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Today in class I did some experimentation with the program Soundtrap. I created a fast and catchy drum beat though I didn't create any changes to it, which will be a later project. I

Ended up deleting it but I learned a lot about creating rhythms. I also experimented with the piano roll and keyboard settings for the instruments on the program. I created a simple piano melody, which wasn't very well thought out and was also deleted, but gave me some insight into the program's capabilities My final project ended up being two recordings put together of me playing guitar. One was a simple melody around the chord Cmaj, and the second was a chord progression from Cmaj to Amin to DMin and back again to complement it. On the chord and melody tracks, I experimented with reverb settings to give the guitar a fuller/studio sound.

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Sign up for your Soundtrap account. Access music making, recording, audio editing, mix & master, loops, vocal tuner, drum kits, beat maker, all you need to create music free.

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Program Music- Intends to tell a story or create a specific mood or scene.

ex. Vivaldi's 4 Seasons

Absolute Music- Music for music's sake

Tchaikovsy: Romeo and Juliet Excerpt (Program Music)

Fast frantic (Conflict in the story)

Foreboding and slow ( foreshadowing of the tragic end)

slow romantic (love of Romeo and Juliet expressed)

Keep in mind there is more to this piece that acuratley captures the entire story in order.

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AOI 1
Zombie by The Cranberries - sociopolitical commentary of Ireland (5 min) - Currently Learning It

Protest song composed ( 3 minutes?)

research how to add speaking to the front of a song in a good way

Write lyrics

AOI 2

The Lotus Bloom Performance (3-4 minutes)

Halloween Jazz Song Composition - (3ish minutes) - work on this one

AOI 3

Cover of song from a movie/show soundtrack (1-2 minutes)

Options - Sally's Song, My Neighbor Totoro, Sailor Moon, Prayer X, Married Life, Merry Go Round of Life, Gravity Falls Theme, Escapism(not learned)

AOI 4 (Complete)

Zelda music piece (1-2 Minutes) -

Cello - melody

Drum - heartbeat, low tom

ambient noise/echo - water drop noises

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AOI  4 Melody Planning 8/29/24 Presenting Music 

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AOI  4 Melody Planning 8/29/24 Presenting Music 

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During the hour I used Flat and an online keyboard to compose a melody for my piece. I started with the note D and then hummed a possible melody, before finding those notes on the piano and then transcribing it into flat. I have to go back through and finalize the key signature and change the accidentals to be consistently flats or sharps and not both later.

Then I used the bass clef part of the piano on Flat in order to add in some darker chords to the beginnings of measures. I intentionally made some of the notes dissonant in order to add to the eery feeling I'm hoping to convey, since the piece is supposed to be instrumental backing to a cave level in a videogame (specifically Zelda and Mario Inspired)

I will have to go back and edit the chords in measures 5 and 6 since they don't fit how I want but I am happy with the rest of the piece I put together.

Link to Flat :https://flat.io/score/66cc76a77df6a5f64c094ab3-antecedent-and-consequent

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Wolfpack by TALA, BANKS

Melody - Stilted and not connected to instruments as much

Harmony - Lower backing vocals are harmonizing

Other - Syncopated Drums, whistles, ABA form

4 bit 9d api+e+6[126.26] by Aphex Twin

Melody - polyphonic, doesn't follow a specific form and changes a lot.

Harmony - Chords on the synth notes

Other- Drums and electronic instruments

Tracks faded in and out making different sections

Adore You by Nao, Abhi/Dijon

Melody- rythmically quick but and stays on one note for a long while ABA Format

Harmony- Vocal oohs

Other- Repetetive drum beat, echoing effect in the middle. Two singers. Added everyday sounds that didn't come from an instrument.

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Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

melody swaps from the woodwinds to the low brass

movement is synchronized with the movements of the band.

Love Story by Taylor Swift

repetetive, chorus and verse form ABA

The drums puncuate the first beat.

Party in the USA

starts with all instruments in the first verse before most of them fade away, then all of them come back in during the chorus.

History of Marching Bands in Football Games - Entertaining the audience during halftime mainly.

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Ideas

Compose a Choir Piece for Jeweltones (with more input from the group) - email Mrs. Degenhardt

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Master of Puppets by Metallica

Long instrumental intro

range melody, lots of eighths notes repeated phrases.

Vocals are a different melody than the guitar

but it's not a harmony

Call and response vocal to the guitar in terms of the fronting melody

Consistent drum pattern keeping the beat.

Emphasis on the ends of phrases with pauses and drum hits.

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Silhouettes by Tim Engelhardt

repetitive fast drums

Time Signature is 4/4

Short range of notes in the melody

pitched and non-pitched percussion, as well as synths included

range of notes slightly increases in the middle of the song

Disjunct melody line

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Monday

Vivaldi's Winter

frantic violins going up and down chromatically

large range of notes

conjunct movement

dynamic changes from piano to forte

Tuesday

Here Come the Sun by The Beatles

instruments mimic vocal melody

steady drumbeat

chromatic ascending after each phrase

Repetitive lyrics

Wednesday

An American in Paris by George Gershwin

large range of notes

conjunct movement

violin answered by trumpets

descending and ascending lines

triumphant sound

Also learned about John Cage 4'33"

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Barber: Tocata Festiva by Iveta Apkalna

Echoing the melody in different sections

Organ is a main focus

Fast and slow moments

Starts frantic before moving to be slower and more controlled.

Towards the end, it picks up again and gets extremely loud before leaning into the more lyrical sound

Then there is an epic crescendo of drums and strings.

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Romantic impressionist composer. Composed around 150 songs

Idylle by Joseph Marx Observations

Starts with a single instrument before others join in.

Shortish range of notes with some large leaps

Mainly conjunct movement with some disjunct moments

Sudden change in the the middle with two short descending notes then a crescendo of all of the instruments

Lots of dynamic changes

Whimsical tone

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Harmony - notes played together creating a more interesting effect

Consonance - notes that sound stable together

Dissonance- notes that sound unstable together

Key Centers

Major

Minor

Modal (dorian, lydian, ect)

Atonal

Pentatonic (5 notes)

Chromatic ( up by half steps only)

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Dances in the Canebrakes by Florence Price

Arranged for 4 hand piano then transposed for orchestra

Call and response with the lower and higher instruments

Jaunty happy tune

Jazzy elements

Conjunct and Disjunct Movement

Stable sounding chords

Ragtime rythyms

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Ludwig the Holy Blade from Bloodborne by Nobuyoshi Suzuki

Intense atmospheric instruments

Violin melody, accompanied by vocals

mainly conjunct movement

choral voices harmonizing

Eerie descending line towards the middle

drum crashes emphasize the beat

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September

Mainly brass

Your Song

Mainly Woodwinds

(soft whimsical sound)

Waterloo

Mainly Brass

Conjunct Movement

Honey Honey

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Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto

Descending and Ascending chord patterns

Inverted and first-position chords used

starts with octave jumps

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21

Consistent notes with some changing on top of the framework. Leads to the piece having an underlying melody while having extra notes changing the tone. Whimsical sound

Bach's prelude with Ave Maria by Gounoud

Arpeggiated chords going up and down the scale.

Going down creates a deeper sound

going up makes a more joyful tone

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata

It starts on a fully struck chord before arpeggiating two notes

Chords going down create movement and variety in the piece even though the overlaying melody barely changes.

Bach Toccata and Fuge in D Minor

Ends a statement with a chord kind of like a period ending a sentence

before using slightly dissonant chords moving upwards until the resolution

An der schönen blauen Donau (Blue Danube) Op. 314 by J. Strauss

Lower notes, spread chord, with notes from different octaves

Ascending before resolving

two chords moving upwards before going back down

Root in the bass clef D - E - A - F# - G

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn by Debuussy

Chromatic notes in the beginning

Chords begin the middle adding some depth to the song

Chords descend along with the single notes

More extended chords

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Zombie by The Cranberries (Performing for AOI 1)

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Zombie by The Cranberries (Performing for AOI 1)

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This song was written when two Irish children were killed by a bomb hidden behind a dumpster by the Irish Republican Army in 1993. It was written by Dolores O’Riordan, in protest of the violence that the IRA perpetuated. Her focus was the effect on children who weren’t responsible for the conflict. She is quoted as saying the song is “our cry against man’s inhumanity to man; and man’s inhumanity to child.” The lyrics are raw, including a traditional Irish mourning technique; keening. This accompanied by dark distorted guitar and crashing drums intensifies the band’s message. In my version with guitar and vocals, I attempted to keep the most essential elements of the original such as the keening, pounding beat, and guitar solo.

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I drew inspiration from the music of the Skyward Sword OST  by various composers including Hajime Wakai and Shiho Fuji. I imagined creating something for a level where the player is in a dimly lit damp cave. This led me to create an atonal piece with dissonant chords creating an eerie atmosphere. The entire piece was created with digital instruments, through a mix of two programs. First, I composed the melody and chords on cello with the program Flat. Then, I exported this audio to Soundtrap, adding a pounding drum and ambient rain sound to mimic water dripping off the cave’s roof. I kept the melody varied enough to avoid repetitiveness as the player explored the area.

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Get You Gone (Boogies On) ( Creation for AOI 2) 

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Get You Gone (Boogies On) ( Creation for AOI 2) 

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The idea for this song came to me while I was mindlessly improvising jazz melodies to myself. One of these phrases stuck out to me so I experimented with different lines of lyrics to fit the tune. Eventually, I ended up with the first verse, and it stayed there for multiple months. Then I took the time to sit down and write out multiple verses and a chorus. The subject and genre of the song were heavily inspired by songs such as Spooky Scary Skeletons by Andrew Gold and Remains of the Day from the movie The Corpse Bride. There are underlying finger snaps on beats 2 and 4, which is a common element of jazz music, and the notes go down and up chromatically by half steps as well as according to the key, creating smoother transitions.

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Creating a song with the input of Jeweltones for us to perform

Going to ask intermittent feedback and create the idea for the song with the help of the group

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Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra

Intervals going up uniformly

followed by a drum beat

Intervals go up higher with each iteration

Before the full melody comes in with descending and ascending notes

Contrary motion

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Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor Yo Yo Ma 

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Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor Yo Yo Ma 

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Lots of interesting crescendos and decrescendos

He is ascending long notes before following a faster rhythm.

Intro by the orchestra and then solo on Cello

two themes in the piece are introduced

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No Diver Left Behind from Hell Divers 2 

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No Diver Left Behind from Hell Divers 2 

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Epic sound with loud and expressive chords

Ascending and Descending lines

Dynamic changes from forte to mezzo forte

Wavelike melody pattern being played by the strings

while the brass and woodwinds are playing another melody on top of it.

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Star Wars Theme

One of the most famous cadences of all time and lends a firm finality to the song.

Going back and forth between 2 chords in the beginning before the flowing melody comes in. Then the two-chord phrase returns.

The Imperial March

Swift and clear chord progressions that ascend and descend.

Gmin - Ebmin -

Jurassic Park

Ends the phrase with a cadence to signify a new part of the song.

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Baba Al Arabi by Hamid El Gnawi

Jazzy instruments (drums, keyboard, and some brass)

Arabic

Main and backing vocals call and response

Repetitive and instrumental vocal melody

Interesting drum patterns

Emphasizing the tonic and the 5th

Bending notes

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I have no words, holy cow

This is amazing

I love the parallel motion of the lines and the rhythm differences between the quarter and 8th notes

Change of the spring spin

the structure was completely different in each section

I was lost in a fun way haha

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Amor Verdadero by The Afro-Cuban All-Stars

The different singers pass around Melody. The chorus is sung by multiple voices.

Trumpets and drums appear to be the main instruments.

Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club

Repetitive melody but changing lyrics

Guitar included in this one

Same chord progression until the end

Mostly chorus with a few verse breaks

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Blue in Green by John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis

Slow rhythm with trumpet, that has drums and bass accompanying

The melody almost resembles speaking through a phrase but lacks repetition or structure. I'd describe it as the music talking.

Laid-back sound that is calming to listen to

Large range of notes and consistent rhythmic phrases

The form is in the chord structure

The Terminid Horde

It gives me the feeling of traditional Arabic music in the beginning

Flourishes in the melody add to it's tension

Descending melody lines

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Restless Oceans by Anne Clyne

Percussion with foot tapping

Some parts feel like they don't go together sonically, which adds to the chaotic vibe.

Every few measures the key signature changes

You're supposed to sing along to what you are playing on the instrument

Slow and fast rhythmic movements

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Umbrella Academy Phantom of the Opera Observations

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Umbrella Academy Phantom of the Opera Observations

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Violin composed by Lindsey Sterling (who I love btw)

The main melody swaps between the violin and guitar.

A medley of multiple songs from the musical

Increased melody tempo from the original in some parts

Option up an octave for the violin towards the very end of the song

Rock-style drums punctuate the beat

Moments where only the violin is present before the rest of the metal-focused instruments come in.

Ends on the same song it begins with

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Nit Khair Mangan Sohnia Main Teri

by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Mainly percussive with melismatic traditional style singing. I love this kind of music

The artist is from Pakistan and sings in many languages including Urdu and Punjabi

Qawwali-style music singer

Repeating phrases with other phrases interspersed which are very different from each other.

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Monophonic - Single melody line

Polyphonic - Multiple layers

Homophonic - layers moving in harmony

Heterophonic - Original and decorated versions of the melody playing (one may have a more complex rhythm with more grace notes in between) simultaneously.

Doubling of the 5th. best example I can come up with is some of the songs by Rebecca Sugar.

Imitative - Melodies are copied by other players

Octaves - Melody heard in two or more parts at an interval of 8 notes.

Melody and Accompaniment - A tune supported by chords

Drums are neither melody nor harmony so they aren't considered

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Rachel's Song by Vangelis from Blade Runner

Wind ambient noise

single slow melody line joined by synths

instrument almost sounds like falling rain

A female voice melody was added on top of the original making it polyphonic

the synth harmonizes with the vocals in some sections

Violin takes over the vocal melody (texture: imitative)

Lullaby-ish, mysterious and futuristic with the synth

aimless melody

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Stretto (Fuge) - a close succession of overlapping elements based on a singular theme or phrase. Think of a round

The Mirror - Inverse retrograde canon example ( played simultaneously by both players but one starts at the bottom)

Imitation - Back and forth with one instrument copying the other

Canon- A round is an example of a canon. Every instrument that finishes must begin at the start of the melody again so it goes around and around.

Sequence- Using the same motif and lowering or heightening it each time.

Inversion (upside down)

Movement Types

Static

Oblique

Contrary

Parallel

Similar

Augmentation

Diminution

Retrograde(Backwards)

Retrograde inversion (backward and upside down)

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Main Title of The Terminator

Heavy metallic instruments

Sci-fi feeling due to synths

Harmonizing lines

Percussive moments that sound like banging on a metal door

Main melody with small interval changes

no crescendos or decrescendos

Droning notes with no clear direction

Water no Get Enemy by Fela Kuti

Jazz Piece

Repeating Melody line before moving to the next phrase

this band was a leader in revolutionary music in Nigeria, with songs that lifted people's spirits without being traceable as protest songs.

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Zombie by Fela Kuti

Nigerian band with political intentions

Jazz guitar is very prominent

Saxophone adds another layer playing something entirely different (Polyphonic)

Chaotic rhythm

So What by John Coltrane and Miles Davis

Repetition of 2 chords with different instruments imitating it (Piano and trumpet/saxophone)

The pattern breaks with the trumpet solo

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Began in the Romantic period

Create dissonance without immediate resolution

Examples

Franz Liszt- Faust Symphony

Richard Wagner Tristan and Isolde opening

Arnold Schoenberg - absence of a key entirely. Twelve tones only related to one another.

All 12 pitches must be sounded before being repeated

No rules to picking the 12 notes you use, then you play it in different ways (retrograde, retrograde-inversion)

numbered 1-12 and has to go through a whole octave with half steps. You mix around the order of the numbers/notes within the 12 tones.

Lack of strong harmonic direction

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Jazz version of classic orchestral pieces

Fits into experimenting with music

Jazz solos take over the melody

walking bass in the back

open hi-hat rythym everyone is following

Saxophone solo adding grace notes into the main Melody

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy

Rhythm is changed to match jazz style phrases

Walking bass again

Grace notes in between the more recognizable notes

drum line continues throughout

harmony with the tenor and alto saxophone

one plays lower than the other by a third(?)

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U Se Mecani by Letta Mbulu(south African jazz singer) and Hugh Masekela (trumpeter)

percussive element to the vocals due to the language being Zulu which is a click language

harmony vocals join in

repeating vocal line and the notes of the instruments follow the direction of the pitch downward and upward.

parallel motion

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Ella Fitzgerald Sleigh Ride

instruments start the melody which becomes the ding-a ling- a ling in other versions of the song

vibrato on longer notes and quick slow interval skips

Trumpet solo

open hi-hat keeping the beat which kind of mimics sleigh bells

Instruments cut in and out giving some lyrics more emphasis

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Ella Fitzgerald, Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Polyrhythmic vocals in the beginning with an echo of the chorus off the beat

keeping the same basic melody but changing one note in the second phrase, system of notes(?)

Quick vocal flips on the second rendition

Ella Fitzgerald Frosty the Snowman

White Christmas with Bing Crosby

Up on the Housetop by Pentatonix

Hip-hop style with the backing vocals repeating the title over and over

Example of experimenting with music

All I want for Christmas by the Piano Guys

Instrumental version of cello and piano, swapping who has the melody

Performed Adapation example

Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra

Carol of the Bells by Pentatonix

Mixing polyrhythmic rendition with clear vocal differences and beatboxing

countertenor, baritone, bass, alto and rythym lines

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Changed jingle bells to be Minor and almost sad

Main theme is about escaping the holiday season because of a lack of connection or place to go for it

also lamenting a lost love

Just vocals accompanied by piano

Goes back into Jingle Bells at the end

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Hawaii

there are Spanish carols that are popular there

Asalto Navideño(Christmas Assault) by Los Caminantes

inspired by Puerto Rican tradition of parranda which revelers get together and perform Christmas music

Humildes Peregrinos (Humble Pilgrims) -Mexico

entirely vocal with very simple texture

reminds me of older classical tunes

Lo que me trajo el niño dios(what the christ child brought me) - Columbia

call and response style

xylophone, and maracas as percussion

more like spoken word than having a focused melody in some sections

uneven rythym section with interesting breaks from the expected

Village Celebration - Sierra Leone

Seems like a more spontaneous song for an event as a celebration, kind of improvised

maracas as percussive element

main male voice, with chorus of voices repeating one phrase behind him

Psalm 150 - Uganda

Jewish music from Africa - Abayudaya congregation

traditional hym in either Luganda or Swahili (not sure which one)

Ninni la tibix izied (benniena ta' Gesu Bambin)- Malta

sung in Maltese

Young singers

flute and tamborine following

Avi Hidlik Nerot (my father lit candles) - Israel

flute, and triangle(?)

Hebrew is a really pretty language

Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit(Christmas has Arrived) - Manila

similar to spanish styles of music, which makes sense due to the spanish influence on the phillipines

another call and response style song with some harmonies too

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The balance of the ensembles is better than I originally thought

texture change with only the orchestra playing in one section

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Observations 1/6/25 (LAST SEMESTER WHOO)

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Observations 1/6/25 (LAST SEMESTER WHOO)

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Dream by John Cage

rambling melody going up and down chromatically

Piano piece

resonating effect on the notes

minor sounding chords I think

mainly very atmospheric with little clear direction

lower notes towards the end punctuate the music

final resonating note ends the song

Experimental piece

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Notturno for Strings and Harp by Schoenberg

Clear sections to the music

harmony between violins and lower strings

System of notes repeated with higher intervals going up at the end each time

Nocturne definition- type of music that evokes the night or is inspired by it. from the word nocturnal.

Chopin Nocturne in Eflat Major

stable chord structure with a melody on top of it

sudden rythym and dynamic changes

note flourishes are really pretty

higher melody towards the end, but still the same pattern

repetitive chord structure

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The Unicorn Song by The Irish Rovers

Traditional Irish instruments - flute, whistle, banjo, boudruoin

Story song, with religious elements

ABA form

Speaking lyrics in B section

Band formed in Toronto Canada in 1963

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An ABA fomat is characteristic of thes songs from what I can tell

With a spokenish section and then a chorus

explaining choir voicings through the pitch of animal sounds

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1/15/25 Hootenanny Nicola Benedetti by Wynton Marsalis

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1/15/25 Hootenanny Nicola Benedetti by Wynton Marsalis

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Fast paced with notes jumping up and back down to the same place multiple times in a system

Lots of vibrato used in fiddle technique

Part of me feels like the solo doesn't match any of the rest of the music being played in the background, most of the time

Call and Response

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Kyrie Eleison - famous mass hymn

Repetitive melody and lyrics since it's meant to be a chant for a church congregation

Monophonic style with no other voice lines

Mr. Mister Kyrie - Rock style - 1985

Adaptation of the traditional chant with more lyrics added

digital production sounds

His voice kinda reminds me of Phil Collins haha

harmonies in the vocals

Hildegard Von Bingen - Ordo virtutum - in principio omnes

It hard to know what to say about this

I am curious about what the buzzing instrument is in the back though

this recording has the men and women singing in different octaves but still the same notes in unison

Same mode throughout

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Ride on Baby by Wiliam Onyeabor

Nigerian pop singer

high synths are prevalent along with more traditional jazz intruments and electric bass

spoken word lyrics

and repetive chorus phrases

Very long song

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Caroline Shaw - Kaleidoscope

Dynamic contrast in a repeating part

2nd intervals within the music

Instrument style interpretation happening

large measures of rest for the entire orchestra, leading a sort of foreboding mood

string screech and pizzicato

string fretboard sound experimentation

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(1600-1750)

When JS Bach died the era ended in 1750

Music was a bonding activity for people at this time.

Typically the orchestra was small, and it gradually increased during the era

no chin rests or instrument pegs

New harmonic structures (moving from monophonic music)

Alberti bass accompaniament became popular

major and minor tonality scale created during this time

National music movement that affected Italy and other countries differently

Operas were often staged about far off places with an air of exoticism

Bach

wrote music for church services, was a court composer, and a teacher

Brandenburg Concerto

call and response style with the instruments

mainly harmonic, with a few moments where it becomes polyphonic as the bass instruments play a different line (more polyphonic towards the end)

String instruments only

same melodic patterns changing in pitch

Walking bass line

Gloria Vivaldi

Fast paced decending phrases

give and take between instruments and voices

Lots of flourishes

pauses before resuming the very fast melody

Tonal center is clear

Handel - Water music for a Party Down the Thames River

contrabasoon sounds really pretty

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Recitative - talking style following the natural cadence of the voice

Aria - emotional song, think of it like a musical soliloquy

Sinfonias - orchestral introductions to acts and interludes between scenes.

Libretto - text written by a librettist, with the text and script of the musical

Monteverdi - Opera composer known for his use of tremolo and pizzicato

The Coronation of Poppea

pretty harmonies

ABBA Form

Jean Baptiste - Lully

French composer and conductor

Atys

England - John Blow and Henry Purcell

Dido and Aneas (1689) - Henry Purcell - Dido's Lament - Jesseye Norman

Instruments directly follow the singer

dynamic shifts are dramatic and quick

how the heck is her voice so soft and yet powerful at the same time?

Germany - Handel -

Barbara Strozzi - Italian - Lagrime Mie

Bach

Many pieces composed for dance suites

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Moments in a Dance Suite

French Overture (slow intro)

Allemande (moderate speed)

Courante (French style lively in triple meter)

Sarabande (Spanish style in slow triple meter)

Gigue (upbeat English, "jig")

Bach - Violin Partita no. 3 in Emajor

Preludio

lots of repetition within the piece, mainly made up of eighth notes

Legit all of the measures look the same in each chunk of the song

Loure

A little slower than the preludio but still quite jovial. Almost choppy sounding with the different melody lines

Gavotte en Rondeau

ABACAB

Minuette

3/4 time signature

very repetitious again (Which makes sense for a form of dance music)

Bourre

Gigue

Very high melodies seem prevalent in all of these pieces

Wave pattern to the notes in almost all of these movements

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Concertos

3 parts fast slow fast with a cadenza

Sonata

Exposition

Development

Recapitulation

Mozart Piano concerto no. 21

Clear chords

Very fast piano accompanied by swelling string instruments

Haydn

Rondo Alla turca

dynamic shifts are really cool

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Mama, You've Been on my Mind by Jeff Buckley

I love this song

Intervals are a tad bit unpredictable which is fun

counterpoint between the vocals and guitar is almost dissonant due to the rythym differences but somehow works

Stays on the same note for entire phrases before going up or down at the ends

Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

This is peak 80s

Synth pop band

Synths and piano

Fun interval jumps in the melody with the line "everybody"

Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson

Drum Beat is very prevalent - makes sense for our resident percussionist haha

ABA form?

Follow Molly from Deep Rock Galactic

Decending synth notes

ambient sound

bass synth is really cool actually

zipper style synth towards the end

choral vocal in the background

5-7 by Tito Double P, Junior H

Echo effects being played with in the vocals, as well as very subtle harmonies

Electronic instruments meant to sound like mariachi band

Look up: Palaye Royale,

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Bethoven Moonlight Sontata -

Adagio Sostenuto

Chords followed by arpeggiated notes moving chromatically up and down

The first movement is one of my favorite classical pieces. It's just so pretty

It feels like the melody wanders, like a walk at night with the darker deeper notes undercutting the flowy vibe of the other notes

The dynamic shifts add another layer of complexity that is really cool to listen to as well

part 2 - The Symphony (Haydn, Beethoven)

The orchestras became bigger around this time too

Mozart Symphony 40 in Gmin

Tension built underneath a repeating melody through increase in pitch value

Whole group to smaller parts consistently

Changes keys in the development section

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Amarah

Spinnin by Madison Beer

melody goes around and around which is kind of clever based on the title.

synth in the background

slide up in the vocals that is really pretty

piano flourish at the end

Solo by Zaho and Tayce

French hip hop artists

I like the beat placed in the background, and the vocal effects are used well

Mine

Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffe

Traditional Vaudville style with lots of complex vocal harmonies

Steam engine recalibration noises from vocalists (the lead singers went to college for pantomime and then used those skills to create robotic movements and sounds)

Vienna by Billy Joel

I just love this song haha. I have no notes

I love the piano specifically though

Also when the accordion type instrument comes in its such a fun shift

Jovany

Invisible by Duran Duran

I like the affected vocals in the background

High synths

Intense drum beat in the middle is fun, as well as the switch to whispered vocals

Run Boy Run by Woodkid

intense drums in the background, and rythmic stick tapping the interim between the vocals.

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Undine Smith Moore - Scenes from the Life of a Martyr

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Undine Smith Moore - Scenes from the Life of a Martyr

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Shouting choir that mimics a protesting crowd, before it dulls to a whisper like a realization. Narration combined in it.

Second song is a gospel style, which makes sense due to the fact that MLK jr was a preacher

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Choral/Opera Music in the Baroque Era 3/5/25

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Choral/Opera Music in the Baroque Era 3/5/25

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Mass- celebration of someone

Requiem Mass - celebration/grieving song for someone who has died

Oratorio - subject focus on the messiah

Mozart Dies Irae - The Day of Wrath

Chanting quality to it

slurred notes and quick interval jumps

Tone matched the title (it was very wrathful)

Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro Overture

Character leitmotifs are clearly illustrated within the different instrument sections

transitions to give you a little taste of each of the songs as they blend into each other

The Magic Flute - Queen of the Night Aria

Intense music to match the rather violent message. pointed pauses to add emphasis to phrases

The Marriage of Figaro - Quartet

Reconciliation moment at the end of Act 2

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Magic Drum Orchestra - Drop it Like it's Hot

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Magic Drum Orchestra - Drop it Like it's Hot

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The full percussion version of this is actually pretty neat. I like how the vocal lines are being covered by a whistle sound instead. one drum line in the back remaind mainly the same the whole time while other instruments change. Except for a gap and then difference in the middle of the song.

Interesting non-traditional instruments

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The Dancing Moonlight by Dai Wei

Stuttered Rythym is almost offputting

Discordant before falling into a more pleasing tone. She's messing around with differences to the ear and resolving into pleaseant moments after chaos

I quite like this one

I almost wonder if the rythym is syncopated but I can't tell just by listening if I'm using that right.

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Mhande

polyrythmic song

harmony vocals behind the main voice

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Magical sound that creates the intro to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood Theme, Hedwig's Theme,

Hammers strike metal not strings

Creates a very fantastical atmosphere with a soft bell sound. Very pretty

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4/22/25 Video Game Music and Composing Tips

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4/22/25 Video Game Music and Composing Tips

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Composing Tips

1. Study the Kind of Music You Want to Write

Focus on the elements you appreciate and make a note of it in order to use it in your own work

2. Make a Creative Brief

Blueprint for the composition process for different pieces

3. Set up your Sound Pallete First

Choose instruments that make sense together before you start. Prepare ingredients to get the outcome you want, before you make the dish

4. Experiment with Layering

Different kinds of layering of tracks and instruments, consider how each layer effects the total piece

5. Start with a small idea

scale, rythym, chord progression before moving outward.

6. Keep and Idea File

Hold Onto Ideas even if they are unformed

7. Build the structure early

8. Keep melodies singable (or don't)

9. Utilize repetition

10. Keep the melody on top

11. Quantize intelligently

12. End loops on a dominant chord

13. Try an arrangment checklist

help keep creative flow and avoid getting overwhelmedd by what you have to go back and fix

14. Learn music theory!!!

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Schubert - An Die Musik

It's pretty but I don't have much to say

It sounds like something I would sing for solo festival

lots of eighth notes

the piano accompanamient is a nice contrast to the higher singing octave

Gretchen am Spinradde (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel)

piano mimics the spinning wheel with the wave pattern to the notes

Lament about a lost lover

I looked up the english translation

the frantic tone of some sections matches the frantic cry of the text

Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair by Stephen Foster

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The Temple of Magicks by Jonah Senzel from Inscryption

Mysterious feeling with lots of droning notes

same melody joins while going up and down by a 3rd in the same pattern

This one is cool

synth electronic instruments

Moved the melody around to different instruments

Fi's Theme from Skyward Sword - my pick :)

Orchestral instruments with a flute overtop

repeat of the start of the melody before going into a higher version of it, then going back to the beginning

bell dinging in the background

banjo or maybe sitar, I can't tell

plucky strings either way

the flute kind of flips off the last note of each phrase rather than extending most of them

SIVA Swarm

I like the rythym in the background

Warbling instruments

Building in intensity through the use of interval jumps and additional layers

Living Failures from Bloodborne

Choral echo

stacato strings

orchestral vibes

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The melodies are simple so that it is easy for people to remember

The product name or something related is often included in the lyrics

They are upbeat and energetic tunes

often times famous artists are brought in in order to add credibility and extra publicity