To end the first day, Associated Production Music and Four Bars Intertainment invited more than 50 of the game industry‘s top composers and developers down to Gordon Biersch for a night of slammin‘ good fun. Good food, good drink, and damn fine company. It was a networker‘s paradise, but it felt more like a college reunion…one where all the cool people showed up.

Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall were there, a couple days away from Video Games Live and with a 9 a.m. panel the next morning. We ran into Tom Salta, who was profiled in Mix for Red Steel but was anxiously awaiting Thursday‘s release of Ghost Recon 2. Dori Amarillo said between composing gigs he was designing rooms for fellow composers working at home. Rod Abernethy was at our table, and Gerard Marino was right next door. Robert Navarro, who works for APM, was telling us about his ESPN Monday Night Football work and his fondness for sports, while Doyle Donehoo touted the benefits of SONAR and expressed his desire to let the Mix audience know what it really takes to write music for games.

The positive, forward-thinking vibe, the sense of community among this crowd, was infectious. APM president Adam Taylor and marketing director Sharon Jennings co-hosted a great party, and their affection and respect for the composers was evident; they have obviously done this before. A great party all around.