I had a wonderful time last week, speaking before a lively and enthusiastic audience at the Society of Composers & Lyricists seminar, “Inside the World of Game Music.” Organized by Greg Pliska (board member of the SCL NY), the event was moderated by steering committee member Elizabeth Rose and attended by a diverse audience of composers and music professionals. Also, steering committee member Tom Salta joined the discussion remotely from his studio via Skype.
Towards the beginning of the evening, I was asked how I got my first big break in the game industry. While I’d related my “big break” experience in my book, A Composer’s Guide to Game Music, it was fun sharing those memories with such a great audience, and I’ve included a video clip from that portion of the seminar.
After the event, we all headed over to O’Flanagan’s Irish Pub for great networking and good times at the official NYC SCL/Game Audio Network Guild G.A.N.G. Hang. I especially enjoyed sharing some stories and getting to know some great people there! Thanks to everyone who attended the SCL NYC seminar!
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be speaking in New York City on a panel entitled “Inside the World of Game Music.” The event is hosted by the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and moderated the distinguished NY SCL Steering Committee member Elizabeth Rose.
The panel will consist of myself and game composer Tom Salta, well known for his work on the Ghost Recon and H.A.W.X. series of games. We’ll be talking about our creative process as game composers. Here’s the official description of the seminar from the event’s web site:
These days, many top music composers who have been scoring film and TV are lending their talents to our newest media: video games. Using everything from full orchestras to digital instruments, this is a fascinating new creative field which turns the rules of composing sideways. Video games have earned more in revenue than film and TV combined, according to some reports. It is a bright, highly creative and competitive field. Please join us for this entertaining panel led by two of our most successful game composers who will demonstrate how they make musical magic happen in this fascinating “one-click” digital world.
Hosted by the New York chapter of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, this event is part of their ongoing seminar series. As an organization that supports and champions the interests of music creators, the society offers lots of informational resources that delve into the creative and business aspects of writing music and lyrics for film and television. They also make efforts to improve workplace and working conditions for their members, encourage a sense of community through the establishment of online forums, and proactively reach out to producers to facilitate productive communication and collaboration with the society’s members.
In 2008, the Society of Composers & Lyricists released a short video describing the mission of the organization. Here is television composer Dan Foliart, describing the society in his own words when he was the president of the organization:
It’s an honor to participate in the SCL’s seminar series and speak about game music to the New York Chapter! The event will take place on February 9th, starting at 6:30pm. If you’d like to attend, you can register here.
