Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed for beginning and intermediate composers to dive into the world of video game music and help them understand the various approaches to composition, harmony, and instrumentation that help video game tracks augment and complete experiences. The course topics will be decided on by students, which will be expanded into lessons by the director.

The course will consist of asynchronous presentations and assignments. Students will be expected to watch the slides, videos, and complete the assignments at their own pace.

Recommendations For Success

It takes time and sustained effort to grow as a composer or orchestrator. Set aside a bit of time every day to write a bit of music, even if it's just a handful of minutes. If that doesn't work, try setting aside time on weekends. But try to make it a routine rather than a spontaneous effort.

On some days, you may feel very inspired and write a lot. On others, you might hesitate to commit anything to the page. That's okay! It's more important that you make a consistent effort, even if your output isn't always consistent.

Listening to music is integral to writing music, so find the time to listen to it. Even if it just means that you listen while doing chores or browsing the web, it will still help. If you want to maximize your benefits, set some time aside to focus on listening to music exclusively, and grab a score of the music to read along!

Learning Targets (Coming Soon!)

Rules

Be civil and respectful at all times, to all students.
Self-promotion is not allowed.
Spamming in chats or disrupting sessions is prohibited.
No NSFW or obsene content is allowed in chats.
Plagiarizing music, regardless of whether the source material is complete or not, is strictly prohibited.
Do not reveal personal information.
Excessive swearing is prohibited.
Messages must be in English unless specifically referencing a work that is in another language.