Gamemusic.net

GameMusic.net:  I think you’ve just explained the main difference between the Eastern and Western approaches to game music.
Arnie Roth: Maybe, I hadn’t thought about it being the overall difference. I know there’s a tendency to look at concerts like Sinfonia Drammatica, and view it as an ‘East meets West’ kind of thing. We didn’t design it that way, Thomas and I. I have a long history with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic – one of the few orchestras that presents video game music on a regular basis.  I’ve come here for the past 5 years, and have done PLAY! and Distant Worlds concerts. Last year, I even conducted John Williams’ movie music here, and that concert sold out as well. Thomas is really a forward thinker. In fact, I just had a meeting with him – we’re trying to figure out what we’re doing next year, actually *laugh*. But the point is, last summer, after the Symphonic Shades show, he approached me with Stefan Forsberg, the head of the Royal Stockholm Konsertsuet. Stefan asked me, “Have you heard of the composer Yoko Shimomura?” This was totally surprising, that he’s asking me about it. I said, “Yes, of course. I’ve met her before; I’ve done some of her pieces from Kingdom Hearts.” He said, “What would you think if we combine them up with Huelsbeck’s works?” And so we started thinking about how we were going to do this. Do we do one half Huelsbeck and one half Shimomura? We decided that it will be much more fair and interesting to alternate these pieces throughout the concert.

GameMusic.net:  Do you, as an artist, have a mission to accomplish?
Arnie Roth: Unfortunately, I don’t think all artists look at it that way - to label it as a mission. But I think the world would be a better place if they did that. For instance, I don’t have to tell you that it’s common knowledge, around the world, that orchestras are dying. The traditional symphonic audiences are getting older or dying away. It’s going to disappear, unless they take some drastic action to infuse orchestral concerts with a new audience. I am not on a singular mission to save the orchestra, but I do seem to be involved with many different projects that bring in new audiences. When we do the Distant Worlds concert, we work with renowned symphonies from San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, and Dallas. Many of these people coming to our concerts are viewing an orchestral concert for the 1st time. If you can bring them in for video game music, then how do you bring them back for a traditional orchestra concert? And what is a traditional orchestra concert these days? Should a traditional orchestra concert include a performance of “Liberi Fatali” or “One-Winged Angel”, you know - a classic video game score? Should these pieces sit right next to Stravinsky or Shostakovich? Until orchestras take this step, and incorporate such pieces into their oeuvre, they won’t be able to break through that barrier. This is just one way to save orchestras; there are many other ways. We bring the audience in because they want to hear video game music, but once they’re there, it’s the orchestra’s job to grab the audience. It will take regular programming and continual artistic visions; the head artistic directors have to be committed to the cause. We can’t do it just ourselves, with one-time orchestra conductors and music producers that do one single sold-out show. It’s great, but how do we keep the orchestra alive and healthy, in the long run?