Music: Interview with video game composer Monish Corona

This talented video game composer has shared a little about his life and music with us. He's developing music for a new video game and it sounds very exciting! Read on to find out more about his career and musical skills!

Please tell us a little about your background and where you are from.

I was born Downey California, and was then raised in the Hawthorne/Lawndale area. Music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I actually used to have fantasies about growing up and becoming a singer as a child. When I decided to learn how to play music I joined a rock band in middle school, where I learned how to play the drums and started singing. However, when I got to High School I began studying video game music in freshmen year. Since video games were a big part of my childhood, this seemed to be the natural progression. During that time I really focused on learning percussion in different forms, and began playing the piano towards the end of high school. After that, I studied music composition at Santa Monica College for 3 years, and then transferred to Berklee College of Music in 2016.

You mentioned you learned to play instruments. How many, and what’s your favorite?

As I mentioned, my main instruments of choice at this point would be my voice, percussion, and the piano. However, I also learned how to play a little bit of guitar and bass from the bands I played in growing up. In high school, I dabbled in the flute for marching band. I actually became pretty good at playing the Ocarina at some point. I was really inspired by the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to learn it, and to this day, I love picking it up every now and then.

Sounds like you really have a talent for music. Who was your greatest influence to follow in the music career? Why?

I’ve actually had quite a bit of influences growing up. I can definitely say in my early years learning music, I was into a lot of rock and metal bands, however I enjoyed a bit of everything. A few of my favorites growing up were Led Zeppelin, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, and Linkin Park. If I were to go on, there would way many to mention in this article. However, as I fell in love with video game music, I found my biggest influence to be Yoko Shimomura. There was just something about the way she brought very classical elements and made them sound modern that I loved. I discovered her music when listening to the Kingdom Hearts series, which to this day holds a very special place in my heart. I also fell in love with composers like Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Jeremy Soule, but in terms of pure influence, I always come back to Shimomura.

That’s great. So many great influences in music! What drove you to start composing scores?

I actually started off by transcribing some of favorite music from the video games I played. One day realized that I could use the knowledge I learned from the techniques I saw from the composers and started to create my own music. After that point, I wrote a lot of original music through high school in the style of my favorite composers growing up all the way up. When I started college I met up with few other students who were also trying to get into the game industry. We started making short games for fun, and I learned a lot more about the programming side of game audio. At some point, I started going to local Game Dev meet ups, just to meet other people who appreciated video games as an art form. I actually started writing music for a few games since than as well, and I always become excited to work on new projects!

That’s exciting! What's your favorite movie/game score? Why? Has it helped shape your work in any way?

Monish with his favorite composer Yoko Shimomura

I mentioned how my favorite composer was Yoko Shimomura, and while she composed the music for all the Kingdom Hearts games, my favorite soundtrack of hers so far have been her work on Kingdom Hearts 2 and most recently, Final Fantasy 15. However, I have to give an honorable mention to Uematsu’s soundtrack for Final Fantasy 8, Mitsuda’s soundtrack to Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Cross, and Nick Arundel’s work for the music in the Batman Arkham series. When it comes to movies however, my favorite soundtracks include Howard Shore’s work in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and I actually really love the music in Hans Zimmer’s “Man of Steel” soundtrack as well! I think everything that Hans Zimmer does is really well done. I can’t get enough of that man’s work!

Hans Zimmer is great and “Man of Steel” soundtrack is one of my favorites too! How do you draw inspiration to compose?

It really depends on the game and what the emotion the development team wants to convey. I usually will ask devs for a screenshot, or script of the game to convey those emotions and see what fits then mood. When composing scores, it’s really important to focus what’s best for every game because you want the music to immerse players and not become a distraction. Music can still be noticeable, and the one I love about game music is that they have a strong focus on melody, but you never want to distract the player too much from the game. There are many aspects to video games, and music is just one of them.

That’s an interesting side of composing! Do you prefer to compose at night or during the day? When are you most creative?

I really prefer to compose at night since I’m a natural night owl. I feel like some of my best “hoorah” moments happened when I was up late, and didn’t want to stop composing until I couldn’t stay awake anymore. However, as I got older, and time became more valuable, I learned the value of getting up early in the morning to get work done. Now, I really enjoy composing after a morning workout, and a good breakfast. I know I will become a night owl again at some point in the future, but for now, most of my creative moments happen in the morning, when I am the most focused and energized.

What's the favorite music you've created? What inspired it?

Actually, the most favorite music I created at this point is for my soundtrack for an upcoming game called “Bindstone”, as well as a few solo pieces I’ve made in the last year that pushed me to experiment a lot with my sound. I think when it comes to the music on Bindstone, the reason why this project is different from others I’ve worked on is because up until this point, is because the team is really great at critiquing my work. It’s also a project that pushes me out of comfort zone, and forces me to experiment with new musical ideas. I’m used to writing music for RPG’s, Platformers, and Puzzler games, and I never wrote music for a online multiplayer game before. I’ve loved the ideas that have been coming out of my head, and it also seems to be some of the most polished work I’ve made since I’m going through many rewrites for some tracks.

I’m sure it’s a great soundtrack. What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?

Well, besides the soundtrack for Bindstone, I’m actually working on creating content for my YouTube channel, where I release a lot solo music, and video game music analysis videos. I will also be working on my first RPG soundtrack next year when further developments come further along.

Congratulations on your accomplishments. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I would just like to thank you for taking the time to interview me, and giving me an outlet to share my musical history so far! It’s always nice to have a conversation with someone about a composer’s story, since everyone’s journey will be different.

Thank you so much for telling us a little about you and your music. We wish you a lot of success in your musical career.

To connect with Monish and hear more of his music:

Website: http://www.monishcorona.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF9BdzFX-Lemi6NTLpfgamg

BandCamp: https://monishcorona.bandcamp.com/

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mosenko

Music: Interview with Rock Star Ed Richwood

I often say that one of the coolest things about this blog is having the opportunity to meet and interview so many talented artists, and I'm really excited to introduce you to Ed Richwood, a rockstar whose voice reminds me of Chris Cornell's. Read on to find out more about him and listen to his music!

Please tell us a little about your background and where you are from.

I was born and grown up in Spain. And I basically spent most of my life surviving as a musician. A few years ago I moved to Berlin, here the art scene is really interesting.

That's cool! When did you realize you had a calling for music?

I was 9, it was a Saturday morning. I was listening to the radio laying on my bed, and then I heard a guitar riff (from The Cult). That sound just made me jump out of the bed with excitement, I was sucked into a vortex of excitement. Since then, I'm still hypnotized and high on that thrilling emotion of rock music. 

Wow, that's amazing. Since you mentioned The Cult, who was your greatest influence to follow in the music career? Why?

That's a really tough question. Honestly I don't know. When you love music you feel attracted and continually fascinated about many music. Still, it would be fair to say that I'm strongly influenced by Seattle's grunge (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana...).

And your voice reminds me of Chris Cornell's... as I mentioned before. Do you also write the lyrics and compose the songs?

Yes. I just have fun doing it. I improvise the music most of the time and the lyrics are just words that feet the sounds. I don't have any ambition of writing great songs or lyrics, it's just a game. 

You're very skilled; improvising music is not that easy! When was the first time you performed live and how did you feel?

I was probably 13, and it was a really small town with my first band, which was actually pretty bad. But we had fun. Still, it made me realize that this thing of becoming a musician was harder than I thought. So it felt pretty sad. But I never could actually stop trying. We thrive in challenges.

I'm glad you feel this way. Don't give up, you're very talented. Is there a specific performance you feel was your best so far? If so, where and why?

Well, at the time with my project "Ed Richwood" I'm not performing. It is a studio project although I'll be starting touring at some point soon. 

But I really enjoyed playing with bands when I was 18-20, in small clubs. The music was terrible, but we just played each gig as if it the last one. I have some amazing memories out of that crazy nights. 

I bet you had a lot of fun doing that. What do you enjoy the most between your interaction with the fans?

Well, having someone listening carefully to my music is always an honor. So when I see that someone has been listening and saved my music on Spotify/iTunes/youtube...that feels real. It makes me very happy to see that I may be inspiring another's day. 
In the other hand, I have people who just cheer me up every time I post or share, with heartfelt comments. That's priceless!

Yes, it's priceless indeed, when you're recognized for your talent! How do you draw inspiration to write your music? 

I just surrender. The songs are there somewhere. So to me it feels a lot like fishing. I just sit there, with patience, and sooner or later the beauty appears. Instead of being an activity, it's more like being open an receptive. I don't try to write songs, it just happens. So, I actually don't write any song in some way. I wouldn't describe me as a creative person. I don't even understand what people really mean by that, because when music happens there is no personal intention of playing.

What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future? Where can we find and buy your music?

Well, I'm recording song #11 of my 7th album that will be released on July this year. Actually you can find my music on Spotify, I-tunes, Apple Music, Google Play, and Amazon.  I try to share the process with my friends on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram.



Click on the links below for music:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/marcy-avenue/id1112049418?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FD6NO08

https://play.spotify.com/album/5lewtALHNRNPQNLtpgsuNs?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Ed_Richwood_Marcy_Avenue?id=B3joy4m7vn6s54w6qs55qngelbi

Besides that, if anyone wants to support my music, rather than buying it, I would prefer people to tip me when I finish a song. https://www.patreon.com/edrichwood.

Thanks for sharing your music! Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Well, first to thank you for this opportunity. I believe that people like you change the paradigm, so I wish you the best with this blog! =D

Thank you for your time; we wish you much success with your music and next projects! Keep singing because you have an amazing voice!

Music: Interview with UK singer and motivational speaker Leo Golden Child

To finish off the year in a very positive note, we're bringing to the blog  UK singer and motivational speaker Leo Golden Child. Learn more about the life and work of this talented artist reading the interview he graciously gave us. I hope you find inspiration in his words and music!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background! We'd love to know more about you.

 

Hey, my name is Leo Golden Child. I'm a recording artist and motivational talker from the United Kingdom. My career started when I was just 15, becoming a young caretaker for my mother who was really ill. My only means of releasing my stress from a lot of things I saw, was to start writing poetry, and so poetry became rap and the rest is history :)

That must have been hard on you, but it released your artistic side! So your poetry became rap, and what other genre of music do you play? 

 

I play hip-hop, R&B , and acoustic experimental. Music to me is like a massive buffet, I try to mix up my genres! 

That's an excellent comparison, it's always great to experiment! What is your biggest influence in music? Why? 

 

My biggest influence would have to be Michael Jackson, and my mother. A weird combination I know (LOL)! Michael, he made music and spoke emotion through notes. And my mom, she used to do gospel so it's her that generates my passion for music. 

It's awesome that your mom has been a great positive influence in your career! And what's the story behind your artistic name? 

 

The name Leo Golden Child came pretty strangely in my life to be fair. My grandad, who I never got to meet, had my first name as his second name which is 'Howard'. And I wanted a name to represent him, so I googled Spanish/Latin names that have a meaning towards families and Leo came up as head of the family, the King of the pack, and I thought this was pretty cool ! And as for Golden Child, me and my brother both stopped breathing at birth - luckily I pulled through, and since then everyone in my family calls me the Golden Child. 

That's very interesting, you're truly a survivor! When was the first time you performed live and

how did you feel? 

 

The first show I ever performed at was a place called Shropshire, for an X-factor boy band called union J - it was awesome !! I felt like a man on fire; the audience was fantastic! 

How cool! So you seem to have a cool rapport with the audience. What do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans? 

 

The loyalty and trust they have with me; I see them more as family than fans! I love them all!

Amazing feeling, I bet! Is there a specific performance you feel was your best ever? If so, where and why?

My best performance I would say was Osfest, which is a massive festival in Shropshire. The mic cut out on accident whilst live and I still managed to maintain the audience spontaneous! It was the way forward that day :) 'Rock on! 

Sounds like it was really an amazing experience! What are you plans for the coming year? What are you working on? 

My plans will be to create more music videos, with more acting scenes, and then perfecting the album :)

Now tell us where can we find your music?

At www.leogoldenchild.co.uk

Leo, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? 

 

Stay positive and please check my work out :) 

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us this interview and let us know a bit more about you and your music! For more information about Leo Golden Child, please visit his website www.leogoldenchild.co.uk and follow him on twitter: @leo_Goldenchild

 

Music: Interview with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin (California Soul)

What I love most about having an Indie blog is discovering new artists and sharing their talent! Our newest music interview is with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin. And, definitely, his music needs to be shared and find its place in world! Hear and learn more about Jef here!

Jef, tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and what is your background?

 

I am a southern fella originally from TN. I grew up with a natural inclination towards art and music, but spent most of my years playing sports. It wasn't until my latter years of high school in 2003-04 that I started to really dig into writing and recording. I received a full scholarship as a quarterback and was then that I reached a crossroads and made the switch to music as a career pursuit. 

 

That's a big switch, from sports to art! I'm sure glad you did it, because your music is awesome.

What genre do you consider yourself and who is your greatest influence?

I refer to my music as California soul. It's like if Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson had a baby. Both Stevie and the beach boys are massive influences in what I do. Anything Motown, James Taylor, John Mayer, etc...

 

It has a really nice, cool beat. Do you compose your songs? If so, what is your source of inspiration to compose? 

Yes. Anything that moves me as an experience. Deeper truths of life, love, struggle, hope etc. I try and pull from real experiences, real raw emotions. My main focus is to be a mirror for the listener. Something they can see themselves in and their true identity as beautifully unique individuals. 

 

That's great inspiration! When did you start singing/playing?

Started singing as early as I could open my mouth, but was a bit shy for a while to do it publicly. Started playing piano at 4 and guitar at 10. Didn't really start to write and perform publicly until my latter high school years, expect for the occasional school/church vocal competitions in elementary/middle school. 

Seems like your calling for music preceded your talent for sports! And I'm sure your fans are really happy about that. Talking about fans, what do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans? 

I love relating to them on a personal level. I want to remind them of who they are and their potential for accomplishing anything they believe in. It's always a blessing to be given a platform in which to tell people how loved they truly are.

Jef's new album cover

You're really motivational too! And what are your plans for the coming year? 

I am releasing a new album this year, a few music videos and also starting to record the next one which is already a complete thought. Completely written and formulated. Very excited about that one. By far my best work to date. 

 

We can't wait to hear! I bet it is. And we need to know where can we find your music!

Any digital outlet - itunes, Spotify, Google play, Youtube etc... Also on my website jefjoslin.com

 

Excellent! Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Just keep doing whatever it is that makes you happy. Believe in your dreams. They already believe in you. 

Thanks, Jef, it's been a pleasure to feature you and your music! Good luck to you and much success!

 

 

To find more about Jef and interact with him:  

 

Website: Http://jefjoslin.com

Facebook: Http://facebook.com/jefjoslin

Twitter: Http://twitter.com/jefjoslin

Instagram: Http://instagram.com/jefjoslin

Music: Interview with Matt Newport, talented UK Musician, Artist and Poet

We're starting a new month with a new talented artist, British musician and poet Matt Newport. His talent is versatile, and goes from writing poems to music to performing in theater! Sounds great, right? So let's read on about this great guy!

Matt, please introduce yourself, where are you from and what is your background?

Firstly, thanks for this opportunity. I really appreciate it! My name's Matthew Newport, I'm from the United Kingdom, I write a variety of genres but focus on the pop and musical theatre industry. At the age of 14, I joined a local Amateur Dramatics group, this sparked a huge passion for music and theatre, I continued until 19 and left the group after 5 years. 

Great start for you. When did you start writing poetry and when did you decide to merge poetry and music?

I started writing poetry after I left the group, my poems were deep and meaningful and I surprised myself with my work. I understood poetry itself was a hard career to pursue, therefore I decided to buy a guitar and began teaching myself through books. It felt like the perfect marriage and with a little tweaking the poetry became lyrics and songs were born. 

Matt also paints landscapes

Fascinating, so you have taught yourself how to play the guitar! That's awesome, and very creating. So, having experimented with theater, writing and music, what is your favorite art form and why?

As well as music, another art form I like and frequently use is painting, I paint landscapes and scenic settings. I do have a soft spot for musical theatre. I feel that's where my lyrical writing is most effective. 

You're really all about the arts! What genre do you consider yourself and who is your greatest influence?

I feel it's hard to genre my music, I'd say it's a mix between Ed Sheeran and James Morrison. My greatest influences are Snow Patrol and Coldplay. I write about love and experiences, I feel a lot of people can relate to my songs and lyrics and that's the key: always be sure someone can relate to your music; if not, write the lyrics well enough so that after hearing your song, they feel they can relate to it; words are powerful tools.
 

I love Coldplay and Snow Patrol too! As a writer, I can relate to what you say about words. And what is your source of inspiration to compose?

 

I compose anywhere, my source is normally what comes into my head, I'm endlessly writing notes on my iphone and recording melodies I've come up with on the fly. Relationships are a good source of fresh ideas, some of my greatest songs came from a break up, others come from expressing your love towards someone, music is my expression. Haha, I write my girlfriend a song every few weeks because I like to show her and tell her how much she means to me. 

 

Lucky girlfriend! So we say you're an optimistic/hopeful/romantic guy, right?

 

I'm optimistic, hopeful and romantic, I love showing affection, I send my girlfriend flowers every couple of months, I love to spoil people, I'd say I'm too generous but I can't help it! Haha, I like to make people happy.

 

Sounds like you find inspiration everywhere! What do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans?

 

Interaction with my fans? I like to interact, I think that's the main thing, I'm just a guy who loves music just like them, I like to speak to everyone I can, and spend time with them, not just disappearing after a song, you could say building a relationship. 

 

Matt performed in musical theater

What are you working on right now?

 

Right now I'm working on two tracks with two different people from the US. I love collaborating, it's the only way you can improve your craft as a musician, learn from others and share your creativity. I'm also writing a musical, but I'll talk about that another time. 

 

Sounds great! Where can we find you and buy your music, then?

 

Currently my music is unavailable, I'm working on my album and will release a single very shortly, I'm also busy collaborating, as I mentioned before; best thing someone can do is just follow me on twitter and you'll be the first to know what's happening and when. I am a active twitterer, so if you message me I'll respond.  

 

https://twitter.com/Matt__Newport

http://www.mattnewportmusic.com/

Can't wait for your single release. In the meantime, let's follow Matt on twitter! Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

 

I'd like to say if any of you are reading this, (if you've got this far Thank You!) and are thinking about performing or writing music, don't sit and think about it, get out there and go for it, meet local musicians, get active on twitter and practice your craft, if you play, keep playing any chance you get, if you write, write loads of stuff, it might look silly at first but keep it in a book, you'd be surprised what you can use when you return to it a few months later, don't be afraid to work outside your comfort zone, stay positive and stay creative. 

Thanks for having me, much love!

 

Great advice, Matt, and thank you so much for taking time out of your busy creative schedule to be our guest! Good luck to you and your music, and when you release your single, please let us know!

    

  

Music: New Artist: Eric Mbadinga-Nzamba's debut album

New artist: Eric Mbadinga-Nzamba's debut album Continuum

There's a lot of new music to be explored and most of what we are exposed to comes from massive radio manufacturing, bombarding the waves with the same rhythms and beats which makes you wonder if you're not hearing the same music over and over non stop. There seems nothing new to listen to.

Thus, it's refreshing to find a new artist who comes up with an eclectic sound - his album is a mixture of slow beats, rock, alternative, sounds reminiscing of bossa nova and even flamenco. You don't know what to expect when you're coming upon the next track (sort of like the chocolate box concept: each chocolate is a surprise - get it?)

Each track is carefully weaved with instruments that complement Eric's mellow and soft voice in a myriad of languages that truly transforms his album into a worldly composite of great sounds and surprising beats.

Cover of Continuum, Eric's debut album

All the lyrics were composed by the artist. I was marvelously surprised by the track "Timeless" sung in Spanish, in a Flamenco style that is alive and exciting! The track just transports you to Spain - it's a great around the world sound experiment! The track "Hold on" reminded me of Metallica, not so heavy metal but enough for Eric's voice to be raspy and effective, and there's also more ballad driven, inspirational and sentimental tracks like "I'm a Daddy", which conveys the artist's own astonishment at the fatherhood adventure awaiting for him.  The catchy track "Bafana Bafana", a tribute to Africa during the last Soccer World Cup held in the continent, ends the album with a festive and winning tone.

 

For more information about the artist and his recording company, visit the site highlighted below. As a reward, you will be able to download a free track (for "Bafana Bafana" - the video is also available on the site as well as links to purchase the CD or the album download).


I personally know Eric and he's a delightfully positive soul - couldn't have expected anything greater coming from his creative mind and talented persona! Two thumbs up!

http://www.madducksrecords.com/continuum.htm

http://www.yozik.com/yo/boutique.php?boutique=1412