ASMAC Video Game Composer Forum: “Specialization” vs. “Versatility”

With Noa Beazley, Chase Bethea, Virginia Leo, and Tony Manfredonia (Host).

Often, video game composers are requested to blur lines between well-known genres, and expand their stylistic skill set from project to project. Many newcomers to the industry will often hear two contradictory pieces of advice on social media: "Niche down!", and "Diversify!".

This begs the question, "Is there one right way to be a video game composer?"

Bringing together four composers in the video game industry, Tony Manfredonia leads a Q&A and discussion with fellow composers Noa Beazley, Chase Bethea, and Virginia Leo regarding "specialization vs. versatility" in the world of video game music creation. The discussion will provide an inside look at how each of these composers got their start in video game music, their varied sources of income streams, their required skill sets in order to work in the industry, and more.

Bios

Noa Beazley

Noa is a composer and Assistant Professor of Video Game Scoring at Berklee College of Music. Her work includes games such as Protodroid DeLTA and A Token War, as well as commercial projects for GreenSpace Creative Agency and 411 Music Group. Her speaking engagements include venues such as PAX and GameSoundCon, and she's performed for the Golden Joystick Awards as part of the 39th annual opening show. Noa is also an Organizer at Game Audio Boston and an Ambassador for Women in Games.

Chase Bethea

Chase Bethea is a NYX award-winning and VGMO nominated freelance Composer/Technical Music Designer for Video Games. He has been working professionally in the industry for over a decade and has shipped over 20 games thus far. He is known in the industry as the “swiss army knife of video game composition.” His second soundtrack for the game “Cubic Climber” earned a Noteworthy on Destructoid.com In addition, he was nominated in the industry as "Artist of the Year - Independent Composer" for his score "I Can't Escape : Darkness" via VGMO. Chase has also scored Aztec Ride, a highly addictive fun mobile game that shipped on Google Play in October 2020 and was nominated for a Pocket Gamer Mobile Award.

He also made two article debuts on the website of the music gear conglomerate, Sweetwater . As a video game composer, Chase has brought his special signature sound to big libraries and has written demos for Reason Studios and Soundiron, curated selections for Native Instruments Sounds.com, been added to the artist roster of the legendary, ILIO and Q Up Arts .

Chase has also done over 35 talks as a guest speaker at many conferences such as Global Game Jam (Keynote Speaker), GDC (Game Developers Conference), PAX, Audiokinetic WWise Symposium, MAGWEST (2x), MAGFest, IGDA, GameSound Con, Berklee College of Music (2x), Game Devs of Color, ADC (Audio Developers Conference), A2IM, Indie Game Business and EPOS Gaming.

Photo of Chase by: Matt Ehnes Photography

Virginia Leo

Virginia Leo is a Composer/Sound Designer primarily for video games but also works across other mediums. Her most notable work was featured in the White Rabbit Update and Christmas Chapter in the game The Baby In Yellow by Team Terrible which has over 100 million downloads on Android/iOS and PC. Since its release, it has accumulated hundreds of millions of views through TikTok and Twitch attracting the attention of YouTubers such as Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. Since Virginia started her journey in game audio in 2018, she has diligently participated in many game jams over the years winning several awards such as the Yogscast Award for “Home Invasion” Global Game Jam 2019, and Winner of Global Game Jam 2020 for “Frank’s Anatomy”. She placed 3rd out of 2414 submissions in the “Audio” category on “Metal Muscle Mage” during Ludum Dare 51 in 2022.

Virginia’s love for wildlife and conservation led her to spend a brief period of her career working on nature documentaries. She composed and produced her own score for “Peregrine Coast” by Andrew Salter, which was awarded Animalis Fabula Festival's 'Official Selection' for February 2021. During the same timeframe, she was developing a keen interest in education and wrote her final dissertation around the topic of gamification in Key Stage 3 music, which she would graduate with a First Class Honours. She became a digital music tutor under “Reid’s Digital Music”, and aided in developing children’s technical/creative abilities during after-school hours.

Virginia has also experienced working with immersive technologies; she previously worked on The Museum of Imagined Futures VR, an Indigo Storm XR production in collaboration with Studio ANRK and funded by StoryFutures. This VR project was a part StoryTrails, the UK’s largest immersive storytelling project and one of the biggest people’s history projects ever undertaken, as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. The project was nominated for the 2023 SXSW Innovation Awards in the “Immersive” category.

Rings of Saturn is a progressive technical deathcore band also known for dubbing their style "Aliencore," their music is fast, loud, and aggressive, while the clean, digital sheen of their production allows listeners to observe the details in their video game-influenced tunes. In 2022 they released their first all-instrumental album which added elements of world music, choral vocals, piano, and strings on their technical deathcore and electronic attack. Virginia was guested on the album as a pianist, orchestral producer, and composer. This experience gave her an insight into the music industry, specifically in the metal genre. After the release of the album, she also toured 23 states across the US with the band on their Cyber Shred Tour 2022.

Tony Manfredonia (Host)

Tony Manfredonia is a Michigan-based composer and singer-songwriter, best known for his symphonic, cinematic, and dynamic sound. Providing a deep, passionate experience, his music is filled with powerful orchestration, heartfelt lyrics, and sweeping melodic lines.

Ranging from video game soundtracks to instrumental suites, romantic pop-piano ballads to soaring symphonic rock albums, Tony’s genre-bending, orchestral expertise is infused into everything he creates.

From the cinematic swells of Call of Saregnar, to the chiptune/orchestra hybrid of Kharon’s Crypt, Tony’s soundtracks ensure the music is a core component to each video game experience. He actively has his soundtracks performed live, drawing in audiences to enjoy his music in a different light. One example is his Suite from Kharon's Crypt, an orchestra-plus-choir medley, premiered by the Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra.

Tony’s sheer variety provides him the opportunity to compose and perform in a wide range of musical contexts. Symphonic, yet intimate, his mission is to connect listeners to their deepest emotions.

ASMAC Video Game Composer Forum: “Specialization” vs. “Versatility”

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