the shoes of 85% of the students and faculty there.

I went to an underground game music piracy web server located in MIRC and downloaded over 130+ GBS of VG music MP3s. I listened to ALL of it and with the help of my IPaq personal computer, categorized and filed away only the best works in game music literature. Within over 3000 hours of game music, I realized that it is the most diverse source of music in the world. Game music has everything from Hip Hop to classical, Avant Garde to Jazz, and while proponents and fans from these genres may not see game music as the best example of these genres, it demonstrates the enormous potential there is for artists to contribute to meeting the high standards of game music for everyone. (Worry not, along with Sakimoto, Naoshi Mizuta was also on my list of favorite composers; I love them both).

Word spread that I had done this, and the chairman advised me to work on a thesis regarding Video Game Music. I was allowed to do my thesis on game music by NYU, how exciting! I can't say what my topic is, but lets just say that alot of trust was put in me. So I am currently working on this, and just this morning, I checked my e-mail to see that there is argument amongst my fellow game music fans. What a mess this is.. It really makes me sad, but also happy that there is such a passion for game music such that people would express their views about it on a message board like this.

I can go on and on about how much I've had to deal with, how much my feelings were hurt by colleagues and faculty, and how dumb I've been made to feel, but I go on, and I must be honest with the person who started this thread:

Although I love Naoshi Mizuta's work, I'm pretty sure academia will not. If we are to encourage the influence of Naoshi Mizuta's work to spread, We must please the academics, and so far, the academics have been very receptive to the music of Sakimoto, and they find it to be very high quality, including the work in Final Fantasy 12. I agree with them, and respect their knowledge and recognition of ANY game composer, and if Sakimoto helps to do it for them, Sakimoto has my respect. Yoko Kanno was praised and Masashi Hamauzu has been complimented as well. If the academics are please with my work, and one day I am asked to teach game music composition at this institution, Mizuta is definitely someone I will refer to in my lectures.

This is my current situation. If you've any questions, feel free to ask me, and I will answer, but I will do my best to start something new. Also, I encourage fans of game music to express their opinions in a civil manner; some of the comments here may only further fuel the conviction of certain academics that game music is nothing but fluff, kids stuff, and plagiarized music from people like Ravel or other composers of whom we'd be better off studying. If it fails amongst the fans, it will fail through the eyes of the academics, and we will never see great game music scoring courses come to fruition, for the sake of those who wish to seek a career in game scoring, or find it artful enough for personal expression.

I do care about what these people think; I trust that their intents are of a good nature. They wish to see us challenge ourselves and excel. Trust me when I say that some of your favorite composers in game music are some of the most intelligent, open minded, and talented persons on the face of the planet, and I wish for them to also be recognized and known as a fine example of human potential for eclecticism and open mindedness. I would die happy if I knew that academia gave a live concert of game music works as they have done for film music, classical music, and jazz music all of these years. It's high time.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Quote:

Even in an alternate universe where you changed the face of academia and inspired professors to teach game music composition courses, it would be quite fruitless. There are like a million game design/programming courses offered at every nowheresville school on the planet now, and not a damn one of them is actually respected by game developers or publishers - what makes you think a VGM composition degree would be any different?

They have a film music composition program at NYU, and at USC, both of which have proven their worth due to faculty who know their way and have good taste in film music. This exposure to the finest examples of film music help to shape the ears of the composers in the curriculum, and allows them to focus on techniques exclusive to film composition.

As one who is in constant interaction with film scoring students, I've absorbed the best examples of film music, and believe that I am not alone when I say that there are examples in game music which exceed the quality and better capture the things I seek overall in music. There are also techniques and standards exclusive to game music in that game music incorporates elements that are not limited to the classical field, the jazz field, nor the film music field. It actually takes the best from all of these fields, including fields outside of academic institutions like the hip-hop, pop, techno, world, and other fields which have been fused with the styles taught at universities that make game music all the more distinct. We can begin to elaborate on why these composers are so talented/eclectic, and begin a discourse amongst students that is most appropriately played out in an academic setting.

A game scoring course would be a fusion of all the existing departments, and finally, the music genres that have been shunned by academics like hip-hop and the other controversial styles of music which academia erroneously deems a cliche. VG music consists of composers more eclectic than anywhere in the world, and I will support this claim by citing Yoko Kanno as the Chameleon of music composition; a Video Game composer. My course would be very different from other courses in that my students would be encouraged to follow their path, whatever it may be, while at the same time taking into account that the best game composers have been the most eclectic ones, and this is a challenge and goal that the academic environment can best meet due to the interaction which can take place between the various departments, an interaction which is sorely missing due to the opposing attitudes of the various camps.

Ultimately, when I say that I love game music most, I'm also saying that I love ALL music just as much because again, it takes the best from ALL the fields and immortalizes it to a new generation. If one wishes to be a great game composer, they cannot have biases; they must be ready to do it all, and again, I will model after Yoko Kanno. I want only success for my students, and I would best ensure that success by taking the best methods utilized by the most successful lecturers, and focus on the finest examples of game music.

So let me ask you, why should we have a film scoring major and not a game scoring major? Or do you think this too is a waste of time? Why have any major at all? Or are you a film music fan moreso than a game music fan?

Believe me, I would have learned alot more if I had professional music theoreticians talking about what is going on in works which interest game music fans, and there are many of us. Instead of Beethoven, why not talk about Naoshi Mizuta or Masashi Hamauzu? Hamauzu has done far more for me than Beethoven ever has quite frankly.

I agree when you say there are many makeshift game development courses out there, but this is NYU were talking about here, and I've the skills to do what it takes to lead one's ear in the right direction, to understand and be aware of the standards set by the finest composers. Many people have not a clue of the enormous wealth of quality music that rests in the gaming world, and if these uninformed and biased opinions of game music are to cease, they must be quelled with the evidence. Video game composers should be recognized as human beings as well as great composers, and if I do not do this now, noone else will. I believe that only then will music schools be set in the right direction, and game composers are examples of composers who will unite all schools of musical thought. This is my goal, and I know I can do it, through awareness and the desire to promote a scientific and cultural community engaged in higher education and peer-reviewed research, taken as a whole to help push and stimulate high quality game music production.

Additional Spam:
Here, take a listen to my music and tell me if you think I've the chops to teach game composition. All of my works are inspired from game music in some way, and all the works are a product of the extensive listening I've done in game music. Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can. The story of how I began composing is very interesting. I should also mention that a game music course would also require strong cooperation with the music technology department, you do need to learn MIDI and synthesis after all.


http://www.myspace.com/danieldecastro

Keep in mind that no work written here is written after age 23. I am currently 26, and have many new works, but do not wish to show just yet. I know it's arrogant of me to say but I really like my own music, and I believe that others can do a better job at absorbing influences than I can. I apologize if you don't like it, I tried my best. I started writing music at age 19, and have been told that my music is doctoral level work by faculty at NYU. I had NO musical training prior to that. They only recently found out that it is all a product of game music, and I can only imagine the ability that brighter minds than I would gain if exposed to great music from games they never knew existed. I owe a big thanks to game composers for my accomplishments, and know that they have inspired many others. I merely wish to bring it to the next level.

Most amazing jew boots

I'm sorry for your sickness, I hope you get better! My girlfriend lives in Somerset MA, hopefully it doesn't spread too far.

Your claims are interesting. Do you have peer reviewed articles that demonstrate them? Anyhow, I think this is a different situation regardless. If what you say is true, it wouldn't affect me as we're not talking about programming and design; we're speaking about development of musical talent, and ability to provide that which is expected of you while understanding the standards set by the field, and the possibilities available for bringing both art and craft to the game table; a totally different animal. Also, you need to take my qualifications and curriculum into consideration before you can truly judge, and this is something I don't believe an internet forum appropriate for. Such things are done over the phone via an academic institution, or face to face.

I have alot of confidence in my ability to teach game music via the eclectic method I use. I have lived it and breathed it since age 6, and understand it's audience. I know how to help people find their language and interest. I would nurture that wholeheartedly without bias, and this is something that seldom exists in academia.

I have studied the game music curriculum they teach at USC and it is severely limited. According to a colleague there, they are only talking about American game composers many with a film music background. While I have great respect for names like Soule, Giacchino, Rob King, and others, they fail to elaborate on the works of the Japanese masters, and I think this would prevent a wonderful body of high quality music from being recognized, absorbed, and evolved. I have expertise in both as I have listened extensively to both western and eastern approaches to game scoring, and both styles have something very special to offer.

Sure they talk about Koji Kondo at that school, but for goodness sakes, a few memorable tunes isn't all the Japanese have to bring to the table .

Anyhow, I'm bringing something unique to the table that they are not, and history shows that such openmindedness produces the best results. I look to Nadia Boulanger for the example of great teaching and would do my best to make a game music course worthwhile.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Quote:

While your reference to Koji Kondo is understandable, I find it a bit generalised that you think he's only capable of a few memorable tunes. I think Ocarina of Time is wonderful on a creative and technical level, even if it's not especially complex. It fits the game wonderfully too. Star Fox 64 and Super Mario 64 were also creative works, albeit less consistent.

Did I say thats what I thought?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Not at all, and no worries, I understand. I admire Kondo's work greatly. Dark Overworld from Zelda SNES is one of my all time favorite works from the 16-bit era. I hope they do a complete orchestral rendition of it someday as I am not too impressed with the brief orchestral version they put together, unless there is a version out there of which I am not aware.

I was speaking idiomatically.

A fine post Arch Slayer, better than I could've done in my HS senior year (Well, by default I could not have done so at all; I dropped out of high school at age 16 due to a trauma experience; I got a GED when I was 18.)

With regards to hip hop, I do recall an interview where Uematsu states that he is influenced by hip-hop:

Q: "What do you think of the evolution of gaming machines in music?"

A: "Everything is becoming simpler in that I can do anything I want. Because I can have sound sampling in PSX or SNES, it's even possible to surprise the audience by orchestrated hits. Still, I think everything isn't perfect yet. I don't think there is meaning to using sampling to mimic real instruments. If I were to use sampling, *I would like to use it in a hip-hop kind of way*. I think we're in the midst of a transition from synth game music to recorded game music right now."

Source: http://www.ffmusic.info/ff8ostliner.html

As one who has listened extensively to hip-hop, it's influence can be found in certain rhythms and looping techniques. Parrapa the Rapper comes to mind, and boy does the composer understand hip-hop well. I actually like some of those beats =). It is no Biggie Smalls, or Dr. Dre, but it does demonstrate the eclecticism of the composers and the important presence of the hip-hop genre in games. Katamary Damaci had a Japanese Rap, and Yoko Kanno has written hip-hop beats as well. I have too, not that it matters to some. It is quite prominent, believe it or not, Grand Theft Auto being a more literal example, but probably doesn't count for some.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I thought I'd throw in my opinion as well, just to show my support for Sakimoto. He is one of my favorite composers. The posters who've shown their enthusiasm for Sakimoto have said things about him that I would second. His music has influenced me greatly, and I do consider him a musical genius. If you don't like his music and focus on certain aspects of music, that's great! If anything, this fact sheds more light on how different people react differently to different types of organized sound. Why that is exactly would make for very interesting discourse.

It could be anything from one's personal philosophy, sociological conditioning, musical exposure, anything, and it is this fact that I find most intriguing. It is another reason I decided to take a course in psychology of music, and I would advise those who have not already done so to consider doing some research on the cognitive findings in relation to music. If you'd really like more insight on why people like certain music, I'm sure doing the research would be helpful.

Does anyone here experience Galvanic Skin Response or "Goosebumps", "Chills" etc. when listening to Sakimoto's music? If not, have you ever experienced this with other music or no music at all? I for one get it alot from Sakimoto, it is a really nice experience. I should note that GSR is not merely the physical experience of goosebumps, but a heightened emotive state of mind in which one's brain is stimulated with a rush of mental imagery, sense of atmosphere, past memories, ecstasy, stress relief, and other related difficult to explain cognitive experiences.

I'll talk more about why I'm interested in this when I've received adequate responses or a show of interest.

FELIPE NO

Game music is hip hop and *alot* more, lyrics or not. This is not to challenge you on your bias, if you don't like the lyrics, that's great.

As for Mitsuda, yeah, I can see that too. I feel the same way, sometimes I like to kick back and throw on June Mermaid from time to time.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Science of Art:

http://mixingmemory.blogspot.com/200...chandrans.html

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~dyer/ah336/p...cience-art.pdf

These articles may be of interest regarding what happens in the brain when having such an experience. The articles are from world famous scientist V.S. Ramachandran. If anyone watches the science channel, he's been on several shows regarding the "Brain Man" Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant, and a proponent of mirror neurons, discussions on the existence of god, etcetera. Here are a few more links if any are interested. You will see evidence of how Daniel reacts to numbers as you and I do to Sakimoto's music. Whatever is going on with us may very well be special, and I would advise that you continue to search for and enjoy the music that you do most. I believe doing so has helped to aid me in my music composition ability.

Brain Man:

http://science.discovery.com/converg...eogallery.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNcmQydD7U

God and the Brain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIiIsDIkDtg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z4B5...elated&search=

Ramachandran on Mirror Neurons and God:

http://beyondbelief2006.org/Watch/wa...eo=Session%204

http://beyondbelief2006.org/Watch/wa...o=Session%2010


I notice you are a Christian based on the link in your tag Piccolo. Well, I am an atheist, and we both seem to get GSR from Sakimoto, another interesting fact. The work Ramachandran has done shows that similar "peak" cognitive experiences involving GSR are found for reactions to the arts and spiritual experiences. I believe that when I as an atheist experience GSR, it is the same as when a theist experiences communion or contact with God, i.e. a "spiritual experience".

This is very interesting to me, so I thought I'd share that with you PiccoloNamek.

It is important to note that people experience varying degrees of GSR, and some are more sensitive to it than others, and some don't experience goosebumps at all. If you do experience GSR, I believe it is easier for you to identify what it is that you seek in music than those who do not. This is not to suggest that those who do not are unable to, I simply imagine that it would be more difficult. If you do, take advantage of it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Hehe, I have a musician friend who is also atheist, and he performs for churches. Not unusual, but rare. This Reminds me of the scene in Star Ocean: TTEOT, when Cliff and Fayt are in a church, and Fayt says, "I thought you didn't believe in this stuff, why did we come to the church?" At this point, Cliff says, "It's because I enjoy the art." I thought that was one of my favorite RPG moments ever.

What are your duties there? Musician?

I wonder if Sakimoto is an atheist. Yoko Kanno already stated her non-religious status, most Japanese are rather secular. Would be interesting to find out.

There's nowhere I can't reach.