Video Games go Classical with Lara
Anyone in their right mind will be able to tell you just how important a soundtrack is to a video game! You might not always be able to remember every single piece but that doesn’t matter what matters is that without the right sound a video game can become a long and tedious affair. Thankfully the type games that suffer from a lacklustre soundtrack are few and far between and we’ve been lucky enough as gamers to be exposed to some amazing music.
What happens though when that music gets a twist?
You might recall a few weeks ago we did a short piece on Youtubers who took the time out of their lives to cover various pieces of music in Skyrim. (If you haven’t seen it just click here!) At the very bottom of that article was a video to a YouTube channel owned by Lara, a musician from Sydney, Australia. We decided to check out the rest of her stuff only to find that this wasn’t simply a once-off cover but instead we found a library of videos covering everything from Mario to Chrono Trigger.
As one of our new favourite Internet geeks we had to catch up with Lara to see what she was doing…we found her in the middle of moving house and a hectic schedule but thankfully she took some time out of her day to chat with us here at the Arcade!
Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hmmm ok… I am a musician (classically trained), I love music, birds and Xena. I’m sure you’ll find out more when I answer the other questions.
When did you first start playing music? You play both the piano and violin, do you have a preference?
I started piano at age 6 and violin a few years later. I probably prefer piano because I have more training and experience on the piano. Also, the piano is like a whole orchestra, you can accompany yourself and don’t need backing tracks.
What does it take to become as talented as you?
Well, thank you very much for saying that! Sadly there is no ‘quick cheat’ to learning music. It takes years, and 1000s of hours of practise to develop your skills. I am definitely still learning. I’d say it’s 50/50 split between an innate predisposition for music, and hard work 🙂 It also helps to love what you do.
Now you have become a bit of a sensation in the geek world because not only are you a fantastically talented musician but you cover video game music as well as other geeky stuff – why did you start covering it in the first place?
Because it is my favourite type of music, and always has been. I play a lot of classical, music theatre, and opera in real life, but there was no vehicle to share my performances of videogame/tv tunes. That’s where YouTube came in.
Your videos have been seen all over the world and you’ve become one of the most subscribed Youtubers in Australia, what is the best part of making the videos?
Receiving personal messages from people who have been inspired to learn the piano/violin. Also knowing that my performances can make someone’s day/make people a bit happier! It’s humbling to realise this.
When you first started did you think you’d be invited along to conventions and drowning in requests from fans all over the world?
Never. I thought I’d remain in obscurity with a few people commenting on and enjoying my performances. I really am drowning in requests. One year ago, I didn’t have this problem! It has been a very fast growth for my channel.
How do you decide what music you’re going to cover, do you go mostly by requests or do you pick your favourite tracks from various games and shows?
If it’s a hugely popular request (like Skyrim), I’ll do it. Now,I just feel what I feel moved to play. There are simply too many requests to keep track of. I started making a list a while back, but have since given up, as I’ll never get them done in this lifetime!
Okay we kinda need to ask you your favourites now too to match our compatibility in terms of geekiness!
Favourite TV Show: Xena
Favourite Video Game: either Super Mario 3 or the original Legend of Zelda for NES
Favourite Video Game Music: Secret of Mana
Favourite Book/Graphic Novel/Comic: I’m sorry I don’t have one!
Favourite Geek/Gamer Idol: I don’t idolise anyone. Except maybe Xena stars 😛
Going back to your videos, you also cosplay for some of them, is that purely for the videos or are you a cosplayer at heart?
I love going to conventions and cosplaying there. SO I thought, why not try it out on my videos? It also sets my videos apart a bit and makes them more unique.
Do you have a favourite costume so far or is there any character you’d really like to cosplay as?
Callisto from Xena Warrior Princess. I’d love to have that costume.
Any advice for video game musician people out there?
On YouTube? I am not sure. Just try and ‘meet’ as many similar-minded people as you can. That’s been the best part for me, talking to and collaborating with other youtuber game musicians. As for ‘how to get views/subs’ I am not sure. Why do some excellent people remain in obscurity and others get ridiculous amounts of views? Who knows.
Finally, if you were trapped in an Arcade for eternity, what one game would you play to pass the time?
Probably….Point Blank. I remember that game being really fun as a kid. No…. actually DDR. Great for fitness 🙂 And it has a more varied soundtrack.
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
