MMS 172 Midpoint Blog: A Reflection

August 8, 2025

I want to use this blog to reflect on my experience in MMS 172 so far. Honestly, it’s been really challenging for me. One thing I realized is that maybe I’m not really a “music person” like some of my classmates. Most of the time I find myself listening to the given exercises over and over again or reading my classmates’ answers just to understand their points. I’m still figuring out how to critically analyze the listening exercises, especially since I’m not familiar with most of the artists. I’m also not a gamer, so when game soundtracks or characters are mentioned, I can’t really relate. I guess my musical vocabulary is not as wide as others, but I’m learning little by little from them.

Among all the samples given, the one that really stayed with me is Scarborough Fair/Canticle by Simon and Garfunkel. The counterpoint style they used sounds so unique, with two different melodies that are blended together into one song. At first, it was a bit confusing to follow both lines at once, but the more I listened, the more I appreciated how they worked together instead of clashing. If I think of it as another form of art, it feels like weaving, like two different threads combined to make one fabric, where each thread has its own design but still adds to the bigger picture. Moreover, I started to wonder if there are any OPM songs that also use this kind of polyphonic or counterpoint style. But I can’t seem to find one, or maybe I am doing the searching wrong. The given songs made me notice how 90s music feels so different compared to modern music. Maybe it’s the vocal quality, the recording style, or even the way the instruments are arranged. It has this nostalgic tone that almost feels like being brought back to childhood, and I think that’s part of why it stood out to me.

On the other hand, the F2F class has already happened now, and honestly I’m sad I wasn’t able to attend. I was looking forward to it but my work schedule was in conflict. I’ve been away for almost two weeks because of an ongoing production, so there was no way to make it. What I regret is missing the chance to directly interact with classmates and hear their thoughts in person. While I wasn’t able to attend the F2F, I still tried to connect the lessons to what I’m doing at work. During our tech prep for one of the events, I tried to observe how the signal flow works in a live setup.

Let me share a snap of what the set-up looks like:

It was actually taken yesterday, August 7, 2025, and from what I saw, the signal flow looks like this: 

Voice - wireless microphone - receiver - mixer - main speakers

Voice - wireless microphone - receiver - mixer - monitor speakers.

Video + Audio Playback - mixer - speaker

The microphones were tested one by one, then levels were adjusted at the mixer, and the sound was checked both through the main speakers for the audience and the monitor speakers for the performers. I didn’t get the chance to ask the technical team about the specific equipment they are using, but just seeing how it’s done made me connect it to what we’ve been learning. It’s one thing to read about signal flow, but it’s another to watch it happen live, especially when you notice how quick the adjustments have to be when something’s off.

To give an update regarding my final project, I would admit that I’m behind my schedule. We’ve been so busy lately that it’s exhausting both physically and mentally. With the lessons, I tend to just absorb them in bigger chunks instead of breaking them down into smaller pieces to study. Actually, I still get intimidated with some of the listening exercises, especially when my classmates talk about artists, characters, or soundtracks I’ve never heard of. But I try to see it as a chance to learn from them and get ideas that I wouldn’t know otherwise. 

Looking ahead, I can’t say I fully figured everything out yet. There’s still a lot I’m trying to understand and sometimes I feel like I’m just catching up. However, I’m still optimistic. I want to see how I can apply the lessons to real situations, whether in future projects or in work. This course is pushing me out of my comfort zone, and even if it’s challenging, I know I’m learning something from it.