Music Career Project
Name: Kevin Period:​ 6​ B5
Checklist to Complete Assignment
Read​ the article
Complete ​From the Source​ ​Section #1
Complete ​In Your Own Words​ Section #2
Complete ​Your Final Job Description​ Section #3
Complete ​Best Fact to Share​ Section #4
Complete ​Think About It​ ​Section #5
Complete the ​Career Jump Activity ​Section #6
Is my work ​nea​t, in ​complete sentences​, and ​each
section is completed​.
Fill out this information based on the information on the ​Music Careers Website​. Don’t use other sources!
#1 From the Source
Job Title: Video Game Composer
Career Overview:​ Video Game Composers create
musical scores for video games.
About this Music Career ​(Career Description)
1. A Video Game Composer writes evocative
musical scores to video games, including individual
themes for each main character.
2. ​To do this, he or she will watch the game to see
what’s happening on screen, and create music that
brings up the appropriate emotions to match what’s
happening in the game.
3. ​My company does everything audio for video
games so my tasks vary from project management,
composing, sound design and editing, voice
directing, implementation, and general consulting.
4. ​Video Game Composer Chris Rickwood describes
his daily job routine as “Wake up, sync up computers
with [the] latest game builds, eat breakfast, create
music and sound until lunch, eat lunch, feel drowsy
and haphazardly work, read and respond to email,
make sure my team is doing what they are supposed
to, repeat.
5. ​The people I work for are usually Game Designers,
Music Career Project Grading
_____​Individual Participation During Project
❏ 3 on task, involved all the time
❏ 2 on task, involved most of the time
❏ 1 off task, wasting time, teacher reminders to
work needed/not on task, ignores teacher
reminders
_____​Completed Project
❏ 3 all tasks complete, in detail, neat, and
thoughtful
❏ 2 all tasks complete, satisfactory answers,
and legible, most tasks complete, answers are
brief and not detailed, work is sloppy
❏ 1 few tasks complete, answers are incomplete,
and little effort is shown
#2 In Your Own Words
Job Title: Video Game Composer
Career Overview: The music in video games are
created by video game composers.
About this Music Career ​(Career Description)
1. Music like the themes for every main
character is created by video game
composers.
2. To make the music, the composer will have to
watch the game to match the music to the emotions
that are happening in the game.
3. The composer’s company does everything that has
to do with sounds so the tasks range from managing
the project, editing and designing the project, making
music, voice direction, implementing, and general
consulting.
4. A composer, Chris Rickwood, has a daily routine:
Get up, load the computers with the latest games,
have breakfast, make the sounds until lunch, have
lunch, want to sleep and work lazily, reply to emails,
check on my team to make sure they are doing the
right things,
5. I usually work for people who make games,
 Music Career Project
Producers, and Audio Directors.
Salary
1. $30,000 to $75,000+
2. ​Video Game Composers earn income through
creative fees, production or a combination of both.
Employment
1. To get started on the path to becoming a
Video Game Composer, Rickwood advises,
“Listen to music and play games in an
analytic way.
2. ​The Sound Designer will be in charge of hiring
Composers.
Advancement
1. Many Video Game Composers start out as
freelance employees, so for them,
advancement could come in the form of
getting hired for a salaried in-house position.
2.​Overall, Video Game Composers—freelance or
in-house—progress in their career by working on
more prestigious, well-known or bigger budget video
games.
Education and Training
1. Although a college degree isn’t required for a
Video Game Composer to put on their
resume, he or she does need to have a solid
understanding of traditional music scoring
techniques such as orchestration and
composition.
2. ​They must also have a good handle on popular
recording software like Logic and Protools.
Experience, Skills, and Personality
1. The main skills a Video Game Composer
needs, Rickwood says, are “the ability to write
amazing music and convince someone your
music is worth paying for.
2. ​Networking skills are vital to launching a career as
a Video Game Composer.
3. ​It also would help if you actually played video
games and are hip to the video game culture.”
producers, and sound directors.
Salary
1. Between 30,000 and 75,000
2. Composers earn money through creative fees
and/or making music.
Employment
1. To get started, listen to songs and play games
in an analyzing way.
2.The sound designer is incharge of employing soung
makers.
Advancement
1. Many Video Game Composers start out as
self-employed, so advancement could be
something like getting hired for a position in a
company that earns money.
2. In conclusion, composers for video games,
employed or not, progress by making music for
well-known games that pay more.
Education and Training
1. Even though a college degree is not needed
for a composer, he or she has to have a good
comprehension of traditional song
techniques.
2. Composers also must know lots of music making
and recording software.
Experience, Skills, and Personality
1. The primary skills a composer needs is being
able to write very good music and persuade
others that your music is good enough to pay
for.
2. Networking skills are also important to starting a
career as a composer.
3. Playing video games with music is also helpful to
your career
 Music Career Project
Unions and Associations Unions and Associations

1. According to Rickwood, worthwhile online 1. According to a composer, Mr. Rickwood, you

organizations for aspiring Video Game can join online organizations for composers
Composers include the Game Audio Network like ​Game Audio Network Guild.
Guild and International Game Developers
Association.

2. ​He suggests that “the key is to be an active 2. Rickwood says that the most important thing is to
participant in any groups you join.” be a good participant in any groups you join.

Suggestions for Getting Started Suggestions for Getting Started

1. Create a website to showcase your showreel. 1. You should make a website to showcase some of
your work.

2. ​“Write something new every day.” 2. Make music every day.

#3 Your Final Job Description:​ ​Convince someone this is the best job in the music
industry! Write in complete thoughts and sentences IYOW. When you read this out loud, it
should be about 30 seconds.

A composer is definitely the best job in the musical industry. You can be creative and do
whatever you want, and you can create a variety of sounds and songs. You can also earn a
good amount of money from making music for famous games.

#4 Best Fact to Share: ​Write one sentence summarizing and highlighting the best part
about this job.

A video game composer can make any type of music, and it is also very fun experimenting
with different types of music and notes.

#5 Think About It
-List 3 school subjects that would be useful to know to perform this job.
1. Music
2. Finance
3. Math
-Would this job be a good fit for you? Why or why not? Support your opinion in complete
sentences.

I think this job would be good for me because I like to be creative with what I do.

(THIS SECTION IS AN IN-CLASS ACTIVITY! DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH THIS YET!)

#6 Career Jump Activity:​ ​Quickly write down the job title and one interesting thing
about each job as you rotate through the career jump.
 Music Career Project
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Best Job: Worst Job: