Daniel DeCastro's NYU Master's Thesis on Game Music

[Daniel DeCastro]

Hello all, for those who are interested, here is my master's thesis.

http://www.decastromusic.com/Thesis.htm

Here is the list of music that was presented to NYU:

From the East!
Ragnarok 2 intro theme.mp3 Yoko Kanno Ragnarok 2
16 Anu Orta Veniya~~.mp3 Hayato Matsuo Panzer Dragoon ORTA Original Sound Track
205 Short Circuit~spectral~.mp3 Go Shiina Tales of Legendia Original Soundtrack (DISC 2)
114 Enemy Attack~.mp3 Go Shiina Tales of Legendia Original Soundtrack (DISC 2)
103 Opening Movie (Theme of FINAL FANTASY XII)~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack (DISC 1)
324 The Mosphoran Highwaste~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
04 Debris~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Radiant Silvergun
125 Giza Plains~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
319 The Phon Coast~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
105 Boss Battle~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
113 The Dalmasca Eastersand~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
18 - A Meeting~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Vagrant Story
08 - Catacombs~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Vagrant Story
06 - Awakening~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Vagrant Story
19 - Ifrit~~.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Vagrant Story
29 - Staff Roll~+.mp3 Hitoshi Sakimoto Vagrant Story
01 Chapter 1 ''Iselhaus ~ The Legend of Heroes'' (Opening)~ J.D.K. ELECTRIC ORCHESTRA, Tamiya Terashima Symphonic Poem Dragon Slayer ~The Legend of Heroes~
103_unwavering_resolve~.mp3 Junichi Nakatsuru Soul Calibur II Original Soundtrack (Disc 1)
302 Endless World (II)~.mp3 Koichi Sugiyama London Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Suite "Dragon Quest" Complete CD-BOX (Disc 3) and 8-bit version
611 Brave Fight (VI)~.mp3 Koichi Sugiyama London Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Suite "Dragon Quest" Complete CD-BOX
709 Triumphal Return~Epilogue (VII)~.mp3 Koichi Sugiyama London Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Suite "Dragon Quest" Complete CD-BOX
111 Prestissimo~.mp3 Mamoru Samuragouchi Biohazard Symphony Op. 91 - Crime and Punishment (Disc 1)
122 Impetuoso sempre accelerando~.mp3 Mamoru Samuragouchi Biohazard Symphony Op. 91 - Crime and Punishment (Disc 1)
418 Decisive Battle~.mp3 Masashi Hamauzu Final Fantasy X OST
202 Marching Tune~~.mp3 Masashi Hamauzu DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII- Original Soundtrack (DISC-2)
119 Sneaky Cait Sith~.mp3 Masashi Hamauzu DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII- Original Soundtrack
204 Reflected Moon~.mp3 Motoi Sakuraba Star Ocean Till the End of Time Original Soundtrack Vol.1 (Disc 2)
117 March for Glory~.mp3 Motoi Sakuraba Star Ocean Till the End of Time Original Soundtrack Vol.1
207 Mission to the Empty Space~~.mp3 Motoi Sakuraba Star Ocean Till the End of Time Original Soundtrack Vol.1
208 Soul and Sword (Siegfried's Stage)~.mp3 Namco Sound Team(Junichi Nakatsuru) Soul Blade COMPLETE Original Game Audio (DISC 2: ARRANGE TRACKS)
04 Divinity II.mp3 Nobuo Uematsu FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN Original Soundtrack Disk2
20 Western War Front - Battlefield ~ Western Army~.mp3 Reijiro Koroku Kessen Original Soundtrack
27 War Merits -Battlefield ~ Superior Power~.mp3 Reijiro Koroku Kessen Original Soundtrack
14 The Western Army~.mp3 Reijiro Koroku Kessen Original Soundtrack
104_guided_by_wind~.mp3 Rio Hamamoto Soul Calibur II Original Soundtrack (Disc 1)
24 Offense and Defense~.mp3 Soshiro Hokkai Castlevania Circle of the Moon & Castlevania Concerto of Midnight Sun Original Soundtrack
12 Fifth Chapter Sky, One~~.mp3 Takayuki Aihara Drag-on Dragoon Original Sound Track Vol.1
02 Weapon Select~.mp3 Takayuki Aihara Drag-on Dragoon Original Sound Track Vol.1
316 Vergil Battle 3~.mp3 Tetsuya Shibata Devil May Cry 3 Original Soundtrack (DISC 3)
08 Catalina~~.mp3 Yoko Kanno Uncharted Waters II Special Edition
14 The Chase~+pat metheny influence~.mp3 Yoko Kanno Uncharted Waters II Special Edition
97_05 ÝÑÒ°¤è¤¦×Ó - Clutch~jazz~+.mp3 Yoko Kanno Cowboy Bebop PS2
02 Mid-Air Battle~~.mp3 Yoshie Arakawa, Yoshinori Kawamoto Star Fox Assault Orchestra Sound Track
202_quest_for_glory~orchestral midi~~.mp3 Junichi Nakatsuru Soul Calibur II Original Soundtrack
113_confrontation~orchestral midi~~.mp3 Junichi Nakatsuru Soul Calibur II Original Soundtrack
103_unwavering_resolve~orchestral midi~~.mp3 Junichi Nakatsuru Soul Calibur II Original Soundtrack (Disc 1)
03 Wind that Spans the Earth~~.mp3 Kouhei Tanaka Alundra Original Soundtrack
03 Wide Current ~ Uprising ~ Blue Sky~orchestral~~.mp3 Hungary Phillharmony Orchestra, jun Nagao composer Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV
Capcom - 14 - Soul Asylum - Crimson Palace Stage 2~Rockman X7 Original Soundtrack


From the west!
Ninth Heaven~mexican music~.mp3 Grim Fandango
Tomb Raider 1 - 01 - Title~+great piece~+.mp3
13 After the Storm~.mp3 Bill Brown, Seattle Symphony Orchestra Lineage II The Chaotic Chronicle
Track01 - If You Still Believe -The Legend of Dragoon Main Theme~fade out earlier ~.mp3 Dennis Martin The Legend of Dragoon OST
215 Debriefing~+.mp3 Harry Gregson-Williams METAL GEAR SOLID 3 SNAKE EATER ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (Disc Two)
102 ''METAL GEAR SOLID'' Main Theme (METAL GEAR SOLID 3 Version)~.mp3 Harry Gregson-Williams METAL GEAR SOLID 3 SNAKE EATER ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (Disc Two)
04 CORRIDOR OF DEATH~+.mp3 Howard Drossin Dynamite Deka vs Wing War Original Soundtrack
05 DOE BOY'S DUNGEON~+.mp3 Howard Drossin Dynamite Deka vs Wing War Original Soundtrack
11 FLOOR #13~+.mp3 Howard Drossin Dynamite Deka vs Wing War Original Soundtrack
04 Helron's Castle~+.mp3 Howard Shore Soul of the Ultimate Nation Original Soundtrack
06 The Valley of Dragons~+.mp3 Howard Shore Soul of the Ultimate Nation Original Soundtrack
09 The Epitaph~+.mp3 Howard Shore Soul of the Ultimate Nation Original Soundtrack
12 Immortal Emperor~+.mp3 Howard Shore Soul of the Ultimate Nation Original Soundtrack
13 March to Victory~+.mp3 Howard Shore Soul of the Ultimate Nation Original Soundtrack
jade empire - 30 - torment; the way of the closed fist~.mp3 Jack Wall Jade Empire (Xbox)
03 - Harmonielehre~+.mp3 Jeffrey L. Briggs, Mark Cromer, Michael Curran, Christopher Tin, John Adams Civilization IV
02 - Chairman Dances~+good chords~+.mp3 Jeffrey L. Briggs, Mark Cromer, Michael Curran, Christopher Tin, John Adams Civilization IV
Track 05~~.mp3 Jeremy Soule Giants: Citizen Kabuto
03 Volcano~+.mp3 Jeremy Soule Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War Soundtrack
218 Sim City 4 - Oasis~electroacoustic instrumental world~+.mp3 Jerry Martin Sim City 4
01 Dreamfall Theme~+.mp3 Leon Willett Dreamfall - The Longest Journey Original Soundtrack
03 Casablanca~+.mp3 Leon Willett Dreamfall - The Longest Journey Original Soundtrack
06 Northlands Forest~+.mp3 Leon Willett Dreamfall - The Longest Journey Original Soundtrack
11 - After the glory~+.mp3 London Symphony Orchestra Symphony SEED DESTINY (Whoops this is a Japanese composer)
13 - Demolition Soviet Charge~+.mp3 Mark Ganus Call of Duty 2
20 - Downtown Sniper Soviet Tension~+.mp3 Mark Ganus Call of Duty 2
26 - Duhoc Assault Victory Relief~+.mp3 Mark Ganus Call of Duty 2
13 the last spartan~orchestral~+.mp3 Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori HALO 2 original soundtrack volume one
17 earth city~orchestral~+.mp3 Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori HALO 2 original soundtrack volume one
11 Tombs~electroacoustic orchestral live & midi~+.mp3 Matt Uelmen Diablo II Soundtrack
02 Rogue~electroacoustic orchestral midi & live~+.mp3 Matt Uelmen Diablo II Soundtrack
14 Sturmgeist's Armored Train~~.mp3 Michael Giacchino Medal of Honor Frontline Original Soundtrack Recording
12 The Battle of Monte Cassino~~.mp3 Michael Giacchino Medal of Honor Frontline Original Soundtrack Recording
13 The Motorcycle Chase~~.mp3 Michael Giacchino Medal of Honor Frontline Original Soundtrack Recording
209 Greywolf~.mp3 Richard Jacques, London Session Orchestra HEADHUNTER: REDEMPTION / HEADHUNTER Original Soundtrack Recording (DISC TWO: HEADHUNTER)
205 Jack's Theme~.mp3 Richard Jacques, London Session Orchestra HEADHUNTER: REDEMPTION / HEADHUNTER Original Soundtrack Recording (DISC TWO: HEADHUNTER)
25~Stronghold.mp3 Rob King, John Romero, Steve Baca Heroes of Might and Magic 3
25~Castletown.mp3 Rob King, John Romero, Steve Baca Heroes of Might and Magic 3
10 Crypt~electroacoustic orchestral live & midi world Matt Uelmen Diablo II Soundtrack
14 Mesa~electroacoustic orchestral Matt Uelmen Diablo II Soundtrack

Finally, if anyone would like a free copy of the Thesis and the Multimedia DVD's, please send a $5 shipping and handling to me on paypal. My account is dgd216@nyu.edu. Just go to www.paypal.com and select "Send Money", then enter my email and you're all set! It is well worth it! Finally, just send me a private message and leave a name and address so that I can ship it out.

I apologize for asking for shipping, but it got a little expensive; I had several requests from elsewhere for free copies. I didn't think it would get such a response.

[Eriol]

I doubt the A grade you got was to shut you up. It was probably a thesis of merit. However, I don't think this will give game music much more credibility yet. I think that for game music composition to be taken seriously, it needs more discussion in the academic community. More academic papers and more people doing research into this area is needed.

[Daniel DeCastro]

This is true. I'm still very cautious myself. This is why I published this paper; to give an idea of what the academic community deems meritable so that others may use it to aid their research and satisfy the need to express themselves artistically to faculty who may have a hard time giving a new generation ample guidance. There are more and more students of music that have been inspired by game audio, and I think such a constituency will be very difficult to cater to if the academic canon is not updated. If academia truly cares about what it stands for, it will make reasonable adjustments to accomodate a new generation. It has already begun to do so as I have noted in my thesis.

[skitch_84]

I read through your thesis and viewed the DVD supplements a couple of nights ago with great interest. I commend you for writing it! I can't wait to see the day when serious academic papers can be written focusing on individual composer's music soley, without having to spend half of the paper defending the medium their music was written for. I believe this is a step in the right direction. Seriously though, if any scholar/professor of music can listen to Sakimoto's FFXII "Opening Movie" score and not be moved by it, or at least recognize its artistic worth, they should probably switch professions. If any number of the pieces you chose to share in you thesis DVDs were performed for these "experts" soley as concert pieces (i.e. not mentioned that they were written for games) with a full orchestra (I hate to think this but), I believe the "preconception factor" would no longer be present and the music could really shine through for what it is. Good things are on the way.

-Chris-

[Daniel DeCastro]

Chris, thank you for your compliments. I'm glad you found it fruitful.

If You've any questions, please feel free to ask.

As for the artistic worth of FFXII, they will most likely call it "Craftsmanship". Nothing wrong with that as Sakimoto certainly knows how to take what he's learned and apply it as he wants to. Personally, I've heard nothing like it before, but there is so much music out there, one is bound to say "Wait, I've heard something like it before."

Here is my webpage by the way:

www.decastromusic.com

Feel free to stop by.