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The Video Game Pianist

Posted by timothy on Sat Apr 16, 2005 05:18 PM
from the tickling-ivories-for-extra-lives dept.
Media Music Entertainment Games
Neil Halelamien writes "Many enjoy listening to video game music arrangements, like those offered by OCRemix, Project Majestic Mix, or the Minibosses NES-rock band. A newcomer on the scene is the Video Game Pianist, an accomplished performer studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His skills garnered the attention of some in the industry -- he performed at the 2005 Game Developers Conference and will also be playing live at E3 this year. His web site offers some amazing performance videos (many with him playing blindfolded), downloadable albums, live internet concerts, sheet music, and other goodies, all for free. His albums and videos include several selections from the Mario, Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Final Fantasy series. Fans of his work can also donate to support his music."
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  • Blindfolded? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:22PM (#12257635)
    Since when is playing the piano while wearing a blindfold a great accomplishment?

    Any reasonably accomplished pianist should be able to do this trivially.
    • I've been playing piano for about five years now, and you're absolutely right.
      Now, if he could learn a song blindfolded, by ear, with bamboo shoots under his toe nails, then yes, it would be an accomplishment.
    • Agreed.

      Some pianists read music without looking entirely. In fact, it could be said that typing while not looking is harder. We all do that, right?
      • I watched some of the videos on the site, and now my opinion is that his newest videos are much better than the old ones. He seems to keep his tempo much better now. And according to his biography [videogamepianist.com], he seems to be taking a pursuing a Bachelor degree in piano playing.
        • Well, actually in the submission I said that I thought the videos were amazing, and that some of the videos had him blindfolded. I didn't think the blindfolded part was particularly amazing, I just thought it looked cool.

      • Re:Blindfolded? (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        I can do it better than he can. So this post is just flamebait.

        I'm also a graduate student at Julliard. I took a look at the sheet music, and those arrangements are nothing exceptionally difficult.

        They are on the level of a 5th or 6th year student.

        Playing blindfold is a stage-trick without any real merit.
      • When you type on your keyboard it doesn't matter how hard or soft you hit the keys. The number of keys needed to perform some obscure command rarely exceeds 3.

        When you play the piano, it matters how hard or soft you hit the keys. Often the keys are played 6+ at one time; also figure in that certain keys want to be played louder than others when striking the chords. There is also a sustain pedal involved.

        The most challenging skill is to "hear with your eyes." You can't look at music and push the right butt
  • Not everyone could link to videos of themselves on muchosucko or ebaumsworld with such dignity.

  • Send money, quick! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by John Seminal (698722) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:24PM (#12257648) Journal
    Fans of his work can also donate to support his music

    If he is as good as people say, he'll make a bundle of money, much more than the avarage joe. If you want to give money, try finding an underfunded public school music program. Get some friends together, and maybe raise enough to help support a music teacher.

    If this guy sucks, he is not worthy of your financial support, and will probably end up as a side-show in bars all across America playing the theme song to Bards Tale.

    • I make donations to many organizations and projects, and I have to decide how to best spend this money. If a project is very popular, there are more people who are likely to donate. If the developer/author/composer is getting rich as a result of the donations, then I don't see the need for an additional donation from me. The money would be better spent on a project that I think is important and useful but which is not so popular.

      With nothing more than a "donate" button I have no way of judging whether

  • Argh (Score:3, Interesting)

    by rbarreira (836272) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:25PM (#12257653) Homepage
    His tempo sucks in the Mario song video. Quite cool though :)

    • Re:Argh (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Zorilla (791636) on Saturday April 16 2005, @07:19PM (#12258227)
      He only used a metronome as a reference to prove that the video is not being sped up when he starts playing really fast.

      He may not be a legendary piano player, but for a bunch of basement gnomes, you guys sure are crapping on him.
    • He likes to play the Mario theme at about 116 beats per minute. In my head I hear the original Mario theme at around 98 beats per minute... correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel he takes things a bit fast.

      There is a long standing tradition of rubato in music - you take some time away from some beats and give it to others - a musical jenga of sorts. It was very popular in older times and has been lost in the modern age of cool-clean recording perfection.

      I don't think the rubato is out of place for an acousti

  • So that's what happened... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dante Shamest (813622) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:26PM (#12257656)

    I was downloading a bunch of files off OCRemix, when suddenly all my downloads became very slow for no reason.

    Then I saw the front page of Slashdot...

    • Heh, how funny. I noticed the same thing happening too. Anyway, here's a script I wrote specifically for the purpose of updating songs from these guys

      By the way, I'm using a mysql database for this. The table looks like so:

      CREATE TABLE `Remix` (
      `Id` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
      `FileName` char(100) default NULL,
      `Downloaded` tinyint(4) NOT NULL default '0',
      PRIMARY KEY (`Id`)
      ) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1

      Oh yeah, there's a query class that I regularly use for something like this. But

      • Consider it an Exercise for the Reader to rewrite this using Pear:DB

        Hmm, or rewrite it in Ruby On Rails, and spend all of 5 minutes doing it.
        • I see you didn't read through the code and see what the script does.

          It looks at the RSS that Ocremix exports. JUST OCremix. Nowhere else. Not multi-gigabyte files. JUST Ocremix files that are 5-10 meg in length.

          If all I wanted was something that appended URLs to a download list, to download later, yes I could do something like that.

          Your scripts would be perfectly convenient if I wanted to manually go to the site, fetch the URL, then add it. Instead, I'm parsing XML because OCremix has pages like

  • Legal? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by tepples (727027) <slash2006NO@SPAMpineight.com> on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:27PM (#12257663) Homepage Journal

    He's distributing recordings of copyrighted video game tunes and asking for donations. Isn't that an infringement? Or is he paying 8 cents per downloaded song to the copyright owners?

    • The mask works the music came from are out of copyright. Now does the music thereon constitue a separate copyrighted work? Hmm...
        • The audiovisual works are not out of copyright, and the audiovisual works will not be out of copyright until after you have died.

          Sure, but if they aren't filed as separate copyrights, I doubt anyone would bother going after him. It's not as if there were a huge market in video game soundtracks. (at least not in the US)
            • How can you assume this?

              I didn't. Notice the "if".

              Does whether or not preparing a derivative work is a fair use depend on whether or not the market is huge?

              No. I don't intend to make a judgment of any sort. Just trying to guess as to what Nintendo will do. I imagine that they would measure the cost of any bad PR of a lawsuit before proceding.
    • There's a difference (a very big difference) between the copyright of the music (which is relevant here) and the copyright of a specific recording (which is not). If you publish your music as is normally done (e.g. by U2, or Britney, or whoever) you cannot prevent others from performing it, or recording it. You are usually due a (pretty small) fee, but you can't stop it. Hence all the cover versions of songs where the original artist didn't like it.

      On the other hand, distributing/performing a recording of
  • The Amiga was the first place I heard decent quality music (I missed out on c64...).

    The quality of some tunes easily outstripped modern "pop" groups.

    Heres a nice rundown [mirsoft.info] of the main history of game music.

    I just had to go hunt down the Project-X mod files.

  • Fantastic! (Score:3)

    by SendBot (29932) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:28PM (#12257668) Homepage Journal
    I had been listening to this guy's performances for a few months now, but my copies weren't very good quality and I never actually knew who this was. I even had a video of him playing like mad as his phone rings in the background and it's simply amazing to see him go.

    That site is very informative and has some great resources. Go see it if you haven't already.

  • Ninentdo Themes Choir (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Xeo 024 (755161) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:42PM (#12257733)
    I thought this [gprime.net] one was rather well done (it's a .WMV).

  • Sorry about the donations link in submission (Score:5, Informative)

    by FleaPlus (6935) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:46PM (#12257755) Homepage Journal
    Gah, looking through the comments I'm starting to regret adding in an explicit link to this guy's donation page. I figured I was doing him a favor and trying to make up for the inevitable slashdotting, but looking through the comments, the donations link seems to have been received rather poorly.

    The impression that I get from him is that he plays video game music because he truly enjoys it, and hopes to broaden the popular perception of piano. I don't think he really cares about the donations very much, just that they help keep things running smoothly. I thought his work and efforts were worthwhile enough to give him $50, but your mileage may vary.

  • I won't be impressed (Score:5, Funny)

    by VikingBerserker (546589) on Saturday April 16 2005, @05:48PM (#12257766)
    ...until I see him perform the Frogger theme song while trying to cross a freeway.
  • Stuff Sonic and Zelda -- anyone here remember some of the great music accompanying some BBC Micro games? Crazee Rider, Dunjunz, Icarus, and FireTrack all had great original music that was worth listening to on its own, and pushed the little sound chip to its limits. (Most were also great games, too, but I was never a particularly avid game player.)
  • I was playing Mario, Zelda, and Sonic music on the piano back in 1995. Played them at the piano store in the mall and in the drama room at high school during lunch breaks. I guess I should have just kept doing it until the Internet reached critical mass...

  • From the site:

    The Video Game Pianist has never:
    Played Chopsticks on the piano, or Hot Cross Buns
    Learned Beethoven's Fur Elise
    Taken a pill
    Got a headache
    Smoked a cigarette
    Tasted alcohol
    Drank coffee
    Broken a bone
    Driven a car
    Bought anything with cash over $25
    Torn a muscle
    Turned on a radio to listen to music
    Watched the Superbowl
    Got in a fist-fight
    Played a song composed by a female
    Gone to Six Flags Magic Mountain
    Got a sunburn

  • Pretty cool, but... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by arodland (127775) on Saturday April 16 2005, @06:51PM (#12258070)
    Not excessively creative. On the FF front, his Kefka is almost identical to the Piano Collections version, and for Balamb Garden and To Zanarkand, I might as well just put on the games themselves; I'll hear the exact same thing, only with much better recording quality. The Mario-related work is of a similar quality level, only the track labeled as SMB3 "Overworld Theme" isn't. On the other hand, "Calm [er, Silence, whatever ] Before the Storm" has some promise. It's one of my favorite tracks from the rather mediocre FF X soundtrack, and it translates rather nicely to a real piano. Even here, though, the interpretation is entirely literal. If this guy had submitted to VGMix I think he'd be told to go back to WIP :)

  • disillusioned (Score:5, Insightful)

    by infinite jester (206583) on Saturday April 16 2005, @07:19PM (#12258225)
    The majority of the replies in this forum are downright contemptible.

    Here is a humble and talented teenager who is producing fun and original arrangements of video game music because he obviously loves to do it. He set up a free video game sheet music archive and community, and his videos and audio are free to download as well. Read some of his words, and you'll find that he's a really smart and sweet guy, and there's not a picture in his gallery where he's not wearing an ear-to-ear grin. For good measure, he's even a chess champion.

    And yet, all anyone here seems to be concerned about is his tempo and the occasional wrong note, instead of appreciating his ability and his spirit. "He's not that great." "This is nothing special." "Anyone can do it with a little practice." I would have thought that a unique young talent who's doing what he does for the love of the art would find a better reception on Slashdot. I'm sorry to see that I'm so very wrong.

    As Cartman says, "Screw you guys. I'm going home."
      • As a musician, mod parent up!

        As a composer, I've recently written a piece based on video game music (no tune in particular, but the general Mario/Zelda/Kirby/etc.-esque feel) for clarinet choir that will be performed next month. It isn't the subject matter that's upsetting; I believe all, and I do mean all, musical styles have something to offer and should not be discounted.

        I totally agree that most of the backlash isn't due to the fact that he's playing video game tunes, but that he's playing them slo
      • I think the bad response is mostly from amature musicians who would like to think they're really good, so they want to claim to be able to do the same stuff he's doing. Did you even read the kid's bio? CIM is not a hack-job school to get into. I work with several CIM trained musicians in the Erie Phil, and they are certainly not hacks. He has several awards from international competitions under his belt. He is an accomlished player. Whether or not these pieces show off that accomplishment is another m
  • i was going to say, isn't the only songs he play mario tunes, but then i found his list of recordings [videogamepianist.com]:

    Mario Fantasy
    Release Date: February 4, 2005
    Total Playing Time: 33:23
    Download size: 17.5 MB
    Track Listing:

    01 Super Mario Brothers 1 - Overworld Theme
    02 Super Mario Brothers 1 - Underworld Theme
    03 Super Mario Brothers 1 - Castle Theme
    04 Super Mario Brothers 1 - Star Theme
    05 Super Mario Brothers 1 - Underwater Theme
    06 Super Mario Brothers 2 - Ending Theme
    07 Super Mario Brothers 3 - Overworld Theme
    08 Super M
  • It took me 20 years to get that stupid Mario music out of my head. I used to fall asleep and wake up with it stuck in my brain on endless loop. Now that I finally can't remember it, do you think I ever want to hear it again?
    • I'd like to make a donation to support this fine artist / geek. I run a brothel on the side and I'm wondering how I can donate a girlfriend to this guy, cause it's obvious to me he isn't getting one on his own.

      At my high school, for every "A" you got, you would get one free coupon for the local video store... "rent one, get one free. No "R" rated movies". Now if only they gave out a hooker. I would have been a perfect 4.0!!

      High schools should model their motivation programs after the University of Co

    • Re:Not that great. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by mmkkbb (816035) on Saturday April 16 2005, @06:05PM (#12257857) Homepage Journal
      Christ, don't you think he gets enough of that shit at school? God forbid a classical musician branches out or does something not serious. I'll bet you hate it when a capella groups covering pop songs, mashups, anything using a sampler, and the Boston Pops, too.
    • Check out the whole site. There's a video of him plaing Lennon's "Imagine" facing away from the piano with arms stretched behind his back, there are mp3s of him playing more traditional fare alongside the game tunes... this guy is damn talented.
    • There is nothing special about this pianist. These songs can be easily played with a little practice.

      Absolutely incorrect. It doesn't simply take "practice," it takes talent. I myself have tried to play three different instruments in my life (piano, saxaphone, and even *laugh* recorder) and I have failed at all three. I absolutely suck. AND... I practiced a lot.

      I consider myself well-educated and intelligent, yet I seem to lack the part of the brain that allows you to have the coordination to play musical instruments (and, go figure, i'm one of the fastest/best medical students in my class at tying stitches). And yes, for all three of those instruments, I had professional instruction (I was instructed in piano for about 5 years).

      Does this kid have talent? In my opinion, absolutely. Can he do things that I could not do, no matter how hard I tried? In my opinion, absoltely. Does this mean he is the greatest pianist of all time? Probably not. But... like watching the star basketball player of a high school team is pretty exciting, even though there's a world of college, professional and international players way better than him. Being impressive has little to do with doing something better than anyone else (I think it's impressive to run a 7-minute mile, even if i don't think it's all-too-hard).

      In closing, lay off the kid (and, next time, saying "Rachmaninoff Concerto, or Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum" makes you look like an arrogant prick, since 97% of people have no idea what that is. Next time, try requesting a flawless Mozart or Beethoven - still extremely difficult, and people will know what you're saying. Talking over people with terms they don't know doesn't sound intelligent).

      • Talking over people with terms they don't know doesn't sound intelligent

        That argument is specious, meretricious, and risible. :)

        • Still, the fact is that he is willing to put his work out for free for anybody who cares to listen.

          Was linux-0.0.1 as feature-filled as Solaris? Some might argue that 2.6 isn't there yet. Does that mean that it has no place at all?

          The difference between him and tens of thousands of others is that he is willing to put his work out there for everyone to enjoy, and I for one am not going to whine that he isn't the world's greatest pianist. I'm sure he will improve with time, and you're more than welcome t
    • For some reason a cappella choir has preserved the beauty of the human voice mixed with modern, interesting, entertaining repertoire, with more than a thread of sophistication.

      I don't know why the rest of the musical world insists on being so stuck up and bass-ackwards. It's fun to hear something really old every once and a while, but never before in the history of western music has the arts community been so obsessed with OLD MUSIC.

      The moral of the story is, go to a cappella performances - they're great!
    • I wish I had mod points - that is a hilarious video. College a capella performances are almost always incredibly fun. I've seen a lot of really awesome fun covers, and this video is a great example of the fun people can have with a little creativity.
    • VERY Cool. This sort of thing should catch on more. I hope it does, really. Because we've seen the Japanese love of their game soundtracks start to trickle over here, so as it begins to grow, perhaps the US can pick up that habit as well.

      Of course anyone who was into the Amiga can attest to their disks full of demos and mods. :)

      The Machinae Supremacy game soundtrack "Jets'N'Guns" is very good, actually.

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