I started studying Music Production with SAE Byron Bay during the first Covid lockdown mid 2020. All classes were run over zoom on line. Since then and in this trimester we've been lucky to have in person classes mostly. My musical background is in learning classical piano growing up, other various instruments casually and self taught in guitar. I have mostly played music alone, and so wanted to learn more about collaborating with others. I've also been involved in many music production and recording sessions of friends and family over the years.

I wasn't sure what I'd get out of this course to begin with, but I knew I wanted to hone in on my skills and have an opportunity to collaborate with others. This course so far, and especially this trimester has totally exceeded my expectations. I came into the trimester specifically with the intention of completion. I had many song seed ideas but not the clarity, inspiration and guidance to actually follow each one through to completion. I wasn't sure if I would continue into the degree after the Diploma, but i'm so glad i did!

In this trimester I found many new songs and ideas, composition methods and inspirations. Being surrounded by like minded, talented staff and supportive classmates has been life changing. Dirk's methods of teaching some advanced music theory concepts while still keeping it creative and fun has filled in some crucial gaps in my theory knowedge. I really appreciate the approach of 'mistakes' being used as a learning opportunity. But further to that often mistakes open up a whole unexpected twist creatively and can be used to find unexpected and interesting new ways. Feedback sessions gave an opportunity to be heard and understand more about who might be interested in the things I was composing and identifying a target audience.

But more than that the sense of familly and support within the class and within our SAE community here is really special. To be amongst like minded creatives to collaborate and learn from each other has been the biggest inspiration for me to continue on down this path wherever it may lead.

In terms of areas I would like to improve and work on going forward, I'd like to continue working on tightening up the rythmic feel of my compositions on some of my tracks so that they are release ready, Diversify my experiences in genre and collaboration, and work on building up a library of music to publish for use in sync music licensing.

THANK YOU! To everyone that I've crossed paths with this trimester (and in the whole course.) Looking forward to the next creative ventures!

Process

My creative process usually starts on the piano with a little idea recorded on a voice note. Then I record it into Logic or Ableton using a midi keyboard and start layering different instruments and effects. Sometimes a song starts with a bass line idea, at other times a full piano composition which then gets turned into a virtual instrument or split across a number of instruments. I Have also experimented with micing up my piano but as it's old it doesn't keep it's tune so well. I'd like to someday soon get a Nord for the option of having midi data alongside nice sounds. I am a collector of instruments and audio gear, and love experimenting on semi familiar instruments. In this trimester I experimented with making samples playing harp, violin, flute, electric guitar, electric bass and double bass on my tracks along with other muscial experiments of re-amping and hearing the comparison to virtual instruments.

I use an apollo twin interface at home, the UAD plugins below are a lot fun for creating atmosphere. I find that when I apply these to an initial idea the rest of the track kind of whispers itself into existence from the clouds of Reverb and Delay.

Influences:

Massive Attack, Portishead, Radiohead, Bill Frissel, John Zorn, Beethoven, David Lynch, Eric Satie, Yann Tiersson, Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Vangelis, Thomas Newman, Mike Patton, Mazzy star, Secret Chiefs three, Brian Jones town massacre, King gizzard and the lizard wizard, Air, Gainsbourg, Elysium, Francoiz Breut, Sebastion Tellier, The Liminanas, Polo & Pan, Grandbrothers, Hania Rani, Cigarettes after sex, Morphine, Unloved, Beach house, Low, PJ Harvey, Chelsea Wolfe... many more that i probably haven't thought of in this moment.

Genres that I'm most influenced by at the moment are: experimental, soundtrack compositions, dream pop/new wave, psyhedelic, low fi and trip hop.

Genre: Soundtrack/Experimental concept album:

This project idea started while I was researching elements of trip hop and making a 'Dystopian Trip Hop track' which became a song for the song a week project in the end. The climate talks were happening at the time in Glasgow and I felt so disillusioned by the political structure ruled by corporate owned lobbyists perpetually post poning the use of renewable technology and implementing intelligent ideas. I put out a proposal to the class: "What does 2050 sound like to you?" A pretty abstract question, but I wanted to find another vision (and corresponding soundtrack) and see what it felt like to play, feel, envision and find a more Utopian sort of end.

I came across Bernie Krauss who records ecosystems and wilderness areas before and after human impact. One particular story really moved me on his ted talk about how humans destroyed a beavers family, and the recording of the howling despaired cries of the sole survivor mourning his loss.

I've always loved movie and documentary soundtrack music. For this project I was also inspired by the experimental ideas from David Lynch playing guitars with toothbrushes or whatever comes to mind in terms of making noises musical (album Crazy clowns) , American Beauty Thomass Newmann, love the Bass slide effect and wanted to record a live bass part. (although i ended up cutting this out of the track) John Zorn's experimental soundtrack to Spillane, the musical documentary One giant leap and Prince's 4 track album N.E.W.S. (specifically 5 minutes in on the track 'South')

In the vein of sampling and trip hop I began by taking samples from Bernie Krausses album of forest sounds and manipulated them into a sort of musicality. With this project like my reference tracks I also wanted to mix genre influences together to create something which was a combination of all of the musical styles and influences in our class with the intention of collaborating with as many people as I could. Accoustic, heavy metal, trip hop, Dub, 90's grunge, electronic music, classical, pop, rock.

It starts off with the Dulcimer a peacefull 60's vibe and then descends into the forest where we hear the lyrebird imitating a chainsaw and trees being chopped down...

A bit about this: I found this short little tune in my voice notes and decided to develop it further. DIscovering the use of orchestral elements was fun. Attributing melody ideas to flutes and double bass bow really gave the initial simple idea depth. and i'm beginning to udnerstand how a whole orchestral idea could be created for film score.

A bit about this: I recorded this on my actual piano at home, and this was a big learning curve in pitch. As my piano is quite old it has to be tuned slightly flat... so when I added software instruments over the top it's slightly off key. I did my best to fix with pitch bending on the more obvious notes (which turned out to be my pianos F key) but more research in Melodyne software was taken after creating this track. Either that or i just always play in wiht my midi keyboard now, however i prefer playing the actual piano.

This track is kind of a wall paper sort of track. when I listen I get visuals of looking out a car window. or maybe a train window like a theme to a movement scene of some sort.

A bit about this: I was exploring logic sounds for song a week, but also doing an analysis on how emotions are affected by interval choice or even instrumentation choice. I studied an investigative documentary which had put cameras on the collars of cats to track what they get up to. As I watched I tracked all the different variants in composition/instrumentation choice used to compliment the visual. Including writing a list of the vibe of the scene or an adjective to describe the different emotions or feelings then analysing how they went about creating that.

Song a week is something I'd really like to continue. Lots of ideas have come out of this challenge. some good some not so good. Below is a collection of my favourite. such a liberating practice to not be too attached to the outcome and just make something or research something spending 6 hours a week. I've found the deadlines of this trimester a great motivator for creation. but hope to continue this practice and also possibly combine some of these into the Dystopian Symphony concept Album.