The Sound of Cherry Groves

What does a cherry grove sound like? If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon this biome once the Trails & Tales update releases, then beneath the buzz of bees and the occasional baah of sheep, you’ll hear something very special: a new piece of ambient music. But what melody does serenity have? And how do you turn falling petals into a piano score? That’s what we’re asking Aaron Cherof, the composer for the Trails & Tales update, as we dig deep into the enchanting sounds of the new cherry grove biome. 

Listening to this track and following bees between the trees is how I’m going to spend 80% of my time once the update releases (the other 20% will be spent building the pink cottage I’ve always dreamed of). This is what makes composing music for Minecraft different compared to other games, Aaron says, because players are often left alone with their own thoughts and actions.

“Minecraft is notable in terms of its music because at times it’s more about the absence of sound than the presence of it. Even when there is in-game music the score is reserved in terms of rhythm and percussion. That’s the opposite to most games, which pack audio at you constantly to try and make you feel a certain way.”

“I was thinking specifically about Tove Jansson’s Moominland Midwinter. The original story – which I read on quiet shifts at a bookshop back in college – is about Moomintroll’s journey, where he combats his loneliness to find new friends and experiences in winter. The story really stuck with me, and I wanted to capture these feelings: where Moomintroll wakes up in a familiar but foreign world, and that solitude, along with the mystery of the unknown that sits at the heart of Minecraft.

One of the other things that inspired me so much on this project was how community is at the heart of Minecraft, and it feels like the game is such a collaborative effort between the development team and its gaming community."

“Mojang Studios gave me a lot of freedom with this piece, which I was really humbled by. They were great collaborators and gave helpful, creative feedback throughout the process. They encouraged me to push and pull on the dynamics more, and in some spots they suggested changes to the instrumentation. Overall it felt like smooth sailing with the composition and construction of the piece, and I’m really grateful that I was able to express so much of my own voice through this soundtrack.”

Ah, I see now where I’ve gone wrong on my Realm. Next time, I’ll volunteer to be the one that goes to the Nether (I just can’t promise I’ll come back with anything in my inventory). 

"I’ve joked in the past about calling my compositional method “building bridges to nowhere”! I usually write music in linear chunks, where I fully develop 8-16 bars of music at a time, and I learn where it’ll goes from there as I write it. Often I’ll start with an opening that builds up slowly, then I’ll have an idea for a transitional section, and then another transitional section, and I end up with these musical ideas that constantly venture forward without always looping back to where they started.”

As a pianist primarily, Aaron often composes most of his work on the piano before translating it into other instruments. “If I’m aiming for a specific feel or vibe, I might come up with a soundscape first and leave some space carved out for a melody to come in later, but melodies are often the first thing I come up with. So I’ll build everything else up around it to support the lead instrument.”

“Most of what I played growing up were JRPGs for SNES and PS1, so when I started writing music around age 11-12, I was deeply influenced by the soundtracks to Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross and the Final Fantasy games. Later, in my teens, I spent more time listening to video game soundtracks than anything else I could find in record stores.

I knew I wanted to write music for games but had no idea how to get into it. Then in the late 2000s/early 2010s indie games were becoming popular, which was great because those games were made by people in my community that I could get involved with!”

Aaron became engaged with the Seattle indie game developer community and participated in game jams such as Ludum Dare, Molyjam, and TIGJam where he met people to collaborate with. At the same time, he was getting involved with game remixes and putting out his own music – such as Anagnorisis, which he released in 2015 – an album that led him to work with Ben Driscoll / @daisyowl and John Guerra / @johndaguerra on Sunshine Heavy Industries (Rocket Rat Games). 

I am inspired every day by my Realm mates, who share their building talents with me and show me time and again that there are always more things you can do with a trapdoor! Aaron played Minecraft when it first released in Alpha, and was surprised to see how much the Overworld had changed when he stepped back into the game for this project.

“It’s been astonishing to see how much the game has grown. I think it’s important for games like Minecraft to exist, because they bring people together. I’m humbled and honored to have been approached to write the score for Trails & Tales, and I’m really excited to see what it inspires players to create together.”