Screen Scoring at UWRF
The screen scoring program at UWRF offers students a cutting-edge education in composing music and creating sound design elements for visual media. Students in this exciting program develop screen scoring projects leading to a portfolio for prospective employers within the Hollywood film and video game industries.
Select Student Compositions
- Elden Ring Re-Score By Sam J. Nesbit
- "Beware the Dark Ahead" from Vigil by Landon Zientara (Original film directed by Landon Zientara)
- God of War: Ragnarök by Benjamin Garcia
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Science - Music (Composition/Screen Scoring)
- Bachelor of Science - Stage and Screen Arts
- Screen Scoring Professional Certificate
The Music and Stage and Screen Arts (MUSASA) Department now offers a Screen Scoring Professional Certificate, which offers concise and in-depth academic study in the key concepts, scoring practices and musical styles used in Hollywood film, TV, and video game projects. Students will learn to compose and orchestrate the types of scores that will both support the visuals and evoke powerful emotions from viewers.
This club aims to provide valuable resources and opportunities for students interested in creating original music and digital media, help create collaboration and networking opportunities with local artists, filmmakers, and musicians, and actively publicize members' work along with the unique creative opportunities available at UWRF.
Composition students at UWRF formed the Video Game Music Ensemble in 2024. The ensemble performs every semester, offering musical arrangements from classic and modern video game soundtracks. Contact student organization president Gustavo Ibarra at gustavo.ibarra@my.uwrf.edu for more information or to become a member. The Video Game Music Ensemble is open to all UWRF students.
Technology Resources for Screen Scoring Students
- Laptop - Recommended: MacBook Pro (M-Chip Series, min. 16GB Ram)
- Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) - Recommended: Logic Pro
- Notation Software - Recommended: Dorico, Musescore
- MIDI Controller - Recommended: AKG Akai MINI MPK
- Sample Libraries (VSTi) - Recommended: Spitfire Audio (Labs); Native Instruments; Orchestral Tools, etc.
- Solid State External Drive - Recommended: Samsung T7 SSD (1-4TB)
- Video Editor - Recommended: iMovie; Adobe Premiere Pro; Final Cut Pro
Faculty
Casey Palbicki is a lecturer of music composition/theory at UWRF. He has authored two textbooks on the subject: "Music & Movies" (2024) and "Introduction to Video Game Music" (2025). Palbicki instructs all courses in the screen scoring program and teaches a variety of courses, including:
