In trying times, art keeps us connected to a long-term perspective of optimism that can be clouded by short-term stress. To do my part, in the coming weeks I’m going to present pieces whose moods are more uplifting or positive. (Don’t worry, I have plenty of horror and action music to share once real life feels calmer.)

This week’s cue comes from my score for the film Against Time, and accompanies a romantic moment amidst a gorgeous bucolic backdrop.

Written for a cemetery scene in the film The F-Zone, this cue is somber but has some lyrical qualities as well. In the middle section I harmonize a solo flute with four basses, rather than the more conventional approach of using all the low strings. It’s an interesting sound, almost medieval, and distinctly funereal.

This week’s music comes with a happy launch announcement: Down the Rabbit Hole, a game whose score I composed last year, has posted its trailer video in anticipation of a March release.

The game is billed as a prequel to Alice in Wonderland, and involves an adventurous girl (not Alice) navigating through Lewis Carroll’s imaginative world in search of a lost pet. It’s a virtual reality game, so you’ll need a device like an Oculus or Viveport for the full experience.

Anyway, onto what you all care about most, which is music. Today you can hear the trailer score, which reflects the game’s impish fairly tale aesthetic. Or better yet check out the trailer video to hear it in context!