I'm Callum Rookes, though many people know me as "That British Conductor Guy." As a conductor, educator, and passionate advocate for making orchestral music accessible to everyone, I've been fortunate to work with ensembles across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Most recently, I served as Musical Director of the London Video Game Orchestra, where I saw first-hand how powerful video game music can be in bringing musicians and audiences together. That British Conductor Guy

Now, I want to bring that same energy and sense of community to Scotland by creating an orchestra dedicated to celebrating the incredible music of video games and providing meaningful opportunities for musicians to perform, connect, and inspire others.

England has the London Video Game Orchestra. Wales has the Cardiff Video Game Orchestra. Ireland has the Irish Video Game Orchestra.

Scotland doesn't currently have an orchestra dedicated to celebrating the incredible music of video games.

I'd like to change that.

The Scottish Video Game Orchestra aims to bring together musicians from across the country to perform the unforgettable soundtracks that have inspired generations of players. From sweeping orchestral scores to nostalgic classics, this orchestra will celebrate the music behind some of the world's most beloved games while creating a welcoming community for musicians who share that passion.

My ambition is for the orchestra to become a lasting part of Scotland's musical landscape, providing exciting performance opportunities for its members and, in time, performing in some of Scotland's most iconic concert venues.

As exciting as that vision is, getting an orchestra off the ground comes with significant upfront costs. Before we can even play our first rehearsal, we need to fund rehearsal venue hire, percussion hire, marketing and recruitment, a website, printed music and licences where required, insurance, and many of the other practical costs involved in launching a new ensemble. Beyond that, we'll also need to secure a concert venue so we can share this music with audiences across Scotland.

That's why I've created this GoFundMe

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I'm hoping to raise £1,500 to help cover the cost of our first term of rehearsals, percussion hire, buying music, and give the orchestra the best possible start. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly towards helping establish the Scottish Video Game Orchestra and turning this idea into a thriving community.

If you've ever been moved by the music of games like Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, or countless others, I'd be incredibly grateful for your support. And if you're unable to donate, simply sharing this fundraiser would make a huge difference.

Together, we can give Scotland its very own Video Game Orchestra.