TAC: This is what we’re up to.

TAC at Sony Playstation Studios in San Mateo

Every Semester TAC students go through the process of scoring a video game in development with support from our industry faculty and The Sony Playstation Studios in San Mateo.

SFFILM Collaboration

SFCM is proud to partner with SFFILM on a yearlong series of events culminating with collaboration between SFFILM-supported filmmakers and student composers. Throughout the fall semester of 2017, SFFILM hosted a series of intimate discussion panels with accomplished film directors, composers, and sound design experts, specifically crafted to prepare TAC composers for a future opportunity to score scenes from films in development. In the spring of 2018, student composers were matched with professional filmmakers and given short scenes to score. The project culminated with a field trip to Skywalker Sound, where pieces were recorded by SFCM visiting faculty members: engineer, producer, and Grammy® Award winner Leslie Ann Jones and composer and conductor Marco d'Ambrosio.

The Bride of Death - Official Trailer

The Bride of Death
Written & Directed by Michael Phillis
Produced by Michael Oberst & Brian Benson
Music composed by Niko Korolog
Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved.

American Babylon - Character Study

Written and Directed by Yvan Iturriaga
DP Mecky Creus
Featuring Igor Iturriaga
Music composed by Emily Pitts

A moment in the life of TIO LUCHO (59) disheveled gray hair and beard, wears his nephew’s hand me downs; he reads the daily news only to try and make sense of his past.

Composed by Niko Korolog as part of TAC's Spring 2018 Showcase Concert

Composed by Daniel De Togni as part of TAC's Spring 2018 Showcase Concert

In Classroom: Tools, Techniques, and Analysis

SFCM's Technology and Applied Composition program gives students a direct path into the worlds of film scoring, video game sound design, and other rewarding musical avenues. In this class taught by faculty member Lennie Moore, students examine the relationship between sound and mechanics and how music can influence a scene.

In the Classroom: Music for Film

SFCM Composition Chair David Conte delves into the fabric of film music, taking apart the components of a score to gain insight into the relationship between musical ideas and their place and development throughout a film.

Kris Grant and Qianqian Jin: Prismatic for Guzheng and Live Electronics

Performed during TAC's fall trip to China as part of the Shanghai Electronic Music Week Festival.

Seventh Night: Performed and composed by 2nd year TAC student Jessica Mao

Jessica Mao is a classically trained pianist and composer of acoustic, electronic, and electroacoustic works. An experimenter with various styles of music, she creates music that features dynamic melodies and focuses on the applications of repetition and modulation. Her musical interests are extremely diverse, ranging from Bach and Beethoven to electronic dance and video game music. She is currently in her second year of the TAC program.

Molly Monahan: A Volcano in Michigan (performed by Anju Goto).

Performed during TAC's fall trip to China as part of the Shanghai Electronic Music Week Festival.

Kris Grant: Do or Die

Performed during TAC's fall trip to China as part of the Shanghai Electronic Music Week Festival.

The Great Renaissance: Performed and composed by Zong Chiang

Zong Chiang is a multi-talented composer. In 2014, he was invited by Shanghai’s mayor and Minister of Education to perform in the 12th National Student Sports Meet Opening Ceremony. He performed as the leading pianist during the ceremony, alongside 34 other talented pianists selected from all over China. Zong’s compositions have been recorded by the renowned Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and his lively performances have been broadcasted on China Central Television (CCTV), reaching a broad audience.

Game Scoring at SFCM Takes Flight with Gathering Sky

Students and faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music record the award-winning soundtrack for the video game Gathering Sky which was composed by professor Dren McDonald.

SFCM Introduces New Program in Technology and Applied Composition

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music introduces its new program in Technology and Applied Composition, a unique undergraduate curriculum that integrates rigorous instruction in composition with scoring and sound design for film, games, and new media. The TAC program offers a world-class foundation for a successful career in the diverse and evolving music industry.

Chris Dauray, Brand Manager of sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs

Chris Dauray discusses the new recording technology from sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs that is available to SFCM students in our state-of-the-art studios.

TAC Visiting Industry Faculty and Artistic Advisor Leslie Ann Jones on Students’ Careers

TAC students can look forward to working with Leslie Ann Jones, an award-winning recording engineer from Skywalker Sound. Listen to her discuss the lives and careers of her various students and colleagues in this interview.

TAC Visiting Industry Faculty and Artistic Advisor Leslie Ann Jones on Her Career

Leslie Ann Jones discusses her career as Director of Music Recording and Scoring for Skywalker Sound.

SFCM Students Perform House of Cards Suite, Composed by Guest Artist Jeff Beal and Arranged by Professor David Conte

Jeff Beal’s score to House of Cards receives the royal treatment from the Amaranth String Quartet. Beal is among the award-winning artists to visit the SFCM Technology and Applied Composition Program.

SFCM Students Perform Austin Wintory's Banner Saga

Music from the indie video game Banner Saga, composed by TAC visiting faculty member Austin Wintory and arranged by David Peacock, was performed by SFCM’s Amaranth Quartet at the Game On! game scoring mini-conference hosted by the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.).