Five High Score speakers share what’s on their agenda this year

Amy McNickle, co-curator of High Score and panelist: How to speak dev and influence designers

This year, we’ve got some amazing talks that are all about the craft, with deep dives into composition, sound design and tech, as well as game-audio-specific business discussions. There aren’t too many places where game audio professionals can gather and have these nuanced conversations specific to the work we do.

There are parallels between both game audio and the music industry, and game audio and the games industry, but there are very niche, specific aspects to this profession that can sometimes get overlooked in those broader contexts. I’m confident our program this year will facilitate opportunities for unique networking and upskilling.

Belinda Coomes- Panel: Know your worth, then add tax

I’m a massive fan of High Score as it is how I found my way into the local games scene and began composing music for games. Each year the event continues to improve and always offers thoughtfully curated content and valuable insights into current local game audio projects, as well as information about how to become a games composer.

The presentations by industry peers are particularly inspiring as they delve into the technical and creative aspects of game audio, providing a “look under the hood” at how things are done. Additionally, High Score usually features an international special guest and it’s always fascinating to hear their personal process when working on games.

From a personal perspective, I always enjoy catching up with industry peers who I may not have seen all year as well as chatting with other High Score participants.

Montaigne - closing keynote Branching Ballads: Lyrically driven narratives in Stray Gods

I'm looking forward to attending the expert panels and hearing from some really cool and established industry people! I'm still an industry baby and have a lot to learn, so it'll be cool to hear about their experiences. I'm keen for the Speedruns panel especially, it'll be cool to hear some pointers in that way.

Narayana Johnson- Panel: Game music in the wild: from OSTs to orchestras

It’s such a great place to connect with other composers. Composing is often a solitary job, especially in indie games. Meeting other people doing similar things is a great burst of energy and motivator. Also, I always leave High Score with a bunch of new ideas to try.

Yon Hall - closing keynote Branching Ballads: Lyrically driven narratives in Stray Gods

I love hearing people talk about how they make their stuff - there are so many different scales and ways of working, I like the idea that folks will be talking about really specific stuff to people who understand what the hell they're talking about!