The Dublin International Game Music Festival - April 2nd Schedule

Schedule of Events:

At the Convention Center Dublin

(Friday April 3rd will be released shortly.  The schedule for will be similar to this,
but with different speakers and talent)

8:00 AM

Convention center opens to iDIG Staff for pre show setup.

10:00 AM Press Interviews with Guests and attendees.

10:45 AM General admission doors open for first event.

11:00 -12:20 PM Small Auditorium

Craig Stuart Garfinkle (composer, World of Warcraft; Warlords of Draenor, Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance II) will demonstrate the tools that game composers use to create video game music, using the actual sessions from some of his most famous scores.

11:00 AM (and all day), Expo Space

Push Playground will be holding hourly hands on demonstrations with the tools of the trade, giving attendees the chance to create their own fledgling game scores (no experience necessary).  

11:00 AM (and all day) Expo Space

Check out our Artist Gallery:

12:30 - 1:00 PM Small Auditorium

JJ McNamara, classical piano genius and avid game fan performs his version of his favorite game themes.  Has to be seen to be believed!

Here's JJ two years ago:

14 year old Irish pianist JJ McNamara plays Wilde Jagd by Franz Liszt

And there he is today.  We just learned that this week, JJ won top honors at the Arklow Music Festival.  This would be impressive enough, but he actually was playing with a broken leg - having taken a bad tackle in a football match on Sunday.  It was Thursday before he finally got the X-ray.

1:00 PM - 2:20 PM Small Auditorium

Conducting Seminar with Composer and Conductor Eimear Noone

You may have seen Eimear conduct for Video Games Live, or The Zelda Symphony, or in the Videos on the 3 DS.  You may also know her for all the great scores she has conducted for Blizzard, Sony and Nintendo such as Skyward Sword, Diablo III, and Starcraft II.

Ever wonder what a conductor really does and how conducting works?

Here's your chance to learn directly from Eimear as she discussed the techniques and tools she employs to conduct these great scores.  Bring your baton - but no experience is necessary.

2:30 PM -3:50 PM Small Auditorium

The Spooney Bards, Straight from Belfast, they bring their rock twist to your favorite game scores.  

4:00 - 5:00 PM Small Auditorium

Grammy winning game composer Christopher Tin (Civilization, Baba Yetu, and more) presents his favorite scores and talks about his career, his musical philosophies and will answer your questions in a moderated discussion.

Hear the iconic Baba Yetu

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM 

The Triforce Quartet.  Straight from sold out performances at PAX and the MAG Fest, they put their unique stamp on game music!

Hear the Triforce Quartet play the Legend of Zelda Theme

8:00 PM - 12:00 PM "Cosball" at the Everleigh Gardens 

Featuring custom dance remixes of your favorite video game themes, here's your opportunity to show off your best cosplay!  

Cosplay is not required, but is encouraged!

Get Your Tickets Now!  Only 100 Full Festival Tickets Available!

More info at:  https://www.facebook.com/idigmusicfest

http://www.idigmusicfest.com

Push Playground at the Dublin International Game Music Festival

In addition to our concerts, the iDIG Music Festival offers opportunities to get "hands-on" experience with the tools of the video game composer.

We've already announced the technical demo by "World of Warcraft" composer, Craig Stuart Garfinkle, the conducting seminar from Eimear Noone, and the composer presentations from our visiting VIP's. It is now our pleasure to now add "Push Playground" to our expo!

The Martin Clancy “Ableton Push Gaming Composition Workshop” is a drop-in music lab where you can try Push and Ableton Live for yourself and get expert advice and guidance from artists and trainers while composing your own unique gaming soundtrack. Ableton Live is an innovative music software that focuses on improvisation and live performance alongside time honored recording techniques.

Ableton Practitioners include Deadmau5, Daft Punk, M83, Hot Chip, Nine Inch Nails. No musical experience needed as Martin says ‘All you need is imagination.’

 Martin and the trainers have some real treats in store for festival attendees. More exciting details to follow…..

Tickets for the Dublin International Game Music Festival:  Http://www.idigmusicfest.com

Join our Crowd Created Music Video of "Malach" from "Warlords of Draenor"

Help Us Make Music History 

with Google and YouTube!

Musicians, here's your chance to perform with us at the iDIG Music Fest in Dublin, April 4th, 2015, from anywhere in the world!

The iDIG Music Fest YouTube Orchestra is in full swing! We already have 70+ musicians and ensembles from 3 continents working with us to "Crowd Create" a music video of Eimear Noone's "Malach," from "World of Warcraft; Warlords of Draenor."

Click to Preview "Malach"

If you are a musician and you want to contribute your performance to our video, email me at zeldaconductor@gmail.com, let me know the instrument you play, and I will send you your part as well as a guide track, and instructions on how to video record yourself performing the part.

Likewise, if you know anyone (especially in Australia, Africa or either Arctic - then we'd have all continents) who might join in, send them our way!

After we have collected all the videos, we will edit them together into one massive montage.

We will debut the montage at the Video Games Live show on April 4th, at the Dublin International Game Music Festival, synchronized with our live orchestra conducted by Eimear Noone!

Check out this awesome example from master percussionist Mark Scholl!

Mark is formerly of the Winnipeg Symphony and music director for Barry Manilow, to name just a few of his 100's of performance and recording credits.  

What you see here is Mark playing in sync to the guide track we supplied. His video is from an iPad, but as he is set to record percussion remotely, his audio is from the microphone (not a requirement to participate).

We've edited out the video where Mark is simply counting bars rest, but know, if you are contributing a video, we need these bars rest to make sure you are in sync. 

Here's where we make history!

For the past few weeks, we have been brainstorming with Google and YouTube to add one more layer to our video:  

Live performances, in real time, by ensembles at each of the YouTube campuses around the world!  

We don't even know if it's possible, but when you are teamed with the guys who created a self driving car and the best map program ever, anything can happen.

So, if you are a musician who wants to perform in our world-wide ensemble, send an email to craig@isigmusicfest.com, let us know what instrument you play, and we will send the guide track and a part.

We will also need contacts at universities and ensembles in the YouTube cities - as soon as we confirm our methodology for the live ensembles.

But hurry!  Our deadline for submissions is March 4th, 2015, so we can make our April 4th show!

And if you are in Dublin and want to catch the fun:  Tickets are available at:

http://www.idigmusicfest.com.

A Sneak Peek at the Festival!

Join us on stage at The Dublin International Game Music Festival

Are you a singer, a musician, or artist

that loves video game music?

Take the stage at the 
Dublin International Game Music Festival!

Sign up here!

We have three contests launching on December 15th to make this happen!

Video game fans by definition, insist on being interactive with their entertainment. With this in mind, the iDIG Music Festival will launch three online events in advance of the festival. On December 15th, 2014, these will officially open.  * The iDIG Music Fest YouTube Orchestra In this online event, fans that play an instrument will be able to take the stage with the orchestra.  Send us an email at zeldaconductor@gmail.com.  Include in your email which instrument you play. Participants will then be sent their individual part and a guide track along with instructions on how to videotape themselves performing their part to our guide track and upload it back to us. We will then synchronize all the submitted videos to form a symphonic montage - which will premiere on stage at the festival with the orchestra playing along! * A Vocalist Competition to Appear with Video Games Live Our own 13 year old Madison Sings "Before He Cheats" Similar to our YouTube Orchestra, on December 15th the information will be released on how to enter our vocalist competition. First prize is a featured solo with the orchestra at the Video Games Live concert, and all finalists will be invited to sing along in the choir. Finalists will also have a featured spot at one of our Expo events.   * A Fan Art Gallery When we were looking at the Face Book pages of our attendees, we were overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the fan artwork we discovered. This inspired us to decide to decorate our festival, expo and website with as much fan art as possible. Again, on December 15th, our website will release the information on to how to apply to exhibit at the festival and upload art to our website. The iDIG Music Fest is an event that is designed to display the raw passion and emotion behind video game music, but it is also one tailor-made for the fans who aren't content to just watch when they can perform. Bring Your Meanest Axe! As the festival approaches, we will be reaching out again to our audience with ways to not just attend, but to participate! In the meantime, make sure you check the website December 15th for the first round of events! We also have a few slots available for bands who specialize in game music.  Contactcraig@idigmusicfest.com to apply! Get your tickets now! Earlybird pricing going soon! Sign up to be reminded!

"World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor" comes out today, 11/13/14

Hi All, 

Today (11/13/14) is a big day for our family!

My wife Eimear Noone, and I, were so blessed to be a part of the composition team for the epic World of Warcraft expansion, "Warlords of Draenor."  Our fellow composers are Russell Brower,Clint Bajakian, Sam Cardon, and Edo Guidotti, and between the entire crew over 8 and a half hours of music was created!

The score debuted at #6 on the iTunes soundtrack charts.  Preview and download the score here!

The score has already won the "Hollywood Music in Media Award" for Video Game Score, but we are even more excited by thinking of all the millions of WoW fans who will enjoy the music when they hear it today.

Warlord of Draenor Composers,
Neal Acree, Eimear Noone and Craig Stuart Garfinkle

Eimear and I put together this YouTube playlist, created from fan videos, of our favorite pieces from the game and its our pleasure to share it with all of you. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqtAghaeQA2SwJiDz6eEFOsDybMUYSeWV 

We, along with fellow WoW composers, Russell Brower, Neal Acree, and Jason Hayes, will be in Dublin for the iDIG Music Festival (http://www.idigmusicfest.com) this April 2-4.  As part of the festival we will be discussing the award winning score as well as performing much of our favorites with Video Games Live.  Buy your tickets now!

Wishing you all the best in your own adventures!  Here's a link to the "collector's edition" of the game.  I can't wait to get mine!

Only Just Over 100 Early Bird Tickets Left

The iDig Music Festival - Update

Eimear Noone, Conductor and Host, iDIG Music Fest

VG music fans are the best!  

First, we never expected the first 500 Early Bird tickets to be going so quickly.  That was a truly welcome surprise.  Due to the demand, We've Extended the Early Bird Ticket Price, but only for a limited time!

Buy Your Tickets Here: 

Save €20!

Can't make it to Dublin?  We are working with Irish TV to determine the best way to stream the festival live.  

Click here to sign on to our "Streaming List" to get the details as soon as they are worked out.

We are also heartened by the number of fans who have pledged to volunteer to help out.  We absolutely need it! 

 Click here if you want to help!

But what is most exciting is the number of musicians that have dedicated video game music ensembles that want to perform at the iDIG Music Festival!  We had no idea of all the magnificent talent out there. We are currently figuring out how to include as many of you as possible either in person or through our website. 

 Click here if you want to be considered.

Wishing you all the best of luck in your own musical adventures!

Eimear Noone, and the iDIG Music Fest team!

Announcing The IDIG Music Festival, April 2-4, Dublin Ireland

So, how does something like the I DIG Music Festival happen?  Let's file this under, be careful what you tweet - someone might be paying attention and hold you to it.

http://www.idigmusicfest.com

Don't miss any of the updates:  Join Our Mail List!

IDIGMusic Festival Email

That's the short story, the long one has yet to be written but this is what we know:

Once Eimear Noone made that fateful tweet, challenging herself to finally bring the video game music she loves to Ireland, everything snowballed.

Twitter went alight with encouragement.  A concert became a bigger concert, became a festival, became a festival with an Expo.

The Dublin Convention Center joined the team, as did the National Youth Orchestra Ireland.  Irish TV has committed to covering and broadcasting the event.

Likewise, our dear friends, fellow composers Russell Brower, Austin Wintory, Neal Acree, Jason Hayes and Tommy Tallarico.  They all wanted to join in the fun.

But most importantly, fans from all over the world have been approaching us, volunteering their assistance - without them, creating the festival would be an impossible task.  This is a truly grass roots, fan inspired effort.

I'll be posting more about the festival as we get more commitments from participants, but I did not want to move forward before saying a big thank you to Chris Rooke @chrisrooke, who is our main man on the ground in Dublin.  Send him a twitter wave of thanks!