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Dren McDonald
Composer/Music Producer/Sound Designer
Dren McDonald is a composer and sound designer currently working at Windup Minds, where he is involved in creating music and overseeing audio for various digital experiences, particularly in the gaming industry. His expertise spans a wide range of media, including video games, film, advertising, and virtual reality (VR) projects.
Professional Background
McDonald has an extensive portfolio, having composed scores for notable video games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Ghost Recon Commander, and Transformers: Age of Extinction The Game. He has received multiple accolades for his work, including three Game Audio Network Guild Awards for his score in Gathering Sky and a win for "Best Game Cover Song" in 2014.1
In addition to his work in gaming, McDonald has scored films, including the documentary The Edge of Success, which was featured at the Cinequest Film Festival in 2019. He has also contributed to VR animations and AR projects, demonstrating his versatility across different media formats.13
Education and Teaching
Beyond composition, Dren McDonald has experience in education, having taught graduate-level music courses at institutions such as the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.1
Current Role
At Windup Minds, McDonald plays a crucial role in shaping the auditory landscape of their projects, contributing to the company's mission of creating engaging and meaningful digital experiences.23
Highlights
About 10 years ago I was lucky to be part of the 1st CS:GO Music Kit that ever launched. And now my 3rd Music Kit is part of Counter-Strike 2 in the Masterminds II Music Kit box set, which includes several fabulous composers such as Sam Marshall, Daniel Sadowski, Austin Wintory, Matt Levine, Tim Huling, Ben Bromfield, and Tree Adams. The kit went live in CS2 yesterday and the soundtrack is on all streaming services (stereo and atmos mixes). Thanks to Valve for inviting me back for another round - we always get to compose whatever the heck we want for these things, challenging the ideas of which type of music works in a team shooter. This time I was inspired by Balkan brass street music, and coaxed some local brass folks from Balkan bands like Inspector Gadjé and Fanfare Zampeleta to help out on this. Here's a video for the first song in my kit, "Coffee! Kofé! Kahveh!" (yes coffee 3X!)
I have a full length ambient music record coming out next month, and 2 singles have recently been released in anticipation of the full length. Grateful for Electronica UK's coverage of the 1st single, thanks y'all! The singles are available on streaming, YT and Bandcamp (Atmos on AppleMusic/Tidal for those who care about such things).
