Jan 27-29, 2022

Coding Music Lab

Class had started with, “We are going to be using Python for this next activity and for your homework.” To say that I’m very self-conscious and doubtful about myself is an understatement. Because even if I had just finished a course introducing Python last month, I still sat there thinking I forgot everything I knew! Yes, I’m working on doubting myself less, but I’ll take at least the sign that I didn’t back away from a challenge and didn’t let the panic set in before I tried the project first as a win.

The class was supposed to separate into groups and work as a team to code music into a workstation to make at least a resemblance of part of a song. We were supposed to learn as we go, because after class we would have to do it by ourselves. So with only a previous torial, groups split up and learn together.

In the class there are students who have never seen code or people like me who have at least some experience with it. So, it was a really unique experience for me because for the first time I was the one with some knowledge about how the coding program works. Also knowing how to video and audio edit previously helped a little too. After our introductions, our group got focused and egear to make the most beautiful sounds ever. Just kidding, I literally went to my team and said, “Let’s make the most chaotic thing ever and have fun in the process.”

Did the most chaotic thing ever happen? No, actually! We managed to make such a moving beat with harps, strings, and drums at the end. I really loved it and my whole group was happy with how it turned out at the end. The class ended too early because I really wanted to continue working on our project. All previous fear and doubt gone! Working alongside people who were willing and kindly helped me understand my questions felt really empowering. That’s right, even with my previous coding knowledge, there was a bug (error) that took me some time to realize what was wrong. Another of my group members had seen coding some years back and explained her guess as to why if we coded a sound with the same measure and track number as another sound that had been written on a line of code above the newest one, we were not able to hear both sounds. It seems more obvious now, however I admit that while trying to figure out how to use the EarSketch program I didn’t have the answer myself.

“It’s probably because the new sound is taking that space of the past one,” my teammate explained.

Oh that’s right, the latest function is overwriting the track and measure. The measures and tracks could be thought of as coordinates! It had finally made sense to me so I thanked her and we were able to move on to figuring out more things like the function parameters. Another of my teammates had a question about what the second parameter was for. Now I only had a guess. The function looked like this: fitMedia(sound_name, track_number, first_measure, last_measure)

This is where I used my past experience with video editing programs to hopefully help answer her questions. After explaining the job of a function and clearing up how a parameter would work, I tried to help her locate a very faint number that is next to an eye symbol in the workstation. My hypothesis was that the track_number parameter referred to that faint number which numbered the one track seen at the station. To see if my hypothesis was correct, I asked my teammate who was sharing her screen to please write a new function underneath with the second paracter to have a value of 2. There we were able to test the parameter and what it would do if we increased it. Lo and behold! A new track appeared below the first one. I clapped. I was happy I didn’t confuse people more than we already were.

So, our experience doing the lab activity went on like this for the rest of the class, having questions, planning, trying things out, and evaluating the results. Trial and error helped us understand more than guessing right at the first time could ever do.

Remember how at the start I was afraid I had forgotten everything I knew and tried not to panic? In the end, a happy ending thankfully. I did recognize that the way I went about this project was different from other ones I’ve done before. Yes, the fear was still there, however, I initially had controlled myself enough to decide to not panic until later, “give it a chance.” And I didn’t end up panicking and regretting my life at any point of the class! #character development

A clear example as to the many, many, many times I had not been able to self-regulate enough to participate in the same way as I did this time, is my past Economics class in high school. Anyone who knows me, knows I still have nightmares about that class and the teacher. (Case in point, they had dressed up as Snape, wig and everything, when they had given me a test I had to make up. Traumatizing for real. An empty classroom. Cloak flying. Tears falling.) Econ assignments were never easy for me and I’m not exaggerating when I was never able to self-regulate in there. My anxiety from knowing my lack of understanding on the subject affected me for the next two-years (yes, it's a two-year class, gotta love the IB). During class, I had given up and did not even write notes. I had set myself up for failure for not even planning, trying, and evaluating. You know that scene in New Moon where Bella was just sitting there watching the seasons pass by? Yeah, that was me in the classroom.

Figuring out the parameters for each sound was hard to do when I knew I wanted to isolate some sounds and later bring others back. That took some time but I managed to solve the logicalistcal issues after trying over and over again different parameter numbers.

Then came the even more fun part! I was so happy to find a hairstyle and length that resembled the one I currently have. It was so nice to see because I rarely see it. The self-regulation method can be said to have been used a lot by me while making this avatar. The Plan-Do-Evaluation process happened too many times. “Should I do colorful hair? Long hair like I wish I had? Put the piercings I want but don’t have? Ooooh look at a snake!” I basically tried so many combinations and changed my avatar so much it took me longer than an hour to make. When one has so much variety, it’s harder to choose.

My Lofi-Character ended up looking like someone drew me. And it was free! Nice.

The last step was to put the background and the sound together in a converter software. Honestly, I had trouble downloading the sound so I had to go on youtube and get help on how to download music from Earsketch. It wasn’t hard, I just didn’t click the right buttons to see the option. One that was done, I uploaded to Youtube and accomplished my first project for CS 107!

My concluding thoughts are, even when I doubt myself, I have to let myself believe just for a second that I’ve done more than enough and learned what I need to learn to be able to complete whatever is set out before me. Hence, the Moana picture at the start of this entry. I was going to go more into detail as to how this assignment reminded me of Moana but Twilight somehow got in there.

Until the next project!