Music School Lecturer and Friend of the CVGA Matt Thompson dropped by to tell us that his popular course Music Performance 300: Video Game Music will once again be offered this fall:
MusPerf 300: Video Game Music
This course charts the evolution of video game music from the first synthesized “bleeps” and “bloops” of early games, through the rise and fall of the video arcade, to the nearly ubiquitous games/consoles found in most households, and the latest craze-causing games on mobile devices. In-class discussions will provide methods for simple analysis of game audio, consider the interactive nature of game audio, and examine the composers who create this music and how they do it. Class sessions will also include Skype Q&As with industry experts. In lieu of formal written papers, your contribution to a listening blog will create a vibrant online community. The course culminates with a creative final project: your composition of video game music. Examined music includes games/series: Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Punch Out, Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, Myst, Diablo, BioShock, Red Dead Redemption, Farmville, Angry Birds, DDR, Guitar Hero, LA Noire, and many others, as well as game music of class choice. This course is designed for non-music majors, thus: the ability to read standard music notation is neither required nor advantageous. 4-5 pm Tues/Thurs. Central Campus: Chem 1200. 2 credits. For more information contact Matthew Thompson: mattthom@umich.edu