As far as research for this project is concerned this week my main focus was on mixing vocals. One of the producers I talked to gave me some tips based on the rough draft he heard. I read through his advice and he mentioned a vst plugin that would help the vocals in the mix. Another resource I read through was " Mixing Vocals : The Ultimate Guide to EQ’ing Vocals". I also watched the tutorial " Mixing Vocals Part 1 – Luke Williams Session" for a different take on the vocals mixing and processing stage. In the video he EQ'ed the vocals by cutting at around 70 hz as well as a minor cut at around 200 hz. Seeing his EQ settings was cool; it is always nice to see how another producer goes about processing their track.
This week I got back the rough draft of Vin's vocals for the collaboration we are working on. They sound great! Once I got back the rough draft of the song with the vocals added, I put out the word I was looking to collaborate with a co-producer and gave them the link to the rough draft. I had four talented producers express interest, which was actually more than I was expecting. The one who seemed to be the best fit for this particular project is named Josh. He recently released a single on a medium sized electronic music label, which is a nice extra (my bonus criteria for ultimate success in this project is to get the song signed to a medium or major label). Once the project is finished he should have a relatively easy time getting their A&R to give it a listen. It is easier to get your second track signed with a label than your first as they will have already worked with you at that point. Everything is headed in the right direction. I think that within three weeks, maybe sooner, the song should be finished and sent to 10-20 labels. By two weeks after that, we should know if anyone is interested or not.
As far as research for this project is concerned this week my main focus was on mixing vocals. One of the producers I talked to gave me some tips based on the rough draft he heard. I read through his advice and he mentioned a vst plugin that would help the vocals in the mix. Another resource I read through was " Mixing Vocals : The Ultimate Guide to EQ’ing Vocals". I also watched the tutorial " Mixing Vocals Part 1 – Luke Williams Session" for a different take on the vocals mixing and processing stage. In the video he EQ'ed the vocals by cutting at around 70 hz as well as a minor cut at around 200 hz. Seeing his EQ settings was cool; it is always nice to see how another producer goes about processing their track.
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This week I got a message from Vin, the vocalist I am working with. He is very busy right now as am I. However, he hopes to get a chance to work on the song soon. I posted a rough draft of my music on Youtube which is embedded below. I am not liking some of the aspects of the mix and the sound design, so I have more work to do on them. I am reading an article I saved to my Diigo page, from the site howtomakeelectronicmusic, a great resource, called: "How To Quickly Add More Excitement To Your Mix". It is a relatively in depth article and I am going to apply some of the things I am reading to my track as I continue to work on it and improve on it. I hope to collaborate with another producer on this track but in case that doesn't come together I am going to continue to improve the audio quality side of things on my own in the mean time. I haven't had the chance to spend a lot of time on this project right now, but I have already done a lot of work on it and am doing small amounts of work on it here and there. I may have a bit more time over spring break in less than a week. Below is my rough draft of just the music without the vocals. The thing that strikes me most about this video is the pure creativity that is Caine's arcade. For example, for 1 dollar you can get 4 plays, yet 2 dollars is 500 plays. I doubt there is a precise reason for why it is that way, but touches like that show the authentic creativity of a venture like Caine's arcade. I think his passion for creating comes through in the video and in his continual creation and additions to his arcade. All of his work has been done on his own time and motivation, without any kind of a grade on the line. He is learning by doing something he is interested in. I think this video is in accord with many of the talks and writings of current theorists in education, Many of these argue we have a lot to learn by looking at how people learn new things naturally, in everyday life, when we are not in school. Caine's arcade is a perfect demonstration of how people learn and create when they don't even necessarily think they are learning. Following that drive to create is one of the first steps in this process. In this video Thomas argues that currently we are ultimately training students well for 19th century industrial revolution factory jobs that no longer exist. Of course, this doesn't sound like much of a compliment to the education system in America. Much of this lack of innovative learning according to Thomas is due to the emphasis on testing in the past years, and the old model of teaching which relies on the teacher as an expert telling students facts that they need to memorize. Thomas argues that these methods of teaching are not the answer to a better future in education.
He gives several examples of teachers he has talked to who have experienced push back for teaching students in creative ways. He mentions a teacher that told him there is no time for imagination in school. He mentions a teacher who is corrected by administration for teaching students to look for the hidden meanings in Shakespeare that do not conform to the old-fashioned reading of it. He even mentions a teacher who is told not to teach art in the classroom because it is not helping to improve students scores on testing. Although I was slightly disappointed he never used the piano that was on the stage nearby, I agree with his philosophy on teaching, and personally hope education moves more in the direction he describes. One of my favorite points in the talk is when he points out that you can't stop someone from learning about something they are interested in, even if you tried. In my opinion, harnessing the power of a learner who is passionate about something is one of the keys to a better future for students. I heard back from a vocalist interested in collaborating on a track I am working on. He is really talented and I am excited to work with him. His vocal demos (of other songs) are recorded at a decent enough audio quality for a professional track. As an aside, you actually do not necessarily need to record vocals on an amazing microphone for many types of music. With processing, relatively inexpensive microphones (less than $130) can be good enough quality for electronic music. He said he had some ideas for the rough draft of the song I sent him. I sent a brief reply offering to give feedback on the lyrics as I write lyrics as well as write music.
The track is basically written in terms of the music and melodies. However, I am not necessarily happy with the level of production and mixing I have done so far. Once we get some vocals added I might reach out to a few producers I know and see if they are interested in getting involved in the project by helping me with the sound design and audio engineering. I can do these things OK but I am not amazing and I want this track to get signed. That process of working with another producer is relatively easy in this age of the internet. Remixing is common in EDM and basically, you can give a fellow producer a remix pack with some .wav audio stems and/or midi files of the melodies and they can make an entirely new track out of them usually referred to as a remix. In fact, I remixed a track in January and only used one element from the original mix which was a recording of the bass synth from the original. In this case, we wouldn't call what the producer came up with a remix though, rather probably just make it the original version, using my original songwriting and the vocalists original vocals. Finally, I will see if a friend of mine who is working with me on an unrelated track who is also a mastering engineer will master the track for me for free or at a discount (his normal rate isn't really in my price range!). If not, I know several great mastering services that are $20-$40 per track which is much cheaper than it used to be in the days of analog and vinyl record mastering. I haven't encountered any major issues yet. I have completed so many songs over the past 5 years that the process is familiar. The main focus on this project is threefold: 1. make this song more professional than anything I have made before. 2. Make it a song with vocals. 3. Get it signed to an established EDM label. There is plenty of room for failure in those 3 requirements. I am already having some fun with the project, so that is covered as well. The video "From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able" by Michael Wesch is taken from a talk from TEDxKC. In the talk, Wesch advocates teaching students to use technology to help solve the big problems facing the world, rather than continuing to ask for and answer the mundane essential facts and knowledge. Some ways he sees technology helping in this process is through connecting, collaborating, sharing and even creating new knowledge. In the video, Wesch describes a world where students are taught to become able to find knowledge (knowledge-able) rather than simply taught to memorize a list of concrete facts (knowledge).
I agree with Wesch that teaching students to learn how to look for answers rather than teaching them the answers is important. I also agree that technology offers many tools in order to do this. I think Wesch is right that encouraging students to ask their own questions is part of the solution to previous forms education where students were taught to simply learn what needs to be learned for a test. In my own classroom I think that encouraging independent research, critical thinking and an organized, rational approach to problem solving are key in helping educate students to be thinkers rather than reciters of knowledge. I think giving students the opportunity to do research on topics they are passionate about and encouraging them to ask their own questions about what they are interested in are two avenues for encouraging students to be knowledge-able. Further, I think the internet is a vast resource to see what others with similar interests or questions are asking or what their input is, which in many cases is very valuable and even novel. Overall, technology isn't the solution, but a flexible, multidimensional tool to assist students in solving today's problems. In the video "Visitors and Residents," Dave White talks about two different types of web users. One type is a visitor, who prioritizes privacy and uses the internet for specific objectives, like buying a book from an online retailer, or using skype for a meeting. The second type of web user is the resident, who uses the internet as a space to interact. This type of user uses the internet for social purposes and prioritizes being visible. One point that White makes is that this distinction is not defined by age for the most part; that is people of all ages make up both of these types of internet users. Another point White makes is that the distinction between these two types of user is not black and white, but a continuum. Someone can be located at some point between these two categories of web users.
Why school? by Richardson elaborates on the future of using technology in the classroom. He presents two views of the future of technology in school. First, there is the view of many people such as business leaders ("corporate reformers") who see technology as being used to essentially achieve the same sorts of goals as before, but faster and in more high tech ways. The emphasis would still be on measurable skills that can be tested and quantified and technology is focused on new methods of delivery. These reformers want to fire teachers who have poor performing students, deliver personalized content to students based on their needs via technology, and privatize schools. The other viewpoint which is being created by a wide range of educators, is based on "discovery" and technology being employed both inside and outside of the classroom. This method takes a progressivist and collaborative view of education. In this new method of education, school is not so much about learning per-determined information, as much as collaborating with peers, adding information to the global archive, doing real tasks that have a real world application and asking questions. And the learning isn't just local, it is global. This is the second type of reform way of doing school, and the one the author, Richardson, is clearly more in favor of.
In my own case, I think the second model, the "discovery" model sounds fantastic overall. I think it is the better model, and the model that we should move too. I think in the end, it is the most natural way of learning, when the learner takes the biggest interest in their own learning and success and has a say. However, I do think there is a lot of work to be done in order to make that vision a reality. Also, while I think a global focus is great--we want to be friends and colleagues with people from around the world in my opinion--aren't there people who have raised a concern that we aren't living locally enough anymore? For example, it is great to work on a project with someone from another country, but if you don't know 9/10's of your own neighbors on your street, isn't there a balance to be had? One of Richardson's 6 unlearning strategies I would like to try to implement in the classroom more is the discovery rather than delivery method of teaching. I would like to move mostly to this method of learning but just simply have not mastered how to use it effectively. One of the 6 unlearning strategies I may struggle with, is talking to strangers in terms of opening a dialogue with those who are doing good work, who I do not already know. It is hard to approach someone for the first time, and I am not as good at it as I would like to be. However, I have done it before and can see the value in it. 1. What are you going to learn (what is your "learning target")? My learning target for this project is learning to write lyrics that fit radio friendly music, processing vocals (through effects and mixing) once they are recorded in order for them to fit the track, and matching them timing wise with the music. These are all areas I need further learning in. 2. How are you planning on learning it? (part of this learning must take place online) I will learn by watching youtube videos, reading music production forums and online blogs about music production. Another very useful learning tool is listening to songs you like as reference songs, paying attention to the different subtleties, sound design, and structure in order to better write your own songs. 3. List your 10 authentic questions for inquiry. . .you only need the questions. The answers will come at the end of the project) 1. Will it be challenging to collaborate with a vocalist, especially over the internet? 2. Will the vocal recording quality be good enough when I receive it? 3. How long will it take to write the lyrics? 4. How many edits will I have to do as I find what works and what doesn’t? 5. Will I be able to process the vocals on a professional level with limited experience? 6. What types of new processing techniques do vocals require? 7. Will the process of working on the same song over an extended period get tiring? 8. How will the tools I use make the process more difficult or more simple? 9. How will I know when the song is good enough? 10. What will I do to stay motivated throughout the process? 4. What will a successful outcome look like (what is your "success criteria")? A successful outcome for me is to have a vocal song finished at the end of the 20% project that is good enough for me to post publicly on my music sites. An extra successful outcome would be getting it signed. 5. (Most importantly) Is there an aspect of play and/or making in your project. Is there an opportunity for failure? It is important that you avoid pure knowledge pursuits for this project. There is certainly an aspect of play in making a song. I find I have the most fun at the beginning and what seems like the least amount of fun around the 75-90% completion mark. In the beginning, the project is new, and it is simple, there aren’t a lot of things to keep track of. I am not afraid of messing anything up at the beginning and I am willing to try new things like adding a ton of reverb to something, or having a specific elements really up front in the mix where it normally wouldn’t be. These types of experiments can have interesting and cool results, often leading to new ways of doing things. Further, I usually write the main melodies early on, even in the first hour, and that for me is one of my favorite parts. There are a ton of opportunities for failure as well. The vast majority of songs that I start are never finished. When a song doesn’t seem to click in the first two hours it usually isn’t going to come together. Also, even if you have a song that seems like it may be cool, it can still land at that 80% mark and just not have the quality necessary, and no way to really fix it, despite a lot of time put into it, to be considered professional and ready to send out or put on music sites like soundcloud. 6. Which tool are you going to be using for research? (I know there was a request for more clarification on tools. We can do this Monday) I am going to use the resources that come with my DAW (digital audio workstation), including the online manual, as well as the DAW itself to make the music and match the vocals with the song. I will also use music production forums, youtube tutorials and more. I will read professional writings on sound design and mixing for vocals. There are many high level articles on the internet about the topic of working with vocals in music. In my case, I am passionate about many things, whether it be hiking, travel, philosophy, religious studies, geography among many other things. However, I am not particularly good at building or making things. One thing I do make, actively and currently, is music. It takes much of my (rare) free time and over the past 6 years I would estimated I have spent at least 5,000 hours working on songwriting and music production. When I write a song I do it on my computer in a DAW (digital audio workstation) and compose it, arrange it, mix it and usually give it a basic mastering, though in some cases I have it mastered by a professional. By the end, it is a complete song that is ready to be played, though in most cases it is instrumental EDM, trance, house or other electronic genres. I have had some small successes, such as getting one my songs played on a nationally syndicated radio show (500+ stations) and nearly getting a vocal song signed to a medium sized record label. In the end, as is common in music, my track was not signed. When I heard about the 20% project, music production came to mind almost immediately. It certainly can be fun at times, although, in the quest for perfection, most serious producers face many setbacks and frustrations. There are innumerable things to learn about the art and craft of songwriting and music production, and thinking of goals and targets to strive for improvement is something most of us do on a daily basis. When I began to think of a goal for my project, my experience of nearly completing and having signed my first original vocal song came to mind quick. I am already in discussion with several vocalists at the moment, so why not track my progress, in something I am already doing, for the 20% project? I think my first choice for this project would be to complete an original vocal song, and to raise the bar further, get a YES from a professional label this time around. Of course, there is a lot of room for failure in this goal. Though I regularly complete instrumental songs, adding vocals is a whole other set of skills. Further, getting it signed to a label with a real fanbase is a very difficult achievement. In the end, this goal, is the one that makes the most sense for me to pursue for this project.
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