I had the amazing privilege to engage in a few online conversations with Winifred Phillips recently. For those of you who do not already know who this rising star is, Phillips is an award-winning film, game, and radio composer whose name is quickly rising, specifically in the game music community. Not only has she composed for big titles such as Little Big Planet, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, God of War, and many more, she has also written a book which aims to aid aspiring composers in their own quests to impact gaming history with music.
Published by the MIT press--that's right, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press--her book, A Composer's Guide to Game Music, is being celebrated throughout the entire compositional world. Legends such as composer Harry Gregson-Williams (one of the top film and game composers today... you definitely know some of his works even if you don't recognize the name) and game director David Jaffe back this book... and I do too. No, I haven't had time to read the entire thing yet, but having previously taken a master's-level class on this exact subject and knowing what it takes to work in the game composing world, I can say that this book shouldn't just be read by aspiring composers... it should be taught in music schools. It definitely gets more in-depth than my course did and may even contain two semesters worth of material for some universities. An initial read-through also allowed me to pick up on three aspects I believe all good publications contain: thorough detail with understandable explanations, evident passion, and quirky, witty comic relief.
At a modest price of under $30, you can obtain Winifred's book either as a hardcover or eBook on Amazon by following this link: A Composer's Guide to Game Music.
For anyone interested in getting into the game music world and wanting great instruction for an unbeatable price, this book is a must-have. With it, you can go from thinking, "Hey, I can make game music," to knowing, "Hey, I can make game music," just as Phillips did before she began her career as a professional game composer.
In addition, you can find her website at www.winifredphillips.com, a press release by the popular game business site Gamasutra, and countless YouTube videos featuring the works of and interviews with Winifred Phillips herself.
As always, I will post an additional/updated review as I work my way through the book, and I am going to try to secure an interview to post as well.
Be sure to also check out what's going on at www.natecombsmedia.com!
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