Video Game Orchestra

This is kind of random (OK, completely random) but also kind of fun and different....

I was asked by a friend of mine, who's a local music director, conductor, actor, singer, and all-around musical genius,if I wanted to be a part of a choir he's putting together for a performance at the end of the month.
Now, as you know, I'm a big theatre fan - and the fact that I haven't been in a show of any sort in almost a year (RENT opened in March of 2010 - I can't believe it's been a year already!) means that I'm getting a little antsy as far as performing is concerned. That being said, when my friend contacted me, I was immediately interested. He's a very talented guy who I trust, so I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be working with some rag-tag, amateur group.

Anyway, the deal is that there's this group called the 'Video Game Orchestra' who performs all over the place, and have quite a following. They're performing a concert (one night only) on Friday, April 1st. My friend is working closely with them, and he has been put in charge of getting together a choir (around 25-30 people) to sing along with the orchestra for this concert. The cool thing is that the concert is going to be held in Boston's Symphony Hall!!! SO cool.

Video Game Orchestra, you ask? What the $*&% is THAT? Exactly what I said when I saw his email. So, I did a lil' research, and this is what I found:

From their website:

"VGO, founded by a Berklee College of Music alumni Shota Nakama, is an orchestra that performs contemporary arrangements of video game music. As the first and only New England based orchestra that focuses on showcasing interactive media compositions, VGO is dedicated to provide access and raise awareness of orchestral video game-related compositions.
Comprised of a chamber orchestra, a 5-piece rock band, and a choir, the regional and international award-winning musicians come from over 20 countries. This multi-cultural diversity background contributes to the unique sonic signature of VGO.
VGO's debut concert was on July 2008 in front of about 200 people at a small Boston chapel. Since then, the success and audience number have been growing along the way. The latest concerts at PAX East 2010 won VGO an acclaim for our outstanding performance from the 7500 people who were at the concert."

Now, I'm not a 'gamer' by any means, but I looked on YouTube and they have a few videos up there. They seem really cool. Their concerts seem very laid back (no formal wear for them!) and their audiences are TOTALLY into their performances. You know how people can be when it comes to their video games! Apparently it's not uncommon for a character or two from some popular games to make a surprise 'guest appearances' during the concert, which makes the crowd go wild!

As for me, it seems like a pretty cool way to get back up on a stage again with limited commitment and a pretty cool pay off. Hopefully everything will work out, and it's not some big April Fool's joke...I'll certainly keep you posted!!!

Have a great Thursday, y'all!!!
xoxo