You need to log your progress, talk about the process and reflect regularly throughout the project. In order to do this in a helpful way and in a way that hits the high grade criteria, you may want to ask yourself these questions each week:
What did I do this week? Why did I focus on this and how has it helped my project?
What challenges did I face? How did I overcome them?
What went well?
Where there any surprises? How do I feel about the process and my project so far?
Did I achieve what I set out to this week? If not, how might this affect my project?
What is my plan for next week?
When it comes to evidencing this, you can do it however works best for you.
Audio - you can use voice memos on your phone as you go then join them up or have one session using Logic to audio record. Upload this to sound cloud or similar and embed into your project folder or blog if you have set one up for this.
Video - you can keep a video diary and embed this via YouTube each week - at the end of your project you could simply present this as a play list if you want it to be a bit neater.
Text - you can handwritten or type a more traditional log and evidence this on your project - just make sure we can read it if it's handwritten! You can start a new blog for your project if you like or keep it as a series of google docs/files. If you type notes into your phone you can export this.
If you are having to change your plans somewhat because of this blasted virus, talk about it in these reflections. Thankfully, your qualification is al about process, evaluation, adapting and creating rather than exams so it is possible to turn this to your advantage!
However you choose to present your progress, please ensure it goes into your blog and the post/s are labelled 'progress' so that we can find it.
You need to log your progress, talk about the process and reflect regularly throughout the project. In order to do this in a helpful way and in a way that hits the high grade criteria, you may want to ask yourself these questions each week:
What did I do this week? Why did I focus on this and how has it helped my project?
What challenges did I face? How did I overcome them?
What went well?
Where there any surprises? How do I feel about the process and my project so far?
Did I achieve what I set out to this week? If not, how might this affect my project?
What is my plan for next week?
When it comes to evidencing this, you can do it however works best for you.
Audio - you can use voice memos on your phone as you go then join them up or have one session using Logic to audio record. Upload this to sound cloud or similar and embed into your project folder or blog if you have set one up for this.
Video - you can keep a video diary and embed this via YouTube each week - at the end of your project you could simply present this as a play list if you want it to be a bit neater.
Text - you can handwritten or type a more traditional log and evidence this on your project - just make sure we can read it if it's handwritten! You can start a new blog for your project if you like or keep it as a series of google docs/files. If you type notes into your phone you can export this.
If you are having to change your plans somewhat because of this blasted virus, talk about it in these reflections. Thankfully, your qualification is al about process, evaluation, adapting and creating rather than exams so it is possible to turn this to your advantage!
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic.
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic. And ALL your sources (inc. YouTube or audio) must be properly referenced in a bibliography.
We have compiled some potentially useful academic sources on the Academic Writing blog. You can search for more by using site:.ac.uk or site:.edu eg 'synaesthesia' site:.ac.uk Another search engine is google scholar. The LRC can also offer help with accessing academic journals online.
TASK:
Create an account on myBib.com and start a new project.
Decide on an area of research for your project and find two suitable sources.
Link to them on your blog - these can be two of your literature reviews.
Go to My Bib and enter them as references.
To check that you have correctly done this copy the in-text citation to your blog post.
Publish the post so that we can check you are on the right track and help if not.
Please ensure that you have created and shared your Collab Project blog address on classroom!!!!
Field recordings are not necessarily recordings in a field (although they can be!). In this context, 'field' means in situ or on location, out of the recording studio, just like you may have been on a field trip with a science class to look at things outside the science lab.
Field recordings are of the natural environment and are not 'musical'. They can provide a unique texture to your work. In the current political and social climate they can be very useful if you want to make a statement or create texture with limited resources as you can use your phone to record.
ACTIVITY 1) listen to my podcast on headphones. It's under 6 mins. Please note, this is a resource from last summer so the task at the end is going to be slightly modified. I say in the podcast that this is an optional workshop - not this year! I'd like you all to do it as it is a valuable exercise in active listening. I will explain the modified task when we come back together in 10 mins.
a) Go into an empty room in your home and simply record 30 seconds of sound b) Go into a room with someone in (the kitchen is a good one for this) and record 30 seconds of what ever is happening
c) Go outside and record 30 seconds of the sound outside, wherever you are and whatever it is
2) listen back to your recordings with headphones and briefly note your findings using this sheet (open and make a copy to be able to edit) - we will discuss your findings when we come back in 30 mins.
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION TASK:
Find some objects around your home (or garden!) and record them carefully with silence before and after. Suggestions are things like turning a tap on and off, the boiler starting up, the cutlery drawer, a door opening or closing..... Please record at least three and save them in your drive - you will be using them in the next workshop.
Tape Op is a free digital music magazine with loads of articles about recording & production techniques. Do subscribe if you're interested in that kind of thing.
Thanks to Grant for finding this....a nice little example of how instruments sound using the natural reverb of the space in which they are being recorded:
David Attenborough has released an album of field recordings he made whilst filming for the BBC - you can hear it on spotify
David Fanshawe used his field recordings as an instrument when he composed African Sanctus - its scored for tapes, choir, operatic soloists, percussion, drum kit and piano.
Find some objects around your home (or garden!) and record them carefully with silence before and after. Suggestions are things like turning a tap on and off, the boiler starting up, the cutlery drawer, a door opening or closing..... Please record at least three and save them in your drive - you will be using them in the next workshop.
It's a good idea to collate a lot of your academic research at the start of your project so you can be prepared to refer to it as you go along. By now, you should have completed the 5 literature reviews and at least one case study. This is academic research.
TASK:
Check that you have created a myBib project for your EXP.
Look over all your research so far - have you added it to my Bib?
Have you got enough research for your first case study?
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic.
We have compiled some potentially useful academic sources on the Academic Writing blog. You can search for more by using site:.ac.uk or site:.edu eg 'synaesthesia' site:.ac.uk Another search engine is google scholar. The LRC can also offer help with accessing academic journals online.
Please ensure that you have created and shared your exp work in progress folder on classroom!!!!
As part of your collaborative project research, you should produce at least two case studies to help you pace your own work in context, analyse the work of others/techniques/ideas and learn things that will help/inform your own work.
When approaching a case study, it's is useful to clarify your aims before you start-
Why am I doing this case study? What is the context?
What am I looking at specifically?
How does it relate to my project?
You then need to decide what you have got from it-
What was of particular interest?
What have I learnt/taken away from this?
Things you may like to focus on are-
Aesthetic (the sound, look, vibe... of something) ie lofi production sounds, use of panning, branding, sonic identity
Technique (techniques used in performing/creating music) ie looping, collaborative writing online...
Content (lyrics, music, subject matter....) ie poetry in grime lyrics,
Presentation (how something is is presented to the intended audience via performance, video, packaging, merch, digital distribution, visual style...) ie streaming to wide audiences, video styles, bespoke merch...
Your case studies will help you reach criteria such as:
2.1 Review a range of research sources to support the production of a performance project. (your case studies can also be a source)
2.2 Interpret research to develop ideas and effectively communicate creative proposals. (you will interpret ideas from them)
You should choose to do your case study on something relevant to your own project, perhaps that help place your own work onto a context or that contains some ideas that you are particularly interested in.
The grade is not related to the number of words but how you approach the case study, what questions you address, how you extract relevant information and how you use what you learned.
Throughout this case study I will be exploring the genre Trap and the sub genre Deep House music commonly known now as EDM (Electronic Dance Music).
First and foremost Trap music originates from the cities of Southern America such as Memphis, Houston and Atlanta. The centre of all the Trap music hype originally started in 1990s, in Atlanta but in time spread to the other cites. Some first wave pioneers of the genre are rappers such as Three 6 Mafia, 8ball and Master P. As well as just the artists, producers also played a major part in the whole Trap music scene and "Hood Celebs". The genre is also unique due to its instrumentation, for example the 808 kick drum commonly used in each track and electronic software fundamental to creating a track.
House Music has been around since the 80s when Dance music was introduced. However during the 80s house split into many genres with Deep house being one of them. Each new sub-genre had a unique sound to it but was still infused with the main characteristics of the mother genre. Deep house is commonly known for its dissonant and ambient sounds as well as a soulful and relaxed feeling to it so its hard to comprehend how Trap music and Deep House were infused together as they are both at each end of the spectrum. With Trap music having a more aggressive and artists portraying their rough lifestyle of violence through the music and Deep House's soulful feel.
With Trap music becoming more popular throughout the 2000s, In 2012, well known EDM artists such as Diplo and Flosstradamus embodied elements of trap music, such as "trap house", "trap-ah-ton", and "trapstep". These newly formed sub-genres of Trap and House/EDM combined snare and high-hats which are fundamental sounds included in Trap music everywhere. Additionally the new sub-genres incorporated other important traits of Trap into the music like the traditional 140bpm mostly used in Trap songs. This so called “EDM Trap” genre was mostly songs made up of of samples of original trap songs or samples of a deep house track.
Well known artists constantly create tracks incorporating the two genres are Major Lazer, Bauuer, and Jack Ü which are a musical group consisting of two EDM Trap pioneers Skrillex and Diplo. Here are examples of their music. Notice how they have a prominent snare throughout the music and how there is a progressive drop. listening trap songs, shows how the drop is an element of Trap music which pumps up the audience at a show.
In one of the tracks on my EP I have attempted create a Deep house track with the use of and 808 kick. The track steers more towards a Deep house song however as my EP is mainly made up of Trap songs I wanted to add a hint of EDM music to complement my case study and learn more on the two Genres.
Collab Project - Distinction Week 4 : Case Study Two : Looking at how vocal techniques affect lyrical content.
This song like Smith's song demonstrates a struggle with alcoholism, After further consideration during the week, I decided that instead of writing only a verse or chorus for each case study I would write a complete song and incorporate the techniques used by the different artists. I continued with the verse and chorus I had written for 'Between the bars', while doing so I looked at my second case study 'Chandelier' by Sia. This song is about "the glitter and fatigue of a party girls life". The songs lyrics are filled with regret and the monotony of keeping up the 'The one for a good time call' persona, while simultaneously dealing with some darker themes of addiction. The way I analysed this song was I printed out the lyrics following them with the audio, in doing so I highlighted the different 'voices' she uses. Each 'voice' was used to evoke a certain emotion or feeling in relation to the lyrics.
I divided the song up into voices and asked my teacher to talk me through the different techniques Sia used and whether they were to enhance the emotion in the song or just techniques to make it easier to sing certain notes i.e in the chorus.
The first voice I identified was used in the first, second and third verse, Sia used more of a sprechgesang type of vocal delivery. Sprechgesang is an intermediate between singing and speaking often used to denote regret or exhaustion, this is further supported by the content of the first verse Can't feel anything, when will I learn. Along with the sprechgesang, we discussed her vocal fries and squeaks in Sia's voice.
We then looked at the pronunciation of certain words like 'doorbell', although it is still in sprechgesang her mouth almost sounds closed as if she's mumbling or in pain which juxtaposes the next line I feel the love, feel the love. What was interesting to me here was that she sounds like she's in pain or hungover yet her lyrics are painting a picture of her being loved and wanted 'Phone's blowin' up'. The hook 1,2,3 drink' We discussed that she was convincing herself to drink or that her views on it are almost robotic as if she's going through the motions. Sia's vocal delivery no longer contains sprechgesang but is neither singing in her full voice it's slightly in between as the notes she's singing are quite monotonous and flat with no vibrato. An autotune-like harmony has been added to vocals to convey this slightly darker aspect which again contrasts to the more positive previous verses of being 'A good time'.
The tone completely changes from the '1,2,3 drink' there's an over octave jump. The lyrics are louder and more defiant almost like a cry for help or attention as if she's calling people to just look at her. On the word 'swing' she uses a glissando (vocal slide) adding to the image of her swinging from a chandelier or delving deeper into intoxication. From using her full voice, at the end of the word 'chandelier' she slides into a lighter chord closure conveying a more fragile and vulnerable side to her.
After looking at Chandelier I wrote a middle 8 in response. The lyrics are more defiant as the person in the song is denying they have a problem mirroring the defiant nature of Chandelier's chorus. I used glissandos to convey intoxication, as well as singing in a fuller chord closer in comparison to the rest of the song. Middle 8 lyrics :
You wouldn’t understand,
The bond we have,
Oh, there’s nothing wrong with my friends.
It’s the last time I’ll tell you,
I don’t need to explain myself.
I thought that it would also be interesting to see how my own lyrics would be affected by vocal delivery. So we analysed the songs meaning and what I intended to convey with each line. For example, the final lyric playtime the note carries on into a hum which is often associated with pain or lament. I marked out where I would breath which would allow me to carry on the notes I wanted. As well as this, I incorporated some of the vocal techniques I had previously identified in Sia's song into mine such as the sprechgesang on the word stop and glissandos in the middle 8 conveying intoxication.
Soundcloud is a very useful way for you to present work in progress and get feedback as people can comment on the tracks. If you make a playlist private then only those with the link can see it. You can also embed the playlist into your blog - whenever anyone (teaching staff or exam board) look at your blog, it will automatically show the comments from soundcloud as it is embedded and will update. All in one place. Cunning, no?!
First you need to have a soundcloud account (you can use your existing one as they playlist will be private or create a new college one using your google credentials). Click 'upload' and make sure you have selected 'private'.
You can save time by adding multiple files and ticking the 'make a playlist' box.
Add your tracks and any info such as what it is and what you want feedback on.
Click 'save', go to your playlist and click the share button. Choose 'Embed'. You can even choose your colour scheme at this point if you want to. Copy the code in the box:
In your blog post, select HTML view mode...
Then paste the code (don't panic by what you see!) then change back to 'compose view'. Et voila! You will see a grey box but can check it's working by selecting preview (or publishing the post and going to view blog).
If you would like people from the class to see this playlist, post a link on classroom or email it to me and I will post it. You can also now link to it in the chat in classes.
You have a college YouTube account from your classroom login already, same as blogger as it's all google. When you create a video in YouTube, make sure it's 'unlisted'. This means it's not public but people with the link can see it. In exactly the same way, when you go to share from YouTube, select 'embed' then paste that code into your blog in HTML view mode as with soundcloud.
