This project is designed to be a summative experience for our music technology unit, and hopefully a chance for you to bring some of the skills you developed in earlier parts of the course. The overall plan asks you to use technological skills such as interacting with MIDI, recording, using loops, and editing and organizing a song. I have attempted to keep the parameters open-ended enough to enable you to bring some creative input and have some choice in what you create. Finally, I am asking you to collaborate in a new way. This is a new part of this project for me and I appreciate any feedback you have on it as you go through it. Good luck!

Overall mission

Make a cover of a piece of popular music as a one-person band (with one exception!)

Project Criteria

Your cover should:

• Represent some sort of creative change from the original tune. A change of genre, instrumentation, interpretation, etc…
  • Describe in a Soundtrap comment in your project your overall creative goal (e.g. Make a reggae version of It Had to Be You) and some of the creative choices you’re making (talk about dimensions here).
• Include an example of every part of the song (at least one verse, chorus, bridge, etc…)
  • Include a link to a recording of the song in a Soundtrap comment. List the sections you included.
• Include at least 5 tracks in total and you must personally create at least the following:
  • Recording of an acoustic performance (voice, ukulele, other instrument)
  • Something MIDI, either programmed or played in
  • Include percussion of some variety, perhaps programmed in or a loop
• Collaborate with a classmate on at least one track:
  • Classmate can add any track (recorded, MIDI, or Loop)
  • Include an inventory of what each track is and who made it in the comments section. Might look like:
    • Track 1: Vocal recorded by Emmett and performed by me. Used Zoom microphone plugged into laptop. This is only vocal on piece.
    • Track 2: William recorded some acoustic guitar accompaniments on his personal computer. Was asked to provide a ethereal vibe to piece.
• Your track must be mixed to sound final.
  • Balance, automate, and pan your parts so parts can be heard clearly.
  • Add reverb and delay to add sense of depth and space to appropriate tracks.
  • Add compression to tracks to add overall stability, clarity, and crispness
  • Add Equalilzation to make each track sound good and provide sonic separation when appropriate
  • Discuss in a Soundtrap comment the mixing choices you made (briefly, but in detail).
• Publish your track to SoundCloud and annotate with comments discussing the following questions:
  • What were the  biggest challenges you faced (technological and musical)
  • What are you most proud of or happiest with (technological and musical)
  • Review your colleagues’ work and offer appropriate comments and feedback on SoundCloud.

Steps I would take:

1. Pick a song that you can learn, record, and mix in the amount of time available.
2. Brainstorm creative changes you could make. Think through meta dimensions and dimensions for help here.
3. Make a list of how you plan to make the song. What instruments and tracks do you need? How will you create them? Who will you collaborate with and what can they add?
4. Start recording and practicing soon. Allow times for revisions and changes. When appropriate make a comment in Soundtrap of what changes you made.
5. Mix your song and get ready to share. Describe in a Soundtrap comment the different mixing choices you made. How do you know it’s ready.
6. Upload to SoundCloud and make final comments.
7. Enjoy your colleagues’ tracks.
8. Fin.

Resources

This is under construction…

• I’ve got your back and/or I need help shared Word Doc
• Dr. O’Leary’s brief and incomplete guide to mixing
• Soundtrap Tutorials