Becca Michaelson
President
Becca Michaelson (she/her) is a Cofounder of TCGSO and joined the Executive Committee in the summer of 2024 – first as Publicity Director, then Vice President, and now serves as the President. Becca is a vibrant K-5 general music teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (Instrumental Emphasis) and a Master’s Degree in Differentiated Instruction. She has written music curriculum for her district and given state and nationwide presentations to other music teachers. Her latest presentation was called “Incorporating Video Game Music in the Elementary Classroom”. She has won a district-wide Above and Beyond award.
Becca is a lifelong lover of video game music and chose the flute because it was similar to Link’s ocarina. She has collaborated with musicians for remote recording projects, played in pit orchestras for musicals, written her own arrangements (including one which won Best Acoustic cover), and plays in a video game band called Windfall. Becca is really proud of creating this video game orchestra and hopes it inspires people of all ages to play music that they really connect with.
Matt Silverberg
Vice President and Assistant Conductor
Matt Silverberg AKA MarimbaMatt (he/him) is a Cofounder, the Vice President, and Assistant Conductor of the TCGSO. Matt has carved a niche in the music world thanks to his love of video game music and the marimba. He has performed as a soloist at numerous conventions and festivals throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, and performed on the 20th Anniversary North American tour of Avatar: The Last Airbender Live in Concert as a timpanist/percussionist. Matt performs in Flipside Percussion, a percussion trio sponsored by MPR’s Your Classical Class Notes program that gives educational concerts in K-12 schools throughout Minnesota. He also joined the COMPAS performer roster this year to further spread the gospel of VGM (video game music)! He has also performed with several professional regional orchestras in the midwest.
His debut album “Bottled Memories” was released in March 2024 and his newest cover album “Pokemon: Mainly Marimba Version” in May 2025. As a composer, Matt’s compositions are published through Leading Tones Publications and Heartland Marimba Publications.
Matt is a Marimba One artist and received his BFA from UW-Milwaukee and his Masters in Music from the University of Minnesota. Check out Matt’s Instagram/TikTok/YouTube @marimbamatt913, his website www.mattsilverbergmusic.com and listen to his music on Spotify or Apple Music.
Muhamad Yusri Bin Mohamed Ali
Principal Conductor
Yusri (he/him) is a doctoral candidate in Conducting with a wind band emphasis at the University of Minnesota. He serves as a teaching assistant in the School of Music and Band program. Prior to coming to the U.S., Yusri completed his Master of Education (Music) at the Nanyang Technological University and also the Specialist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. He completed his Bachelor of Arts (Music) from Kingston University and Bandmaster Certificate from the Royal Military School of Music in the United Kingdom. Yusri served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band for 18 years, rising from a Musician to becoming the Director of Music of the SAF Central Band. He was also conductor of the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony. Yusri is a Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow for 2025.
Yusri is grateful for the opportunity and excited to share the stage with the TCGSO and connect with the community through the love of video games and video game music. Yusri is not an avid gamer but enjoys his time with his family playing Mario Kart!
RJ Birckelbaw
Personnel Manager
RJ (they/them) joined the executive committee of the Twin Cities Gamer Symphony Orchestra as Personnel Manager in spring 2025. They hold a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Technical Theatre from Michigan Technological University. RJ performs with the orchestra on flute, alto saxophone, and vocals. They also perform and volunteer in community theatres in the Twin Cities area.
Their love for video game music began early, watching their sister play Kingdom Hearts and are especially fond of rhythm based games that bring music to the forefront of gameplay. That spark grew into a deep passion through their involvement with VGM CON and now TCGSO, where they’ve found a welcoming community that shares their enthusiasm for gaming and music. RJ is excited to help support and grow the orchestra’s mission to bring video game music to life.
Ken Schuster
Treasurer
Ken (he/him) is a Twin Cities native, violinist, and cofounder of TCGSO. He also serves on the staff of VGM CON and as an officer of the Gamer’s Rhapsody board of directors. Ken has a bachelors degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth which he puts to work by teaching middle school music in St. Paul and teaching private string lessons to students ranging from elementary to college levels. In addition to TCGSO, he currently performs with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Bard’s String Quartet, and New Hope Off Broadway Musical Theater.
In his lesson studio, Ken loves to introduce video game music to students for study. He believes that whatever music we enjoy listening to and playing is the right music to pick! Ken started paying attention to the music in video games after figuring out how to play “Saria’s Song” on his violin in elementary school orchestra class. His teacher asked him to stop playing out of turn, but he did not.
Joshua Dieringer
Library and Licensing Manager
Joshua Dieringer (he/him) is the Library and Licensing Manager of the Twin Cities Gamer Symphony Orchestra providing direction and supporting the Library and Licensing Department comprising the Librarian, Licensing Manager, and the Repertoire Licensing and Procurement Committee. He previously held the Librarian position for the 2024–2025 concert season.
Joshua has degrees in viola performance, music history, and library science from The Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He plays the viola and violin in various ensembles throughout the Twin Cities. Video game music has been Joshua’s passion since middle school where he arranged a Nintendo video game music medley for orchestra in Finale PrintMusic. He looks forward to continuing supporting the Twin Cities Symphony Orchestra providing a space where people can meet and appreciate video game music.
Courtney Fox
Licensing Coordinator
Courtney Fox (she/her) has been a member of the TCGSO since its inception both as a player and a member of the Licensing committee, and joined the executive committee earlier this year as the Licensing Coordinator, providing expertise and guidance on music licensing for the ensemble. She has a degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin and holds a day job as a transplant coordinator. Courtney performs in TCGSO on the cello, and has performed in other ensembles on the trumpet, bassoon, and the flute.
Courtney’s love of video game music has been lifelong, starting as a kid listening to the Pokemon Red music on her gameboy and leading into figuring out video game songs by ear and scrawling the notes into her middle school practice books when she got her first instrument (the flute!) Playing video game music has been something she dreamed about since she was young, and helping the TCGSO grow into what it is today has been something she is incredibly excited about. Turning a childhood hope into reality has been an incredibly rewarding journey, and she looks forward to continuing to participate in the orchestra as it continues to grow.
Ethan Nueva
Librarian
Ethan Nueva (he/they) joined TCGSO in December 2024 and quickly stepped into the role of Librarian, where he oversees music organization, coordinates part creation, and manages part distribution for the ensemble. He also serves as Librarian for the National Lutheran Choir, balancing the demands of large and diverse music collections across multiple communities. Ethan takes special pride in collaborating with the orchestra’s score preparation committee, whose dedication and countless hours ensure every performance comes to life.
Ethan studied music education, manufacturing technology, and music business at Western Illinois University before completing specialized training in violin and band instrument repair at Minnesota State College. This unique blend of educational and technical experience gives him deep appreciation for the many invisible details that support music-making, whether repairing an instrument, preparing a score, or setting the stage for a performance.
As a French horn player, Ethan performs with various ensembles across the Twin Cities and has held leadership roles fostering collaboration among peers. His passion for video game music comes from its ability to carry meaningful messages and emotional weight, connecting players and listeners long after the game ends. Through his work as both librarian and a performer, Ethan is committed to helping ensembles share those powerful musical experiences with audiences.
Alexa Horning
Secretary
Alexa (she/her) has been a member of the TCGSO since its inception, contributing to its growth and community spirit from the very beginning. Outside of TCGSO, Alexa has a background in music, with experience playing both the cello and the flute during her childhood. She also participated in multiple music conferences and competitions throughout her time in high school, including the Suburban East Conference. In Winter 2024, she took on the role of Secretary, bringing strong organizational skills and a deep commitment to the group’s mission.
Alexa’s appreciation for video games started at a young age. Some of her earliest memories revolve around playing her father’s NES during school nights and arcade cabinets with friends on weekends. This foundation, as well as her love of performing, has greatly contributed to her admiration for video game music.
Blaine Brubaker
Outreach Coordinator
Blaine Brubaker (she/her) has been the Outreach Coordinator with the TCGSO since Spring 2025 and has served in the past as a Member-at-Large and interim Personnel Manager. She works as a manager of library cataloging services with a Minneapolis-based international books vendor. Blaine has a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance, a Master of Arts in Historical Musicology, and a Master of Science in Library Science, specializing in Music Librarianship. Her primary instrument is the trombone but also plays euphonium and shakuhachi.
Her love for video game music began with the Harvest Moon, Pokemon, and Chibi-Robo series and has grown ever since. This love has also led to her assistance in the development of online and in-person academic video game music symposiums as well as academic publications in video game music-focused journals. Blaine is excited to continue her work with the TCGSO and support the orchestra in another great year of music making.
Teodoro Crespo-Carrión
Marketing Director
Teo (he/him) is a violinist based in the Twin Cities who serves as Marketing Director for the TCGSO and plays in the ensemble’s violin section. In addition to teaching violin and viola in his private studio, he works as a freelance musician performing at weddings, fundraisers, ceremonies, and other celebrations. In the past, he has performed with other local community ensembles and studied music at MacPhail Center for Music and the U of M’s School of Music. His past teachers include Karen Moon, Lorie Hippen, and Mark Bjork. Teo received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and his previous professional experience includes a variety of roles across marketing disciplines, administrative and communications work, and nonprofit leadership.
During his downtime, Teo enjoys gardening, studying foreign languages, and learning to play other instruments. Additionally, Teo indulges in video games when time allows. His favorites include Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Animal Crossing, and many titles from the Pokémon and Super Mario Bros. series. Despite his amateur video game skills, he enthusiastically promotes film and video game compositions for their beloved contributions to modern orchestral music.
Vaughn Rowles
Officer at Large
Vaughn (he/him) is a co-founder of TCGSO and serves as an advisor to the Executive Committee as a Member-at-Large. He is a lifelong violist, and enjoys arranging video game music for orchestral strings. Alongside fellow TCGSO leaders Ken Schuster and Joshua Dieringer, Vaughn performs and arranges video game and anime music with Bards Quartet, a Minneapolis-based string quartet group. He also serves as the Vice-Chair of Gamer’s Rhapsody, TCGSO’s parent 501(c)3 nonprofit, and as Director of Operations for VGM CON. Vaughn holds bachelor’s degrees in Global Studies and Russian from the University of Minnesota, and an associate degree in Russian from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
Vaughn has been involved in the Twin Cities VGM community since 2014 when a fateful Google search led him to discover a local game music expo called “Gamer’s Rhapsody”. Volunteering in its second year of events, Vaughn quickly joined Gamer’s Rhapsody’s staff team and went on to help incorporate the organization as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and to start a new event series: the annual Video Games and Music Convention, or VGM CON. Through this new convention’s success and growth, and seeing the rise of GSOs in metropolitan areas all over the U.S. through the 2010s, Vaughn together with Ken Schuster wondered, could we start an orchestra like this here? They decided to field interest in creating a GSO in Minnesota at VGM CON 2024 and after over 100 community members said they’d be interested in joining, Vaughn and Ken decided this was the year, and with the help of the other co-founders TCGSO was born!