Put them together and you’ve got ludomusicology, a relatively recent academic area of study connecting video gaming and accompanying musical scores in which UBC school of music student Marina Gallagher is pursuing her PhD.Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7 a.m., Monday to Friday.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Try to imagine Bugs Bunny without What’s Opera, Doc? Jaws without its theme song? Psycho’s shower scene without the screeching strings? Martin Scorsese films without the Rolling Stones on the soundtrack? The theme for Twilight Zone?In film, or even in opera, you’re watching something take place, and music is underscoring what you’re seeing, she said. In a game, furthermore, you’re taking part in the action yourself.
“But it often operates subconsciously,” Gallagher said. “I think one of the things that surprises people about video game music is a lot of the conventions that are behind music for location or character themes actually come from classical music.Article content