OFF AIR: ABC Classic’s Game Show host Meena Shamaly dives deep.
- Behind the Scenes
“Bach, Hildegard, Debussy, and many more wrote video game music – they just didn’t know it at the time!“
Whether on-air as the host of ABC Classic’s Game Show or onstage, Meena Shamaly brings infectious energy, encyclopaedic knowledge, and heartfelt passion to the music of gaming. Ahead of our Press Play concert this August at Festival Theatre presented by Meena, we asked him to take us deeper into his world – from the storytelling power of game scores to his favourite orchestral moments.
Hosting a live orchestral concert brings a different kind of energy compared to radio. How do you translate your deep-dive style into a live setting?
The core is the same in both cases: it’s all about the music, and the deep dive is to welcome you into this world, whether or not you’re a gamer. On the radio, I’m excited about sharing the art with an audience I don’t see in the moment. In the live setting, however, I’m excited that the audience, the musicians, and occasionally the composers, are all in the room with me!
Game music often tells stories without words. As someone who interprets music for listeners every week, how do you think composers build narrative through sound alone?
Every score presents a world of specific sonic choices, corresponding to the connections between the game’s characters, setting, and emotional arcs. When I listen to the soundtrack without playing the game, each piece immerses me in a moment, even if it feels abstract. What I imagine from hearing it may well be very different from what actually happens in the game, but with an effective score (aphantasia notwithstanding), I can still imagine something.
You often draw fascinating connections between game music, classical repertoire, and broader cultural influences. How do you approach making those links, and why are they important to you?
I’m just following the music! The links have always been there, since the early days of gaming in the 1970s, when many games adapted classical melodies as their score. Game music does not stand apart from the global music continuum – it is naturally connected to the music you already love, even if you’ve never listened to a game score in your life.
Some game soundtracks are steeped in folklore, mythology, or complex world-building. Do you have a favourite example where the music itself deepened your understanding of the game’s universe?
While I can point to anything in this series, I’ll focus on Jesper Kyd’s score to the first Assassin’s Creed, expertly tackling the historical setting and the modern-day narrative framing of the game, while weaving in the underlying science fiction aspects.
Through a machine that accesses your genetic memories, you explore 12th Century Palestine and Syria in search of the “Apple of Eden” – a paranormal artefact of the gods. Kyd’s score balances the historical, cultural, and religious influences of the region with overt electronic elements that allude to the unreal technology at play, and there’s always this sense that something is “off” – exactly as intended.
You’ve spoken about how video game music can reflect a player’s inner journey and adapt dynamically to their experience, as you discussed in an interview with composer Winifred Phillips. How do you think this unique responsiveness shapes the emotional power of game music compared to other forms of storytelling?
When the player is an active participant in both the story and the score, they can become more invested in each moment, and in many ways, this is almost a literal manifestation of empathy – putting yourself in someone else’s virtual shoes. The score is no longer just about your character, it becomes about you: it’s the sound of your own elation, frustration, joy, sorrow, and your entire colour wheel of emotions.
Is there a moment in the concert you’re secretly (or not-so-secretly) hanging out for?
Austin Wintory’s Journey always makes me cry, and I can’t wait to cry again. That, and Tetris – this catchy Russian tune has lived rent-free in my head for decades and it still won’t let go!
If you could sit in any section of the orchestra during this concert, just to soak it in, where would it be and why?
I’d stand right next to Jessica Gethin on the conductor’s podium so every section can wash over me! If she kicks me off, however (probably for gasping too loud), I’ll sit in with the celli so I can hear their every subtle detail, especially during the more intimate moments. What can I say, I love the cello (and so does Australia, according to the ABC Classic 100 instruments countdown in 2023)!
Photo Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
