Industry Insiders Set for SFCM's GAME ON! Tonight

Musicians considering a career in the flourishing field of video game and film music will get a primer from industry insiders at Game On!, a free event hosted by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music tonight, November 25 at 6:30 p.m.

A collaboration between SFCM, the American Composers Forum and Game Audio Network Guild, Game On! will serve as an entertaining, information-packed forum for ideas about creating music for new audiences and breaking into a rapidly evolving industry.

Composers are invited to submit recordings for a "demo derby" critique led by veteran game composers Clint Bajakian (God of War, Uncharted: Golden Abyss), Lennie Moore (Rising Storm, Outcast) and Dren McDonald (Transformers: Age of Extinction The Official Game, Ghost Recon Commander).

A live performance will feature string quartet arrangements of scores by game and film composers including Moore, McDonald, Austin Wintory (flOw, Journey) and SFCM composition department chair David Conte. Other guests include Jonathan Mayer, senior music manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, Mike Morasky, director and programmer at Valve software and entertainment company and game composer Jesse Harlin (Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Gallant Captain).

Game On! coincides with the launch of SFCM's new Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program, an undergraduate major combining the Conservatory's rigorous curriculum in composition with training in cutting-edge technology and techniques in film and video game scoring. Game On! speaker Dren McDonald, whose work on more than 40 game titles has reached millions of players worldwide, will serve as visiting industry faculty and a program advisor. As small game developers dramatically increase opportunities in the field, McDonald says Conservatory-trained composers will have a leg up on the competition, but only if they also possess essential technical know-how. "You have to not only be the composer but you have to be the orchestrator, you have to be the person who creates the mock-ups and understands sample libraries and your digital audio workstation and then on top of all that technology you have to understand how it's going to fit in the game."

MaryClare Brzytwa, chair of the new TAC program and associate dean of new media and music technology, says the Conservatory's prime position in San Francisco makes it an ideal hub where the arts and tech industries can meet. "I am so excited to see the thriving community of video game music professionals we have here in the Bay Area come together and witness the skills and creativity of our SFCM composers. It will be a joy to watch these demos, many of which have been created in our new state-of-the-art production studios, and have our students hear the insights of industry professionals who make creativity and music their livelihood."

In addition to the "demo derby" critique, Game On! will feature a panel discussion with Morasky, Mayer and Harlin on the topic "Games We Care About: Game Audio Inspiration." Student performers will include Abigail Shiman, violin, Katie Von Braun, violin, Erica Zappia, viola, and Helen Newby, cello.

Composers who would like to have their demos critiqued at Game On! may submit their work by midnight, November 16, to rbrown@sfcm.edu for consideration. Follow this link for submission guidelines. The event takes place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street, San Francisco. For current information on all Conservatory events, visit www.sfcm.edu.

About The San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Founded in 1917, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music is the oldest conservatory in the American West and has earned an international reputation for producing musicians of the highest caliber. Notable alumni include violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Isaac Stern, conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, soprano Elza van den Heever, Blue Bottle Coffee founder James Freeman and Ronald Losby, President, Steinway & Sons-Americas, among others. The Conservatory offers its approximately 400 collegiate students fully accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in composition and instrumental and vocal performance. Its Pre-College Division provides exceptionally high standards of musical excellence and personal attention to more than 580 younger students. The Conservatory's faculty and students give nearly 500 public performances each year, most of which are offered to the public at no charge. Its community outreach programs serve over 1,600 school children and over 11,000 members of the wider community who are otherwise unable to hear live performances. The Conservatory's Civic Center facility is an architectural and acoustical masterwork, and the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall was lauded by The New York Times as the "most enticing classical-music setting" in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.sfcm.edu.

About the Technology and Applied Composition program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music: The Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program combines an exceptional conservatory curriculum with cutting-edge production practices in concert music, sound design and film and video game scoring. SFCM's outstanding academic and industry faculty provide TAC majors with an unparalleled foundation for success in the diverse and evolving music industry. Program highlights include professional quality recording labs and sound studios sponsored by Meyer Sound, sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs; collaborative projects with leading Bay Area media companies including Electronic Arts and Skywalker Sound; and certification credentials in the most relevant software applications. By providing superlative teaching, industry expertise and state-of-the-art facilities on a campus situated at the artistic and high-tech crossroads of San Francisco, SFCM offers a unique experience for undergraduates considering a career in music and technology. For more on the program, visit www.sfcm.edu/tac and watch this video introduction.