Zelda Dungeon Exclusive: Interview With Jason Michael Paul

During the summer I had the amazing opportunity to spend the afternoon and evening in the company of the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses Master Quest at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Perfoming Arts in Orlando, Fl. Not only did I have the privilege of attending the Symphony itself, but I was one of the few individuals invited to watch the orchestra during their dress rehearsal with the very talented and beautiful composer, Amy Andersson. A short while back I shared with you what a wonderful experience that was, in the first part of a three part editorial, and I promised I would share more of that amazing day. One of the things that made that day so special were the fantastic people that I met, some of whom work tirelessly to bring the Zelda Symphony to millions of fans across the world. One such individual is Executive Producer Jason Michael Paul, who took time out of his hectic schedule to spend a few moments with me at the end of a very successful dress rehearsal.

Jump in past the break to find out what we talked about!

What struck me the most about him as he walked onto the stage was not the man himself, but the simple fact that he had been so kind to grant me a few moments of his time. Not only did he have a show to put on, but he also had a very special little guest by his side. Jason Michael Paul had arrived earlier in the week with his parents and daughter to take advantage of the more Disney side of Orlando. They had a fun-filled week with Mickey and all his friends, something that Jason shared was what always made him excited about coming to Orlando. Once they had enjoyed all that Disney had to offer they rounded out the week with this amazing performance at the Disney Theatre in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. I felt very privileged to catch a glimpse of the man and his family, a man that has helped bring the amazing music from the Zelda series to so many fans and symphony goers across the world. He was ever the doting father, ensuring that his daughter and parents were comfortable and enjoying themselves. Amy Andersson even took a few moments to teach Jason’s daughter how to properly conduct what I can only imagine was a theatre full of people in her eyes, a theatre which that evening would be full to the brim with some very happy Zelda fans.

This was set to be the first performance of the symphony after the announcement that CEO and President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata had passed away. Jason felt that it was important to honor his memory and wanted to do so by announcing a moment of silence for the man himself at the beginning of the performance. To me, this was a very heartfelt and genuine gesture for a man that was sorely missed by many across the world and would continue to be for a very long time.

During our chat we took the opportunity that the theatre was empty and walked around a bit, which was pretty great, especially since in just a few hours it would be packed full of people.

Here are some of the questions that I had for Jason Michael Paul:

ZD: Video game music was incorporated early on in your career; what motivated that decision?

JMP: I’ve always loved video games. Video games are also a very rich experience that translates well – both gaming and music fans love to enjoy these types of performances, so once I fell into a rhythm with them, I just wanted to keep creating them.

ZD: After the 2011 E3 press event where the 25th Anniversary CD was announced; had you already begun work on the Symphony of the Goddesses tour or was that decided after?

JMP: Symphony of the Goddesses was something we’d always wanted to do, and after the 2011 E3 press event for the 25th Anniversary it seemed natural that this was the step we were going to take together.

ZD: You have worked on many different productions and work with musicians such as, Pavarotti and the Three Tenors; what has been the most rewarding experience for you?

JMP: The most rewarding production experience has come with the Tokyo performance in February 2015 for the Majora’s Mask Launch with Aonuma san and Kondo san in attendance.

ZD: What is the biggest difference you have encountered from producing symphonies related to video games and those that are not?

JMP: The artist isn’t necessarily a soloist, conductor or musician but rather the video game is the artist. That is the focus of the concert along with the music as the accompaniment.

ZD: What has been the greatest challenge producing the Zelda Symphony and on the same token what has been the greatest reward?

JMP: Seeing the reaction from the Zelda fans all over the world showing their support of the concerts. Also, the appreciation and encouragement from Nintendo is a huge reward!

ZD: What do you feel has been the most important addition to the Master Quest?

JMP: New arrangements, new visuals, material previously only heard at 25th Anniversary concerts, and messages from the original creators themselves!

ZD: With the success of the Zelda Symphony and some of the other video game related symphonies you have been a part of, such as rePlay; do you feel regular symphony goers have embraced them in the same way as they do other symphonies?

JMP: The great thing about video game music is that it reaches people beyond just “gamers.” The music is so universal in the journey of a hero – which is what rePLAY is based off of. Everyone can read the tone and spirit behind music and connect to it. Video game symphonies are great, because we sync up gameplay images and video with the music to give context to the audience. Fans can rejoice because the connection is audio and visual, and for “regular symphony goers” they’re able to add another element to the symphonic experience.

ZD: Now that the Zelda Symphony has travelled all over the world, has there been a specific show or venue that has really touched your heart or made you the most proud of all the hard work?

JMP: Tokyo Forum, February 2015 with the Tokyo Phil Orchestra and Choir.

ZD: You said in a previous interview that your daughter had taken over your 3DS; does she still enjoy playing and have you find the time to play some games as well?

JMP: I actually have. She has her own DS now. I just attended e3 and I got to demo some new games and releases.

ZD: Once the Master Quest Tour has finished where do you see the Zelda Symphony going from there?

JMP: We’d love to continue to expand and create new tours – but we’re really busy with Master Quest now! We’re already continually adding dates and merchandise for fans. We hope to have some other projects come to fruition soon, too – but for now making Master Quest the ultimate Zelda experience.

ZD: What message do you have for the many Zelda fans that exist all over the world?

JMP: We love them! This is all for them and we aim to make it the ultimate Zelda experience. We are forever thankful for Zelda fans and hope we can visit each and every one of them.

The experience I had that day with the people that work so hard to bring the Zelda Symphony to all of us around the world was a memorable one, and I want to take a moment to thank all of those that made it so very special for me. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for the last part of the editorial where we will take a look at some of the fans that attended a night at the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses Master Quest!