The Video Game Pianist

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."

Comments

Blindfolded?

[Anonymous Coward]

Since when is playing the piano while wearing a blindfold a great accomplishment?

Any reasonably accomplished pianist should be able to do this trivially.

Re:Blindfolded?

[rbarreira]

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, he seems to be taking a pursuing a Bachelor degree in piano playing.

Re:Blindfolded?

[Vorondil28]

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.

Re:Blindfolded?

[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.

Re:Blindfolded?

[Infinityis]

You're right...now if he actually played Super Mario Brothers and beat the game (or even a level) while blindfolded, THAT would be impressive. :)

You've got to hand it to the guy...

[Rob T Firefly]

Not everyone could link to videos of themselves on muchosucko or ebaumsworld with such dignity.

Send money, quick!

[John Seminal]

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.

Argh

[rbarreira]

His tempo sucks in the Mario song video. Quite cool though :)

Re:Argh

[Zorilla]

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.

So that's what happened...

[Dante Shamest]

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...

Re:So that's what happened...

[DarkHelmet]

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 then again, if you can't figure out at least the SQL query code to see what it's doing, you suck, and shouldn't be using this period.

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

Finally, I recommend inserting a row into the table, representing the highest file ID of what you have, so that you don't end up going and redownloading all their music, one by one.

Thanks OCremix guys for making your pages into RSS feeds! It makes stuff like this a lot easier to do!

http://seventhcycle.net/ocremix/download.phps

I would have posted it here, but Slashdot's junk filter sucks. CENSORSHIP! :D

Legal?

[tepples]

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?

Wow memories!

[LiquidCoooled]

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 of the main history of game music.

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

Fantastic!

[SendBot]

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

[Xeo 024]

I thought this one was rather well done (it's a .WMV).

Sorry about the donations link in submission

[FleaPlus]

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

[VikingBerserker]

...until I see him perform the Frogger theme song while trying to cross a freeway.

Re:Not that great.

[mmkkbb]

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.

Re:Not that great.

[Rob T Firefly]

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.

Re:Not that great.

[BTWR]

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).

Pretty cool, but...

[arodland]

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

[infinite jester]

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."

Re:disillusioned

[EEBaum]

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 sloppily, with regard only for speed and show rather that nuance.

Despite the fact that they're "cheezy video game tunes," the stuff he plays has great potential for creative interpretation, and seeing that lack of interpretation disregarded by many is indeed what I personally get up in arms about.

The performer is having fun with it, which is great, but until he adds some character to his performance, I'll cringe whenever I read a "this guy is unbelievable," the same way I cringe when the PBS announcers say "Yanni is amazing! He writes music right out of his head!"

Re:disillusioned

[violajack]

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 matter. Are accomplished musicians not allowed to play for fun? Must they play show pieces all their lives so people can see how truly technically amazing they are?

Anyway, as a conservatory trained musician myself (6 years, BM and MM) I can say I've never spent more than 6 hours in a day practicing, and I don't know anyone who even comes close to 10+, including CIM kids. I'd be interested to know what university you're refering to, and how long it is before those 10+ hours a day kids burn out, or injure themselves.

One of my friends in my undergrad played similar stuff on violin. He happened to be one of the best violinists at the school. He just learned all the nintendo stuff because his dad would make him go to his room and practice and he would play games on the nintendo, then play nintendo on the violin. Didn't make him any less of a violinist.

So, to sumarize, give the kid a break. I would prefer to resent the fact that Sara Chang claims to be younger than I am. She is so not younger than me.

video game pianist?

[krunk4ever]

i was going to say, isn't the only songs he play mario tunes, but then i found his list of recordings:

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 Mario World 1 - Title Theme
09 Super Mario World 1 - Ghost House Theme
10 Super Mario World 1 - Ending Theme
11 Super Mario World 1 - Air Platform Theme
12 Final Fantasy VI - Kefka
13 Final Fantasy VII - Prelude
14 Final Fantasy VII - Cid's Theme
15 Final Fantasy VIII - Balamb Garden
16 Final Fantasy IX - Melodies of Life
17 Final Fantasy X - Away to Zanarkand
18 Final Fantasy X - Lulu's Theme
19 Final Fantasy X - Silence Before the Storm
20 Final Fantasy Ending Theme

THE VIDEO GAME PIANIST PIANO COLLECTIONS
ARTIST: Video Game Pianist (formerly known as The Blindfolded Pianist)
TITLE: The Video Game Pianist Piano Collections
RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2005

01 Super Mario Brothers 1--Overworld Theme, Underworld Theme, Castle Theme, Victory Theme, Underwater Theme, and Star Theme
02 Super Mario Brothers 2--Ending Theme and Super Mario Brothers 3--Overworld Theme
03 Super Mario World 1--Intro Theme, Donut Plains Theme, Yoshi's Island Theme, Vanilla Dome Theme, Forest of Illusion Theme, Star Road Theme, and Valley of Bowser Theme
04 Super Mario World 1--Castle Theme, Koopa Kids Theme, Victory Theme, Mario Die Theme, Game Over Theme, Air Platform Theme, and Countdown Timer Theme
05 The Legend of Zelda--Overworld Theme, Link Die Theme, Labyrinth Theme, Item Theme, Secret Passage Theme, Magic Recorder Theme, Triforce Theme, Final Labyrinth Theme, Ganon Appears Theme, and Ending Theme
06 Zelda 3--Dark Overworld Theme, Rescuing Zelda Theme, and Zelda 64--Intro Theme
07 Zelda 64--Temple Theme Songs: Minuet of Forest, Bolero of Fire, Serenade of Water, Nocturne of Shadow, and Requiem of Spirit
08 Sonic the Hedgehog 1--Green Hill Zone, Stage Complete Theme, Labyrinth Zone, Marble Zone, Sonic Drowning Theme, Game Over Theme, Starlight Zone, Chaos Emerald Theme, Scrap Brain Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Game Over Theme, Extra Life Theme, and Ending Theme
09 Sonic the Hedgehog 2--Emerald Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, Boss Theme, Sonic the Hedgehog 3--Boss Theme, Sonic the Hedgehog 2--Ending Theme
10 Earthworm Jim--Banjo Race
11 Halo 2--Main Theme Mjolnir Mix
12 Final Fantasy VI--Kefka
13 Final Fantasy VI--Celes
14 Final Fantasy VI--Kids Run Through the City Corner
15 Final Fantasy VII--Prelude
16 Final Fantasy VII--Cid's Theme
17 Final Fantasy VIII--Balamb Garden
18 Final Fantasy IX--Melodies of Life
19 Final Fantasy IX--Ending Theme
20Final Fantasy X--Away to Zanarkand
21Final Fantasy X--Silence Before the Storm
22 Final Fantasy X--Ending Theme
23 Final Fantasy X--Suteki da Ne (Isn't it Beautiful?)
24 Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor
25 Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor--Presto
Super Mario and Zelda music composed by Koji Kondo.
Sonic the Hedgehog music composed by Masatu Nakamura.
Earthworm Jim music composed by Tommy Tallarico.
Halo 2 music composed by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori.
Final Fantasy music composed by Nobuo Uematsu.
Transcendental Etude composed by Franz Liszt.
Piano Concerto No. 1 composed by Felix Mendelssohn.

I'm in the middle of downloading them (links are on the above mentioned link) so I don't know if it's worthy yet to call him the video game pianist

Re:Videogame pianist, or bubble boy?

[idono]

Maybe he's a Mormon?

Re:PLEASE mod idiotic parent down

[Rich0]

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 to not listen to his works.