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[sakariselva]

I chose to remix the loop song that we did early in the semester. I think I learned a lot since then about how to mix better and use effects to achieve the sound that I want. I didn’t change much structurally because I already liked it. However, the original didn’t have any volume changes at all, and so I added a few in the new version to give it some variety and flair. I also went in on some of the core loops and I added a bit of reverb, as well as some brightness. I think overall it sounds a bit more polished. I enjoyed working on this project!

[sakariselva]

I chose this Charlie Chaplin scene about roller skating for my project because I watched it and it looked funny. I watched it only once before I improvised with piano over it. I liked the contrast of skill level of each character and so I wanted to show that in the music.

[sakariselva]

I recorded this song with my boyfriend Alex. We had been working on it anyways and so when I saw this project I thought we could try it! We recorded using my USB mic with my iPad (we had to use an adapter). We recorded the guitar part (he is playing) and then the vocals. We added in the bass line later, just using Garageband. The one thing that we found hard was making all the bass notes the same volume, because it’s based on how hard you press. I will probably redo the vocals at some point because it’s a little too straight. This is a cover of a Ben Platt song by the way :)

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The melody from Pastime Paradise was interpolated in the Coolio song “Gansta’s Paradise” (https://youtu.be/U6Pm0iVvFXs)

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The song Hips Don’t Lie samples the trumpet solo from  Amores Como El Nuestro by Jerry Rivera (https://youtu.be/sJqDmVekMWU). I noticed this a lot as a kid when my parents would put on salsa, because I would always think it was Hips Don’t Lie. The trumpet solo appears throughout both songs. 

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Here is my remix of Valesca’s song. I chose to work with the full thing and just add to it. I added some cool sound effects to both the beginning and end. I also added a drum kit from garageband that made it sound more upbeat. Lastly I made a melody on my midi and included it during the middle. I think if you listen to this remix you would still recognize it’s the original song but it definitely has a different vibe now. 

[sakariselva]

I used my own found sound for this song. I had recorded some siren sounds and a rally/protest, but chose to only use the sirens. I played with the EQ to cut out most of the wind and ambient noice. Since the siren sound is more melodic instead of percussive, I used it as a melodic tool in my song and I fit the other sounds with it. For this song I wanted to give the vibe of techno/electronic, which is a genre I’m not super familiar or comfortable with, I just wanted to try something new. I drew some inspiration from this class and I tried to put sound bytes and break them up a little for an effect. I also chose to go for super futuristic/robotic sounds, because they went with the sound byte theme of space. I also tried to use some effects in general. In order to make my piece sound more like I used a bunch of found sounds, I also incorporated car horns and a car screech. All in all I had fun making this song, and although it sounds a little bit rough I think it’s a good first effort for this genre. 

[sakariselva]

For this project I chose to try and replicate the song Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer, which may have been a little too ambitious. I used the MIDI keyboard tool in Garageband for all of my instruments. For the overarching bass I used both the Classic Suitcase Mk IV piano and the Bass Key piano. I distorted those two a lot so get the sound I want. For the main vocal part I used the Novel Approach Clav. Originally I had the settings perfect and it sounded like a guitar, which I liked, but I messed it up somehow and couldn’t figure it out again. If I had unlimited time and skills, this sound quality would be the main one I would change. For the beats in the verse I used the electronic drum kit called Brooklyn. For a little bit of a build up to the pre-chorus I used the Slow Drift under the pads. That’s something else I wish I knew how to develop a bit more, if I had more of a knowledge of Garageband MIDIs. For the pre-chorus I used a mix of Big Saw Bass, Picked Bass, and Anthemic Lead and distorted them to get what I wanted. I also doubled the melody an octave under. For the chorus I brought back the two bass tracks from the beginning and I also added the Hard Rock guitar for more grit. Additionally I used Liverpool Bass, Four on the Floor, and Lush Pulse for more texture. For the next verse and chorus I used the same instruments with a little variation and I ended with the Lush Pulse hanging over the edge a little. This project took me so long, but if I had unlimited time and ability I would’ve done the bridge, and I would’ve made it flow from section to section better, but for my first time ever using Garageband MIDIs I think I learned a lot from trial and error. 

[sakariselva]

For this piece I only used two loops from garageband: Lounge Vibes 05 and Diesel Power Vox FX. Lounge Vibes is the main one, and it actually sounded quite a bit different at first but I played around with reverb and echo until I achieved the sound I wanted. I originally wanted to slow this down way more (even this final product is slowed down from the original), but any slower than this and the waves in the sound were a bit too obvious and distracting. But in an ideal world if I were a professional musician commissioning this piece I would slow it to 60 bpm. I added the Vox FX every four bars to give it a little bit of a repetitive effect. This track evokes a sense of calm and stability to me. I would expect to hear it in some waiting room, very quietly. 

[sakariselva]

This beat is loosely based off of the traditional Clave afro-cuban rhythm. I originally made this beat using the “Afro-Latin” sounds, but I changed it to Techno because I liked that sound a little better. In terms of genre, I can imagine this beat in really upbeat, dance songs. Maybe something similar to “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga, that type of thing. 

[sakariselva]

Here is my track! For this assignment I decided to go the funky route. I never really liked funk that much but a friend of mine loves it so this one’s dedicated to them. I chose the Delta Disco Guitar as my main element to give it the right vibe, and then I chose to throw in a few different Latin beat elements to change it up a little bit. The main beat is the Aurora Beat because I think it tied everything together quite nicely. At the very end I felt like it needed some bass so I went with the Back Alley Bass to give it a little bit of a jazz/funk feel. For some variation I added the Riff Guitar 1, along with the Chart Topper Synth Glide. Eight bars after that I added both Cali Vibes Lead Guitar and Char Scene Wah Guitar, to add more texture with the wahs from both sounds. To end the piece I slowly started to take elements off until I was left with the synth and the disco guitar. For the structure, I kept trying to make combinations of the loops that I hadn’t done before. I wanted it to sound a little abstract while also having a main theme.

I do think that this is a legitimate form of musical creativity, to an extent. In fact, I think this is a whole lot more creative and imaginative than some other forms of making music. However, I’m not sure if I think that a song solely made with free loops should be able to be profitable out in the world. It’s like if someone was presented with a few dozen sections of writing and arranged them and then published them as the author, as opposed to writing the sections themselves. So I suppose I’m still on the fence about how legit Garageband would be in the real world. But in terms of musical creativity for fun or in classrooms, I think it’s a great resource. 

[sakariselva]

Production Analysis

I chose to analyze Shaun Mendes’ song “Wonder,” the acoustic version. This track was produced by Mercereau Thakkar. It begins with a soft piano (sounds like an upright, and very clean). It then continues on with the background singers on an ooh vowel, it sounds like a small quartet of voices. Then Shaun begins singing on top of the piano only. Although it is labeled as an acoustic song, it does include a soft electric guitar over the chorus. Later on as the songs builds up there are some synthetic strings as well. Additionally there is some type of effect on the background voices but I’m not able to identify exactly what it is, but it makes them more echo-y and haunting.

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Don’t Stop Believing is one of my least favorite songs for a few different reasons, the main one being my personal connection to it. When I was in fifth grade my mom had me rewrite the lyrics to this song and sing it at my school’s talent show on the last day as a goodbye to elementary school. It went good and stuff but looking back on it makes me so embarrassed, because it was extremely cheesy. I also don’t enjoy this song because of how overplayed it is!

[sakariselva]

I love this song (Mad by Ne-Yo) because of all the memories attached to it. For years and years my siblings and I were obsessed with Ne-Yo and would belt his songs in the car together. This particular one was our favorite, probably because of the beautiful piano and catchy melody!