“Video Game Music and its performance represent a vehicle by which performance art becomes diverse, universal, and accessible. Orchestras must recognize the artistic obligation to embrace diversity and change – not for the sake of relevancy, but for the accessibility of performance art for all.”
from Performing Game Sound: The American Symphony Orchestra and Video Game Music, by J. Aaron Hardwick
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Click the picture above to the full recording on the BR Klassik Label
Perennial Order is a "2D plant horror boss rush game" set in the atmospheric world of a dark age plagued by eerie natural phenomena.
The Munich Radio Orchestra premiered the orchestral suite from Julian Crowhurst's soundtrack, conducted by J. Aaron Hardwick and recorded live at the Prinzregententheater, Munich, Germany on February 12, 2025.
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Click the picture above to view the entire concert available on ARD 1 Klassik Network
The Let’s Play Concert with Munich Radio Orchestra was performed and recorded live at the Prinzregententheater, Munich, Germany on February 12, 2025. It was streamed on Twitch to 26,000+ viewers world-wide. The full concert is available on the ARD 1 Network.
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Click the picture above to access the full article
Originally published in The Conversation, Hardwick’s article was featured in the October 2023 issue of Newsweek Japan and has been republished in Business World, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Daily News Egypt, DFA (New Zealand), Fast Company, Herald and News, Head Topics South Africa, IOL (New Zealand), news24, Newsweek Japan, Quartz, SeattlePI, Shenandoah University News,Sun Port Charlotte, The Bedford Citizen, The Frankford and Clinton County Times, The Skagit Valley Herald, The Tolerance Webzine (Canada), Wake Forest News,WFAE 90.7, and Yahoo News.
“Many argue that the classical music world is no longer accessible to most people – it’s seen as too intimidating and too stuffy, with works that are too long and tickets that are too expensive. Meanwhile, symphony orchestras around the world are scrambling to diversify their music and ranks within a tradition and culture that was long reserved for the highly educated, wealthy and white.
With symphonies working to be more inclusive in their music education and program offerings, I see video games as a key way to bridge this divide.”
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Click the picture above to access the full article
Featured in the North Carolina Music Educator’s Association Journal (Summer 2022)
The inspiration of this article is two fold: First, to promote diversity through the performance of video game music. Second, to assist educators by providing relevant and engaging strategies than can be applied to every student with minimal effort.
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Click the picture above to view a preview copy. Please contact me for the full paper.
This research paper dives into the history, programming, complexity, and inclusion of Video Game Music into the modern classical orchestra. As noted in the paper, Video Game Music can help orchestras diversify programming, build audiences and audience engagement, and aid in financial sustainability.
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Click the picture above to learn more about We Play Together.
The world’s first interdisciplinary project that asks the question: Is there a connection between the practice, pedagogy, and performance of gaming and music?
More about this award-winning project:Shenandoah University Press Release
Esports Research Network (ERN) Article
Esports Research Network (ERN) Podcast: Music & Esports as a Research Topic?
Blog: Inside We Play Together