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Rain Song Self Remix - Joey Morra

Remix Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/rain-song-remix-joey-morra/s-VjdjddRSs37?si=b1e0daac7d8e4ab2b0abbe1243fbeec0

Original Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/found-sound-song-joey-morra/s-kDF2Aq8oepk?si=46d4c0ddeaf14c52b7e7e44f3cb537f1

For this project, I decided to remix my Found Sound Song from earlier in the class. I chose this piece because I thought it could have been better and I could give it a new feel. The main thing I kept was the panning, only now there is more of it. The main difference in the remix is that the speed is doubled. This is to solidify the new feel I am going for. I then had each section repeat to fill out time. The only difference in the rain sound was the beginning and the end. There is a massive crescendo followed by a massive decrescendo. For the piano, synth, and strings, I gave them more distortion and reverb to slightly change the sound of the piece. Also, I added a new synth bass sound that doubles the melody on every repeat. This was done to keep the piece interesting and avoid dullness. Most importantly, I added an electronic drum kit. Depending on the section, I would make it simpler or more complex. This allows the new feel to be permanently established. Overall, I am happy with how this turned out. Enjoy! 

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Real vs Hyperreal vs Surreal - Joey Morra

1. Realistic Recording: My Generation (The Who)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgJ9K7cPRKk

“My Generation” is a song that can easily be played live on stage. Every instrument used is easily available and each part is playable. The vocal, drums, guitar, bass, and claps are everything being played. If you listen to the original, the audio is very crude and sounds like was done in one take. Overall, it is incredibly realistic due to its crude and simple nature. 

2. Hyperrealistic Recording: Hurt (Johnny Cash)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSS2IgnnBo8

“Hurt” is a song that at first sounds realistic, but is not. It is primarily vocals and guitar, but it is still heavily produced. To start, the vocals sound too good. At this point in his life, Johnny Cash was having trouble with his health. Because of it, they heavily produced his voice to make it sound clearer, crisper, and more pleasant to hear. Later in the piece, strings come it. This makes the piece less realistic by adding more sounds that are not seen. Overall, the song is a great balance between live and produced recording. 

3. Surrealist Recording: One Of These Days (Pink Floyd)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48PJGVf4xqk

“One Of These Days” is a song that required new equipment to be made in order to get those sounds. Firstly, the bass is being put through a special delay. This allows the bass to be played more continuously. However, this was done after already recording the piece. Later, more bass, guitar, and synth are added with a similar effect. Even though it sounds possible, it was not back then. Also, they were using backtracking. This effect plays the tape backwards, which would be impossible to recreate live. Nowadays, it might be able to be played live. If not, the piece would lose some of its uniqueness. Overall, It is a realistic-sounding surrealist song with unique equipment that would have made it impossible to be played live. 

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Production Analysis - Joey Morra

Song: Happy Together (The Turtles)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZEURntrQOg

“Happy Together” is a song that was originally very simple and had very little production. Later, they decided to heavily produce the song. The song starts with the electric guitar, followed almost immediately by the drums and electric bass. After that, the vocals come in. After the first verse, the second verse introduced backing vocals. Also, a little bit of piano can be heard in fills. After this comes the chorus. This has an insane amount of production. First of all, it changes the key of the song from minor to major. Along with the sounds before, orchestral sounds can be heard. Primarily, the horns, most likely trumpet can be heard. A few woodwinds can also be heard. Next is a near-identical repeat of the verse and chorus. Afterward, however, the next verse has a completely different instrumentation. Now, the vocals are doubled and rather than using the electric guitar again, it is replaced by woodwinds, more specifically an oboe. Next is a variation of the chorus, using fewer instruments, sounds rather than words, and a more prominent horn part. The key changes after this. Lastly, the song’s final chorus and end include more brass and woodwind sounds than before. This was produced by Joe Wissert, who has produced songs for other artists like The Lovin’ Spoonful and Earth, Wind & Fire. Overall, I think he did a great job producing the song. 

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Film Score: Journey Trailer - Joey Morra

This is a trailer of the video game Journey with my original music. Enjoy! 

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Sample Genealogy - Joey Morra

1. Song: “Uma Thurman” By Fall Out Boy 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBswx7GEARc&list=WL&index=2

Sample: Theme from “The Munsters”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2idm5o5pIRM&list=WL&index=2

One day, I heard “Uma Thurman” playing in the background at the town pool. At first, I was not paying attention, but then I heard horns and realized it was the theme from “The Munsters,” an old TV show from the sixties. The sample comes in around at 13 seconds, almost immediately. The sample can be heard throughout the song but is not always used. The song is formatted to go back and forth between moments of lyrics to instrumental. The sample can be heard in almost every instrumental. Overall, I think it was a weird fit to have an old TV theme with horns in a modern rock song. I am not a big fan of it, but it is definitely interesting. 

2. Song: “Young Americans” By David Bowie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScVi_L817ec&list=WL&index=3

Interpolation: “A Day In The Life” By The Beatles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM&list=WL&index=2

When researching for this project, I wanted to know the definition of  interpolation. In music, interpolation is a re-recording of a song’s lyrics rather than paying for the rights. This is when I found out that David Bowie used lyrics from The Beatles. The lyrics used from The Beatles “Day in the Life” were the opening line, “I read the news today, oh boy.” This can only be heard at one point in David Bowie’s song. At 3:54, almost the end of the song, a choir can be heard singing the sampled lyrics. Overall, it was an interesting choice since it is barely in the song. I liked it because it was not a ripoff, it was just a friendly reference. 

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Sampling Ethics - Joey Morra

Sampling is a very difficult topic in the world of music. Nowadays, almost every musician will sample at some point in their career, as a composer or producer. People who sample will either pay for the rights or just do it without permission. Ignoring the legal side of it, I think sampling without permission is very rarely morally acceptable. I believe that using someone else’s creation for your own monetary gain and popularity without the permission of who you are sampling is not acceptable. In my opinion, the only time sampling without permission is okay is when it is being used for private use or as an exercise. As someone who wants to be a composer in the future, I do not want to sample someone else’s music without permission and would be incredibly frustrated if someone were to make a piece sampling my music without my permission and gaining from it. Sampling can be a very fun experience as a musician, but should only be done with permission. 

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Peer Remix - Joey Morra

Original: https://soundcloud.com/mike-rodriguez-417572374/vanquished?si=c7399cf36c714b4c8ffde9134efdacf5

Remix: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/vanquished-peer-remix-joey-morra/s-AddTGZfakpQ?si=099762a0e6734a37a4cc4672b71b6cb2

For this project, I chose “Vanquished” by Mike Rodriguez. I chose it because I thought I could change up the ambient feel of the piece. Most of my changes were adding new sounds. First, I created a tech-like drum sound over the majority of the piece. This was done to give the piece a different feel. Then, I added a synth sound to double the melody already in place. This was done to expand the piece. Lastly, I added a bell sound and a sound effect for filling in any gaps in the piece. Overall, this was an interesting assignment and I am happy with how it turned out. Enjoy! 

[joeymorramsu]

Found Sound Song - Joey Morra

SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/found-sound-song-joey-morra/s-kDF2Aq8oepk?si=46d4c0ddeaf14c52b7e7e44f3cb537f1

HEADPHONES RECOMMENDED

For this project, my found sound was of a waterfall at Watkins Glen State Park in New York. Rather than completely changing it to make it sounds like an electronic drone, I decided to leave it mostly untouched. The only thing I changed was the EQ to eliminate any unnecessary sound. For the melody, I used a standard piano and a synth sound. This was done to double the melody and give it a unique sound. Lastly, I used cello sounds to add some background noise and fill in any gaps of sound. However, I decided to add panning to this piece. The found sound and the melody start at opposite points and slowly move to the other side. I did this to add an extra layer to the piece. Overall, I had a lot of fun using “rain” sounds in a piece. Enjoy! 

[joeymorramsu]

Phone Recording - Joey Morra

SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/phone-recording-joey-morra/s-EDqTGpz2zPN?si=258830f82cec41de9f5ec1050b6958c7

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MIDI Song - Joey Morra

SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/midi-song-joey-morra/s-lrehXzGDaDf?si=71e58ce4e30f4ebcb29480746201ef7b

For this project, I got my MIDI sounds from a website I recently discovered called 8UP (8bitsamples.com). The website allows you to download chiptune sounds that were made to sound identical to classic NES games. I wanted to try out these sounds, so I downloaded the free “Magic Mushrooms” sound pack that was made to sound like the original Super Mario Bros. From the pack, I used 3 “stab” sounds, the looped bass sound, and the drums. The 3 stab sounds were used for melody, harmony, and an additional layer. Each sound changes roles with each different section. This was done to make each section sound drastically different from the other sections. The looped bass was used as the bass line in every section to have a continuous sound throughout the piece. Lastly, the drums used 3 different sounds: bass, snare, and hi-hat. Like the stabs, each section has a different rhythm using all 3 drum sounds to differentiate it from the other sections. Towards the end, 2 of the stab sounds are doubled, adding an octave to them. This makes the finale sound like a climax, signifying that the piece is almost over. Overall, the piece sounds like it is from an old-school video game and it was a lot of fun to make. Enjoy! 

[joeymorramsu]

Ambient Song - Joey Morra

SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/ambient-song-joey-morra/s-FAGGjGb4gft

For this project, I used 4 different sounds: a synth drone, a vocal sound, another synth, and a guitar-sounding synth. I used a synth drone to have at least one continuous sound throughout the piece. I used vocals to add to the feel of the piece. Also, I used another synth for a harmony line, and arpeggiated chords to add a driving feel. Lastly, the guitar-sounding synth was used as the melody. Even though a typical ambient piece does not have a structured melody, I decided to write one to make it sound more like a complete piece of music. The mood of the piece has a mysterious and other-worldly feel that makes it sound like it was meant for a soundtrack. Overall, while it is not a traditional ambient piece, I am very happy with how it turned out. Enjoy! 

[joeymorramsu]

Groove Pizza Beat-Making - Joey Morra

My beat uses the techno drum sound, making it a techno beat. Enjoy! 

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Loop Song - Joey Morra

SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/joey-morra-msu/loop-song-joey-morra/s-m7HmT9Mkofr

For this project, I decided to step a little outside of my comfort zone. Most of my compositions up until now have been more classical. This includes piano, orchestral, and string pieces. I instead chose to make a mix of rock and electronic music. Throughout the piece, I used 7 loops for this piece. They are acoustic piano, electric piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass, maracas, and a drum kit. One of the main ideas I had was using a mix of acoustic and electric instruments. This allowed each section to heavily vary from the others. Most sections mix by having one acoustic and one electric instrument. I chose an electric bass sound because it mixed better than an acoustic bass. Also, the maracas were used as an added layer of percussion. Lastly, the drum kit is a necessary part of any piece like this. Overall, I am happy with how this turned. While it may not be my best work, I still hope you all enjoy it! 

[joeymorramsu]

3/9/21 Blog Post: Favorite & Least Favorite Song

Favorite Song: Daydream Believer

I do not have a favorite song. I am also not a fan of most pop music. However, there are a few pop songs that speak to me. This is one of them. Daydream Believer, written by John Stewart and performed by The Monkees in 1967, is one of the best-written songs ever made. To start, the instrumentation is from the iconic surfer/hippie music from the 1960s. This gives the piece an overall fun, happy, and joyous feel. Also, the melody is one of the catchiest. The verses have a bouncy feel that will get into most people's heads and the chorus is even more silly and catchy. Lastly, the lyrics are also silly fun. Even though they do not make that much sense, it still works and makes the song even more enjoyable. Overall, I love listening to this song every time I hear it. It is one of the most fun songs ever made, and one of my favorite songs ever. 

Least Favorite Song: Pumped Up Kicks

I am not a fan of recent pop music. Since the early 2000s, I feel that there has been a problem with almost every song. One of the worst is this one. Pumper Up Kicks, by Foster the People in 2010, is a very bland, boring song with some of the worst lyrics ever made. First of all, most of the song's instrumentation is a very basic synth sound. Also, the melody is nonexistent. The verses use an absurd amount of auto-tune, making the lyrics unrecognizable, and the chorus is a worse ripoff of earlier, better songs. Still, the worst part is the lyrics: "You better run, better run, outrun my gun." The song talks about school shootings. I believe talking about such a serious topic in a song that sounds upbeat is just wrong. Overall, this is one of the few songs I despise. With a mix of bad sound and even worse lyrics, it is easily one of my least favorite songs ever.