Lawrence Schwedler
Lawrence Schwedler
Lawrence Schwedler's LinkedIn profile picture
Super Mario–related roles Composer, audio director

Lawrence Schwedler is an audio director and composer who currently works at the DigiPen Institute of Technology. Between April 1999 and July 2012, he worked at the Nintendo Software Technology Corporation where he collaborated with James Phillipsen to produce the soundtrack for titles such as Metroid Prime Hunters and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series and provided sound support for titles by other developers such as Rhythm Heaven Fever.

CareerEdit

Schwedler joined Nintendo Software Technology in 1998 as the company's first full-time audio director after seeing an advertisement for the position on Gamasutra.[1] Within the first few months of working there,[1] he would also begin teaching the sound design course at DigiPen, which was located in the same building. Schwedler composed the music for Nintendo Software Technology's early titles including Bionic Commando: Elite Forces, Pokémon Puzzle League, 1080° Avalanche, and Wave Race: Blue Storm before working on Mario vs. Donkey Kong. As it was the first of a new series, Schwedler recalled the experience and the idea of working on a Super Mario game to be exciting but daunting at first, but was relieved when Shigeru Miyamoto and Koji Kondo were strongly open to his ideas and gave him extensive creative freedom.[2]

Schwedler would compose for the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series until 2012 when he left Nintendo Software Technology to join DigiPen full-time, where he headed the launch of two sound design bachelor's degree programs, the music department, and the on-campus Mathews Sound Lab and recording studio. In early 2022, Schwedler received a call from Nintendo asking if he would adapt his compositions in Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the Nintendo Switch remake, which he accepted. Schwedler recorded the soundtrack with the DigiPen music department throughout 2023, describing the project as a "full-circle moment" and keeping the project a secret from his students as being one of its biggest challenges.[2]

Super Mario-related worksEdit

As a composerEdit

As a voice actorEdit

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit