Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
games I work on, songs are having a big moment as part of the music design. Baldur's Gate has some beautiful mo- ments where songs are linked to game- play, and Alan Wake 2 had some really standout moments as well. Jedi Survivor had a song that eventually evolved into the love theme between two characters. I love seeing songs used in fun and in- teresting ways, like in the Devil May Cry series, The Quarry, or South of Midnight, so I hope it's a trend that continues. Evolving the Craft What do you hope the next generation of music implementers and editors brings to the industry? CAG: This is less for music editors in general, but I hope we get to see a wider variety of music in AAA games because that can provide interesting music design opportunities. Olivier Deriviere and his team in the game South of Midnight did a lot of really interesting things with their music design that are deeply linked to the styles of music in that game and the overall mood they were trying to convey. Breaking In For those coming from music, post, or even programming backgrounds, what steps do you recommend for making the leap into game audio? CAG: I can really only speak from my experience, but I think it's important to just dive straight into learning more about middleware and engines. Music design reels are less common, so I don't think there's as much emphasis on them as there is for sound design, though they're still useful to have. There are a lot of great resources online, like Wwise's 201 course or the free projects available through Unreal. FMOD also has learning material, and there are many great tutorials online. I've been working with Helen Lynch, MPSE on a document that lists a lot of talks and articles about music design. Game jams are a great way to learn how to work on unique projects. If you're interested in doing music design, working in middleware and engines will be a big part of the job, so understanding the process of getting something from composition or editorial into middleware and then into game engines is important, regardless of what tools you're using. I'd also say that while gaming doesn't necessarily have to be your main passion, you should familiarize yourself with what games are currently doing with music, the language used in gaming and game development and actually dedicate some time to playing games. I find that every time I play a new game, I learn something about a new way to approach music design. It's hard to truly understand what a game's music design does unless you're actually playing the game. An example of a basic true/false logic in an Unreal Blueprint (© all rights reserved Epic Games). An example of a music event in Unreal Engine (© all rights reserved Epic Games). M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 39 Colin Andrew Grant's path through game audio reflects a rare blend of musical intuition, technical precision, and a genuine commitment to community. Whether he is building adaptive music systems for cinematic blockbusters or helping the next generation of creators through the Game Audio Diversity Alliance, Colin brings intention and thoughtfulness to every note, transition, and initiative he touches. As the industry continues to evolve, his voice is one helping shape not only how games sound, but who gets to help create them. Notable Music Editing Credits Star Wars Jedi: Survivor: Music Editor/Music Designer Winner: 2024 MPSE Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing - Game Audio Halo Infinite: Music Designer Collaborated on dynamic scoring systems and interactive music implementation Colin Andrew Grant is a Los Angeles- based music and sound designer with over eight years of game audio experience and is currently working as music designer on Respawn Entertainment's Jedi team. He's also worked on projects such as Halo Infinite as a music editor (Halo Infinite was nominated for the 2021 MPSE Golden Reel Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Game Audio), and as a dialogue coordinator on games like Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, and Concrete Genie. When he's not designing music systems, Colin can be found volunteering as the Fundraising Chair for the Game Audio Diversity Alliance, going on hikes, or hanging out with friends playing TTRPGs where he enjoys gaming.