Semester 2 Coming to an End

As the course approaches our last big project we have had many really fun opportunities. One of our big projects for Music Technology was to create a mock Game Cue. It was a (fake) sequel in which we had to compose multiple aspects of the game such as Intro, Journey (music for the character to wonder the world), Battle, Triumph and Death... this includes loop-able material that had enough variance it wouldn't annoy the player and different levels of intensity. This assignment was very good but a HUGE challenge for me. Not only because I don't really play games (and when Brendan does, he tends to wear headphones...) but because the composition process was completely new. Writing 16 bars of music that could loop or transition had to be plotted out and thought through in a new way for me.

To create this piece we had 3 recording sessions. One with a rock band. This was COMPLETELY new to me. We had to come in with a plan of what we wanted - tempo, rhythm, chord progressions and just let them play! Weird. I felt more like a musical architect then a composer. They were the true artists, improvising off the chords and descriptive words I gave them. It was very fun working with these guys.

Then, we recorded with a choir. A group of 8 (4 girls 4 guys). I had the recording from the "rock band" and used that as the foundation to compose the choir section to layer on top of it. Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of this session.

Lastly, we had 2 ethnic percussion players come in. Again, we just had a tempo and rhythm picked out. Simple ideas and words to describe the vibe we were going for and let them at it! Very neat work-shop with these guys. And the had EVERYTHING! It was completely a toy shop of sounds.

This was our last recording session in Windmill Lane as Master Students. -- I had to take a lot of selfies. :) 

After that, we took the recording from all 3 sessions and complied musical sections for the different areas within the game... Battle, Journey.... We added orchestral instruments and atmospheric electronic sounds in Logic to compile all our game music. Taking all these different elements and adding to it was a new way to work for me, but I really enjoyed it. It is kind of like scrapbooking with sound :) I made a mock "Soundtrack" of the different musical sections and hope to post it soon... on my new website! --- to be completed...soon. Hopefully. 

Last week, My roommates, myself and a friend from church went to the National Concert Hall so see Phillip Glass perform his new Piano Etudes. The 20 different pieces were divided between 3 different piano players.... I can now say I have seen Phillip Glass perform! Very good! It was a fun night out. 

NOW all my focus is on my last assignment. We have to compose a 3 minute cue for a 110 piece orchestra. At the end of May we all fly out to Bulgaria to have it recorded. In town to help us orchestrate our pieces is Conrad Pope. One of the main orchestrators for John Williams(!) Look at all this man's credits! Absolutely amazing! The way he thinks about timbre in the orchestra and how he works through using all the different instruments is absolute astounding.  I am completely honored to be able to work with him for the next couple weeks.

After that, semester 3 starts --- final project and thesis writing. For those who know me, it will come to you as no surprise that I am putting together and leading a project. I reached out to a good friend of mine, Lauren LaCasse whom I have worked with before to make the staged production of Frankenstein. We will now film a short re-contextualization of Shakespeare's Macbeth.