Evaluation
My 3 compositions are; House, Alt R&B, and a Film composition. My house track is for audiences that like listening to artists like Fred Again, Joy Anonymous, Four Tet, my Alt R&B track is for audiences who like artists like Mk.gee, Dijon, and Frank Ocean, and my Film track is for audiences who like Minecraft music as I have used a Minecraft trailer clip to base my track around. All these tracks fit the criteria to fit in within these genres I believe, the House track has a traditional House groove, the Alt R&B has pads which is common for this genre, and the film track has the traditional Minecraft music sound.
House - My house track is easy listening, and I have chosen some samples with some lyrics that others can relate to. It fits into the groovy style of house music as it has a four on the floor kick drum, with a snare on every 2 and 4 beat. But my track is unique in its own way as I have created some atmospheric sounds by putting loads of reverb onto a piano to create a unique ambient sound which fits in really well with the whole track. I believe that if you like house or dance music, then you'll like my composition. I'm happy with the way that I have used volume automation, my sound selection with my layers of instruments I used for the chords (Piano, Synth Pads, and a Plucked Synth), and also how I have made sure that the instruments are hitting the correct frequencies that they need to be in order to make the composition sound the best it can sound by using an EQ, I also like the way I have used delay and reverb on the vocals to set them back in the mix and to not make them sound as bland as they were when I first imported them in. However, the bass on this track I used I don't really like, it doesn't fill in the low frequencies as well as it could. Also I think that the drums I used were too bland. To fix this the next time I work on the track I am going to look for a bass that provides a lot more low end frequencies, and add more percussion to add a better groove for the drums.
Alt R&B - This is the worst one out of the 3 I made in my opinion, but it is easy to listen to and has the requirements it needs to fit into this genre, with its pads and electric piano, and traditional R&B drums. It's for people who like the traditional Alt R&B sound, and the calmness of the piece allows this. I'm happy with the way that I automated the high ends of the pads, using a high frequency cutoff which then gradually bought the high ends in, I'm also happy with the way I experimented with the drums at the start, with them being reversed when they first come in, and I used volume automation to make them quieter when the main drums came in. However, I also feel as if the song is very bland, I only used 2 set of pads alongside some drums to make the song. It would probably sound a lot better if I added a piano and a couple guitars to the track too, these would help bring out the vibe of the track a lot better and easier.
Film - I used the Minecraft trailer as my clip. This gave me ideas for what I wanted the composition to sound like as I have a lot of memories of playing this game and hearing the music playing in the background. This composition is aimed at those who enjoy Minecraft and the music within it. I think this is a great attempt of trying to get that sound within a composition. I'm happy with the use of instruments that I chose for this project, I used a mix of pianos, violins, pads, and use of Minecraft sounds to match what is going on in the clip. I feel like I have recreated that Minecraft soundtrack feeling in my own way. I do feel as if I could of added some ambience in the background, to create more of that dreamy feeling that most Minecraft tracks give you, as at the moment its sort of a bit in your face. I also feel that a use of reverb would be good for some of the instruments in particular to set them back in the track a bit more.
With all of my compositions, I feel like I have created a track for each one that people who enjoy those type of music will like. These tracks are definitely suitable for the audiences of these genres as they provide the feeling that the genres need to provide. The House track is groovy and joyful, the Alt R&B is calming and relaxing, and the Film track creates a feeling of excitement and nostalgia. I'm very happy with the way I have used certain instruments to create these feelings. For example, in my House track, I have added underlayers when the piano chords play in order to create a thicker sound, as with just the piano playing it sounds very bland. I have also done this in both my Alt R&B and Film tracks in order to add more depth into the sound. In terms of what I want to improve on with my compositions next, I would really like to learn how to mix and master my tracks, as at the moment I am stuck using just the standard Logic mastering, instead of going out of my way and doing the mixing and mastering myself. In order to improve on this, I can watch Youtube videos explaining how mixing and mastering works and learn from them. After this I can practice on future tracks to see whether my attempts sound good, if they don't, I can watch more videos and try and do it on more tracks until I get better and better at it.