Month: February 2023

Firstly I need to figure out my time left and how many weeks for this first portfolio element. What is asked of me by the university, and what do I think is a possible way of working?

The work-in-progress show is March 6-10th. I need to aim to finish 90% by then.

I have 4 weeks from today until Friday the 3rd of March. 5 weeks would take me to March 10th. I think 5 weeks is the maximum I should allow myself to get 90% done, and then from the 3rd of March, I can showcase what I have done so far and then polish my work the weeks after.

So I want to split my work into three sections,

Pre-Production: Research, trying techniques, figuring things out, Tests, and Other artists’ research.

Production: Recording, Producing Music, Collaboration.

Post-Production: Finalising, Mixing, Mastering, Artwork, Promotional Content, Music Video, and Press Release.

So far, I have this in mind for what I need to do.

I’m going to fully commit and do 8hr days minimum when possible and take this as far as possible.

Firstly by the end of next week, which is a reading week, I want to have done a lot of research into artists, experimental music practice, albums, recording techniques, mixing / mastering, and journals on ideas around these topics. Find some samples and ideas for songs. Will this be under my artist’s name? Who will I collaborate with? Do some tests to figure out if things work.

Secondly, I will give myself two weeks of pure production to create as many song ideas as possible, hopefully creating at least a minimum of ten sonic ideas and using the experience from the first week to guide me in this process. I will also continue researching but less and more supporting what is needed for the degree.

Thirdly the last week will be thinking bout artwork, shooting a music video, and how I will present my work and mix / master it. Will I do it artistically or commercially? What are my goals? Email a label? And prepare for the degree show.

I’ve laid this out relatively simple, but I know I can do it; this plan will change over time, and I’m sure it won’t be a straight line as I’ve indicated, but to at least have a plan of how it might give me excellent guidance. The benefits of this project could change my life, set me in the direction of self-created projects, and teach me the discipline of giving myself a time frame to complete something and work hard towards it. Something I’m yet to do with creative music projects when working alone; I’ve been working so hard with university work and very disciplined that its time to transfer this into physical, creative practices, the discipline is there, so now let’s transfer that to other aspects of my life.

I’ve been very busy with my dissertation and lacking any action on my portfolio project. Since doing the first prototype and figuring out what is expected, I’ve created a way of working that gets results.

I’ve been considering my two portfolio projects and how I can get the most out of them, and I’ve considered two elements that I currently love doing. One is field recording, being in nature, and exploring the sonic relationships between environments and the humans/non-humans that inhabit these locations. How can sound be used as a form of awareness and promote conservation?

The other is with sampling, experimental music/sonic composition. What is music? How far can I take these ideas towards a sonic project? Rap and speaking as a form of sampling and field recordings too. I want the first project to create a piece of audio, a few, maybe more, maybe less. I want to explore artists such as Basquiat and old and current rappers and critically analyse sampling and what it means to do that. Then read into experimental music/sounds, commodifying art and recording techniques in an attempt to challenge the norms of this. Once you learn how to do something professionally, you can break the rules. Listen to examples and conduct a piece of work that reflects something.

I’ve bought a book called 33 1/3 Donuts by J Dilla, an essay on this experimental album he created, and I think it will be a heavy look into academic look into this type of composition. I also want to structure or plan as such to potentially show something for the interim show, which is on March 6? or March 10th? The opportunities presented might be something I will never do again, and I ultimately intend to seize them all; I have nothing to lose after all. University and this degree are almost over, I have learnt a lot, and I intend to leave feeling I’ve gotten everything out of it, which I feel I have already, but its the last hurdle now. I want to create something I’ve been putting off for years, and this is a self-produced project with me doing vocals over it. I’m yet to do this, and why not do it now. I have around 5 weeks until the interim show and then leading into project two, which will be about rain forests in England.

I’ve become rather methodical, which helps me actualise my ideas instead of sitting and doing nothing. The following blog post will outline what I believe in this current moment I need to do and a plan to present for the interim show.