Written by Regina Ender
As a person with a heart for collaboration with other artists, Steven Rader initially felt unnerved by the competitive nature of the music industry. However, upon discovering the niche genre of video game music, he found the camaraderie he craved and set himself on course to pursue his career in this fun sector of the music field. After earning his bachelor’s degree in commercial music in 2016, Rader completed his master’s in music composition in May, where he debuted his master’s capstone concert “Out of the Night,” a combination of orchestral and choral works he composed, arranged, and scored.
Post-graduation, he will continue working as a freelance composer, pianist, and orchestrator as he progresses toward becoming a video game composer. In addition to his freelance work, Rader is a music transcriber for Disney Character Voices International where he transcribes pitches, rhythms, and lyrics of Disney character showtunes for international translation. He is also an orchestrator assistant at Chaos, Havoc, and Mayhem where he translates composers’ MIDI data for film orchestrator Henri Wilkinson. In 2016, he also served as the music director for Nice Girls: A Musical Parody, a play produced, written, and performed entirely by APU students. In addition to his professional work, he also plays keyboard for First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena, known also as PazNaz.
Rader said he chose to become a musician because he loves the emotional storytelling that happens through musical tension and release in songs. In anticipation of a highly-competitive field, Rader said he is grateful that APU’s School of Music is relevant and comprehensive. Because his classes were rigorous, he now has the skills and confidence he needs to succeed in the highly-demanding industry.
Graduating Summa Cum Laude as an undergraduate, Rader was honored with the Outstanding Senior Award and the Dean’s Academic Achievement Award. He held several on-campus jobs as well, including serving as an MIDI lab technician for nearly five years, where he tutored students in APU’s technology lab. In addition to being a goal-oriented and high-achieving student, Rader was also incredibly relationship-oriented and really values the friendships he made while at APU. He recalls dinners in the dining hall with friends on Saturdays as some of his favorite times on campus.
Words of Wisdom: “Remember to breathe. School and life have much to offer, but it is important to internalize your experiences instead of being swept away by them.”
