First, best to comment on the end of the semester. In the final few weeks-- even month-- of the course, we shift the focus to the compositional process. How does one get ideas for composing game music? What are tools (software and hardware) and techniques that might make sense? What are different kinds of pieces that the students might create (for instance, an orchestral mock-up for a scene versus music for a game trailer)? How do the realities of various game situations cause the music to be modified (limits of mobile audio or ideas about implementing audio into games)? Every semester I show Garageband a bit in class as well as have a PAT major (think music technology) show Logic as well as some basic recording techniques. Since I was teaching the course for the second time around, I was also able to show some past examples of final project highlights and flops.
Here's a picture from the class. UM sent the wonderfully talented Peter Smith to take some pictures for SMTD's bi-annual magazine, The Muse. Here's a great one I love of the class while one of the students is showing off his game creation.
Other than the composing study, which is a good three or four classes, we also examine mobile/social game audio as well as games/topics of students' choice. The course almost becomes cyclical in a way, because many of the limitations faced by early pioneers in the game audio world are a part of the mobile industry now: must be able to play with the sound off, very small space for audio in the overall game design, etc. The other great thing at the end of the year is the chance for me to learn about games from the students. Because I've gamified the course, I have an award for the high score holder-- a throwback to the arcade era-- where they HSH is allowed to choose some games or topics that we examine in class. This year's choices included LittleBigPlanet, Monument Valley, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and the idea of creating chip tunes. The LittleBigPlanet was especially a treat for me since I'm FaceBook friends with Winifred Phillips after GameSoundCon and have been seeing these dolls on her feed without having any idea what they are... and now I do! Especially cool too was that LittleBigPlanet 2 uses A Fifth of Beethoven, as does Frantic Freddie, which we looked at earlier in the semester. I especially love the feeling of coming around to the same themes in different games toward the end of the year.
The final day of class is definitely one of the most wild as well as one of my favorites. I bring in a game console from the video game library and we all play some games together pausing every so often to analyze the audio live. This year I brought a Wii U with Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros. One of the coolest things was that kids were able to pull out their DS and join into the gameplay of SSB with those controllers! I didn't even need more than 4 controllers, and we easily had eight players, which was both crazy and amazing! It's a great way to end the year and symbolic of how I hope they'll keep thinking about game audio critically as they continue to play in the future.
Undoubtedly, the best part of the end of the semester is for me to hear the students composition projects, which I call Composition Quests! (We're playing a game after all, not drudging through the end of the semester.) Almost everyone finds the creative process rewarding, albeit frustrating at times, and a release from the rest of the work they're expected to do at that point in the school year. It's a pleasure for me to hear them all and I take time to make feedback to everyone, although this makes for a daunting multi-day headphones on in lock down mode with the computer situation for me. Some are definitely more creative than others in terms of making the projects personal and customized, whether via midi or better orchestra libraries. Others sound a little more generic because of the loop libraries used to build the projects or just sound crazy because of a lack of musical knowledge. I have to say, though, year after year I'm a bit blown away by the level of the projects and the creativity in them. More students than ever said they thought about having structure to their piece, various sections and different instrumentation because of our class discussions. These are huge wins for everyone who takes the class.
All in all, I'd say the class was a huge success. I hope to improve it even more when I teach it next year, particularly exploring the idea of incorporating even more musical analysis into the class as well as a mini-composition project before the final. Plus plenty of more small details to consider. We'll see what churns out of the sieve in a few months when I've had more time to process it. I'll also post the course syllabus as I taught the class this semester soon. I'm going to be sorry to lose contact with many of the students (though a few friended me on FB at the end of the semester), but that's the circle of life in academia. I'm already excited for the next round of students to come through.
In a the omnipresent "spirit of lists," one of the questions I'm asked often when I talk about the course is what software students use to create their game audio. UM is fortunate to have some professional DAWs in various areas of the school as well as serious space for students to create. However, other students use their laptops, phones, or other equipment they own and get great results too. I kept a list of software that the students used to create their composition projects and present it below with the hopes that it might help others who are intimidated about where to start. Many of these programs are free, at least in a trial version to explore:
Native Instruments' Maschine Software
Noteflight
Abelton
GarageBand
Acid Music Studio
Finale Notepad
LMMS
Wavosaur
Pulseboy
Famitracker
Cubase
Ozone
Logic Pro X
Music Maker Jam
dskmusic.com
MainStage 3
Pro Tools
Renoise
Goldwave
FL Studio
Reaper
Adobe Audition
looperman.com
Hydrogen
Propellerhead Reason
Anvil Studio
