THE STRATEGY GUIDE The Official Newsletter for the Gamer Symphony Orchestra at the University of Maryland Issue 1 ~ Winter 2012/2013 GSO initiates IndieGoGo campaign to ease tuba troubles very rehearsal, all of the mem- $5, we would meet our bers of the Gamer Symphony goal,” said Jacob Cop- EOrchestra (GSO) set up their in- page-Gross, conductor and struments and get ready to practice… senior chemical engineering except for one. The tuba player sits major. without an instrument. Every semester The only instrument the GSO officers wonder where and that the GSO owns is a how the GSO will get a tuba for the drum set, and the universi- next concert. ty’s School of Music loans “The tuba is an instrument that other concert percussion is unparalleled in an orchestra,” said instruments and a piano. conductress Kira Levitzky. “It has the Other members must pro- power, strength and range that only vide their own instruments. a strange expensive instrument like a Previously, GSO tuba player Conductress Kira Levitzky, tuba player David Scherr and contralto clarinet, contra bassoon, or and junior biology major conductor Jacob Coppage-Gross want to raise excite- a tubax could even begin to think to David Scherr borrowed a ment about GSO’s tuba fundraiser. Photo by Mary Beck match. If it weren’t for the tuba, the pyr- tuba from Levitzky, who or so after everyone’s already been amid of sound that keeps the orchestra borrowed the tuba from a friend. rehearsing, and they expect you to be from sounding like a tinny 1930s pho- Because tubas boast a steep price right on par,” Scherr said. “It’s a hassle.” nograph player would be lost.” tag and high schools and universities The GSO relies on funding from Faced with this tuba problem and often provide an instrument to tuba the university and donations from fans, limited funds, the officers turned to In- players in for-credit ensembles, finding which barely covers yearly operating diegogo.com to raise money for a tuba. a tuba player who can provide his or costs. The GSO set $4,000 as the goal The GSO’s Indiegogo fundraiser runs her own instrument proves difficult. on Indiegogo’s website for a tuba. If the from Nov. 28 through Jan. 11. For this semester’s concert, Scherr donations surpass this goal, the GSO Indiegogo’s service allows any indi- paid out of pocket for a rental tuba. will use the money for regular oper- vidual or group to create a campaign to This marks the third semester since ating funds, such as renting rehearsal raise money for any goal. Donors may Scherr joined in the fall of 2010 that space. give any amount to the cause through he has not been able to play with the Donors can visit the campaign the website. group for the first half of the semester. website at http://www.indiegogo.com/ “If everyone at our concert gave “The issue is, you come in a month gsotuba. Arkenstone teams up with the GSO for new piece A Gamer Symphony Orchestra Nathan Gulla stepped up to the chal- arranger will again collaborate with a lenge and now works closely with video game composer for the spring Arkenstone on a World of Warcraft Inside This Issue: concert. arrangement. Three-time Grammy nominee Da- GSO arrangers collaborated with GSO’s Most Popular Songs...2 vid Arkenstone, a New Age artist and video game composers twice before. Spotlight: Chris Apple...... 2 video game composer, contacted the Chris Apple worked with “Civilization GSO’s president, Alex Ryan, about col- V” composer Geoff Knorr for the fall Fall Concert Review...... 3 laborating for an arrangement. Games 2011 concert, and Joe Wang worked Stay in Touch...... 3 such as “Emperor: Battle for Dune,” with Austin Wintory on “flOw” in “Blade Runner” and “Earth and Be- spring 2012. Wintory plans to submit MAGFest 2013 Panel...... 4 yond” feature his work. He also sits his work from “Journey” for the spring Spring 2013 Calendar...... 4 among the ranks of Blizzard Entertain- concert as well. ment’s composing team for the popu- To learn more about arranging for lar World of Warcraft series. the GSO, please contact Mary Beck at I GSO arranger and piano player [email protected]. 2 J The Strategy Guide GSO loves ! As of our most recent concert, the Gamer Symphony Orchestra has played 17 different arrangements featuring music from the Final Fantasy series, which makes it our most popular series to arrange for. This graph breaks down the top 10 games that the GSO draws arrangements from the most:

Source: GSO’s website, umd.gamersymphony.org. Graphic by Mary Beck. Spotlight: Chris Apple, GSO arranger turned composer ix years after first dis- orchestra instruments and covering the GSO, Chris where I could create arrange- SApple’s legacy with the ments, which are kind of like group speaks for itself. He compositions but kind of not. wrote the group’s first cho- . . . [GSO] introduced me to a ral arrangement based on lot of people who could per- music from “Halo,” served form my compositions, and as music director for three it introduced me to a lot of years, co-directed the choir people who taught me how for four years and arranged these instruments work so 12 songs in total for the GSO. I can make better composi- Apple’s work for the GSO tions. It introduced me to a also pushed him to pursue lot of friends who gave me his dream of composing vid- a constructive environment eo game soundtracks. Apple and who really support me. talked to The Strategy Guide Chris Apple poses with his girlfriend Hurley, a soprano, SG: You recently com- about composing and his who he met through the GSO. Photo by Mary Beck posed music for the in- work on the “Alcarys Com- die game “Alcarys Com- plex” soundtrack. it had been on-and-off a dream of mine. plex.” What was that like Strategy Guide: What instru- I always loved ever for you? ments do you play and which is since I played “Mega Man” when I was CA: [I composed] an album of folk mu- your favorite? four. I was so into it, and [I thought] sic. The creators of the game said they Chris Apple: I play guitar; I play so- maybe one day I’ll be a composer, may- wanted to go with folk music because prano, alto, tenor and bass recorder; be I won’t, and then eventually one day it was a genre that was almost never I play harmonica; I play a little bit of I was like, ‘No, I should definitely go for touched in video games. At first I was piano – badly – and I sing. It’s a toss- it.’ Even if it totally screws up and noth- like, ‘Hmm, I’ve never done that before,’ up between singing and playing guitar. I ing comes of it, I should just go for it, but then I said, ‘It’s money, let’s do it.’ think if I had to pick a favorite I would because it would be cool. There are 26 original folk songs on it, pick singing. SG: Did the GSO influence that totaling almost 80 minutes, covering a SG: When did you launch Chris decision? variety of moods. You have to have the Apple Studios? Has that always CA: I think so. I think GSO helped ominous music, victory music, the been a dream for you? give me an intermediary step be- battle music, you have to have all these CA: Officially, it launched January 2012. tween starting out with nothing and different moods as the story changes. Unofficially, I’ve been preparing for it churning out compositions. GSO gave about a year or two before that. I guess me a place where I could learn about Story continues on page 4. Winter 2012/2013 J 3 GSO draws crowd of 900 people for fall concert The Program t 2 p.m. Saturday, “Que Sera, Sera” – Small ensem- Dec. 1, the GSO ble piece arranged and performed by Aperformed for Chris Apple, Julius Verzosa, Gerald more than 900 people Butler and Eden Davis in Dekelboum Concert “Princess of Shadows (Twilight Hall, the Clarice Smith Princess)” – Orchestra and chorus Performing Arts Center piece arranged by Robert Garner (CSPAC)’s largest concert and Katie Noble hall. This was the GSO’s “Kirby Super Star” – Orchestra first concert since the and chorus piece arranged by Steve group performed at the O’Brien Smithsonian American Art “Donkey Kong, Opus 64” – Solo Museum as part of the Conductress Kira Levitzky addresses the crowd during the GSO’s Dec. 1 concert. Photo by James Ryan piano piece arranged and performed museum’s “Art of Video by Jacob Coppage-Gross Games” exhibit. First-time audience member Andrew “ Cross and Chrono The GSO’s first concert took place Michon, a freshman chemical engineer- Trigger Medley” – Orchestra piece in April 2006 in a classroom in CSPAC. ing major, favored the driving beat in arranged by Alex Song At that time, 20 musicians comprised “The Gerudo Temple.” “Glorious Morning” – Small the group. Now, the GSO boasts over “It was very epic-sounding,” Mi- ensemble piece arranged by Jacob 120 musicians, which includes a full chon said. “You could kind of feel a sto- Coppage-Gross choir. The vast majority of the GSO’s ry from it.” “The Gerudo Temple” – Orches- repertoire comes from members of Drew Star, a Montgomery College tra piece arranged by Doug Eber the ensemble who create the arrange- information systems student and GSO “Nightsong” – A cappella chorus ments themselves. trombonist, enjoyed the choir’s a cap- piece arranged by Julia Seeholzer The GSO performed 11 songs pella piece, “Nightsong.” during the two-hour concert, which “I personally could vision the qui- “The Ruined Futures of included fan favorites such as “Chrono et Elven forests,” he said. “Then as the Maplestory” – Orchestra piece Cross and Medley” and war drums started beating, I could arranged by Christopher Lee new pieces such as “Maria & Draco,” an picture the forest burning as waves of “Maria & Draco” – Orchestra and opera from the Final Fantasy series. bloodthirsty orcs invade, all the way to chorus piece arranged by Greg Cox Both audience members and en- the end of the piece in the climactic Encore: “Liberi Fatali” – semble members alike could visualize battle.” Orchestra and chorus piece arranged narratives from the music performed. Story continues on page 4. by Mike Charles and Andrew Bishop

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Our website: umd.gamersymphony.org Our email: [email protected] 4 J The Strategy Guide GSO to host workshop and panel at MAGFest The GSO will host a two-hour cover the group’s history, goals and will Jamolin, Towson GSO founder Jesse workshop at the 11th annual Music include a lengthy question and answer Mayer and Bryan Berclan of Magruder and Gaming Festival (MAGFest) in Bal- session for our fans to get to know High School’s GSO. timore, Md. The workshop will provide both the group and the individuals on In addition, the GSO sells more attendees the opportunity to play the the panel better.” than 50 MAGFest passes each year GSO’s arrangement of “Still Alive” from This year, MAGFest runs from to ensemble members, which makes “Portal” and live the video game or- Thursday, Jan. 3 through Sunday, Jan. 7. MAGFest the GSO’s largest social chestra experience. The GSO will also MAGFest representatives will release event. Peter English, a junior landscape host a discussion panel, titled “Gamer the date and time for the workshop management major, said he enjoys the Symphony Orchestra: Q&A&More.” and panel approximately a week before MAGFest culture and is excited to re- “We use [the panel] to advertise the event. turn with the GSO this year. and talk with our fans,” said Joel Gutt- The panel leaders include Gutt- “I like gaming and music and mu- man, a junior marketing major and the man, President Alex Ryan, conductress sic from games, and [MAGFest] is all of GSO’s vice president. “[The panel] will Kira Levitzky, choir conductor Kyle that,” he said. Spotlight: Chris Apple Fall Concert Continued from page 2. Continued from page 3. SG: Did you eventually get used to lucky. Austin Roche, a junior math major, composing folk music? SG: What advice do you have came to the concert excited to hear CA: At first it was really difficult. I was for people who want to start ar- “Princess of Shadows,” but found an- like, ‘What am I going to do without a ranging or composing for video other unexpected favorite. brass section?’ My dad really loves folk games? “I played ‘Chrono Trigger,’ but I music, so I said, ‘Give me all your mu- CA: Don’t quit your day job until peo- didn’t remember any of the music be- sic!’ ple are beating down your door to get ing that good, and I heard [‘Chrono SG: Where do you see Chris Ap- you to write their soundtrack. . . . Be Cross and Chrono Trigger Medley’] ple Studios in five years? creative, learn your equipment, do ex- and it was surprisingly good,” Roche CA: Hopefully in five years I’ll be doing perimental compositions to learn how said. Triple-A titles. I’ll get the “Call of Du- your stuff works. Read books about The audience demonstrated their ty”s or the “Halo”s or the big Japanese mixing and mastering. A lot of compos- appreciation for the performance with RPG titles. Indie games are cool, and ers overlook the technical side of it – two standing ovations: one after “Maria they give you a lot of freedom but it’s how to make audio files sound like a and Draco” and another after the en- hard to pay the bills with indie games, professional rendition. A lot of people core, “Liberi Fatali.” and it’s hard to progress with indie will judge your mix on how profession- “I would totally recommend it to games. You have to get super, super al it sounds. . . . Don’t get discouraged! all of my gaming friends,” Roche said.

Spring 2013 Calendar - Save the dates! Want to form your own Jan. 3 - 7: MAGFest! Come visit the GSO’s panel and workshop! GSO? Jan. 11: The GSO’s tuba campaign ends - be sure to donate before then! If you or someone you know April ??: Keep your eye our for the date of the GSO’s is interested in starting a GSO annual Deathmatch for Charity event. Come join a video game at your high school or college, tournament to benefit Children’s National Medical Center! we can help! Send us an email April 27: The GSO will perform for Maryland Day. at [email protected] May 4: The GSO’s spring concert. and we can help you get the ball rolling. I

Written, edited and designed by the GSO’s Music Director, Mary Beck