Research

I created this poll in order to try and choose what photo i would like to use as my EP cover, this was very helpful for me as i got lots of different opinions from lots of different people. Despite the fact that i created this poll asking people to help me decide, it doesnt mean that i will necessarily choose te photo that got the most votes. This is because i also have to take in the peoples opinions who are closest to me such as family and my closer friends as their opinions do mean slightly more to me.

Writing techniques-

https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/songwriting-tips-try-destination-writing/ 

https://www.andreastolpe.com/articles/destination-writing 

https://speedsongwriting.com/lyrics-short-story-techniques/ 

https://www.andreastolpe.com/articles 

https://www.songstuff.com/songwriting/article/songwriting-cut-up-technique/#:~:text=The%20cut-up%20technique%20is%20a%20creative%20method%20used%20in,in%20a% 

Destination writing- Destination writing is a writing technique used to specifically describe the journey taken in order to get to a destination. Destination writing  can be used to describe either a journey to a place, person or even to a certain feeling. Destination writing in my opinion is one of the more easier writing techniques to use as i feel that this technique leaves room for the lyrics to not have to be perfect. 

Character writing-  Character writing can be an extremely effective way of writing your own songs plus its a relatively easy way to start writing. Doing things like giving your character a backstory gives people more of a reason to continue listening, they will become intrigued and will want to know more. Also explaining emotions like they are a metaphor for something else interests more people as they can relate to it in their own way.

The cut up technique-The cut up technique is one of the more unique ways of writing a song. This method is where you get hold of an existing text and cut it into smaller pieces. Using this technique can produce both surprising and bizzar songs.

This research will overall help me with my FMP as a big chunk of my project is song writing. I conducted this research as i wanted to gain a wider understanding of the different and unique techniques i could potentially use in my own songs. After conducting this research i feel more confident in my ability to create a great final outcome.

Lyrical impact/ effects of music on people-

 Due to the fact that my project is based around me writing powerful lyrics/ understanding the effects of music on people, i thought it would be a useful way to spend my time doing some research on lyrics and how music can make a person feel. For me personally i write music because i have a passion for it, i love writing lyrics as i hope to reach out to people that could potentially relate to me in any way. I have looked into a few websites on how music can make you feel and the majority sites i took a look into essentially say that music relieves stress and can quickly alter peoples mood from happy to sad and vice versa. Listening to music has so many different effects on the brain which henceforth impacts things from your emotions and physical wellbeing, to your stress levels and your moods. Listening to music can trigger a release of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that tends to be correlated with feelings of happiness. These feelings of pleasure and happiness then lead to having so much better moods and a lot lower levels of things like anxiety or depression. It also can lower your levels of cortisol (stress), this can help with ones heart rate and blood pressure leading to a healthier happier person. The amygdala and hippocampus are the parts of the brain involving emotional processing, music triggers this part of the brain helping you have a deeper relationship with your own feelings/ emotions. For example an artist that i and many people relate to is Billie Eilish, this is because her music is relatable which makes it powerful.

https://variety.com/video/billie-eilish-variety-know-their-lyrics/ While looking into how artists can make you feel from the power of their lyrics i came across a video of Billie Eilish speaking about some of the lyrics from her songs. A lot of the lyrics from her songs are sad and relatable which is why she has such a great following, despite the sadness in her lyrics people look up to her and are deeply inspired by her and also by her brother Finneas. 

https://www.tmh.org/healthy-living/blogs/healthy-living/how-music-affects-your-mind-mood-and-body 

https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/how-music-resonates-brain 

Psychoacoustics

Psychoacoustics is how people conceive sound, we are all aware that music can evoke really strong emotions that range from being really overjoyed with happiness to being sad. Listening to music can lead to a release of dopamine which is a feel good neurotransmitter. Music 100% relieves stress and also alters your mood. The Iso Principle is something that matches your music that your listening to. Generally if you are listening to a song that is sad, you will likely feel that emotion that has been evokes from listening to the song.

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/how-does-music-make-you-feel https://www.themusicstudio.ca/how-chords-and-key-impact-emotion-in-music/ 

Making music regularly positively effects your neurotransmitters ( dopamine/ serotonin) which both effect your regular moods and the way you feel in general. The chords and key of a song can also vary the way that you feel and react to a song. Major chords contain the first, third and fifth degree of the major scale whereas a minor contains the first, flattened third and the fifth of the major scale of the note. Emotionally, major chords sound more clear and bright whereas minor chords sound more dark and daunting. Simply, major chords tend to be happy and minor chords are more sad and some would say more emotionally evoking.

After researching on Psychoacoustics and the impact of lyrics i feel that i have the power to write emotive and catchy lyrics that will entice and excite my audience. My main goal throughout my whole project has been to attempt to evoke emotion and write powerful lyrics therefore looking into the differet sources has made me realise how music really does effect everything and everyone around us. Sometimes we can't even see the effect that music has on us, it affects our moods, relieves stress and affects the way we move and feel.

Performance- Connecting with your audience

https://www.djarts.com.au/blog/2025/01/connect-with-your-audience-through-singing/#:~:text=Building%20a%20connection%20with%20your,making%20the%20performance%20more%20memorable. 

Within this source i have found some great information on how you can better interact and connect with your audience during a performance. This source was written by Daniel K Robinson who has over 30 years of vocal teaching experience making this a very reliable source. There are many things that you as a performer can do to connect with your audience:

• Understanding the songs message- 

When performing a song you need to be understanding of what you are singing, you need to know how to sing the song and also what emotion the song conveys. For example if you were singing The Greatest by Billie Eilish you would need to understand the song and the emotions within the song before you were to put yourself in front of an audience.

• Vocal techniques-

  Using different vocal techniques enhances emotions. Your voice contains different tones and textures and depending on how you use it can be very powerful on stage. Using a more quiet breathy tone links more to sadness and vulnerability whereas a stronger powerful tone like a belt expresses trust and confidence.

• Creating a connection with the audience- 

Creating a connection is really important because you want them to enjoy the performance and also want them to feel involved in what your performing. Keeping eye contact with your audience is a good way to establish a connection and also ensuring your facial expressions always match up with the kind of songs your are singing.

• Visualising emotions of the song- 

Visualisation is a powerful way for singers to connect to people, you can picture the characters and the emotions that they may be feeling in your head. You could also think about your own situation and how you feel about it while singing a song is it relates to that emotion.

• Choose songs that are right for yourself- 

Choose songs that you know resonate with you on a personal level, this will create a stronger performance evoking strong emotions from hopefully both yourself and your audience. It also helps if you are writing and performing original music as you know that you can already relate to that personally creating a powerfully emotional performance.

Throughout my project I knew that at some point I would have a performance therefore I conducted research on how to better connect with my audience. Connecting with my audience is something that's very important to me as in the future I want to be singing on a big stage          ( singing my own songs). Gathering this research was great help to me as during this project i got the chance to perform my original songs at The Phoenix In Exeter. I felt that i connected with the audience really well and overall gained so much confidence performing as this was also my first time performing as a solo artist.

Vocal Recording Techniques- 

https://www.londonsinginginstitute.co.uk/10-recording-studio-tips-for-singers/ 

https://judyrodman.com/5-hacks-for-vocal-control-in-the-studio/ 

I had a look into a few websites on vocal techniques and overall how to better yourself in the studio, and have learnt some really good tips on how to prepare yourself before and while in the studio.

• Practice recording at home through your laptop - Most people before going into the studio feel extremely anxious and nervous therefore practicing in a familiar environment can help you feel more calm and ready to actually record. In order to practice at home you only need a few things, a laptop, an audio interface and a microphone. A good vocal recording microphone is the Rode nt2a, its a condenser microphone meaning it requires phantom power. Phantom power contributes voltage which powers the mic. Condenser microphones need phantom power as they require an outside source of power in order to manage the inside circuitry. https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/what-phantom-power-need/

https://www.soundtech.co.uk/akg/news/our-guide-to-the-akg-perception-studio-microphone-series 

If your looking for a more affordable option you can also try the AKG P120. This microphone is a cardioid microphone meaning its slightly more sensitive towards the front of the microphone and a lot less sensitive on the sides. Overall its a really good and affordable vocal microphone to use both at home and in the studio.

https://www.barbershop.org/love-your-voice 

• Learn to enjoy the sound of your own voice- Its not uncommon at all as a singer to not enjoy the sound of your own voice. Sometimes it is difficult when you don't like what yo are hearing especially when you are in a studio environment. Something that you could do after both practices and/or studio sessions try and find one or two things that you loved about what you did. This will not only build up your confidence but eventually will lead you to a place where you feel happy and proud of your own unique singing voice. Also the more you sing and give yourself compliments , the better you become not only in confidence but also ability.

• Microphone techniques- Something that you should always be mindful of in the studio is how you are singing into the microphone (close or far away, loud or quiet). When you are singing louder you need to move your head back from the mic slightly as you want the sound to be as consistent as possible. You also don't want to make the mic cut out, this sometimes happens when you are to loud and close to the mic. If you are singing quieter or at a more reasonable tone stay close to the mic. This technique will come to you with experience, the more you sing in the studios and/ or on a stage you will gain experience and this will almost come as second nature to you .

 From around week 6 of my project I spent quite a lot of time down in the recording studio,  this meant that I gained lots of experience in recording vocals. Researching the different techniques has not only made me aware of what microphones to use but also how to be consistent in my vocal technique. 

Promotion- 

Social media marketing

According to https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/12/11/social-medias-impact-on-music-promotion-how-artists-can-market-themselves-online/ , social media has become one of the most powerful force that is highly revolutionizing the way artists promote their work. Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Youtube have provided many musicians more opportunity to showcase their work and talent. Using these platforms is a great way to monitor your progress throughout what you are working on and they are also free therefore they are very easy to access and build a following on. TikTok is one of the best platforms to post on as you have the chance to go viral meaning potentially hundreds of thousands of people will see your video. All it takes is just one video to be seen by the right people and it could really set you up for a career in music, by people seeing your videos you should gain likes and also followers therefore building your fan basis.

Also when looking into promoting your own music/ an EP, you should ensure that you have a decent understanding in the actual distributing factor of releasing a song is. For anyone who is unsure, music distribution means to share/ release music to different online platforms, in order to release any sort of music you must go through a distribution company. Music distribution is now the only way for your music to be listened by anyone and in order to get your song onto streaming sites such as Spotify, a distributer is the way you will have to go. Many artists start off releasing their music to Youtube or Soundcloud as they are both free but by doing this you are not optimising the potential audience that you could have listening to your songs. There are many different distributors that you could potentially use, for example Distrokid or Amuse. The price varies depending on what trial you decide to go for and also depending on the distributer that you end up choosing. For example i will be using Distrokid therefore majority of my research into pricing and different deals will be more focussed into that company.

I had a look at Distrokids website as when i release my EP this is the company that i would like to use. I have had a look at the pricing of using this and the cheapest option is $22.99 (£16.97) for a musician plan, a musician plus account costs $39.99 (£29.53) and the more expensive plan being the ultimate plan costs $89.99 (£66.44) a year. Overall i feel that these prices are quite reasonable considering what they are offering. Each plan offers unlimited uploads of both singles and albums on steaming services such as Spotify, Amazon music and many more meaning that over the space of a year you can upload as many songs as you desire. 

From the start of my project I knew that I would have to start upping the promotion of my upcoming music. Promoting my project is really important because it makes as many people aware as possible, if i share something then other people begin to share. this helps to get the message out that i am releasing music to as many people as possible. With my projects in the past i have struggled with the promotion section of my project but after putting some time and effort into some research i have confidence that my promotion skills will get a lot better.

 Before this project i had never looked into any distribution sites (distrokid, amazon music), this has showed me how easy it can be to release my own music on a relatively decent budget. At the start of my project i knew this would be something that i needed to look into as i am releasing an EP.

https://dittomusic.com/en/blog/what-is-music-distribution-everything-artists-need-to-know 

https://www.soundon.global/forum/promoting-your-ep?lang=en 

https://www.amuse.io/en/content/how-music-distribution-works-everything-artists-need-to-know/ 

https://distrokid.com/product/distrokid/plans-and-pricing-2?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DA_DK_Google_UK_Search_Brand_DistroKid_ENG_Allplatform_Purchase_EXT-Broad&utm_adgroup=173174021217&utm_term=distrokid%20plans&utm_content=736822414002&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22265964440&gbraid=0AAAAACcI0SN1v7IPdBh3OYEo-7X9G9K9v&gclid=CjwKCAjw87XBBhBIEiwAxP3_A-l5lL6zHh71h12Zm9G6Fp-88jQ8zb42WWAd2Hhq3ICC9m_f9fW1ORoCd20QAvD_BwE