Marc Baril
Encyclopedia
Marc Baril is a Canadian video game composer and musician
. He has composed music for over 20 titles. He is best known for his compositions for the Crash Bandicoot franchise, The Simpsons Hit & Run
and Scarface: The World Is Yours
.
, Quebec
, Canada
. His first instrument was a second-hand electric guitar
, bought with savings from his paper route. His first band, The Spitfires, practiced in a laundry room where the washer
and dryer
were part of their rhythm section. As a young adult, he traveled around the world for 5 years, and after a trip to Australia
and South Asia
that left him penniless, he landed in Vancouver
in 1989 and followed a passion to study music. He was self-taught up until the time he obtained a diploma from the Vancouver Community College
in Jazz guitar and Composition. He then pursued and received a Bachelor degree from the School of Music of the University of British Columbia
in 1996.
during a jam session
with a group of people and took up the sound programmer's offer to make music for a video game. Baril was contracted to compose the music for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
game Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures
. The results were so satisfactory that Baril was offered a full-time job, becoming the first audio content creator hired at Radical Entertainment. In 2007 and 2008, Baril was commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra
. His music was performed by several local artists and ensembles and he recorded his music with full orchestras at 20th Century Fox
's Newman stage in Los Angeles
and at the Mosfilm Studios
in Moscow
. In July 2008 he was one of the twelve participants selected among hundreds of emerging composers worldwide to attend the exclusive and prestigious month-long ASCAP Television & Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis
held in Los Angeles. There he had the opportunity to meet and chat with top Hollywood composers Hans Zimmer
, James Newton Howard
and John Debney
. Baril became a freelance composer in 2009 after working under Radical Entertainment for 15 years.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He has composed music for over 20 titles. He is best known for his compositions for the Crash Bandicoot franchise, The Simpsons Hit & Run
The Simpsons Hit & Run
The Simpsons Hit & Run is an action-adventure video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons. It was released for the GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows in North America on September 16, 2003, In Europe and Australia on October 31, 2003 and in Japan on December 25, 2003...
and Scarface: The World Is Yours
Scarface: The World is Yours
Scarface: The World Is Yours is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The game is based on and is a quasi-sequel to the 1983 motion picture Scarface starring Al Pacino reprising his role as Tony Montana, with André Sogliuzzo providing Montana's...
.
Early life
Baril was born and raised in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His first instrument was a second-hand electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bought with savings from his paper route. His first band, The Spitfires, practiced in a laundry room where the washer
Washing machine
A washing machine is a machine designed to wash laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets...
and dryer
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
were part of their rhythm section. As a young adult, he traveled around the world for 5 years, and after a trip to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and South Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
that left him penniless, he landed in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in 1989 and followed a passion to study music. He was self-taught up until the time he obtained a diploma from the Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College is a public post-secondary institution in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, with over 140 certificate and diploma programs...
in Jazz guitar and Composition. He then pursued and received a Bachelor degree from the School of Music of the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in 1996.
Career
In 1993, Baril met a sound programmer from the then-small company Radical EntertainmentRadical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
during a jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
with a group of people and took up the sound programmer's offer to make music for a video game. Baril was contracted to compose the music for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
game Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures
Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures
Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures is a 1994 racing video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Accolade for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.-Summary:...
. The results were so satisfactory that Baril was offered a full-time job, becoming the first audio content creator hired at Radical Entertainment. In 2007 and 2008, Baril was commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra
Victoria Symphony
The Victoria Symphony is a Canadian orchestra based in Victoria, British Columbia. It is considered by some to be Vancouver Island's premiere active performing arts organization. Currently directed by Tania Miller - one of North America's first female musical directors - the staff consist of both...
. His music was performed by several local artists and ensembles and he recorded his music with full orchestras at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
's Newman stage in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and at the Mosfilm Studios
Mosfilm
Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. In July 2008 he was one of the twelve participants selected among hundreds of emerging composers worldwide to attend the exclusive and prestigious month-long ASCAP Television & Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis
Richard Bellis
Richard Bellis is notable as an Emmy Award winning composer for the mini-series "Stephen King's It." Bellis is a former President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, former governor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences a USC lecturer and the composer of music for numerous TV...
held in Los Angeles. There he had the opportunity to meet and chat with top Hollywood composers Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
and John Debney
John Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
. Baril became a freelance composer in 2009 after working under Radical Entertainment for 15 years.
Musical style and influences
Baril is known for writing catchy melodies as well as powerful and moving themes and although he has written and produced many electronic scores for games, he is equally comfortable and proficient in writing for orchestra in a more cinematic style.Video games
- Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the TopAl Unser Jr.'s Road to the TopAl Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top is a Super NES racing video game. The December 1994 issue of the American video gaming magazine GamePro gave this game a 4 out of 5 rating while the October 1994 issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment gave it a 60% rating.-Summary:In order to succeed in the...
(1994) - Beavis and Butt-headBeavis and Butt-head (video game)Beavis and Butt-head is a video game based on the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-head, revolving around the title characters' attempts to find the torn-up ticket pieces all over Highland to go to a GWAR concert, in the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version. In the SNES version, the plot involves of...
(1994) - Power Piggs of the Dark Age (1994)
- Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous AdventuresSpeed Racer in My Most Dangerous AdventuresSpeed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures is a 1994 racing video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Accolade for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.-Summary:...
(1994) - Independence DayIndependence Day (video game)Independence Day is a 1997 video game based on the movie of the same name. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation, PC, Sega Saturn, and Mobile.-Gameplay:...
(1997) - Dark SummitDark SummitDark Summit is a sports video game released by Radical Entertainment. The game simulates snowboarding.-Development:The initial lineup display of the game was announced on August 7, 2001....
(2001) - The Simpsons Road RageThe Simpsons Road RageThe Simpsons Road Rage is a 2001 video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is part of a series of games based on the show. It was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, and the GameCube...
(2001) - Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena (2002)
- The Simpsons Hit & RunThe Simpsons Hit & RunThe Simpsons Hit & Run is an action-adventure video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons. It was released for the GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows in North America on September 16, 2003, In Europe and Australia on October 31, 2003 and in Japan on December 25, 2003...
(2003) - Crash Tag Team RacingCrash Tag Team RacingCrash Tag Team Racing is a racing video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. A Nintendo DS version, which was to be developed by Sensory Sweep Studios rather than...
(2005) - with SpiralmouthSpiralmouthSpiralmouth is an a cappella group. The group is most famous for their original music for Vivendi Games's Crash Twinsanity. They also co-performed the soundtrack for Crash Tag Team Racing along with Marc Baril, and have a self-titled album featuring covers of songs by the Beatles, Sheryl Crow,...
and Michael Neilson - Scarface: The World Is YoursScarface: The World is YoursScarface: The World Is Yours is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The game is based on and is a quasi-sequel to the 1983 motion picture Scarface starring Al Pacino reprising his role as Tony Montana, with André Sogliuzzo providing Montana's...
(2006) - Crash of the TitansCrash of the TitansCrash of the Titans is an platform video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable , Wii and Xbox 360. The Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions of the game were developed by Amaze Entertainment...
(2007) - Crash: Mind over MutantCrash: Mind over MutantCrash: Mind over Mutant is a platform video game published by Sierra Entertainment and developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable , Wii and Xbox 360. The Nintendo DS version of the game was developed by TOSE...
(2008) - PrototypePrototype (video game)Prototype is an open world action video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision. The game was released in North America on June 9, 2009, and in southwestern parts of North America as well as Oceania on June 10, and was released in Europe on June 12.The game is set in New...
(2009) - with Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco - ModNation RacersModNation RacersModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated...
(2010) - SwarmSwarm (2011 video game)Swarm is an action-platform video game developed by Hothead Games and published by Ignition Entertainment. It was released March 22, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network and March 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade...
(2011)