CITSComposer

I'm Skyler Newsome! Thanks for being here.

I began composing orchestral music for games in early 2021, after having grown up exposed to many of what I now consider some of the best video game soundtracks of all time, thanks to my dad. I used to spend hours watching him play games like the original PlayStation Final Fantasy entries, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Legacy of Kain. Prior to my start in orchestrating my own music, I had always dreamed of becoming a composer as talented as Nobuo Uematsu, tying powerful emotions to the experiences I had playing Final Fantasy alone and with my dad.

I have been a self-taught guitarist for 15 years, playing in a multitude of cover and original bands over time. With my roots in metal and rock music, it's been an amazing journey and challenge getting into orchestral work. To help with that transition, in a shocking display of foresight for a young man, I picked up playing the cello in my later high school years, and studied music theory and composition throughout college at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. While I majored in Television and Film Production, music was always at the forefront of my experience both in media consumption and creative pursuits.

Inspired by shows like Critical Role and The Glass Cannon Podcast, I began DMing a game of Dungeons and Dragons 5e for a few of my friends in late 2020. Further inspired by their ingenuity and characters, I took it upon myself to finally begin working on orchestral music, using that campaign as the framework for which I could base a soundtrack. In 2021 I released that compilation of songs under the name Circles in the Sky. I have since refined my knowledge of composition, orchestration and arrangement, and continue releasing music meant to add flair and flavor to the tabletop games of others, practicing writing with a story and scenario in my mind for when I tackle my first video game projects.

Let's talk games! Reach out at citscomposer@gmail.com