Music Experience Part 3: The Best Song In The World
Some of you may recall that last year I applied for the great designer search. Despite my reservations about one of the answers (which I will describe in a future post), I was fascinated by how much the situation mirrored my situation during the first great designer search. Here’s a little comparison.
| 2006 | 2010 |
| In the first year of a graduate program. | In the first year of a graduate program. |
| Made it past the first round. | Made it past the first round. |
| Washed out by the written exam in the second round. | Washed out by the written exam in the second round. |
The only thing that was missing was a certain “Tribute.”
As I discussed a little while ago, I tend to play music into the ground. This lets me time-stamp each piece to a certain time in my life, and go back to that time years later if I feel like tapping into the nostalgia.
During the first Great Designer Search, the song I was listening to was Tenacious D’s Tribute. Check it out.
During the days of the GDS, I had that song on a constant repeat, and as a result I will always associate that song with Magic: the Gathering.
Last year I found myself struggling with the essay test, right up until I started listening to “Tribute” again. Strangely, once I heard that tune, my mind was back in 2006 and I was in the zone. The words just flowed, and I was able to make it to the second round.
The important thing to take away from this is the nostalgia that music can create. Remember this if you are designing a game: the tunes and songs you put into your games are investments for the years to come. Years from now; you will be able to enhance your games by tapping into that nostalgia.