Compose Music for New Media at WVSU Creators Program Workshop

11/6/2013

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Contact: Kimberly Osborne  
(304) 766-3363
kosborne@wvstateu.edu
     
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Learn to write music for video games, websites and other new media platforms at “Composing for New Media 101” with composer, performer and producer Chuck Biel at the West Virginia State University (WVSU) Economic Development Center (EDC) Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The workshop, part of WVSU’s ongoing Creators Program series, will “open a door to a greater and more personal understanding of music,” said Biel, noting that digital platforms are creating new avenues for music production like never before. “Whether you are a music fan or a seasoned music or media professional, this class will give you a fresh perspective on the creative process and introduce you to skills that will make the act of creating music as easy as putting on your shoes.”

The hands-on workshop will cover communicating with music, sequencing, making music, how music is applied to media, as well as how to create markets, find work and promote yourself. Participants will learn to write music effectively for new forms of media, with an introduction to devices, sounds and techniques for supporting stories and responding to user actions. 

Biel is an experienced musician with numerous film composing credits under his belt. He has instructed and arranged for a number of acclaimed performers, including actress Ann Magnuson and musicians Jerry Flowers and Brad Miller. He has composed for award-winning filmmakers Danny Boyd and Bill Richardson. For a period of 10 years, Biel served as Composer in Residence for the Charleston Stage Company. He has worked as a college instructor of music and recording arts, and has performed with such organizations as the West Virginia Symphony and the Mountain Stage Band.

Attendees will receive a Certificate of Participation that will count as two units toward a Creators Certificate, awarded after the completion of 20 Creators Program workshop units.

Launched last year, the Creators Program is a series of community workshops focused on essential skills and knowledge needed to create for mass media and art. WVSU partners with the Arts Council of Kanawha Valley and the West Virginia Film Office on the series. Workshops are designed for people of all skill levels, including students and others interested in expanding their creative endeavors.

The cost to attend the workshop is $20. Students are eligible for a discounted rate of $10, and registration is requested for all. To register, visit www.digiso.org and click on “The Creators Program” tab.

The WVSU EDC is located at 1506 Kanawha Blvd. W. in Charleston.

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West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, WV. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.