Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: Diversions

Donkey Kong and Sonic may only cross paths in the world of Super Smash Bros., but their music will share the same stage Tuesday night when the university's Gamer Symphony Orchestra brings the video game experience to life with its spring concert.

Performing at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's Kay Theatre, the Gamer Symphony Orchestra will present a 90-minute show that includes selections from Chrono Trigger and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as from Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and more.

"If you want to come and relive the golden days of videogaming, or even the current days of videogaming, and the memories that you get from listening to this music, then you should come see this show," orchestra president Jarred Young said.

The Gamer Symphony Orchestra was founded in the fall of 2005 as the first college ensemble dedicated solely to arranging and performing video game music. Beginning with just five members, the orchestra recruited enough musicians to put on its first concert at Hoff Theatre in the spring of 2006. Today, there are more than 50 students involved, and the group is officially recognized by the Student Government Association.

"We all grew up listening to this music, whether or not we were avid gamers, so it's something that we can all relate to," the orchestra's President-elect Robert Garner said. "It's a common bond and something that we really get a kick out of."

After it brought in an a capella group from Towson University to help with last year's spring concert, the orchestra decided to form its own chorus section this year.

"You can pretty much pick an instrument and we use it at some point," Young, a senior aerospace engineering major, said.

The concert will include separate performances by the instrumental and choral sections of the orchestra before the two combine for the final act. The group is not associated with the music school and associate astronomy professor Derek Richardson is the only staff adviser involved, which gives junior music and psychology major Gregory Cox and environmental policy graduate student Renard Joseph Sexton the opportunity to conduct.

After previously playing at some of the smaller venues on the campus, this is the first time CSPAC granted the orchestra permission to perform in one of its theaters. A milestone for the students involved, Young said he hopes the concert will give the orchestra a better chance to "put our name out there" - a sentiment Garner reiterated.

Continued...

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