FamilyJules is a man that needs no introduction. If you’ve been in the VGM community for any period of time, you’ve likely heard his name mentioned several times over. I consider him the Metallica of VGM, inspiring countless guitarists to start uploading their own video game covers. His impact on the VGM world isn’t just measured in views or subscribers—it’s measured in the people that he has inspired to join this wonderful community.

When did you first realize your passion for video game music? Was there a specific game or soundtrack that you fell in love with?

When I was really young, video game and film music always left a greater impression on me than other types of music. For some reason, I didn’t latch onto music unless it was fed to me through a game. I was listening to basic pop music until I discovered other genres through games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX.

When I was a kid, though, I remember driving teachers crazy humming the music to Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64, and the like. I was really in love with all of it.

Why do you find video game music so enjoyable?

Probably because back then, I'd be stuck in a level, hearing the same song so many times that it really imprinted on me. At a young age, I think you're way less susceptible to being annoyed by repetitive music, plus you're so much more impressionable. 

I’d say this really laid the foundation for my lifelong love of video game music.

When did you attempt your first video game cover? Did you release it online?

By the time I had picked up the guitar, I wasn't really playing a lot of games at the time, but I remembered the music to F-Zero X and made a goal to be able to play that stuff. 

A few years later, I got the idea to make a video game medley in GarageBand, but I never released that...I don't even remember what was in it. Shortly after that, I made a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Warp Song Medley that was recorded very crudely (a distortion pedal directly into the mic jack of my computer with Guitar Pro drums, haha). I made a video for the track in Windows Movie Maker with clips from the game and uploaded that in early 2010. After I decided to start recording myself playing guitar, which would have been my Goldeneye Medley, I deleted all the videos on the channel prior to that since that was the format I wanted to follow.

When did you first discover the VGM community? Who were some of the first artists that you remember?

It was actually before I started uploading. I was inspired to start by CSGuitar89, and I was also aware of a few other people like ToxicxEternity and MetalDaniel03. Back in 2010, the VGM community was scarce and scattered among genres. The people doing metal were a bit removed from the other people and genres, but ten years later, it definitely feels like there are more metal covers than any other genre.

When did you start releasing covers online?

I uploaded that Warp Song medley in early 2010, but I really started to take things seriously starting with the summer of 2010 after the Goldeneye Medley. I've been releasing weekly content since then with just a few breaks. 

How did you come up with the name FamilyJules7x?

Family Jules was something an old friend of mine called me in high school, which was around the time I created the channel, although it was quite a few years before I decided to use the channel for covers. The 7x is a reference to the band who got me into playing metal,  Avenged Sevenfold.

Can you describe the early days of your channel. What was your process, if you had one? Did you have any plan to build something bigger?

It was originally a channel where I just posted random videos. I put a few music projects up and some live music videos. One of the live videos reached 3,000 views, so I thought it'd be good to keep posting to build momentum. Of course, back in 2008, that number was much more substantial than it is now. Then, I started uploading video game covers regularly starting with the Goldeneye Medley, and once I saw people were coming for those covers, I deleted the other videos and decided to make the channel exclusively video game covers. 

What was your first collaboration? Describe that process.

My first collaboration was organized many months before I even made any music videos. I had hit up CSGuitar89 saying I'd love to collaborate if he was down, even providing a full arrangement of what I'd like to do. He agreed, which was not what I expected since he had no idea how I would sound. We actually waited a bit before finishing it up, and I'm glad we did because I'm still really pleased with how the video turned out.

What is your favorite part about collaborating?

I really like getting to know how other people work. It's cool working with other people's audio and learning about how other people would work with mine. When you do everything on your own, you can kind of create an echo chamber at times, which can stunt your skill, and collaboration really can break you out of that.

Are there any artists that you want collaborate with, but haven't?

Plenty, but it's hard to say because I really like to do collaborations with people who I feel could contribute something interesting to an arrangement I'm planning. Also, I find it’s easiest to transfer files physically, which I why I usually go with the people I live with or people I see often at cons.

Who are some of your favorite artists currently in the VGM community?

I've been a huge fan of Sapphire recently, and I also love my good friends Adriana Figueroa, insaneintherainmusic, Sab Irene, and ToxicxEternity. I also really love recent stuff from channels like DonutDrums, David Ramos, Jonny Atma...the list is way too long, and I'm inevitably going to miss literally hundreds of channels that I watch. 

What inspired you to do the FamilyJules Cover Contest in 2014? What was your reaction to the number of entries?

My channel had grown past what I thought was possible, so I felt like it would be a cool opportunity to do something involving the people who were watching. I really liked the idea of a contest, but I didn't like judging something as subjective as music. I couldn't think of any other way to do it than to pose it as more as a challenge with the incentive that contestants would be judged. I challenged people to make a long-form medley in a week's time, yet seeing the over 100 qualifying entries was quite unexpected as I figured the time frame would be too tight for that many people to participate. 

When did you realize that recording video game covers could be a profession for you? Were you nervous about being financially dependent on a platform like YouTube?

I don't actually remember. I had a work-at-home job for my first few years of being on YouTube which slowly petered out, so I didn't really have a jump-ship moment like many others have. At a certain point, I guess I felt I was making enough to switch over and just did it! I think moving to San Diego was the first real moment that it started feeling like it was sustainable for the future. 

What has been the proudest moment(s) for you as a musician?

Definitely seeing my name in the credits for Cadence of Hyrule. That was the peak for me. 

As a frequent attendee of the Music and Gaming Festival (MAGFest), what is your favorite part about attending that convention?

There's a really cool vibe at MAGFest. Being a 24-hour convention, it always feels like a party, and there are so many different groups of people that go and thrive there. There's really something for everyone at any given point of any day. No other con is like that for me.

What is your favorite part about being a musician and online creator?

I think the best part is knowing that no matter what else I would be doing with my life, I'd have been wishing I was doing this. I'm really lucky to have been able to make this work since I always knew I wanted to do something with music. The fact that I've been able to marry both my passions is truly amazing, and I'm insanely grateful everyday.

What are your biggest fears as a musician and online creator?

I think there's a constant pressure of my work being tied to my name and personality. With other jobs, you represent a company, but working for and representing yourself brings a heightened level of responsibility because of the stakes. I've always been afraid of representing myself in a way that didn't reflect the kind of person I am and having that hurt my image and the people around me. For that reason, I always try to be careful, respectful, thoughtful, and real with everything I put out.

What are your larger goals for yourself and your channel moving forward?

I'd love to be working on more music outside of my channel. I'm super happy with the quality of my videos, and I'm in a really cool place where I'm learning a lot about music production that makes me feel like I'm growing. Because of that, I'm comfortable branching out into doing more original music, game composition, video content, and more!

If you could give one piece of advice to yourself when you started, what would it be?

Just because something seems like it works, doesn't mean it's a rule. In the chaotic landscape that online musicians face, it can be easy to try and formulate a code to live and work by, but if you're too set in your ways, you don't give yourself the room to grow. Step out of your comfort zone and accept failure with open arms instead of trying play it too safe.

What do you think about the current state of the VGM community?

It is huge now, and it’s way more difficult to stand out now than it once was. It takes someone doing something truly different for a very long time to make a career out of it. Nonetheless, there has never been a better time to join if you're looking to learn about making music and make great friends. The VGM community is one of the least toxic, most inviting, and friendliest communities on YouTube and beyond, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here!

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