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An instrument for creating worlds | Music is a powerful medium, for creators and audiences alike.
We interviewed Kayode Shonibari-Lewis, game designer and lecturer at Campus Gotland, about how to design soundscapes for games, and what music really means to the experience of a game. |
How
important is music to successful game design?
It depends a lot on the design goals of the
particular game. You can certainly have successful game design without music,
but music can drastically impact the tone and experience of a game.
What is the difference between game music and soundscapes? How does this differ from music in films? A soundscape is the auditory identity of a game that emerges from the combination of all the sounds in a game, including the music. A key difference between music in film and music in games is that there is full control of timing and accompanying visuals in films. When creating music for game you have to consider a wide variety of potential player behaviors. Although you have less control over timing or even what the player is looking at while the music is playing, there are interesting possibilities to have adaptive music that changes in response to what is currently happening in the game.
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Are there any game genres that are
more difficult to design than others when it comes to music and/or soundscapes?
A lot of
care tends to be put into horror or rhythm games as audio and music are
generally an integral part of those genres. However, I think the difficulty
generally comes from the ambitions of each project rather than necessarily
being inherit to a specific genre.
Are there any particular games out there that stand out as having exemplary audio?
Two very different games that immediately come to mind are Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Sayonara Wild Hearts. Hellblade uses 3D binaural sounds to create a sense that the character’s internal voices are coming from specific directions to help guide the player’s attention. Sayonara Wild Hearts is essentially a playable album. Music and sound design is essential to this games identity.
| | | Game music in Uppsala
Orphei
Drängar, one of the world's leading male choirs, recorded the album Greatest Video Game Music: Choral Edition in 2015. The album was
their interpretation of music from some of the biggest games on the market.
The choir was
founded by Uppsala students in 1853 and is today well renowned and beloved
by audiences around the world. They have performed on stages as diverse as MTV
and the Nobel dinner.
| | | | Join us on a musical tour
On 28 November
Uppsala University is offering you a symphonious taste of Gustavianum’s new
collection!
Before the
reopening of Gustavianum in 2024, a concert will be held and the new collection
presented through the world of music. Join us and enjoy a musical performance
by the Royal Academic Orchestra. | | | | Music is a
part of all cultures and follows us from the cradle to the grave. Making music
is a universal activity, which defines us humans. Music evokes emotions such as
joy, sadness, calm, surprise, admiration, nostalgia and enjoyment. These
feelings enrich people's lives, and can also have far-reaching consequences for
their health. But the fact that music arouses emotions is considered one of
life's mysteries that has fascinated thinkers, from Plato and Darwin to neuroscientists
today.
At Uppsala
University, we conduct - in parallel with courses in music psychology -
qualified research on musical experience. This has resulted in a theory that
can explain our responses to music in the form of various mechanisms such as
emotional associations and memories, aesthetic judgments,
thwarted musical expectations,
rhythmic entrainment, emotional expressions of voices that
are "contagious" and mental images.
| | | Much of the
richness of our musical experiences derives from the combined effects of
several mechanisms that allow music to reflect the complex and sometimes
conflicting emotions we experience in everyday life.
Research
has shown that listening to music can alleviate stress and depression in
listeners, but there is untapped potential when it comes to applying modern
theories. Previous musical interventions have shown inconsistent results. We
believe that more reliable effects are likely to be achieved if practitioners use
our mechanisms. We hope to receive funding for projects testing new,
theory-driven interventions to help young people suffering from anxiety to
regulate emotions. The goal is to manipulate mechanisms in a real environment.
Because, as the social psychologist Kurt Lewin puts it, "nothing is as practical as a good theory."
| | | Patrik N. Juslin is professor of psychology at
Uppsala University and specialises in the area of music psychology. His
research focuses on music and emotions, aesthetics, emotions in the voice,
music education, music and health, music performance and the perception of
emotions in patients with schizophrenia and dementia. | Are animals interested in
music? Is there a composer who composed in his sleep? And when does sound
actually become music?
| Are animals interested in music? When does sound actually become music?
| Mattias
Lundberg, Professor of Musicology at Uppsala University, does much more than
research and educate students. In addition to his role at the university,
Mattias has taken on the challenge of answering the Swedish people's music-related
questions. The podcast Ask the music professor has been running
since 2018 and answers a music-related question in each episode.
Listen to
the episodes here (in Swedish) and take the opportunity to ask Mattias the
questions you've always wondered about! | | | | In the university treasure chest
| | | The Uppsala
University Jazz Orchestra (UUJO) is the first university big band in Sweden under professional
leadership, and is open to students from all faculties as well as university
employees. The artistic leader of UUJO since its inception is Ulf Johansson
Werre - one of the most highly respected jazz musicians in Sweden. | | | Founded 20 years ago, UUJO will be celebrating the milestone with a grand concert in the University Main Building. The concert will simultaneously be a celebration of Ulf Johansson Werre, who will be retiring from his position at the university at the end of the year. | Uppsala University - a
steward of Sweden's cultural heritage
The
Carolina Redviva University Library is home to the so-called Music Collections.
The collections began in the 17th century and today consist of both printed and
handwritten sheet music from the 13th century onwards.
They
include the Düben Collection with music from the 17th century and the beginning
of the 18th century, and Cancionero de Uppsala – a unique print with Spanish
music from the 16th century and collected works by the Swedish composer and alumnus Hugo
Alfvén. The library also owns handwritten sheet music by Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, where you will find drafts for parts of one of his most famous operas -
The Magic Flute.
Read
more about the treasures found amongst the Music Collections
| European Network of
University Orchestras (ENUO)ENUO was
started by Uppsala University in the fall of 2011 with Director musices Professor Stefan Karpe at
the helm.
The network
functions as a coordinating body for university-affiliated symphony orchestras
within the EU and offers opportunities for tours and exchanges to all member
orchestras.
Here,
students from different countries and cultures can gather around their common
interest in music, to be inspired and learn from each other. There are currently over 100 Orchestras from 16 different EU countries within the Network. | Alumni association in focus | Within the
Uppsala University Alumni Network there are approximately 30 alumni
associations and international chapters that are connected to specific
university programmes, departments, student nations, student unions, campuses
or places.
You can
join associations and chapters by logging into the Alumni Portal.
If there is
no association or chapter that is suitable for you, we would be happy to help
you arrange an alumni get-together, or to establish a new alumni group, in your
hometown. Simply get in touch with the Alumni Team!
| Come meet us in New York!
Are you an alumnus living in New York? Don’t forget to join our New York chapter! The chapter was founded in 2012 and currently has around 250 members. The vibrant community of alumni encompasses a wide variety of ages, cultures, and careers. What they do have in common is an academic background from Uppsala University, and a desire to connect with fellow alumni. Over the years the New York Chapter has organised everything from traditional gasques, speaker programmes and Valborg celebrations for its members. These events provide a great setting for networking, professional development, community service and making new friends. We look forward to seeing the chapter continue to grow and flourish over the coming year. The New York Alumni Chapter will be holding its annual general meeting on 1 November followed by a social mingle. Are you interested in coming for a drink, getting involved, or perhaps even putting your hand up for a position on the board? Send us an email at info@alumni.uu.se for event details. We hope to see you there!
| | | | | In the University calendar you will find a list of events taking place this autumn.
As we are currently updating our website, it can sometimes be difficult to
access the calendar. We ask for your patience. | | | | |
The application deadline is 16 October for courses starting in the spring semester 2024. Uppsala University offers over 1,000 courses full or part-time, on-site or remotely.
Here you can find a list of all of the courses on offer next spring. | | | |
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