1. Game Audio Education: A Case Study
Michael Sweet, Associate Professor
Berklee College of Music
msweet@berklee.edu

2. Why we started teaching Game Audio Education?
• Student Demand
Students organized to create the Video Game Music
Club at Berklee in 2007. The group now has over 200
members.
This group pushed the college to add faculty and classes
that taught video game scoring techniques and game
audio techniques.
• Many of our graduates ended up working in video games, so
we realized the importance for us to teach students the
specific skills required to work in game industry.

3. Game audio is cross-disciplinary.
Scoring / Writing
Performance/ Synthesis / Sound Design Production / Dialog / Mixing
Implementation

4. Jobs in Video Game Audio
1. Audio Director
2. Composer
3. Assistant Composer
4. Arranger / Orchestrator
5. Session Musician
6. Sound Designer
7. Recording Engineers (Dialog, Music, Field)
8. Editors (Dialog, Music)
9. Mixing
10. Music Supervisor / Editor / Licensing
11. Audio Implementer
12. Audio Programmer

6. The Tough Questions
How competitive is this field? Are there enough jobs in
the industry to absorb graduates?
- no more difficult than any other creative field or
endeavor such as film and television
- more games being made than ever before
- game and interactive skills are used in a variety of
industries such as the web, teaching tools,
installations, museums, toys, etc
- successful musicians are entrepreneurs

7. Curriculum Development
Curriculum Development

8. • 4 Year Accredited Bachelor of Music Degree Program
• 12 Different Majors (Film Scoring, Songwriting, Performance, etc)
• Student Population: 4,000
• Each student plays an instrument,
• Each student receives at least 4 semesters of music skills including
music theory, ear training, harmony, etc.
Curriculum Development

9. Wait! Were a school of musicians?
How do you teach Video Game
Audio to students without actually
having programmers, artists,
game designers and producers at
the school?
Curriculum Development

10. Collaborative Approach:
Finding partners to work with.
1. Working on actual games.
2. Learn to work within a team
3. Start networking in the game
community before they leave Berklee.
Curriculum Development

11. Tools and Infrastructure:
Build tools that teach basic concepts.
• Build tools to teach interactive music
concepts for the curriculum.
• Use mod’ing as a tool for learning
ideas, and navigating through conceptual
design.
Curriculum Development

12. Film Scoring Department
Started in Fall 2008
Developed a series of video game scoring
curriculum.
FS-271 FS-371 FS-471
Introduction to Interactive Scoring Advanced Scoring and
Interactive & Video for Video Games Implementation for
Video Games
Game Music
Curriculum Development

13. Music Technology Division
Started in Fall 2007
Developed a series of video game audio
production curriculum.
MTEC-321 MTEC-421
Audio Production (launching fall 2011)
for Games Advanced Audio
Production and
Implementation for
Games
Curriculum Development

14. Collaborative Approach:
Within the College
Music Writing Performance
Technology
Sound Design Interactive Writing Ensemble
Dialog Production Scoring to Visuals Recording
Mixing Cut Scene Scoring Performance
Curriculum Development

15. Resources
Leverage learning outside the specific classes.
• Liberal Arts
• Math
• Engineering
• Business
• History
• Music
Curriculum Development

16. Video Game Scoring Minor
Launched Fall 2010
LHUM-P433 Digital Narrative Theory and Practice
PW-365 Orchestral Mock-Up Production
FS-271 Introduction to Video Game/Interactive Music
FS-371 Interactive Scoring for Video Games
FS-471 Advanced Scoring and Implementation for Video Games
Curriculum Development

17. Facilities
Hardware / Software Needs
middleware solutions - fmod, wwise, xact / xna
platforms - xbox / ps3 / wii / handhelds
consoles - demonstration and development
Workstations
Studios

18. How were we able to address the needs so quickly?
Administration Support
Money for Labs / Hardware / Software
(a lot of infrastructure already in place)
Money for Bringing in Advisers / Guest Lecturers
Setting Up Corporate Relationships - Microsoft / Sony
External Universities Support - USC, SCAD, MIT Gambit
Ability to hire faculty.

19. Supporting the Curriculum
Supporting the Curriculum

20. Video Game Music Club
• 200+ Members
• Sponsored and Organized Many Berklee Learning
Center Events
• VGMC Ensemble played at the GANG (Game
Audio Network Guild) Awards
2008, 2009
Supporting the Curriculum

21. Video Game Music Summer Institute
Two programs available:
• 5 day intensive writing institute
• 3 day video game audio workshop
4-5 Guest Speakers
Supporting the Curriculum

22. Berklee Music Online
Introduction to Game Audio:
An audio professional working in
the gaming industry is required to
possess not only musical and audio
talent, but also knowledge and
experience with typical game audio
workflow. Introduction to Game
Audio prepares you for a career in
the industry by covering the many
facets of sound production and
engineering that are particular to
games.
Supporting the Curriculum

23. Guest Speakers
Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy Series
Tommy Tallarico – Video Games Live
Jack Wall – Mass Effect
Clint Bajakian - Sony
Wataru Hokoyama – Afrika
Chance Thomas - Avatar
Norihiko Hibino – Metal Gear Solid
Olivier Deriviere - Alone in the Dark
Duncan Watt – Brothers in Arms
Paul Lipson - President of GANG
Chuck Doud - Sony
Supporting the Curriculum

24. Video Game Orchestra
The VGO was founded in the spring of 2008,
by Berklee senior Shota Nakama, bringing
together musicians from Berklee as well as the
Boston Conservatory and the New England
Conservatory of Music.
Supporting the Curriculum

25. What do I want to make our program better?
Access to proprietary tools.
Bigger labs, more studios.
Dedicated ensembles for video games.
More guest artists, and special events.
More staff, and faculty.
Ongoing internships with game companies.

26. Where to look for help?
Resources: IASIG Education Guidelines

27. Questions?
michael sweet
associate professor
berklee college of music
msweet@berklee.edu
Questions