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| Photo courtesy of Jason Michael Paul Productions, used with permission. |
The Zelda Symphony has seen an explosion in popularity; however, are you worried about revisiting the same cities for a third year in a row? Why should someone who saw the original Symphony of the Goddessor last year's Second Quest come see the Master Quest?
"The show itself isn't repeating. Each year has been entirely new content. With other video game titles I'd be a little more concerned. I think the longevity of the franchise and breadth of content for The Legend of Zeldahelps keep everything fresh. For example, this year with the re-release of Majora's Mask on 3DS we now have all new visuals. With Windwaker HD we also received new visuals. A Link Between Worlds was also a recent new title. There's just so much new material to work with. What we've done is we've taken parts of new material, and updated segments from our old materials. For example we've updated the whole four movement symphony with all new video assets, so it's not the same show. What I've done that's really special for this show is that I interviewed with Shigeru Miyamoto and Koji Kondo. In the past we've had a narrator taking you on this journey, but now we have the actual creators of the game and music walking you through. So it's a much more personal experience that I think and really adds to the show. Combined with all the new material, it's really an entirely different show. I've personally worked with most of the content, and I believe this really is a Master Quest. I think the game itself is continually growing. As new titles are released, we'll also get new music and visuals to work with for future shows," Paul explained.
You produced the 25th anniversary CD. Is there a DVD for the Symphony of the Goddesses on the horizon?
"We have a big announcement we're making. We've already went on sale for Las Vegas. That's the show we're actually recording for a DVD. Not only are we releasing a DVD, but we're also working with PBS and we're going to do a national broadcast," Paul shared with us.
Beyond The Legend of Zelda is there another franchise you'd like to work with.
"I've already had the pleasure the Final Fantasy franchise. I think Castlevania is entitled; however, I'm not sure it has wide enough appeal. Maybe as a one-off in specific markets, I think it would do well. I have a lot ideas for concerts. One would be to do a Nintendo only show with all the beloved first party franchises available in their catalogue. Hopefully, I'll get my chance to do this someday," Paul said.
Almost 30 years ago, The Legend of Zelda didn't have an orchestra for its soundtrack. How much effort and work did it take to create an entire symphony for it?
"You're right it was just bips and bleeps. It was the team I put together. When you work with some of the best professional musicians available, the results show for themselves. I'm making the show exactly the way the original creators envisioned it. What I'm most proud of is that it's a direct collaboration," Paul remarked.
You mention working directly with the game's creators and Nintendo. How much creative control do you have over the content of the shows?
"Everything comes from me, and then goes through Nintendo for approval. They either like it or they don't. Everything goes back and forth. They provide all the visual assets which we edit and sync up with score," Paul explained.
Over the past decade you've had a direct hand in popularizing video game concerts in the United States. How does it feel?
"I'm very proud of that fact. I'm in a point in my life where I feel that I can really contribute to society and what I do in my niche sharing some of my favorite music to new audiences around the world? It's amazing," Paul told us blissfully.
Due to the location of the venues, Master Quest reaches more than just The Legend of Zelda fans. It introduces some people who may have never played a video game in their life but may be a huge music lover to the art of games for the first time.
"That's part of the beauty of this show. You get your hardcore The Legend of Zelda fans, sure. But also by default by just being here at the Boston Symphony Hall you attract people who ordinarily never came. We've noticed a huge demographic attending our events. There's an older crowd that we didn't expect, along with a lot of families. Grandparents with their children. Parents with their children. Their children's children. It's multi-generational. This is something I'm really excited about. The symphony world is really dying. Not just in a figurative way, but also realistic. The crowd which enjoyed classical music and symphony performances is now hopefully being replaced with a younger generation. Hopefully this might be an introduction to classical music through video games," Paul said.
New classical music these days seems to be created mostly through video games and movie soundtracks, would you agree?
"I think video games are finally getting their day. The music in games isn't just a last minute add on anymore. Game creators pay a lot more attention to it, and the music in video games has become just as important in the game industry as the soundtrack in a film matters to the movie industry. Technology has changed a lot too. Before it either couldn't be or was never the intended to be performed with a real live orchestra. It was always synthesized, even in some more recent titles. Now you see more companies hiring entire orchestras to perform the music, which is then recorded and used in their game. That, for me and the music business in general, is amazing," Paul explained.
What kind of music do you personally listen to?
"I'm a pretty diverse individual, and my palette is all over the board. Classical music is obviously where I've created a living for myself, and I've created my own niche focusing on video games. Recently, however, for pleasure lately I've been listening to a lot of hip hop," Paul told us.
If you could get any artist or band, alive or dead, to cover or work with on The Legend of Zelda who would it be?
"Interesting question. Well I would probably choose an orchestra. I love the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Put both of them together and get one of the world's most masterful conductors. The Three Tenors. If I had the money, I'd hire the absolute best musicians for an amazing one-off show!"
For more information about the tour and to purchase tickets, visit Zelda-symphony.com. You can read more about Jason Michael Paul Productions at JMPPresents.com. Did you enjoy this article? Please share it and subscribe for updates.
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