As finals week approaches, in addition to studying, a student club of about 150 gathers to play the video game “Snake Eater.” metal gear solid 3title theme. Octopath Traveler”, “Summit Battle” Pokemon Sun Moon.
Listening to video game music can often come with a stigma. But at RIT, the hugely popular Game Symphony Orchestra often gathers to share and have fun with their passion for game soundtracks through musical performances.
On Monday nights, from 8 to 10 p.m., students from each of RIT's colleges bring their instruments to full orchestra practice to perform songs such as “The End Lies Ahead.” xenoblade chronicles A medley of games like skyrim. Many students stay late to play in ensembles and practice songs with fewer instruments. Students also perform section practice on similar instruments, which adds up to an additional two hours of practice time for him each week.
There are many difficult tasks involved in running a smooth orchestra, but Ben Kukos-Wiley, a fourth-year game design development major and orchestra conductor from Takoma Park, Maryland, believes his main goals are: One says: Enjoy the music. He also talked about what draws people to the club and why it maintains such a strong membership.
“People come to the orchestra because they want to play game music, but they stay here because they've found a community,” Kukoswiley said.
Although the GSO calls itself an orchestra, it plays several genres of music, including jazz and string works like “Hornet.” hollow knightHe also performs several ballads, such as “Bakabattai'' from “Bakabattai.'' Yakuza 0, In the past. They're willing to experiment with just about any video game song.
Gabi Johnston, a fourth-year graphic design major and GSO president from Easton, Conn., shared the process by which the orchestra's electronic board selects the songs to perform at the end-of-semester concert.
“We usually do music selection during breaks between each semester, because we don't just sit down and ask if the music is well orchestrated, but also if it's relevant. , because you have to decide whether people will like it, and also whether it's appropriate, whether it's a game that people know, whether it's a game that people know, and because you have to consider different skill levels, so it's very interesting to play. to determine whether it is difficult or not,” Johnston explained.
RIT's campus seems like the perfect environment for an orchestra to thrive.
“We're more than just a technical college. You can find the intersection of your interests. I really love playing video games and playing music, and it's a unique opportunity for both of these niche interests to intersect. That’s great,” Johnston said.
The orchestra holds a concert near the end of the semester, but also offers other ways for students to get involved, such as attending a release party for a recently released video game. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.
The next concert is April 28th. You can view past Game Symphony Orchestra concerts on our YouTube channel.
