Found Sounds Collage

Objective: Students will be able to create a work in GarageBand in the electronic art music, "sound collage" tradition that demonstrates the musicality of organized sound.  This activity gives students the opportunity to compose music apart from the rules of traditional, Western classical music.

Procedure:

1. Listen and discuss examples of electronic art music.

2. Recording (Pairs):

   1. In pairs, find two or three sounds that you can record in the classroom.

   2. These can be instruments, voices, or objects in the classroom.

   3. Suggestions:

      • Record short repeated sounds that can later be changed into interesting beat patterns.

      • Record longer sounds that can be used as background color in a project.

      • Carefully adjust your input volume so that it is loud, but not clipping or peaking.

      • Trim your recordings of useless empty space at the front or beginning.

      • Name each track describing the original sound.

   4. Export your sounds:

      • Move your sound clip to the beginning of the project and set your first sound as a solo track.

      • Click the 'Share' menu and select 'export song to disk'.

      • Uncheck the 'Compress' box.

      • Name and save the file with it's track name to your desktop.

      • Repeat this step for each sound.

      • Drag all of the saved files to the 'Dropbox' folder in Band Public on the Teacher Station.

3. Transforming the Sounds:

   1. Find the folder of recorded sounds shared on the teacher station.

   2. Copy and Paste these files to your computer.

   3. Drag the sounds you wish to use into your garageband project.

   4. Use DSP effects to alter each of the sounds.

   5. Stretching the sounds or copying and pasting pieces can also create interesting effects.

4. Arrange the Sounds:

   1. Map out how your composition will unfold in terms of:

• • 1. timbre (sounds, qualities)

    2. texture (collage, ambient, event-oriented, beat-oriented)

    3. pitch

    4. loudness

    5. Repetition is encouraged!

    6. 30 - 60 seconds in length should give you time to develop an idea.