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Laura Intravia is living the video game music lover's dream

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Top Score: Laura Intravia (5-minute version)
Laura Intravia
Flutist Laura Intravia, whose creative approach to playing and scoring music for video games has won her widespread acclaim.
Courtesy the artist

Laura Intravia's life narrative is something out of a video game music lover's dream. Starting young, she began transcribing tunes by ear at age ten. After years of music classes and countless rounds played on Legend of Zelda, her big break came when she mixed her love of musicianship with her passion for gaming at a cosplay convention's talent show. Dressed as Zelda, and wielding her flute, she blew the audience away with an original skit and flute routine. Thanks to a camera in the audience, the video founds its way onto YouTube and made waves in the video game community.

A short while later, and just a few months before graduating from Ithaca College's music program, she received a phone call from Tommy Tallarico, the producer of Video Games Live. After watching her "Flute Link" video online, he offered her a place in the internationally-touring production, and she never looked back. She toured the world for four and a half years, performing before thousands.

Since then, Intravia has gone on to perform the premier of the recently-opened Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions concert series. In her own words, it's "a really incredible symphonic experience." Arranging for Austin Wintory, giving music lessons (ranging from history to ear training) online, and winning vocal composition awards can all be found on Laura's resume. And she's just getting started.

Take a listen to this musician, teacher, composer, and video game enthusiast's interview with Emily, and you will see that she has no intention of slowing down.

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