16 - An Inside Look at Performing at the Awards Show with 88bit
The String Revolution
18 - Electrifying the G.A.N.G. Awards with an Epic Guitar Trio Medley
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
20 - Performs at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards
COVER STORY Navigating The Music Universe
24 - Steve Schnur’s Stellar Career
G.A.N.G. Awards
32 - Winners
Wellness Corner
36 - What’s Your Routine?
G.A.N.G. Awards
38 - 22nd Annual G.A.N.G. Awards Photos
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-In-Chief
Savina Ciaramella
Design
Cindy Saavedra
Contributors
Savina Ciaramella
Sabrina Hutchinson
Brian Schmidt
Hannah Cabral
Lilly Conley
Ming Chen
Theodore Strich
Nga Weng Chio
88bit
The String Revolution
San Francisco
Conservatory of Music
Steve Schnur
Morla Gorrondona
Fran Mirabella
Atsushi Suganuma
Nick Hartman
ASCAP
Shawn LeMone
Jennifer Harmon
Tom Salta
Formosa Group
Keywords Studios
Louisiana Entertainment
Materia Music
ReelCrafter
G.A.N.G. Awards
Photographer
Narges Tankbris
Additional Photographs
Savina Ciaramella
OFFICERS
President
Brian Schmidt
Vice President
Sabrina Hutchinson
Executive Director
Savina Ciaramella
Treasurer Yitong Chen
Secretary
Atsushi Suganuma
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Becky Allen
Anastasia Devana
Marie Kingsley
Scott Gershin
Jason Hayes
Sabrina Hutchinson
Leslie Ann Jones
Sally-anne Kellaway
Phil Kovats
Paul Lipson
Shannon Potter
Wilbert Roget, II
Brian Schmidt
Scott Selfon
Guy Whitmore
STAFF
Communications Manager
Nick Hartman
Events Producer
Lucas Fehring
ADVISORY BOARD
Nassim Ait-Kaci
Sean Beeson
Elvira Bjorkman
Bonnie Bogovich
Channel Chen
Max Davidoff-Grey
Jesse Harlin
Kole Hicks
Shiloh Hobel
Ken Jacobsen
Richard Jacques
Shauny Jang
Penka Kouneva
Andrew Lipian
Dren McDonald
Lennie Moore
Steve Payne
Rachel Robison
Richard Savery
Austin Wintory
Sean Zhao
G.A.N.G. SCHOLARS ALUMNI COMMITTEE
Committee Co-Chair
Phillip Klassen
Committee Co-Chair
Jared Le Doux
Committee Member
Jack Weiss
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
By Savina Ciaramella Executive Director
Hello!
This special edition of The Audio Source Magazine is dedicated to the 22nd Annual G.A.N.G. Awards, which took place on March 21st at the Moscone Center in San Francisco during the week of GDC. There were over 500 attendees at the event celebrating excellence in game audio, including composers, sound designers, voice-over actors, implementers, producers, developers, and publishers.
The G.A.N.G. Awards celebrate the hard work and creativity that go into game audio, and it’s an opportunity for us all to come together, honor our peers, and inspire one another to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Whether you’re a nominee, a voter, or a supporter, your involvement matters.
The show has been free to attend since its inception in 2003 due to the support of our generous sponsors. This year, we welcomed two new diamond sponsors, Keywords Studios and Louisiana Entertainment. Additionally, Materia Music sponsored the after-party, which was a blast. It’s always so much fun to reconnect with colleagues and friends while making new acquaintances, and it’s also a key component to our success.
I’d like to congratulate all the nominees and winners this year and recognize Steve Schnur, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was awesome to celebrate Steve and his many accomplishments throughout his career. He’s a trailblazer and a strong advocate in our industry, and we appreciate him very much. We also had amazing entertainment this year by the Grammy awardwinning guitar trio The String Revolution, the SFCM TACticians, and 88bit. If you missed the show, you can view it here: 22nd G.A.N.G. Awards
Your passion and participation strengthen our community and help us grow as artists and professionals. It’s this spirit of camaraderie that makes our community so special. Let’s continue to uplift one another, share our experiences, and push the boundaries of what we can achieve in game audio.
Thank you for being a part of this journey and for making this year’s show a night to remember. Cheers to all of you and the amazing work ahead!
Warm
Wishes,
GAME AUDIO REIGNS SUPREME: Highlights from the 22nd G.A.N.G. Awards
By Sabrina Manhas Hutchinson Vice President
On March 21st, it was once again game audio’s big night at the 22nd Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Awards, when the victors of the annual ceremony were revealed, honoring outstanding achievements across 25 categories encompassing music, sound design, dialogue, and more.
6 | www.audiogang.org
Held annually at The Moscone Center in San Francisco during the Game Developers Conference, the event is designed to foster an engaging and inclusive atmosphere for industry professionals and newcomers alike with a single mission: to recognize the year’s finest achievements in game audio. This year, we were thrilled to welcome back as hosts former IGN vice president of video, Fran Mirabella, and renowned voice actor Morla Gorrondona.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor took center stage, clinching an impressive seven victories, including Music of the Year (composers Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab), Audio of the Year, and Best Original Soundtrack Album. Also in the spotlight was Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, which landed four wins, notably Best Audio for an Indie Game and Best Music for an Indie Game (composer Austin Wintory). The Baldur’s Gate 4 team also took home four trophies, including Best Main Theme (Composer Borislav Slavov) and Dialogue of the Year.
We were thrilled to include three musical acts at this year’s event. Pianist, composer and recording artist Rob Kovacs, aka 88bit, set the tone for the night, welcoming attendees with a musical performance before the start of the show. The San Francisco Conservatory TACticians performed a medley from the Best Original Soundtrack Album category, and Grammy Award-winning band The String Revolution gave a rousing medley of this year’s nominated songs from the Audio of the Year category.
Another highlight of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to industry veteran Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and President of EA Music Group at Electronic Arts. Schnur’s presentation opened with a hilarious and heartwarming congratulatory video that included video clips from Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton, Oscar Winners Hans Zimmer and Kris Bowers, legendary composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman, and globally recognized entertainers including LeAnne Rimes, Tom Jones, Martina McBride, and Tears for Fears front man Curtis Smith, along with many other notable names in entertainment and music. Steve then recounted notable career highlights, the vital importance of music in culture and the world, as well as his gratitude for his colleagues, professional partners, and his family.
A special moment of the evening was the presentation of the G.A.N.G Recognition Award, which was renamed the Bob Rice G.A.N.G. Recognition Award to honor the memory of composer agent Bob Rice. Bob, a beloved former recipient of the G.A.N.G. Lifetime Achievement Award and esteemed former board member, passed away in 2023. The award was given to The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and was accepted by Shawn LeMone, Senior Vice President, Film & TV Music/New Media and Jennifer Harmon, Assistant Vice President, Film and TV/ Visual Media.
I was proud to have the opportunity to present two Distinguished Service Awards to well-deserving members of the Game Audio Network Guild, Secretary Atsushi Suganuma, and Communications Manager Nick Hartman. Both of these individuals demonstrate an impressive dedication to serving the organization and the game audio community at large.
As the ceremony concluded, the festivities transitioned seamlessly into a hosted afterparty, courtesy of Materia Music.
The G.A.N.G. Awards constitute a year-long planning process, which would not be possible without the efforts and generosity of our committee members, sponsors, and volunteers, some of which I would like to recognize. First, our Diamond Sponsors Keywords Studios, Louisiana Entertainment, and Formosa Interactive, and our other fantastic sponsors, without whom our show would not be possible.
I also want to acknowledge and thank our newest board member, Marie Kingsley, who stepped in to run a flawless backstage. A sincere thank you also goes out to our Awards Committees, including Sound Design Chair Emmanuel Lagumbay, Music Committee Chair and Board Member Guy Whitmore, and Dialogue Committee Co-Chairs William “Chip” Beaman and Morla Gorrondona, as well the members of these committees, who made it possible for our members to vote for this year’s nominees. To all of our volunteers, including our G.A.N.G Scholars, Alumni Scholars, and those who volunteered before and during the event, we appreciate you greatly.
Lastly, to my fellow producers of the year’s show, President Brian Schmidt, Executive Director Savina Ciaramella, Treasurer Yitong Chen, Secretary Atsushi Suganuma, and Communications Manager Nick Hartman, a heartfelt thank you for your tireless efforts and standard of excellence in serving our community.
G.A.N.G. SCHOLARS SPOTLIGHT
HANNAH CABRAL
Berklee College of Music
Professional Music Diploma, Film and Media Scoring, Specializing in Video Game Scoring (musician and media composer)
I had an amazing experience at GDC! As a Scholar, I received the All-Access Pass, so I was able to go to different panels and connect with varied artists in the video game industry. I was able to go to a Brazilian panel, where they shared their experiences as independent developers, and I was happy to connect with them!
I had the privilege to be mentored by Jason Hayes, and that was really exciting! Jason is so generous with his time, and it meant a lot to me to learn from his remarkable journey and listen to his career advice.
I am thankful for being part of G.A.N.G. and being able to have a community of composers!
LILLY CONLEY
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Master of Music in Technology and Applied Composition (composer, sound designer and recording engineer)
This was my first time attending GDC, and going as a G.A.N.G. Scholar made for an intense and exciting week! From attending audio summit presentations to making new connections at the speed networking events to helping backstage at the G.A.N.G. Awards to exploring the AltCtrl games on the Expo floor, I was checking out everything and anything I could. I enjoyed getting to know my fellow G.A.N.G Scholars, and I am grateful to the Game Audio Network Guild for this scholarship as I would not otherwise have been able to experience GDC to the extent that I did.
Thank you so much!
MING CHEN
Johns Hopkins University Music for New Media (composer and sound designer)
GDC would definitely be my best memory as an aspiring composer and sound designer, and I won’t forget this gift from G.A.N.G. The most extraordinary experience as a G.A.N.G. Scholar is I got to know Brian Schmidt and my mentor Emmanuel Lagumbay before I got overwhelmed by the first day. They evoked my excitement and enabled me to better embrace the whole conference. For a newcomer, having their help to understand the entire event was undoubtedly the best way to start.
I encountered so many friendly and creative individuals that it almost felt unreal! I never imagined that interacting with people could be so comfortable and enjoyable.
I wish everyone a happy year ahead! See you all next year!
THEODORE STRICH
University of Southern California Music Composition and Computer Programming (composer and programmer based out of Arizona and California)
Going to GDC as a G.A.N.G. Scholar was honestly one of the most inspiring weeks I’ve had! I was so honored to get to hang around so many incredible industry people all week, and absorb so much knowledge and guidance. Brian Schmidt and Guy Whitmore were great mentors, they were super helpful and gave me great tips on how to navigate my first GDC. I will definitely be back at the conference next year!
NGA WENG CHIO’S INITIAL STRIDES
Born in Macau, Nga “Weng” Chio is an emerging game and film composer who currently resides in Los Angeles. While attending the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Weng established a solid composition foundation. She continued her education at the University of Southern California, where she earned a master’s degree in Screen Scoring in 2023. Through the program, she got the opportunity to conduct her own music with orchestras at Warner Brothers Studios, EastWest Studios, Evergreen Studios, and John Williams Scoring Stage. An accomplished classical pianist, Weng holds a Piano Performance Diploma as a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music from the UK. Her musical style is as diverse as her cultural background and musical upbringing, brilliantly fusing the unfamiliar with the familiar. Last year, Weng contributed to Steve Jablonsky’s music team on Borderlands, the motion picture based
on the video game franchise. Presently, she is working on Stormgate, a highly anticipated RTS game, developed by veterans from StarCraft II & Warcraft III at Frost Giant Studios. She is one of the composers on the all-star composer team shaping the soundscape for the game’s unannounced third faction, while exploring the boundaries of creative possibilities.
TASM: Congratulations on your recent graduation and fast start in the industry. Please tell us about your education.
Weng: Thank you so much for having me. It is an honor to be featured in The Audio Source Magazine. Music was indispensable in my youth and adolescence. Growing up in Macau, I was deeply influenced by classical music, where I had the opportunity to participate in numerous music
competitions and performed as a pianist with the Macao Youth Symphony Orchestra. After high school, I studied composition and music production at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Under the teachings of Professor Li Lei, Shen Ye, and Chen Gong, I learned more about the principles of film music and orchestration. During that time, I started to collaborate with filmmakers from all over China, working on short films, documentaries, and commercials. Afterward, I was fortunate to get into the renowned Screen Scoring program at USC, where I had the opportunity to learn a ton about media music knowledge from wonderful professors. It was a life-changing experience. I still remember the Game Scoring class where our professor and legendary composer, Garry Schyman, shared his knowledge and analyzed the music from Bioshock Through this class, we were able to meet composers from Riot Games and music
Photo courtesy of Christian Amonson
producers from Formosa Interactive. I want to give special thanks to Garry for his guidance and mentorship. I gained a lot of knowledge from him and appreciate how generous he has been in helping me launch my career in game scoring. We also got to collaborate with the USC Game Department under the guidance of Mason Lieberman. Through the classes taught by Jeanine Cowen, Screen Scoring program Chair, I learned the basics of middleware and game engines such as Wwise and Unity. During the one-year program, I got to meet many filmmakers from the USC Cinematic Arts program and had the opportunity to compose on more than 20 projects varying from games, shorts, and animation. I’ve learned so much from the program through numerous recording sessions. One of the key benefits of the program was the opportunity to network with composers and other industry experts. Through forums, I had the opportunity to interact with renowned composers such as Mychael Danna, Ludwig Göransson, Laura Karpman, Michael Abels, Nathan
Barr, and others. Composer Pinar Toprak provided feedback on our score assignment for a particular scene at the ASCAP workshop. I’ve also learned a lot through an entrepreneurship class with Alex Nickson and Frank Garcia from DreamWorks.
Reflecting on my time at USC, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching experiences and invaluable connections forged. A year was indeed too short, and I dearly miss the program.
TASM: What projects have you worked on since your graduation?
Weng: My first job was an orchestration assistant for Penka Kouneva. Penka is an incredible mentor and collaborator. She generously shares her wealth of knowledge on orchestration, and together we have collaborated on multiple projects such as Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV. I’ve learned so much from her and am truly thankful for everything she has done for me. I vividly recall on the day of my graduation, rushing from
the ceremony to a recording session with Steve Jablonsky. There, I had the opportunity to meet the entire music team and learn from them. Beyond video game scoring and orchestration, I am also deeply engaged in scoring for films, having composed for two features and numerous short films/animations showcased at festivals. I have crafted music for commercials for entities such as the Macau Government Tourism Activity Institute, Macau Tai Fung Bank, and General Association of Chinese Students Macau. Before relocating to Los Angeles, I interned at Shanghai NetEase Games as an assistant composer. I’ve also assisted Christopher Young as a substitute studio assistant. He was super kind to me and introduced me to Elia Cmiral, the composer of Ronin, and I got to assist him on an upcoming feature. After that, I joined the orchestration team of Nolan Markey, contributing to orchestration preparation and occasionally attending sessions, working on projects such as League of Legends, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Legend of Vox Machina, contributing to
various seasons of this blockbuster franchise. Nolan’s leadership has been truly inspiring. At the same time, I was assisting Mychael Danna with some studio management. I was so honored as he is my all-time favorite composer. I’ve been fortunate to have many projects in the first year since I graduated, and I am truly thankful to everyone who has trusted me and given me opportunities.
TASM: You’ve had a great journey so far. Can you tell us more about your current project, Stormgate?
Weng: Last October, I attended GameSoundCon on a scholarship sponsored by The Game Audio Diversity Alliance. I had the pleasure of meeting several industry veterans at the Diversity Alliance dinner, including Alex Brandon, the Audio Director at Frost Giant Studios. I overheard Alex mentioning a composer role for the upcoming RTS game Stormgate, which sparked my interest. I seized the moment, introduced myself,
and pitched for the project on the spot. After the event, I immediately followed up with Alex and sent him a custom demo according to the project brief. Two months later, I heard back from the team and was confirmed to be the composer for one of the game’s three unique factions. In Stormgate, a faction represents a playable army as well as the lens into the culture and backstory of a culture, each with their own unique sound.
Alex and I have been working closely on shaping the music for the upcoming faction, and we wanted to create a unique sound. I was provided with concept art and the faction’s history to inspire the music. We experimented with vocals, aiming to capture the essence of the alien race and convey their unique society and culture through music. It was like reading the script of a movie, and my mission was to tell the story of the faction through music. I met with the Frost Giant team at GDC, and received some extremely positive feedback
Photo courtesy of Christian Amonson
regarding the music I’ve created, which provided a lot of encouragement and affirmation. Stormgate has been an immensely fulfilling project, providing a huge creative space for me to explore. I am super honored to be a part of such a distinguished team. Working alongside Alex, who was Vice President of the G.A.N.G. many years ago, has been a wonderful experience. Being able to work with Alex and getting featured in The Audio Source Magazine feels like a perfect coincidence.
TASM: Please tell us about your experience attending GDC and the G.A.N.G. Awards for the first time this year.
Weng: Attending GDC for the first time was an incredibly uplifting experience, and the G.A.N.G. Awards was the highlight of the week. I was able to experience the awards show ceremony featuring music and audio from games such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Diablo IV. Following the ceremony, I had a chance to meet and talk with composers such as Borislav Slavov (Baldur’s Gate 3), Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), and Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft). I also met Savina Ciaramella. She has given me so much encouragement on my journey and provided resources for career development and growth. Getting to meet other industry professionals and learning about their journey is always very valuable and inspiring. G.A.N.G. is like a big family, and I feel supported by this community of game audio professionals. Together, we strive to uplift and enhance the community—an ethos that resonates deeply with me and fills me with warmth.
TASM: In what ways have networking and mentorship shaped your career path?
Weng: I believe that networking and mentorship are very important. We are our own business, as we have always been told, and building strong relationships is crucial. In my humble opinion, networking is vital throughout the course of career development. With all the networking events, I was able to expose myself to the community and seek opportunities to offer service. Networking takes a lot of courage for me. I was an introvert with the MBTI personality test before coming to the U.S. After a year of “training,” I became more of an extrovert. Every time I go to a networking event, I leave feeling
“charged” and motivated after speaking with my friends and colleagues while meeting new acquaintances. I am very glad I mustered the courage to step out of my comfort zone!
TASM: What advice would you like to share with recent graduates?
Weng: I think being a composer is a very challenging and rewarding career. I am still finding my way and there is a lot to learn. Out of 100 emails, one or two usually turn out to be good leads. I believe that luck is proportional to hard work. The more dedicated you are, the greater chance people are going to notice your hard work. I always remind myself to stay prepared for when opportunities come, work 200% as hard, and do not give up on your dreams. I am not sure if there is a formula to success, but perseverance can definitely bring anyone closer to their goals. I am grateful to all the people I’ve met since I came to Los Angeles. The industry professionals, composers, and my friends all serve as my role models and inspiration.
TASM: The music industry, especially in a place like Los Angeles, can be competitive and unpredictable. Your commitment to staying prepared and giving your all when opportunities arise is key. And surrounding yourself with inspiring role models and supportive peers can provide invaluable guidance and motivation along the way. While there might not be a one-size-fits-all formula for success in the creative field, your attitude of perseverance and dedication is definitely a winning one. Keep honing your craft, staying open to new opportunities, and staying true to yourself—your hard work and talent will continue to pave the way forward. Keep up the great work, and best of luck on your journey!
Weng: Thank you so much!
Photo courtesy of Frost Giant Studios
LIGHTS, CAMERA, G.A.N.G.!:
An Inside Look at Performing at the Awards Show with 88bit
This year was my 5th time participating and performing at the G.A.N.G. Awards. Each year has shown me what a truly special event this is in how it brings the game audio community together to celebrate the vast accomplishments and achievements of one another. Being able to contribute to a memorable and special night for some of the most accomplished composers, musicians,
and audio specialists, in not just the gaming industry but all of music, is a privilege I very much cherish.
This year, I provided 30 minutes of prelude music before the awards to put people in good spirits, build anticipation, and maybe even inspire a “Is that from Castlevania?” Or “Hey, I wrote that theme!” I’ve been arranging
and performing video game piano covers across the country under the name 88bit for over six years and have accumulated a vast repertoire of video game themes to pull from for the evening.
My first experience with the G.A.N.G. Awards was back in 2020 when I was similarly contracted to play music before and after the ceremony, which, as we all
know, was canceled due to the pandemic. I had recently joined G.A.N.G. with hopes of connecting with other members of the game audio industry and an interest in learning more about composing for games. I’d already been writing for indie-rock bands, short films, and even e-cards and had just started working on my first game, Straylight.
Most of my income during that period was from gigging, teaching, and recording for other projects. When the pandemic hit, I essentially lost all of my gigging work. As we all experienced, it was a scary and uncertain time.
With all of GDC 2020 canceled, the G.A.N.G. Awards committee was planning to do an online version of the event and asked me to write a short medley of the six Music of the Year nominees. I was thrilled to have been asked to contribute in an even more creative way, arranging and performing a medley of composers’ music who would likely be watching! I also was grateful for the opportunity to present myself to the game audio community as both a performer and a composer. I’m quite proud of all three of the MOTY medleys (all of which are available on my Bandcamp/Spotify/YouTube), and I’ve even performed some of them separately at other concerts!
Being asked to perform for the online G.A.N.G. Awards had an extra impact on me as it was the first job/gig I’d been offered since the whole world shut down. It helped me to trust that despite all the uncertainty, things will be ok. :)
This year, I was quite thankful to only be providing prelude music as I had a very packed GDC schedule! Earlier that week, I was to be the pianist for the GDC Main Stage orchestra concert directed by Austin Wintory (which was fantastic!) and also entertain at an Amazon Web Services after-party. On top of all that, I had to hop on a plane a couple of hours
after the awards to perform at PAX East in Boston the next day! My main priority that week was to just pace myself, eat food, drink water, and get enough sleep to be able to perform my best at every event. Thankfully, everything worked out great. :)
At every event I play at, I’m always considering who the audience is and what music would likely connect with them. If I’m at a video game convention, for example, I can count on the audience to recognize and appreciate some of the deeper video game cuts. Whereas, if it’s an audience of your average music listener, they’re less likely to recognize a Chrono Trigger tune. In this case, I have 30 minutes to bring smiles to people’s faces, and something I can only do at the G.A.N.G. Awards is to play pieces written by the audience members! If you were in attendance this year, you would have heard music by John Robert Matz, Lena Raine, Tom Salta, Austin Wintory, and Peter McConnell, to name a few, as well as Richard Jacques, which generated a delightful “Ha!” from the composer upon recognizing his song “Can You Feel the Sunshine” from Sonic R. :)
Once my time was up, I received flattering applause from the crowd and took my seat to enjoy the show. This was my second in-person G.A.N.G. Awards and also my second time being nominated! Last year, my video game cover of “Dire Dire Docks” was nominated (and tied for a win!). This year my soundtrack for Straylight was among the nominees for Best Video Game Soundtrack Album! It was an incredible honor to see a game I had put so much passion, time, and effort into being listed among major franchises like Mortal Kombat and Star Wars (which very deservingly won!).
After the ceremony, I had a little time to mingle and chat with many of the friends and colleagues I’ve made over
the years, and also meet and make new connections. My main takeaway from the game audio community is just how supportive and friendly everyone is. From day one of being in G.A.N.G., I’ve felt very welcomed. It’s a joy for me to have been able to contribute in a small way for these past five years.
2024 has already been one of the busiest years for me, and I’m embracing every bit of it! I’ve had over 20 different performances including concerts at MAGFest, PAX East, VGM Con, No Exit New Music Ensemble, and more recently with A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy. I’ve also just finished teaching another semester at The Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory where I am an adjunct professor of composition. Last year I became a Twitch Partner and have been continuing to do music streams twice a week. Amidst all of that, I’ve also been making time to record piano and other keyboard tracks for other composers and artists often recording from my home studio on my Boston grand piano. (And yes, I’m available for new clients and projects!)
Looking ahead, I’m gearing up for more conventions and performances including a week stint on the Mamma Mia national tour. After that, I plan to record some new video game covers and videos for my 88bit YouTube channel (youtube.com/@88bit) as well as notating and publishing some of the sheet music. And now with my first game soundtrack in the bag, I feel ready to take on another scoring project should one come my way.
I want to give a big thank you to everyone on the G.A.N.G. Awards committee for having me over the years. And thank you to everyone who’s simply enjoyed my performances! If you’d like to follow me or any of my work, you can find my website, music, and social links at linkpop.com/ robkovacs.
THE STRING REVOLUTION: Electrifying the G.A.N.G. Awards with an
Epic
Guitar Trio Medley
The audience at this year’s G.A.N.G. Awards in San Francisco was treated to a unique live performance from Grammy Award® winning guitar trio, The String Revolution. They arranged an enthusiastic medley featuring music from the games nominated for the coveted Audio of the Year award. They were extremely honored to perform in person for the much loved and respected, Lifetime Achievement Recipient, Steve Schnur from EA Games.
The band seamlessly strung together pieces from each score that were
nominated: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Red; Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts; Destiny 2: Lightfall, Bungie; Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios, Warner Bros. Games; and Diablo IV, Blizzard Entertainment.
The String Revolution is an innovative and dynamic guitar band that pushes the boundaries of traditional music. Composed of three virtuoso guitarists, they are renowned for their electrifying performances, blending different genres and styles to create a unique and
captivating sound. Their intricate melodies, mesmerizing harmonies, and astonishing guitar skills have earned them a dedicated following and critical acclaim worldwide.
The band includes former Randy Rhoads student Janet Robin, named in the “Top 50 Acoustic Guitarist bonus list” by Guitar Player Magazine in 2017. Robin is also an acclaimed touring guitarist who has performed with Lindsey Buckingham, Meredith Brooks, Air Supply, and many more. Austrian guitarist Markus Illko, who won the “Prize of Honor” from the University of Music and Arts in Graz and is a composer for advertising and films, including the Signation for the Primetime Emmy Awards for Austria, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Christmas,” and “Single Moms Club,” is also part of the band.
Additionally, the band features Cuban multi-instrumentalist Roberto Luis, the top go-to guitarist in Cuba for touring musicians such as Jackson Brown and Colin Hay. The String Revolution’s repertoire spans an eclectic range of musical genres, blending elements of classical, rock, jazz, and world music.
TSR breathes new life into classics, and presents original compositions, all infused with their signature style. With their unparalleled technical skill and musicality, they effortlessly navigate complex arrangements, creating a sonic landscape that is both captivating and emotionally charged. They are especially known for re-imagining iconic songs, like “Folsom Prison Blues,” which earned them the Grammy Award® this year for “Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.”
For more information on please visit: www.thestringrevolution.com
SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC Performs at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards
Nearly 30,000 people showed up in San Francisco for the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March—and it was the first time San Francisco Conservatory of Music faculty Daria Novoliantceva had played a live set of music in years.
Orchestrator/composer Novoliantceva, a cornerstone of SFCM’s Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program, was onstage to perform her original medley of video game music with a live band for the 22nd annual Game Audio
Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Awards at GDC. Alongside other SFCM faculty—like the Roots, Jazz and American Music department’s Assistant Director, Amelie-Anna Hinman—and students like cellist Daniela Gonzales Siu and Cullen Luper (guitar, violin)—Novoliantceva’s one-of-a-kind arrangement and performance brought the house down.
“SFCM has a long history of supporting G.A.N.G., and we were thrilled when Brian Schmidt, the President of G.A.N.G., floated the idea of having a student and
faculty ensemble play a medley of music from nominated game soundtracks,” said Executive Director of the Technology and Applied Composition program at SFCM Steven Horowitz.
“Having SFCM students and faculty play at the awards ceremony this year is such a fantastic way to highlight the rich diversity of talent not only at the Conservatory, but also in the local Bay Area music scene.”
Graduate student Siu added, “It was an amazing experience. I hold a profound
appreciation for video game and movie music, and as a cellist, it has always been a goal of mine to collaborate with musicians outside of the world of classical, so participating in the awards ceremony was a unique experience and I am very grateful to have been a part of it.”
Novoliantceva transcribed melodies from the Best Original Soundtrack Album category, including games from the Star Wars and Mortal Kombat franchises. She worked them into a single piece of music performed by the six-piece ensemble including not just “traditional” sounds, but some of the games’ sound effects triggered through the Ableton Push, a
relatively new interface the company introduced that functions as both an external controller and standalone instrument.
The project wouldn’t have been possible without TAC faculty Matt Levine, who runs SFCM’s twice-yearly Sony Project, in which students spend a semester composing a video game soundtrack of their own, and get it recorded with input from members of Sony’s audio department. PlayStation Music Designer Seira McCarthy—a SFCM alum—was on hand to assist with the day-of logistics, which included the lone pre-performance run-through the ensemble had onstage.
“For me, it’s important to tell a story with music,” Novoliantceva says of her love of video game music. “And video games allow you to do that in a totally different way from film or television composing. It’s such a supportive and generous community to be a part of.”
You can hear more of Novoliantceva’s orchestration and conducting in the trailer for the highly-anticipated Death Stranding 2, which she arranged with her team of SFCM graduates and current students: Molly Monahan, Natasha Frank, and Shinae Lee. Given the amount of hype for the sequel from legendary game designer Hideo Kojima as it approaches its 2025 release date, Novoliantceva might have another live performance on the books soon.
NAVIGATING THE MUSIC UNIVERSE:
STELLAR CAREER STEVE SCHNUR’S
By : Savina Ciaramella
Steve Schnur is a prominent figure in the intersection of music and gaming. With a career spanning over two decades, he has been instrumental in revolutionizing the use of music in video games. As the Worldwide Executive and President of Music at Electronic Arts (EA), Schnur has played a pivotal role in shaping the soundtracks of some of the industry’s most iconic games, including winning the 2024 GRAMMY® for ‘Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and
Other Interactive Media’ for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. His innovative approach to music curation and collaboration has not only elevated gaming experiences but has also opened doors for emerging artists to showcase their talent on a global platform. Schnur’s passion for music and keen understanding of its power to enhance storytelling have earned him widespread recognition and numerous accolades throughout his career. He continues to push boundaries and explore new frontiers in the ever-evolving landscape of interactive entertainment.
TASM: Congratulations on your GRAMMY® this year and your Game Audio Network Guild Network Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s a pleasure to talk with you about your career. What initially inspired your passion for music?
Steve: I can’t remember a time in my life without music. Apparently, I was fascinated by my parents’ albums from infancy and was gently placing the needle on vinyl as a toddler. I discovered guitar and piano shortly thereafter, was studying classical composition at 7 and playing professionally in rock bands by my teens. And when I promised my parents that, yes, I would at least consider going to dental school, I was lying through my teeth. Because I always knew that I wanted my life to be in music.
TASM: Can you recall a specific moment or experience that solidified your career path in the music industry?
During my freshman year at New York University, I took an internship at a new cable channel for music videos. On my first day at the office, I got into a conversation with a guy in the hallway about the kind of videos they were airing vs the kind of music I listened to. Instead of Cliff Richard and Pat Benatar, I asked, why wasn’t the channel playing videos by The Cure or Mötley Crüe? That guy in the hall turned out to be MTV’s head of programming Les Garland, who asked me then and there to become part of the channel’s very first programming team. Looking back, that one conversation launched my next 40+ years in the industry.
TASM: What was your journey into the world of music supervision and how you became the Global Head of Music for EA?
Steve: I’d had a decade-plus career as a marketing and A&R executive in the
record business and as a music supervisor for movies like Miss Congeniality and Cruel Intentions when I came to EA in 2001. It was a time when the videogame industry was starting to boast that their earnings were greater than the movie industry. But if that’s the case, I asked myself, why did games still sound like toys?
EA gave me one mandate: ‘Use music to make our games sound great.’ But what did that mean? To me, that meant using the unique emotional impact of great music to enhance the unique emotional impact of great gameplay. Multi-song game soundtracks, when perfectly curated to a specific tone, could make you shoot straighter, kick further, run harder and drive faster. And if games
were indeed bigger than movies, why not approach the best film and television composers in the world to compose original scores for games?
TASM: As someone with extensive experience in curating award-winning soundtracks for video games, what do you believe are the key elements that make a successful and memorable video game soundtrack?
Steve: Put aside the medium of games for a moment. What music makes you nod your head, tap your feet, or pump your fist? What song reminds you of a
long-ago lover or a hot summer night? What album do you play at the start of a road trip? What do you feel when you hear ‘Ode To Joy’, ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘Fight The Power’? Each makes you feel something very different, but they make you feel something
Let’s face it; there are still some of us who can hear the Space Invaders theme and instantly feel our pulses quicken.
The bottom line is this: All the music we love comes from artists and composers whose work elicits an emotional reaction. In life, in art, and in games, that’s the only trigger that truly matters.
TASM: How do you approach the process of selecting music for different types of games? Are there specific criteria you consider when matching music to a game’s theme or atmosphere?
Steve: All games – sports, driving games, first person shooters, RPGs, etc. – have a specific attitude and a unique gameplay/ user experience. In other words, every soundtrack must be specifically designed to maximize the emotional lift needed to create an even greater game. This music must be so fresh and creative that not only does the gamer discover their favorite new band and song through the game, but hearing the music will always remind them of the great time they had playing the game.
My goal is to carefully curate individual soundtracks that simultaneously take gameplay and attitude to a whole new level.
TASM: What role do you think music plays in enhancing the overall gaming experience for players? Can you give us examples of how music can influence player engagement and emotional resonance?
Steve: Let’s go back to 2001: it was clear that sports needed to stop sounding like AC/DC, Queen, and Gary Glitter, and had to start sounding like the next generation. I looked at the real estate that was video games and asked, ‘why can’t game soundtracks be what radio and MTV had been to previous generations?’ Let’s make these soundtracks – Madden, FIFA, NBA Live, Need For Speed – the new destination for music fans to discover their favorite new song or artist. And over the next 20+ years, our soundtracks became the defining format for true music globalization.
We’ve introduced artists that include Glass Animals, Anitta, Kasabian, Imagine Dragons, Kings Of Leon, Drake, Killer Mike, The Hives, Andrew WK, 30 Seconds To Mars, OK Go, Grouplove, Taking Back Sunday, Kendrick Lamar, Fall Out Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Lupe Fiasco, Avenged Sevenfold, Arctic Monkeys, Anderson .Paak, Twenty One Pilots, Kawala, Avicii, Kaleo, The Black Keys, Foster The People, Robyn, Shiny Toy Guns, Calvin Harris, Damian Marley, K’naan, MGMT, Two Door Cinema Club, Lykke Li, CHVRCHES, Pusha T and more. We gave unprecedented exposure to new tracks by Outkast, The Roots, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, Busta Rhymes, Black Eyed Peas, Blake Shelton, Nas, Blink 182, Faith No More and 2Pac. There are literally thousands of global artists that might never have been heard by the mainstream had it not been for EA Games.
I’m incredibly proud of what the EA Music team accomplishes every year with our soundtracks for Madden, EA FC, F1, NHL, UFC, etc. These soundtracks create change in the way people hear and experience sports. They introduce music that changes people’s lives. They influence culture. In many cases, they become culture.
And make no mistake: Any music supervisor’s ability to discover, license and introduce songs that are responsible for global cultural shifts represents the music business at its very best.
TASM: With the evolution of technology and gaming platforms, how do you see the landscape of video game music evolving in the future? Are there any trends or developments that particularly excite you?
Steve: As a child, dropping a needle on a record was revelatory. As a teen, a cassette player in my car was transformative. Once upon a time, Xbox
and PS2 were mind-blowing. Today we can’t imagine a world without cloud gaming or streaming. Be appreciative of what was and embrace what’s coming. As technology evolves, the music and gaming industries must evolve with it.
From my first week in this business, I’ve imagined a world of customizable music. Not curated label playlists or finite in-game ‘radio stations’, but true player-controlled customization. I want to create an in-game music experience that lives within your favorite streaming service and continues the player’s journey when they’re outside of gameplay.
It often feels like an uphill battle against backwards thinking, but I have faith that the first major technical/legal/ creative breakthrough is coming.
TASM: Could you tell us about some of your most memorable collaborations with artists or composers while working on video game soundtracks? What made these collaborations stand out to you?
28 | www.audiogang.org
Steve: A few standout moments:
Getting a call in 2003 from Radiohead’s management wanting to know if I was interested in a track from the band for FIFA 2004. Radiohead doesn’t license their music to anybody, but wanted to be a part of a FIFA soundtrack because they were huge fans of what we were doing.
Working closely – during the height of the pandemic, no less – with 2x Grammy Winner Sam Slater and Grammy, Oscar and 2x BAFTA winner Hildur Guðnadóttir on their feverishly groundbreaking score for Battlefield 2042. As co-producer, it
allowed me to witness and experience true genius.
Getting a call in 2004 from the manager of Green Day urging me to rush over to their studio as the band had something they wanted to share with me right away. I sat at the mixing board as Billie Joe, Mike and Tré played me a song they’d just finished recording called ‘American Idiot’. I made the decision then and there to include it in the soundtrack to Madden NFL 2005, which introduced the song to the world.
Commissioning and co-producing the score for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor,
composed by Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton. We recorded 8+ hours of music over several months with 200+ piece orchestras and 50 singers at Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios, and Synchron Stage Vienna. Spin called it “a classic soundtrack, one of the biggest and most dynamic scores in franchise history.” The score was nominated for a BAFTA, won Best Main Theme, Best Original Song, Best Original Soundtrack Album, Creative and Technical Achievement in Music, and Music of the Year from G.A.N.G., and the 2024 GRAMMY® for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media.
But probably my favorite moments have been nearly every time I travel internationally. Invariably, a Customs agent will ask what I do for a living. When I tell them that I’m with EA Music, they’ll get excited to tell me about specific songs in our soundtracks that have changed their lives. It’s this unspoken relationship between the EA Music team and gamers around the world that means the most to me.
TASM: What advice would you give to aspiring music supervisors or individuals interested in pursuing a career in the gaming industry,
particularly in the realm of music and sound design? What advice would you give to aspiring music professionals looking to break into the gaming industry?
Steve: When I’m invited to speak at universities, I always begin with a question. “How many here,” I ask, “had their entire family try to dissuade them from pursuing a career in the music business?” Pretty much every hand in the room goes up.
The fact is, we are living in an extraordinary time in the world of music and gaming, whether it’s music supervision, music composition, sound design or audio technology. If you want to make your life and career in any of these fields, there’s no time like now.
Believe in yourself. Put your ass in that chair and get started: Fingers on keys, strings, or laptops. Hands on controller. Ears tuned to the sounds of the future. Your future. Our shared future. The future of music.
TASM: In your opinion, what are some underrated aspects of video game soundtracks that players and even industry professionals might overlook?
Steve: Video games are an artform, especially when it comes to their music: Because gaming is untethered to traditional linear narrative, video games offer technical challenges and creative opportunities that can expand the very possibilities of music.
We’ve changed the game for composers and performers alike. When game scores use live orchestration, it also changes the game for musicians, for studios, for producers and engineers. It’s even changed the game for how we discover and appreciate classical music itself; according to a recent report by The Royal Philharmonic, 95% of people –17% of them under 25 years old – have
found their way to orchestral music through film scores and videogame soundtracks.
Nearly half a century after the first bleeps created for Pong, what is now being crafted for games – whether orchestral scores or curated soundtracks – has achieved its own level of excellence for audiences, for the entertainment industry, and throughout the world of music.
We used to define ourselves by the radio station we listened to, the band t-shirts we wore, the stickers on our lockers. Today, all over the world, young people’s identities are defined Madden, FIFA/EA FC and Need For Speed soundtracks. Then you’ll find that an original score to Battlefield, Mass Effect or Star Wars Jedi is as culturally significant to another set of global gamers.
This medium is no game. Instead, it should be seen as both culture and community. Music is our commonality. We can create light together.
TASM: Can you share any insights into the process of creating original music for video games versus licensing existing tracks? What are some considerations developers should keep in mind when deciding between these approaches?
Steve: Again, all games have a specific attitude and a unique gameplay/user experience. And because video games are a collaborative art – between a game’s developers, its producers and audio director, the marketing team, and the music department – the key to it all is tone
A detailed Tone Deck is the ideal guide for everyone to discuss, craft and follow. But the most important considerations will always be a sense of innovation and creative risk.
TASM: How do you balance the creative aspects of your job with the business side of things?
Steve: There’s always going to be those on the business side who don’t get it. They don’t understand why you can’t use a synthesizer instead of an orchestra for a game score, or why you won’t license that hit song they heard on the radio last week for next year’s Madden But I get it, and my team does too. And most of the time, that’s enough.
TASM: What’s the most rewarding aspect of discovering and nurturing new musical talents?
Steve: Former EA President Don Mattrick handed me the real estate that was video games. It allowed me to
enhance games with artists that I loved and music that meant something to me and that I thought would mean something to other people. And isn’t that why we get into the music business in the first place?
TASM: You’re a strong advocate for women in game audio. Please tell us about the Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship.
Steve: The EA/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship was created to empower women and non-cisgender composition students with practical experience, working relationships and invaluable professional contacts. But we wanted to do more than just enable opportunities; we wanted to launch careers. And I’m proud to say that we have.
Over the past year, our inaugural scholarship recipient Katie Rupinski has excelled at every opportunity we presented her and impressed every professional who’s encountered her. She’s been mentored by several of the top composers in the business, including 2024 Grammy winners Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton, and brought invaluable assistance to several new projects. Her career in gaming – or any music field she may choose – is now well under way.
This past October at the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium, the Fall/2023 scholarship was awarded to Carol Gao. Carol – who is in her final Berklee semester as a Game Scoring and Electronic Production student – is a tremendously talented composer and pianist who blends East-Asian influences with her roots in Western classical music, creating her own unique sound and musical vision. We are tremendously impressed with what she’s already achieved alongside the industry’s top game developers and composers, including Austin Wintory and Bear McCreary. Carol Gao’s career has now begun.
Our Spring 2024 scholarship recipient Rachel McFarlane is a double major in Film Scoring and Interactive Media Scoring. She’s a composer in residence for the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the first woman of color to compose for their Oscar Peterson Orchestra. She currently works with Orchestral Tools, EastWest Sounds, and Spitfire Audio as a social media influencer to promote positive inclusion within the video game scoring community. Ray embodies everything the Charting Change program is all about.
Together, EA and Berklee made an unprecedented commitment to music
education, to the future of music composition, and to the women who will create it. It’s perhaps the proudest accomplishment of my career.
TASM: What initiatives or strategies do you think music programs could implement to encourage and support more women to pursue careers in the gaming industry, particularly in roles related to music composition, sound design, and audio engineering?
Steve: It’s not enough to encourage talented young women composers, sound designers and audio engineers; you’ve got to enable opportunities for them to have the success they deserve. The EA/Berklee Charting Change Program is an ideal start.
Your move, every other music university in the world.
TASM: How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance amidst the demands of your role? Beyond work, what hobbies or interests do you pursue in your free time?
Steve: There’s a saying in the music business that some of us stopped growing up at 14. The t-shirts and sneakers are a lot more expensive, but I’m still the same. I still love that feeling I get when I discover something I can’t get enough of and can’t wait to share it. In my case, I get to share it with millions of friends all over the world.
Music is still my life: recording it, producing it, listening to the songs and albums I’ve always loved, and discovering new artists and composers who are crafting the sounds of the future. Ask my wife, my kids or any of my friends and colleagues; from the moment I wake up in the morning until my head hits the pillow at night, my world is filled with and guided by music.
If you’re going to live your best life, make sure it’s got a great soundtrack.
The process for the G.A.N.G. Awards starts only about a month after the previous G.A.N.G. Awards show! That’s when we review the show itself-- the awards, the process, etc.-- and explore ways it might be improved. This includes looking at all the categories, and deciding if the current categories sufficiently cover the industry. Should we add new ones? Are there ones that may have made sense in the past, but aren’t as relevant anymore? We also look at the voting portal, to see if there are any updates or improvements that can be made to make things go more smoothly. After making any tweaks to the process, we open submissions.
Opening submissions is the first step in the process. Members may submit in any category. However, a submitter must also
specify their role in the title, so it is highly encouraged that members submit titles in cooperation with the developer or publisher. Once all the submissions are in, the next step is to verify that all the submissions are in fact eligible: Is the submission in the correct category? Was the submission released during the eligibility period, and so on. This usually consists of a lot of googling and other research. Every submission is verified by hand.
The next step is to pick the Nominees from among the various Submissions. Typically there will be 5 nominees in each category; however if a category receives too few submissions, there may be fewer Nominees. Nominees are selected from the Submissions in each category by subject-matter committees.
BEST DIALOGUE FOR AN INDIE GAME
“Bramble: The Mountain King” (Dimfrost Studio, Merge Games)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE
“Baldur’s Gate 3” (Larian Studios)
BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE
Samantha Béart as Karlach, Baldur’s Gate 3, (Larian Studios)
“Call of Duty: Mobile” (Activision, Timi Studio Group)
BEST GAME TRAILER AUDIO
“Diablo IV” (Blizzard Entertainment)
BEST CINEMATIC & CUTSCENE AUDIO
“Diablo IV” (Blizzard Entertainment)
BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE OR PUBLICATION
“Game Audio Mixing: Insights to Improve Your Mixing Performance” (Alex Riviere, Routledge)
BEST GAME AUDIO PRESENTATION, PODCAST OR BROADCAST
Game Developers Conference 2023 “The Art of the Theme” (Brendon Williams, Jason Walsh Game)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Steve Schnur
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Nick Hartman
Atsushi Suganuma
THE BOB RICE G.A.N.G. RECOGNITION AWARD
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
The job of the committees is to narrow down the large list of submissions to the Nominees in each category. The committees may also identify titles may have been overlooked during the submission process. There are 4 main committees, two for the music-related categories, one for sound design categories, one for dialogue-related categories. For the remaining categories, the G.A.N.G. Board of Directors and Advisory Board serve as the de-facto committee. Any member can volunteer to be on a committee, though there are some restrictions, for example, on the number of people from a single company on each committee, etc.
Shortly after the nominees are announced, member voting begins. Any member in good standing may vote on any of the
categories. The final winner is determined by a weighting of the membership vote and the original committee vote, although a handful of categories (Lifetime Achievement, Distinguished Service, G.A.N.G. Recognition) are hand-selected by the Officers in consultation with the Board. Finally, the winners are announced at the next G.A.N.G. Awards Show, and the process starts all over again!
If you are a Member in good standing and would like to be part of the process, we would love to have your help on the next G.A.N.G. Awards Show!
The 23rd Annual G.A.N.G. Awards Show submissions will open this Fall. Eligible submissions must have been released between Oct 1, 2023 and Sept 30, 2024
MORLA GORRONDONA
“It’s a special kind of honor to be trusted with such an important night. Luckily, Fran and I have the support of a team of rock stars behind the scenes. I’ve attended The Game Audio Network Guild Awards from a variety of sightlines over the years - and the vantage point from the stage where I get to witness the shared joy of this community of professionals celebrating and lifting each other up is a privilege I’m very grateful for.”
- Morla Gorrondona, Voice Actor/Host
MEET THE HOSTS!
“I am always honored to be able to celebrate so many of those that work tirelessly behind the scenes in the video games audio industry. For decades I’ve enjoyed their art, and for one night I get to help put it in the spotlight.”
- Fran Mirabella, Content Creator/Host
FRAN MIRABELLA
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
Atsushi Suganuma
“It is truly an honour to receive this service award this year!”
- Atsushi Suganuma
Nick Hartman
“It has been an honor serving the game audio community this past year. I am so grateful for this award, and I want to thank G.A.N.G. and the Officers. I am looking forward to another great year in this industry.”
– Nick Hartman
BOB RICE G.A.N.G. RECOGNITION AWARD
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Presented to Shawn LeMone and Jennifer Harmon
WHAT’S YOUR ROUTINE?
By Tom Salta
In a fast-paced and unpredictable world, we crave consistency. Human beings perform better when they follow consistent routines. Think about it. Everything in the universe, science, and nature has a cycle, a repeating pattern: day and night, the seasons, our biology, every breath we take, and even our heart beat. It makes sense that we feel more balanced when we work with these patterns.
As creative professionals, it’s our job to be as productive and creative as possible. We are also accountable and have a duty to be reliable to our clients. We need to treat ourselves
like professional athletes to help ensure we perform at our best all the time...OK, at least most of the time;) One of the most effective ways to do this is to create aweekly and daily routine. This starts with a consistent sleep schedule, meal schedule, and scheduled periodic breaks. Notice how I’m using the word “schedule.” If you don’t plan your day, you will end up “reacting” throughout your day. I’m still a victim of this when I don’t schedule my day. Without a schedule, you’ll be pulled in different directions and not accomplish what needs to be done. Here are some quick tips to get into a schedule.
• Schedule your day the night before and stick to it. I use my digital calendar.
• When working, put your phone in another room and turn off notifications on all your devices. You can even use software to turn off the internet if you need help.
• Make sure to end your workday. Get the work done, and then stop. Give yourself leisure time so you mentally rest for the next day. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
• If your mind is racing before you go to bed, try reading or doing something else relaxing. If you use a reading device, use the night-time setting to reduce the blue light.
• Try to stick to a consistent “lights-out” time. It takes me a good hour and a half to wind down, so I start my night time routine earlier to allow enough time.
• When possible, take the weekend off. If you need to work, try to work only a half day.
