David Arkenstone
A composer who paints vast sonic landscapes, blending new age serenity with epic fantasy scores for video games and television.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American composer and performer·Birthday: July 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Arkenstone didn't follow a traditional path to music; he taught himself multiple instruments, drawing inspiration from classical, folk, and rock to forge a distinctly cinematic sound. Emerging in the 1980s, his albums became cornerstones of the new age movement, offering instrumental narratives that felt like journeys through imagined worlds. This talent for evocative scene-setting naturally translated to other media, leading him to score themes for monumental video game franchises like 'World of Warcraft,' where his music helped define the atmosphere of Azeroth. His work extends to television events like the Kentucky Derby and even into unexpected territory like a heavy metal soundtrack for a 'Dune' game. With a catalog spanning dozens of albums and numerous award nominations, Arkenstone's career is a testament to building immersive universes not with images, but with sound.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has released over 50 albums, establishing himself as a major figure in instrumental and new age music.
- Composed iconic music for Blizzard Entertainment's 'World of Warcraft,' contributing to the game's epic ambiance.
- Earned five Grammy Award nominations for his instrumental compositions and albums.
- Created the orchestral and rock themes for NBC's coverage of the Kentucky Derby for many years.
Did You Know?
He composed the intense heavy metal soundtrack for the 2001 video game 'Emperor: Battle for Dune.'
Arkenstone is an avid player of video games, which he cites as an influence on his compositional style.
He often performs live with a keytar as part of his setup.
“I've always thought of my music as soundtracks for the imagination.”
