On February 16, the Media Music Club will present the 12th annual Media Music Concert. Showcasing music from film, television, and video games, this concert is arranged and performed by both music students and the York community.
“This year we have a little bit of everything, something that everyone can enjoy. We have numerous soloists this year, adding an extra layer of fun and enjoyment for the audience,” says Stephanie Ammendolia, a fourth-year music major and the president and artistic director of the Media Music Club.“We are working alongside some theatre and design students to help with the visual aspect of the show, making this a truly interdisciplinary experience.”
Along with the live music performance, audiences can also expect a video and light show. The music will vary from League of Legends, Mary Poppins, Pokémon, and more.
Ammendolia also shares that the Music Media Club used to be a symphonic orchestra, but ended up switching over to a wind ensemble. What’s more, as the shows increased in popularity, the performance moved from the Martin Family Lounge to the Tribute Communities Recital hall.
“Our ensemble is open to anyone that is proficient in their instrument and is willing to take part in this band. Although the club is mostly comprised of music majors, we have members that are from various faculties around York. We have people that are computer science majors, physics majors, psychology majors, and more. Our goal is to put on a performance with some recognizable music so that the audience can have fun,” they explain.
Mubassar Chaudry, a first-year education student who graduated from the music program, shares that he has been arranging music since high school, so he is very happy to have the opportunity to continue to do so with the Music Media Club.
“Media music influences where I draw inspiration from to arrange, perform, and reminisce on,” says Chaudry. “There have been fan albums and covers of media music for years, but it’s becoming much larger and more accessible as of late, which increases the amount of people who are capable of arranging, while also pushing everyone to create higher quality content.”
For Jeffrey Smith, a fourth-year music major, music in media offers them an opportunity to explore new ways to approach creative blocks in their own creative process. “Being able to listen to over ten different songs from different games, which all approach a similar concept in wildly different ways, is a great way to get inspiration when I’m stuck and don’t know what to write.”
Chloe Hsu, a fourth-year music student, explains that her favourite moments of the rehearsal process are when the ensemble completes a perfect run-through of a piece for the first time, and everyone is proud of themselves and the performance. “I’m excited to get to share that feeling again when we perform for our concert!”
“This club has given me back my passion to perform, so I hope that you can be inspired by our performance as well,” adds Hsu.
To learn more about this performance and to get tickets, click here.