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It has always been my dream to produce a music ever since I developed a love for it, but I still don’t quite understand why I feel so nervous about this project...
Excited.
Nervous.
Yet hopeful.
This course has already given me the opportunity to pursue my dream, yet I still feel like I might not make it in the end. But then a thought struck me…
Is it because I’m expecting too much from myself?
Let’s be real—when it comes to our dreams, we tend to imagine everything going exactly how we want. I’ve already explored and become somewhat familiar with the software I’ll be using. I know how to play a guitar (no barre chords for the meantime please ><). I can sing. I have the basic equipment I need. I’ve also been consistently following the timeline I created for this project. And still, it feels like something is missing.
Is it because of too much excitement?
Honestly, I don’t know what exactly is making me feel this way. All I know is, I want to trust the process. I understand that with any kind of progress, it’s only natural to face doubts and fears. And it seems like I’ve reached that stage—doubts are creeping in, lol—but I believe they’re part of the journey toward success. So I’ll try to stay positive, hope for the best, and face whatever comes.
"I hope for the best that this course will enrich my knowledge and love for music/audio..."
This is what I wrote in my introduction entry as my expectation, and indeed, this course has made me love music even more. Aside from that, it also introduced with the process of producing a music. From Unit 1 to Unit 3, the lessons have clearly deepened my understanding of audio. I’ve even taken notes from both the lessons and video materials, so I can review them and apply the concepts to this project—and hopefully to future projects that involve audio. The reason I’m so eager to learn the fundamentals of audio is because, aside from being one of my dreams, it also has real potential to generate income (lol). As we all know, having credits on published songs not only brings recognition as an artist, but can also be a good source of earnings, especially when a song becomes a hit. That’s why this isn’t just a dream I want to achieve—it’s a dream I want to live. I don’t want to work just for the sake of making a living. I want to work doing something I love, something that also helps cover my expenses. On top of that, music can be a form of emotional release for me. I don’t usually share my personal life with people, but maybe through music, I can share my journey with the world. That’s why I’m truly thankful that I made the right decision in choosing this bachelor’s degree. It’s not only tuition-free, but it’s also helping me learn the fundamentals of becoming an artist in the field I’ve chosen. And these are evident with the project I am currently doing now.
Not gonna lie, when I first read the instructions for this assignment, I was completely lost. Even though I had already gone over the lessons from Unit 1 to 3, I still didn’t know what to do for my project. There were so many ideas running through my mind at that moment, but in the end, I let my heart decide—to follow what I truly felt. That’s why I chose to cover the song MAPA by SB19. Every time I hear it, the song feels like it helps me express my affection for my parents. I really hope that someday, I’ll be able to produce an original song like this for my parents. But for now, I’ll start my journey by creating a cover.
Pre-production
thoughts
By the way, this course actually convinced me to buy a microphone. At first, I was hesitant because my sister owns an expensive headset from a reputable brand (Logitech G733), which she uses for work, and I was planning to use it instead. But when I listened to its output, it just wasn’t giving the quality I expected. I also remembered the lesson where the importance of microphone distance from the mouth was discussed. I realized the headset wouldn’t work well for this project since its mic is designed to be positioned very close to the mouth, and that setup might not give me the best results. That’s when I finally decided to buy a microphone specifically for this course. I'm also even thinking about selling it to future students of this course after the term ends.
Anyway, if there’s one thing that evolved from my initial plan for this project, it would be the instruments I’ll be using. When I submitted my pre-production entry, I thought everything was already well planned—but I was wrong. I kept revising the instrumentation because I had a specific vision in mind for how I wanted the sound to feel. At first, I included the ukulele, but I realized it will make the song sound more upbeat that what I intended. Since I’m aiming for a more melancholic and reflective tone, I decided to stick with just the acoustic guitar and virtual keyboard (MIDI). I want the emotion to come through not only in the lyrics but also in the instruments. But since it’s my first time producing music, I want to keep things simple to avoid getting overwhelmed. I took inspiration from some of my classmates’ pre-production entries—many of them started small and manageable—and from Professor Al’s sample as well. I applied what I learned from Units 1 to 3 and used that knowledge to shape my project realistically.
Even though I’ve already finalized my pre-production plan, I still expect some minor changes during the recording, mixing, and mastering stages. Revisions are inevitable. And honestly, accomplishing the pre-production plan gave me an idea of how I will plan and make my audio projects in the future.
F2F session
Aside from the opportunities this audio course has already offered, there’s one I, unfortunately, didn’t get to experience—the face-to-face session. The venue was too far from me, and I had spent all my savings on buying a microphone for this project (I'm a broke student, HAHAHA). Still, I really hope to have the chance to collaborate with my classmates on audio-related projects in the future, whatever the field may be. For now, I think I can only participate virtually, but I look forward to the day I can work with them in person. I’m definitely excited for that possibility. Because I believe that...
music connects us all.
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