Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I once dropped this course because I wasn’t ready -- no proper microphone, no confidence, and no clear idea of what to expect. Retaking it this trimester was a chance at redemption. And now, holding my final project in my hands (or, rather in my headphones), I know I made the right decision.

      Unit 3 became my main guide during the post-production stage of my final project. It completely changed the way I approached mixing. Before, I thought post-production was only about layering tracks, adjusting some levels, and calling it done. But through the lessons in Unit 3, I learned how important it is to visualize a mix. I began to imagine the physical placement of every sound: the vocals standing firmly at the center, the drums spread out so the hi-hats and ride cymbals had their own spaces, and the guitars subtly pushed to the sides to create width. This visualization made the mix feel realistic and alive as if I were setting up a live band inside my headphones.

      What made this realization more meaningful is how I used to take creative panning and volume for granted. I never really listened critically to songs before. For me, music was just something to enjoy and not something to dissect. The only exception for me was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, a song I’ve always admired for its brilliant mix. In fact, it’s often the first song I play whenever I buy new earphones because I know it will reveal their quality. Before MMS 172, that was the only time I truly paid attention to sound layering. But now, after this course, I can’t listen to any track without noticing its mix, and that’s a skill I’ll carry forward.

       To be completely honest, my expectations for this course were shaped long before I enrolled. During MMS 173, former students’ ePortfolios from MMS 172 were shared unintentionally, and I explored them out of curiosity. Seeing their work gave me a glimpse of what was ahead and even influenced how I prepared. For example, I saw their “Knowing Where I’m At” and “Knowing Where You’re At” assignments. Back then, I was already planning to perform the recognizable ride cymbal pattern of Korn’s “Blind” for those tasks. Since I was retaking the course, I wanted to be fully prepared this time around. However, things had changed. Those older assignments were no longer part of the course requirements. Instead, the course now consisted of just four major assignments which I think many of us felt was a relief. Audio production is undeniably heavy and time-consuming, so reducing the required outputs made the workload feel much more manageable.

         Of course, there were still bonus assignments and discussion forums, but these were optional. This was a huge relief for many students too who didn’t want to feel pressured by too many required activities. When you think about it, if those bonuses and DFs were all required, we would have had nine assignments total, plus six discussion forums, and three quizzes. Just imagining that makes me feel overwhelmed. 

        That’s why I truly admire and respect the students who went above and beyond by completing all the bonus tasks and DFs even though they weren’t required. Their dedication is inspiring and they truly deserve to be recognized with fair grades for their effort.

         When it comes to the quizzes, I appreciated their design. They weren’t like the typical exams that pressure you to memorize every single term or definition. Instead, they tested how well you understood and applied the lessons from each unit. I still remember the first quiz I took and one of the questions had an embedded song. For me, it showed how immersive this course is and how it truly revolves around audio. Since Prof. Al was also my FIC in MMS 173, I already anticipated that he might include actual audio clips or songs in the exams. Because of that, I made sure my headphones were always ready before starting any quiz. This preparation became part of my routine for the rest of the trimester. The quizzes, in general, were a great way to test our knowledge and make sure we weren’t just passively reading but actively engaging with the material.

       Looking back at the structure of the course as a whole, I think it struck a good balance between challenge and flexibility. The trimmed-down required assignments made it less intimidating for beginners, while the optional tasks allowed more passionate students to push themselves further. Combined with the practical lessons from each units, I felt that the course gave us just enough room to grow without being completely overwhelmed.

       For those who know me personally, my classmates who’ve seen how quiet, awkward, and introverted I can be, I’m genuinely happy with how I performed in this course. At the start, I knew how demanding audio could be. But as the weeks went by, I surprised myself. I didn’t just finish my outputs on time but I also participated in the discussion forums, something I failed to do back in MMS 173 and deeply regretted. This time, I promised myself I would change that and I’m proud that I followed through.

       On the other hand, taking on a challenging final project concept was no small task especially knowing that Sir Al reads and evaluates everything carefully. However, this also became a source of motivation for me because we all know his constructive comments, or even others, always guided us toward improvement. I kept reminding myself that if I wanted to grow, I needed to engage and take risks even when I felt unsure of my abilities. 

      To avoid putting unnecessary pressure on myself, I shifted my perspective early on. In my midpoint blog, I mentioned how little knowledge I had about audio, so instead of worrying about perfection, I focused on learning through participation. I poured my time and effort into the DFs, doing extra research so I could contribute meaningfully and not just submit for the sake of compliance. This paid off because many of the concepts I explored and discussed in the forums directly influenced the decisions I made during my project’s production and post-production.

     So looking back, I see consistency between what I wrote in my self-introduction and how I performed throughout the course. Back then, I admitted my failure to actively cooperate in MMS 173’s discussions and set a goal to improve. This trimester, I fulfilled that goal, not only participating but also growing more confident in expressing my ideas.

      On a technical level, this course humbled me in ways I didn’t expect. I entered MMS 172 as just a simple drummer. For seven years, my workflow had been very straightforward: plug my Irig into my phone, record drum covers, and upload them raw -- no mixing, no mastering, just direct audio. I thought that was enough. But through this course, I learned how much I’d been missing. Now, I’ve experienced using an audio interface, working in FL Studio, and going through the meticulous process of mixing and mastering.

        This progress feels surreal. To see how far I’ve come in just three months makes me proud but it also reminds me how much more there is to learn. Audio production and post-production are deeper than I ever imagined, and while I’ve only scratched the surface, I can already feel the difference in my work.

        That said, there’s one area where I struggled the most… vocals. In my project, I initially tried to perform the vocals myself, only to realize how hard it is to sing on key and maintain consistency. Eventually, I found a collaborator, but this made me wish there had been more reminders early on for students creating songs to carefully consider their vocalist’s skills. It’s not so much a flaw in the course as it is a personal oversight on my part, something I should’ve researched and planned for more thoroughly. Of course, I also understand that with the limited timeframe of a trimester, the course had to focus on the most essential lessons so we could all finish on time. There’s simply no room to cover every single detail of music production. Still, I can’t help but laugh at myself and say, maybe I’m just a bad singer after all hahah.

      Anyway, as someone who loves film, I really appreciated the audio drama projects that some of my classmates produced. Since I also took FILM 10 this semester where we studied the role of sound in films, I found myself viewing their outputs through a more analytical lens. Creating an audio drama is no easy task. It’s not just about recording dialogue and a few background sounds but it requires a high level of creativity and technical skill.

      In an audio drama, every single sound has a purpose. The creators need to start completely from scratch, building an immersive world using only audio. This means recording foley, timing every sound carefully, and making deliberate decisions about what sounds to include, how many layers to use, and when they should occur to convey emotion and realism. The amount of planning and attention to detail needed for this is incredible, especially compared to simply downloading ready-made sound effects from the internet. So I can imagine how much growth my classmates went through while working on these projects. Many of them probably started the course by relying on free sound effects online, but now, they’ve reached a point where they can produce their own foleys and fully control the auditory experience. That kind of progress is very inspiring to witness.

     Furthermore, one project that stood out to me in particular was Shanen Arcedera’s work which I also mentioned in my midpoint blog. Her final output was incredibly clean and well-crafted. What impressed me most was how she fully executed her pre-production plan and even added thoughtful improvements along the way. It’s clear that she put in a lot of effort and it paid off. Through her work, I was also able to learn new techniques and approaches which helped me reflect on my own process. I want to congratulate her and thank her for setting such a great example in our class.

        As for my own project, I want to be honest and realistic this time. Back in MMS 173, I made the mistake of ranking myself too low when comparing my work to other coursemates. Prof. Al pointed out that doing this could unintentionally offend others, especially if my work was actually strong. Keeping that in mind, I won’t downplay my efforts now. So considering the heavy learning curve I went through  from planning and production to post-production, I believe my project is one of the sstands out in our class. It’s not perfect by any means, and I know there are still many areas where I could improve, but for someone relatively new to audio production, I think the results turned out well. I also recognize that there are things I might have missed or overlooked, and I welcome any constructive feedback from my classmates or from Sir Al. Growth doesn’t stop at the final output, and I’m always eager to hear suggestions that can help me refine my skills.

        As a BAMS student and practitioner, I can’t deny how important audio is and will always be in improving any multimedia output. Whether it’s a film, a video, or even a simple presentation, sound plays a crucial role in elevating the final product. Now that I’m moving into my senior year, with my special project already on my table, this course has given me the foundational knowledge I need to confidently plan if ever I’ll be using audio for my thesis. Next semester, I’ll also be taking Videography and I already see how the skills I’ve gained in MMS 172 will carry over. Understanding mixing, layering, and the proper use of sound will help me approach my videography projects with a more complete creative perspective. I’m grateful that I was able to build this audio foundation now because it will make my future projects smoother and more professional.

      Back in my self-introduction, I mentioned that I don’t see myself pursuing a full-time career in audio production. That hasn’t changed but what has changed is my appreciation for audio as a creative outlet. As a drummer, I know that on my rest days or whenever inspiration strikes, I’ll continue exploring audio production in the name of creativity and progress. In fact, I’m already experimenting with ways to improve my drum covers. I’ve been trying to figure out how to add panning to our Alesis drum kit, and I believe FL Studio will continue to play a huge role in making that possible. No more simple setups where I just plug my Irig into my phone and upload raw recordings. I want to take things to the next level and part of that plan is to invest in a proper audio interface soon to produce higher-quality covers. This course opened my eyes to what’s possible when you combine technical knowledge with creativity.

         However, being realistic, I don’t think I’ll be creating another full song like my final project anytime soon. One thing this experience made clear to me is that vocals are a serious challenge, and since I’ve accepted that singing isn’t one of my strengths, producing another original song will be difficult to imagine for now. With my final year of college coming up, my top priority will be to finish my remaining courses strong and focus on my thesis. But that doesn’t mean I’m completely closing the door on songwriting. There’s still a chance I might create another piece, but if I do, it will likely be for personal expression rather than an academic requirement. More realistically, I see myself helping others with their projects by providing drum tracks or collaborating on instrumental parts when I can. This way, I can stay connected to music and audio without adding too much pressure to my already full schedule.

A Reminder Before We Close

     As this trimester comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on this course, or perhaps on my entire BAMS journey so far. I came across a reel on Instagram that captured the emotions I’ve been feeling. It reminded me to appreciate myself, to be kinder to my younger self, and to focus on the progress I’ve made rather than just grades, scores, or awards.

     The reel also features “Let Down” by Radiohead, one of my favorite songs because of its comfort, dynamics, and heartfelt lyrics. Every time I watch the reel, I’m reminded that while it’s easy to stress over numbers or evaluations, what truly matters is the growth we’ve experienced along the way. To my course mates, I want to share that same message: We’re doing a great job. We’ve worked hard, we’ve learned, and now we’re moving to the next chapter of our college lives. We’re almost there.

    Audio might not become my main career path, but through MMS 172, it has become one of my greatest strengths. It has changed the way I listen, the way I create, and the way I collaborate. From here on out, every project I work on will carry a piece of what I’ve learned in this class. 

    So I would like to thank Sir Al, our course manuals, the people behind all the YouTube tutorials we had, my collaborators and my dad, and to all of my course mates for helping me throughout the course. 

You made 8-year-old Jermaine proud.

     If you have any feedback whether advice for improvement, positive or constructive comments on my closing blog, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out by clicking through any of the following.