Final Fantasy VI

This afternoon, I finished read a Boss Fight book, Final Fantasy VI by Sebastian Deken. Boss Fight books can be touch or go depending on which one you pick up. This one is pretty good, though it does focus on the game's music primarily. As a non-musical person who admittedly loves music, I was able to follow it pretty well. If memory serves me, I ordered my copy directly from Boss Fight Books.

Cover of Boss Fight Books' Final Fantasy VI

Deken does a great job translating some of the intricacies of Nobuo Uematsu's music in Final Fantasy VI and how it is weaved into the characters' stories and into the overall plot ac of the game. The author doesn't take for granted that we have the same level of knowledge of music and music theory as he does, who studied it extensively during his life, and bridges the gap where needed to make the book accessible to anyone.

This book touches on the game score's role in advancing video game music into a more acceptable realm of the arts, ultimately ending up being played in concert halls and being pressed on vinyl for fans and enthusiasts. There is a very real market for video game music beyond its function within a game. The music and the market are both maturing well together.

It's really difficult to write about music since it is primarily heard rather than seen. The author does a good job of describing each piece, though, and, throughout the book, there are excerpts of sheet music to present the music in its native nomenclature. My musical experience was limited to briefly playing tuba in school and, much later, playing guitar though employing a figure-it-out-myself approach rather than any sort of disciplined learning of what makes music work. I mimicked songs I liked and that had been enough for me. That said, I get the concept of sheet music but can't 'hear it' when I read it. It was still a welcome addition, though, to the book.

Sheet Music Excerpt in Final Fantasy VI Book

Near the close of the book, Deken touches on one of the drivers of our fondness for music and, specifically, for video game music: nostalgia. Music gets inextricably linked to memories...some songs remind us of a person or a time in our life or even a specific event in our life. This rings true for me. He also acknowledges that the artist's intent is secondary to the audience's experience of the work. That strikes me as incredibly true as well.

I didn't expect to like this book too much based on its focus on the music of Final Fantasy VI rather than on the game's story, which I tend to favor reading about. I liked it quite a bit more than I thought I would and am glad to have read it. Anyone who is a fan of video game music, the Final Fantasy series, or Uematsu's work is strongly encouraged to pick this book up and give it a read.