FEATURED

From Corporate Banking to Creative Economy : Creating a Space for Community & Commerce

December 18, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

Last Month I was in Sand Lake for an appointment at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts. Looking for a coffee after I was directed to the Sand Lake Merchant across the street where I was happily surprised to see a thriving creative economy outpost and collaborative business model. I took a few minutes to talk to owner Amanda Goyer about her vision and what pried her away from a successful career in the banking industry.

Amanda Goyer : Owner and Curator at Sand Lake Merchant | Image: Provided

Please state your name, business name, and title. Can you give us a bit about your background?

My name is Amanda Goyer and I am the Owner and Curator of Sand Lake Merchant. I was born and raised in the Capital Region in Latham. Graduated from Shaker High School in 2007. Attended Stonehill College in Easton, MA for Criminology and Psychology. Graduated in 2011. I came back to the Capital Region after graduation and got a job as a Crime Analyst with Schenectady Police Department. My initial career goal was to become a detective. I met my now-husband while working at Schenectady PD and the idea of a family came into vision. I made the decision at that time that I wanted a less risky career that I felt more comfortable about raising a family with. I shifted into event planning which I had always had a passion for but was incredibly different from what I had studied or done prior. I ended up at Autotask, now know as Datto, a Global Tech Company. I handled event planning across North America and then had the great opportunity to travel to London and Barcelona. The burnout of that industry is heavy and I felt it. I decided at that time to find something where I wouldn’t have to travel but could still be creative. A role opened at CAP COM Federal Credit Union leading their Foundation or charitable giving arm. That is where I found my home and rose to the role of Director of Community Engagement overseeing the Foundation, Public Relations, Business Development and School Banking. Following that I was at Keybank where I was Corporate Responsibility Officer for the Capital Region & Central New York Markets. In these roles, I learned how to collaborate, develop strategic alliances and deepen community partnerships to create positive change. All of these are attributes that I use today in my collaborative work at Sand Lake Merchant.

Sand Lake Merchant, Sand Lake NY | Image: Provided

What made you decide to do the career shift and focus on the Sand Lake Merchant?

I really had no intentions of leaving my banking career. My goal was to climb the corporate ladder in banking following in my mother’s footsteps. My mother was the late Paula Stopera, former President and CEO of CAP COM Federal Credit Union. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May of 2021 and passed that July. In the same year my father was diagnosed with dementia. My life and priorities shifted and I knew I needed to take time to heal. I also was reminded how short life is. I wanted to take more time to be with my husband and two young boys. I’m thankful that KeyBank was so kind and gracious when I made the decision to leave my corporate career. One of my mentors said to me when I was making the decision, “it doesn’t have to be forever.” That helped me take the step I needed away from a decade long journey in corporate banking and community development that I knew and loved.

I remember thinking “Who am I without my career?” I had attributed so much of my self-worth and purpose in life to my career. It was very intimidating to leave that piece of me behind.

It was the pause and the gray space that I allowed that sparked what would be the future Sand Lake Merchant. I was scrolling through Zillow one night and came across a beautiful building in our town that I have admired. It was for sale. I said to my husband, let’s just look at this place, what do you think?

The rest is history. We purchased a 200 year old building in the heart of town. Spent 16 months renovating the space completely. I had an amazing local general contractor. I built the plan based on the foundation of what it had been, which was a General Store for 150 years! From there it was a florist, country store and an antique store. I brought all of the pieces from the past forward and created Sand Lake Merchant.

Sand Lake Merchant : Under Construction | Image: Provided

Sand Lake Merchant : Before | Image: Provided

Can you tell us a bit about the Sand Lake Merchant vision? The space drips with creativity!

The simple truth is I do not offer a product or service myself, but I had created a beautiful building, I was business savvy, not afraid to take risks and knew how to build a network. With that, I knew I needed to surround myself with people that had talents and services that could drive retail businesses. I think the marriage of corporate and creative can create huge success and my goal is to build a framework for how that is done, prove success and let that be a model for others to do the same.

What a feeling of freedom it has been to allow limitless creativity! However, that limitless creativity is focused with the lens of running a business that is built with strong values, diversified revenue streams and strong partnerships.

Gipfel Coffee at Sank Lake Merchant in Avrill Park, NY | Image: Corey Aldrich

As a rural based business, there is a limit to the volume of folks you can get in the door which can limit your cash flow to pay overhead and staffing costs. How are you stratifying your programming and using collaboration to create stability? Can you mention a few examples?

I think a big assumption many people had and/or have is that our rural community does not have enough people and/or resources to support a locally-sourced, handmade type of gift shop that I’ve created in Averill Park. That was something I thought a lot about during the planning and research phase of my business. I knew that a gift shop alone would not be enough to draw the daily traffic we desired, but how could I fix that without taking on more than I could handle? The answer was and always will be collaboration.

Our first and most important strategic alliance was that with Gipfel Coffee Company. Gipfel had started their business locally in Averill Park in another location 2 years prior to the opening of Sand Lake Merchant. I became a Gipfel “regular” enjoying their custom roasted coffee and also the sense of community that came with visiting their shop. I knew a pain point of theirs was that they had outgrown the location they were in. Also their visitors were craving a larger space where they could sit and enjoy their coffee and pastries. I knew I could fix that pain point with our nearly 4,000 sq. ft. building, but I wasn’t sure if they would be onboard to move in. I invited their owner Christine Kehn over to see our building during the renovation. I remember asking her if we could sell her bags of coffee when we open the gift shop, and then I said do you want to hear my more aggressive idea? She said sure…I said will you move in with us? We still laugh to this day about that initial meeting. I attribute much of our success to the daily traffic the coffee shop drives in to our location that we would not otherwise get. I’ll always be thankful I was brave enough to ask a bold question and Christine was open to taking the risk alongside me. Today both of our businesses continue to grow and thrive together.

Some Products Available at the Sand Lake Merchant in Avrill Park, NY | Image: Corey Aldrich

I had met another maker, Melissa Orth, owner and designer of PoppyTree Floral Designs in West Sand Lake. At the time I knew of her because of the amazing weddings she had designed florals for on Instagram. Then I noticed she started selling fresh floral bouquets in the old Gipfel Coffee Shop and people were loving them! Soon after I talked with Melissa and found she was looking to downsize the amount of annual weddings she was taking on but wanted to still create and retail her products. Our space allowed her to do just that. Her plants, florals and custom creations are a staple in our store.

Farm Fresh Meat Available at the Sand Lake Merchant in Avrill Park, NY | Image: Corey Aldrich

Over 30 local makers are part of our creative retail community at SLM. Some have said their collaboration has changed their business and their lives. To see a maker be able to cut back on their day job and be able to focus more on their passion and creativity has been nothing short of a dream come true.

I will also say, our rural community in Averill Park is fast-growing, especially for families! We have the traffic, we have the people willing to invest locally, who are not shying away from paying a little more for a custom made gift or market item. These people have always been here, they were just traveling to Latham or Clifton Park or Saratoga to shop because they were seeking something we didn’t have in our hometown. Now we do, and they are showing up for us!

What are your goals for the future?

I would like to continue to build community through a variety of collaborative partnerships at Sand Lake Merchant. In addition, continue to expand on the potential of our 2nd floor event space by adding workshops and classes in 2024 hosted by our vendors. For example, paint and sip events, candle or jewelry making, art galleries, meditation, kids yoga and more! My goal is to find ways to grow, scale and sustain the business without necessarily adding more staff right now. The only way we can do that is through creative collaborations that create a win-win experience for everyone involved.

A prime example of this was our recent collaboration with Sand Lake Center for the Arts and our joint “Holiday Merchant Market.” Collectively we used our locations conveniently located across the street from each other to offer creatives the opportunity to showcase their handmade goods for sale. The planning was shared across both teams and the advertising was doubled between both of our networks. We both had a shared vision of creating something special for the community and we did just that. This year, hundreds of people filled the streets of Sand Lake to shop and support our local makers. Several makers said it was their most successful event to date.

I am a big believer in the phrase no risk, no reward and that is what I think about everyday when I’m planning or making choices that scare me.

Upstairs Lounge and Multi Purpose Area at the Sand Lake Merchant in Avrill Park, NY | Image: Corey Aldrich

Anything specifically coming up you would like to share with our audience?

Beginning in January of 2024 we are going to be looking for creatives and vendors that would like to utilize our space to host community events and workshops! If anyone is interested in learning more please email us at hello(@)sandlakemerchant.com

The Fish Market Project : Creativity Outside the City Center Update with D. Colin

November 2, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

Poet, artist, performer, curator and activist D. Colin wears many hats. Over the last year she has donned a newer one to add to her collection as Curator and Program Director at the Fish Market Project in North Central Troy, a satellite of the Arts Center of the Capital Regio n. As she wraps up the 2023 season, we thought it would be informative to get an inside track of what it’s like moving the boundaries of art and creativity outside of the city center and spreading it to areas that otherwise would not have that hyper local opportunity to participate.

D. Colin – Curator and Program Director at the Fish Market Project in Troy, NY | Image: Provided

Please state your name and role in the organization. How long have you been in this role?

My name is D. Colin and I am the Curator and Program Director for The Fish Market Project. Although my time at The Fish Market started in January 2022 as an artist in residence, I’ve been in this current role since March of 2023.

Poetic Visions Event at the Fish Market in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

Can you tell us more about what the FISHMARKET is and what type of programming you are running there? How long has it been in existence?

The Fish Market is literally a former fish market turned into a community arts engagement project by the Arts Center of the Capital Region. In 2021, ACCR offered two six-month artist residencies to launch the space. The second year an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant made it possible for Meg Jala and myself, to offer a variety of arts programming in the space with Jade Warrick joining the team. Though they both moved on to pursue other opportunities, I’ve worked to continue the vision of community-centered arts programming. The Fish Market is a neighborhood arts hub for creatives and community members to gather, connect, and make art. Over the past year, there have been art exhibits, poetry open mics, and free workshops for a variety of art forms including acting, dance, drumming, and drawing. Every week, artists and community members have the opportunity to use the space to explore their own creative work during open hours which I like to call co-create time. I have also been able to have collaborative arts programming and special events in the space with a variety of partners including the Social Justice Artists Collective and Black Dimensions in Art, Inc. Now that The Fish Market is entering its third year and we have a better idea of what works most meaningfully there. I am excited to see how the community continues to grow.

Participatory Art Making at the Fish Market Project in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

As a satellite location for the Arts Center of the Capital Region, you have strong backing and institutional support. That said, this is a newer endeavor that will be carving out its own path in the neighborhood. What is the overall goal of the programming and what do you envision it becoming to the neighborhood?

The overall goal of programming is to provide a safe space for artists and community members to gather, to foster relationships between artists and the community, and to create together. I believe that it’s important for the arts to be accessible. A space like The Fish Market gives folks an opportunity to learn more about the arts and their own creative process while also impacting the neighborhood in a positive way. Personally, I see The Fish Market as a gathering space with the arts at its core, someplace where people can heal and grow together with creativity leading the way. When I was a young artist, I didn’t have spaces like this to help in demystifying the process of being an artist or even just in learning a variety of ways to express myself. I had to look for those outlets in other ways. My hope for The Fish Market is that it continues to be that space for others, especially those who live in North Central Troy.

Gallery Attendees Checking Out the Art at the Fish Market in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

As you try different events and initiatives, what are some best practice principles or suggestions you could share with other folks looking to replicate this model?

I’m often asking for feedback. Some of the ideas for workshops and events have come from folks who’ve walked in during open hours or who’ve attended other events. Keeping ideas community-centered whether through direct conversations or having a suggestion box helps not only with ideas but also with relationships. At the same time, I try to weave in programming that nobody suggested or thought about by asking what might be missing and how can I connect with the community. If people don’t know what to ask for, sometimes it’s useful to introduce experiences to see how it goes. Consistency is also a driving force in helping programming grow. When folks have an expectation of how an event will go and when programming will happen, it’s easier to promote and likely attendance will steadily grow. I think with any new project, it also takes time. The Fish Market is two years old, but I think that amount of time is necessary to get a more solid understanding of what makes the most sense in the space.

Jordan Taylor Hill Running a Drum Clinic at the Troy Fish Market Project, Troy NY | Photo: Provided

Any programming or events you have coming up that you would like to share?

We just had our Fish Market Festival, a 3-day end of season celebration. The Hudson Valley Writers Guild will be at The Fish Market in November. There will be an opening reception for their art exhibit on Friday, November 3rd starting at 5 pm. There will also be collage workshops, a poetry reading, and open gallery hours for folks to attend and see the art. I encourage folks to follow @fishmarketproject on Instagram or Facebook for schedule details. People can also stay updated by getting on the Arts Center of the Capital Region’s email list.

Caffé Lena’s Sarah Craig Activates the Power of Music to Heal Community…Literally

November 2, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

I have been a big fan of Sarah Craig for a long time. Several years ago, I was producing an annual music series in Saratoga for Universal Preservation Hall. The second year in, I reached out to Sarah to co-create the 2015 season. The idea was to have a feel good moment with some inter-institutional collaboration – a cross pollination of audience. Working with her and the Caffe Lena team up close and personal helped hone my idea of what true mission orientation is. It’s in their DNA.

Being a big fan of what the O+ Festival in Kingston is doing for creatives and healthcare, I was super excited to see a similar program being promoted last month (October) at Caffe Lena. I just had to hear more about it and get a general update on the good things we see coming out of Saratoga that have Sarah’s fingerprints all over them.

Sarah Craig, Executive Director at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs NY | Image Provided

Please state your name and role in the organization. How long have you been in this role? Can you share a little about your background?

I’m Sarah Craig, the Executive Director of Caffe Lena. I’ve held that title for 28 years, but the designation today bears little resemblance to the job I was first hired for. When I came on board in 1995, I had four years of experience fundraising for a nonprofit disarmament organization in Boston. I had also put in some years as an activist on LGBT and women’s issues and the war in Central America. Though I loved music, and in fact was totally immersed in the folk music of the late ’50s/60s Folk Revival at the time I applied to Lena’s, I wasn’t seeing the job as an extension of my peace work. I just felt like it was a nice way to make a living for a while. But over the years, my understanding of the role of arts in creating a healthy world has evolved. I’ve come to believe that, actually, the arts are our best hope for hanging onto our humanity in a world that increasingly commodifies and separates us.

Historic Image of an Audience at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Photo: Provided

Historic Image of Performers Warming up at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

When I first arrived, Caffe Lena was still finding its way as a nonprofit following the unexpected death of its owner, Lena Spencer, about five years earlier. We did an open mic and three shows a week. That was the entire output. The board hired me as the organization’s first Executive Director in an effort to move the Caffe toward more community service, develop a larger membership base, and find new ways to fund programming. We were on a slow, steady growth curve for about 20 years, but since the renovation and expansion of our venue in 2017, we’ve seen rapid growth. Pre-renovation, I had become an expert at keeping things going in a climate of extreme scarcity. Post-renovation, I struggled to manage our growing resources–both funds and staff. But I love to learn, and I’m doing a pretty good job now. I don’t have a direct role in managing shows anymore (I really miss it!) but having this fabulous staff has created very exciting opportunities to explore the potential of the organization to make a difference beyond putting on shows.

New Exterior of Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs NY | Image: Provided

Can you tell us more about what the overall goals are at Caffe Lena what types of programming you are running there? How long has it been in existence?

The venue opened in 1960 at the peak of the Folk Revival, when folk was all the rage and there were hundreds and hundreds of folk clubs across the country. Most of that scene started fading in the late ’60s, and it was largely a memory by the ’80s. But Lena hung on in Saratoga, and when she died her friends decided to keep the place going as a nonprofit. Before she died, it achieved the distinction of being the longest running folk music venue in the country. Caffe Lena is a link to a hugely influential era in American music, and now it’s a fabulous venue full of new music, and it’s reimagining the role of a small music venue in creating healthy communities.

Caffé Lena Promotional Flyers | Image: Provided

The list of programs we run is too long to print here, but it all boils down to music, connection, and learning. Here’s a typical week: four+ concerts by nationally touring headliners, a very popular alcohol-free open mic, a daytime jam circle for seniors, after-school group lessons for kids, and ‘Caffe Lena On the Road,’ which is a program that sends national acts to play for free at shelters, our local soup kitchen, nursing homes and schools.

My daily reminder-to-self goes like this: embrace music as an antidote to division and a path to health, as an alternative to the embattled society. I know it sounds pie-in-the-sky, but it’s honestly the lens through which I see this work. So, to answer your question about our overall goal: heal division and create health by bringing diverse people together to experience something emotional, thought-provoking and genuine.

Live Performance at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: PPP

Over the last few years, your programming has expanded into new areas that support a larger and more diverse communities. Can you share a bit about this evolution? I am especially excited about some of the collaborative connections you are making with other regional institutions like SPAC.

As far as collaboration among Saratoga arts organizations, I credit SPAC CEO Elizabeth Sobol with opening that door. Not too many people in her position would see a small organization like Caffe Lena as a valuable ally. But she does, and it’s mutual, and that has created wonderful cooperation between our organizations. We do an annual festival together, and we’re doing some off-season shows together in Spa Little Theater. And we get together and talk about stuff because we’re very much on the same page regarding the healing potential of the arts.

What’s a little more unexpected is our work with nonprofits outside the arts sector. We launched the aforementioned Caffe Lena ‘On the Road in 2018.‘ Our collaboration with social service organizations led me to realize that our community is packed with organizations that are trying to make the world healthier by treating addiction, supporting prisoners, housing people, building nature trails, preserving historic architecture, etc. I realized that we all have the same underlying motivation. And I also realized that the people these organizations are serving are like the characters our artists are singing about on our stage every night. Like folk ballads in the real world. So, that led me to launch an annual event called ‘TrueSongs,’ happening this year on November 11, as well as a ‘Community Classroom‘ series and a monthly nonprofit meet-up called ‘Serving Saratoga : Conversations with Community Leaders.’ This is how we’re drawing on our folk roots and reinventing how a small music venue can make an impact in its community.

Youth Programming at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

The Grace Kelly Band Live at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

Recently I was super excited to see you offer a health screening for creatives clinic for regional artists and musicians. Can you share a bit about this program specifically and how it came to be? How did you get the interest of your project partners lined up to make this a reality? Do you feel it was a success?

I go to music conferences where MusiCares, a project of the Grammy Foundation, funds dental clinics. Pretty much no working musicians have dental insurance, so the queue is out the door! After a show at Lena’s one night, Jill Burnham, who is a Saratoga blues singer and a nurse, approached me with the idea of doing something to address the health needs of uninsured musicians, and based on my conference experience, I knew what that could look like. The clinic we just held was the second annual. It got off the ground because Jill got Saratoga Hospital involved, and Saratoga Hospital got their Saratoga Community Health Center (free clinic) and Hudson Headwaters on board. And then the Caffe’s Operations Director, Mateo Vosganian, Drummer for Wild Adriatic, worked out a plan for holding the clinic in our performance space and he got all of his uninsured musician friends to show up and get checked out. In year one, the medical staff found some serious issues that needed attention, and they hooked those people up with meds and insurance. Amazing! After year one, Mateo and Jill realized there was no reason to limit the clinic to musicians. So this year, they put it out to all creatives, and attendance doubled. People are so terrified of finding out they have some medical condition that will require treatment that they avoid doctors. Well, this clinic is free, it’s in a familiar setting, the follow-up care is free, you can get free eyeglasses, you can get free custom ear protection that normally costs $200+. Again, I say amazing!

Caffé Lena Health Clinic for Creatives | Image: Provided

Is this a program that you are looking to continue? If so, how can other relevant organizations get on board to participate? Thinking specifically of sponsors and care providers…

MusiCares and BroadwayCares and O+ Festival in the Hudson Valley are organizations dedicated to this kind of service. Locally, Southern Adirondack Musicians Fund* (SAM Fund) has been helping out musicians with cash to address medical emergencies for years. We will keep our annual clinic going, and we would more than welcome medical and insurance providers to connect their services with our artist community through this event. Having a multi-year sponsor to underwrite the costs would be a dream come true. Just reach out to Mateo (mateo@caffelena.org) with ideas or offers or questions.

Any programming or events you have coming up that you are especially excited about and would like to share?

Check out ‘TrueSongs‘ on November 11. It pairs songwriters with local people who have been helped through some big life challenge by a local nonprofit. The person tells their story on stage, and the songwriter performs an original song that gets to the emotional heart of that person’s journey. So, we’ve got a night coming where Sean Rowe, Holly McGarry of Honeysuckle, and other amazing songwriters are working with a person who lost their sight, an autistic child whose life was transformed by working with horses, a person who nearly lost her family farm, and more. You’ll see the true story of our world, and it won’t bum you out. And if you want just a normal, fabulous night of music, the list of options is endless. Roots, Jazz, Global, acoustic music of every kind. Exquisite sound–really the best anywhere. A seat no more than 30′ from the stage. Caffe Lena is a wonderful place to see a show!

Live Performance at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

EDITORS NOTE: *The Southern Adirondack Musicians (SAM) Fund is a not for profit (501 C 3) corporation dedicated to providing emergency financial assistance to musicians and their families who are facing serious, catastrophic health issues, injuries and death. A volunteer and locally oriented charity (serving Saratoga, Washington and Warren Counties), the S.A.M Fund’s mission is to keep the “wolf from the door” for those in need.

Video Game Composer Tommy Talarico Joins Forces with the ASO for VIDEO GAMES LIVE!

September 28, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

I played a lot of video games in high school. The arcade at lunch (Gauntlet and Galaga were my favorites) followed by the couch at my best friend Dustin’s house after school (Laser Gates on the Atari). My how things have progressed. This issue we catch up with a gentleman who has been helping that progression on the music front. Our interview with Tommy Talarico is in preparation to hear what that sounds like live and in person when he joins the Albany Symphony Orchestra for the internationally acclaimed Video Games LIVE performance in early October 2023.

Tommy Talarico Plays Video Games Live | Photo: Provided

Please state your name, where you are from and profession / title.

Tommy Tallarico – Born and raised in Springfield, MA but have been living in Southern California for over 3 decades. Have been a video game composer and sound designer for over 33 years. I started Video Games Live over 20 years ago (2002) and have performed over 525 shows in 42 countries around the world.

Video game music is kind of specialized, how did you get into this profession, what was the path for you?

My two greatest loves growing up were video games and music. But I never thought I could ever put the two together because there was no such thing as a video game composer in the 70’s! When I was 21 I got in my car and drove to California. I was homeless, didn’t have any friends out there, no job, etc. The day I got there I picked up a newspaper and got a job at Guitar Center selling keyboards. The first customer who walked in the following day was a producer who worked for Richard Branson who was starting a Virgin video game company. I was wearing a video game t-shirt so we struck up a conversation and he gave me a job as a video game tester. I was in California about 3 days and was already in the video game industry. I would beg and bug the Vice-President of the company to let me do music when needed. They gave me a shot to translate, compose and do sound design for the Gameboy version of Prince of Persia, which was a huge game at the time. I won a bunch of awards while at Virgin so they made me the full time audio person. In 1994 I left Virgin after 4 years and started my own company so I could do contracts for all the different game companies.

Can you give us some highlights, interesting projects and games you have worked on. Any favorites?

There was a big game in the early to mid 90’s called Earthworm Jim that myself and 8 friends created and worked on together. We were the same group of guys who had done the award winning Cool Spot and Disney’s Aladdin video games for the Sega Genesis. Creating something on our own, with good friends and something for which we owned a part of and became hugely successful, was definitely a highlight. Doing the audio design for Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater was also a great experience as none of us working on the project at the time had any idea on how successful it was going to be.

Working with Stan Lee on Spider-Man, working with the original Sonic team on a Sonic game and helping the original Guitar Hero team get tracks from the music industry were also big highlights. Two of the biggest highlights though were working with my two biggest childhood heroes. I worked with Muhammad Ali over a 6 month period in 1992 for the Muhammad Ali boxing game on the Sega Genesis and then a year later in 1993 I worked with Slyvestor Stallone for a week on the Demolition Man video game. They were both a dream come true and I have so many incredible stories about both.

What inspired you to move from the console to the real world symphonic environment? Any special moments to share in this area?

I always wanted to use REAL instruments for video game music. In fact, one of the first times a real guitar was used in a video game was for The Terminator game on the Sega-CD. The technology made this possible because instead of having to store everything into a small game cartridge, you could now just record real music and real instruments and have it play off of a CD! I remember some of the producers from the game feeling a little shocked that the rock music we were doing was “real” and that it didn’t match the 16-bit graphics of the game. They felt at the time that it sounded out of place. Only because they had never really heard real music with a video game before. Luckily, the soundtrack to The Terminator ended up winning multiple BEST MUSIC Awards throughout the industry. Once the CD technology arrived, it ended up becoming the norm moving forward.

A lot of you people into music fantasize about having their work in a video game. Any suggestions on how to break into that arena?

Yes! For sure! Join the Game Audio Network Guild or G.A.N.G. as it is commonly referred to. It is a non-profit organization I founded over 20 years ago. So much great information and networking one could do by joining.

You’ll also want to attend the Game Sound Conference which happens once a year in Los Angeles and the Game Developers Conference which happens once a year in San Francisco.

Like most careers, networking is a HUGE part in getting your foot in the door and becoming successful.

Anything on the radar that you would like to share with us? It can be more than one thing!

I would encourage people to please check out our six Video Games Live albums. I think that most people who aren’t familiar with video game music will get a huge surprise as to the quality. That is why Video Games Live has become so popular and successful over two decades. The music and the experience is really for everyone, not just hardcore gamers. The storylines, visuals, characters and of course the MUSIC is really exemplary in every sense of the word. Some of the greatest letters and e-mails we’ll get after a performance are from the non-gamers in the audience saying… “I never knew!“

You can also catch me in Albany on Sunday, October 8 playing with the Albany Symphony Orchestra…see you there!

EDITORS NOTE: Click on the image below for tickets. Use code : ACE20 for a 20% discount!

Video Games Live with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Sunday, October 8th 2023 at 7:30 PM.

Marvel Writer Ryan Little on Deck for First Annual 1UpState Gaming Conference

September 28, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

You may have noticed that at ACE! we like to cover writers. This month is a special treat as I got to chat a bit about what it’s like to be in the universe of comics and film with Ryan Little who works on a couple of different series for Marvel Studios. Ryan will be in town for the upcoming 1UpState Video Game Conference so it seemed like a good time to catch up and get some tips how young aspiring writers can break into the biz.

Ryan Little : TV and Comic Writer, Story Editor | Photo: Provided

Please state your name, where you are from and profession / title. Tell us a bit about what you do.

I’m Ryan Little, a TV and comic writer from the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania. In the last five years, I’ve written 21 episodes of TV for Marvel Studios. I co-created the series ‘I Am Groot‘, serving as the Story Editor for both seasons, and wrote on ‘What If‘ Seasons 2 and 3. Most notably, I was tapped to create an entirely new section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which introduces the indigenous hero, Kahhori. In the graphic novel space, I’ve run 31 successful Kickstarters that have grossed over $100K in sales and shipped to 33 countries globally. This October, my title Super Scouts is arriving to brick and mortar shops via CEX.

Marvel Studios : I Am Groot | Image: Provided

A lot of writers would love to be doing what you are doing. How did you get into this profession, what was the path for you?

I have bad news. I didn’t catch lightning in a bottle or write that one glorious script that cracked open the doors of Hollywood. I did things the long, slow, hard way. I got my foot in the door as an unpaid intern and spent the next year climbing the ladder. My advice? Most folks I meet in LA writing circles aren’t willing to do the long hard road. And most of them never break in. If you want to be a write, get in the mix and take any job that moves you closer to the creative work you want to be doing.

Marvel Studios : What If… | Image: Provided

Can you give us some highlights, interesting projects you have worked on. Any favorites?

I’m immensely proud of the ten I Am Groot shorts I made for Disney+. They’re just some quality sci-fi fun. My proudest work, however, is creating Kahhori and a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe filled with indigenous heroes which will be debuting in ‘What If’ Season 2.

Marvel Studios : I Am Groot *and* What If…Kahhori | Images: Provided

Any projects that you are especially jazzed about or can give us an inside peek on coming down the pike?

I can’t wait for everyone to see my episodes in What If Seasons 2 and 3. I’m also always putting out new graphic novels through my imprint, Plastic Sword Press.

On Saturday, October 21 (2023) I will be making an appearance in person speaking at the 1UpState Gaming Conference in Albany, NY at the Albany Capital Center. Hope to see you there!

EDITORS NOTE: Click Here To Purchase Tickets to the 1UpState Gaming Conference. ACE! will be there!