As an artist, I have a fear of collaboration because I am confident in what works for me, and the sound I want to create. Allowing someone else to influence my vision requires a significant amount of trust.

I am considering collaborating for this module, but I want to maintain complete creative control over my tracks. I believe collaboration will not only provide a valuable learning experience from my peers but also enhance my music significantly.

Making Music (2018). An introduction to: Folk music | Making Music. [online] www.makingmusic.org.uk. Available at: https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/resource/introduction-folk-music.

Themusicalelement.com. (2024). Folk. [online] Available at: https://www.themusicalelement.com/folk.

www.pianoscales.org. (n.d.). Piano Yo Scales (Japanese) - overview with pictures. [online] Available at: https://www.pianoscales.org/yo.html.

OpenAI (2022). ChatGPT. [online] ChatGPT. Available at: https://chatgpt.com/.

Musicians Institute. (2023). Musicians Institute Hollywood. [online] Available at: https://www.mi.edu/in-the-know/breaking-barriers-rise-genre-blending-artists/.

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Boffard, R. (2024). Aesthetica Magazine - Merging Genres. [online] Available at: https://aestheticamagazine.com/merging-genres/.

Black Sabbath Wiki. (2024.). Planet Caravan. [online] Available at: https://blacksabbath.fandom.com/wiki/Planet_Caravan.

International Organization for Standardization (2024). What is AI? All you need to know about artificial intelligence. [online] ISO. Available at: https://www.iso.org/artificial-intelligence/what-is-ai.

Palmer, T. (2022). Florence + The Machine’s Road To ‘Dance Fever’: How Agoraphobia, Motherhood And Mass Mania Shaped The New Album. [online] Grammy Awards. Available at: https://www.grammy.com/news/florence-and-the-machine-dance-fever-new-album-2022-process-journey-producers-king-free.

‌Ling, J. (2024). The role of AI in crafting press releases. [online] The role of AI in crafting press releases - PA Media : PA Media. Available at: https://pa.media/blogs/pr-services/ai-press-release-creation-benefits-pitfalls-best-practices/.

Hahn, M. (2019). 5 Tips To Avoid Ruining Your Mix With Muddy Sound | LANDR Blog. [online] LANDR Blog. Available at: https://blog.landr.com/5-tips-avoid-ruining-mix-muddy-sound/.

Karabacak, C. (2024.). Florence and the Machine - Biography. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3298657/bio/.

BBC. (2024.). BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1’s Future Sounds - How Bring Me the Horizon became one of the UK’s biggest bands. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2llB5hY84XZ58tyv1dT1yyd/how-bring-me-the-horizon-became-one-of-the-uk-s-biggest-bands.

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Folk music is an ancient genre of music, "Folk is a term used to describe all sorts of musical, oral and cultural traditions from specific regions and societies around the world. Folk comes from the German word ‘volk’ meaning ‘the people’ and folk music is often thought of as being the music belonging to ‘the people’." (Making Music, 2018). So with this genre being so vast, there are a plethora of scales too.

"Sharp or flat keys such as F-sharp or A-flat will diminish the 'folky' sound in a song." (Themusicalelement.com, 2024). So with this in mind, scales such as the Romanian (1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7) or the melodic minor of the lydian dominant (1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7), are front runners for my track. I am also contemplating using the pentatonic scale in my track, specifically the variant Yo scale - "This is one of the most common Japanese scales, another one is in sen. The Yo Scale contains five notes (it is almost similar to the Major Pentatonic Scale), and is often used in Japanese folk music. One way to learn this scale is to look at it as a Major with the third and seventh degrees absent." (www.pianoscales.org, n.d.). Which would add an oriental and obscure tone to my track.

When composing my track, I will play around with these scales and see which I feel best suits my track.

In past modules a practice routine has been beneficial, when done right. So, in order for a practice routine to work for me, it has to take into account my life outside this module- for example work and life events. So, for this module my routine is going to be bitesized, but more importantly practical- as when tasks are overwhelming and too busy, I find I lack enthusiasm to complete them.

The prompt I gave ChatGPT- (the quoted lyrics, being what I composed myself)

Use these existing lyrics, but complete them and ensure that they fit into the folk genre.

Resurrect me

"Resurrect me now,

Save me from this torture,

Resurrect me now,

I’m your apparition,

Resurrect me now,

I just wanna rekindle,

Resurrect me now,

End my decomposition.

Say my name three times,

Draw a pentagram,

No need for fear,

Blink three times I’m here. "

Here are the results-

"Sure! Here’s a completed version of your lyrics, with a folk vibe:

Resurrect Me

Resurrect me now,
Save me from this torture,
Resurrect me now,
I’m your apparition.
Resurrect me now,
I just wanna rekindle,
Resurrect me now,
End my decomposition.

Say my name three times,
Draw a pentagram,
No need for fear,
Blink three times, I’m here.

In the moonlight’s glow,
Whisper soft and low,
Feel the breeze that sighs,
Let the old dreams rise.

With the dawn’s embrace,
Bring me to this place,
Where the shadows fade,
And my heart's remade.

Resurrect me now,
Let the echoes linger,
Resurrect me now,
With your tender fingers.
Resurrect me now,
In the twilight’s gleam,
Resurrect me now,
Awake from this dream." (OpenAI, 2022).

However, I've encountered a challenge: my vocal range doesn't cover the bass section. The solution may require collaborating with a vocalist who has the vocal capacity, or adding instrumental accompaniment, though I’m hesitant about the latter- due to wanting it to be acappella. I might also explore using software to transpose my vocals, but I need to meet with a producer for help.

In terms of the way I want to compose this track is heavily inspired by Billie Eilish's recent use of live looping. In her recent tour, Eilish has been asking the audience to be still, so she can live loop her intro to "When The Party's Over".

I find this fascinating and it demonstrates her vocal talent. It also enhances her performance, allowing the audience to see her assemble the instrumental live. I have attached a video of her performance above. I aim to create a similar use of vocal harmonies, while minimising the use of effects and plugins. This will give the track a more stripped-down, personal feel, making it completely different from the original.

For my live performance, my original live looping idea has shifted to a combination of recorded and live vocals for a cleaner, more cohesive sound. I’ve chosen Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan" to create a lo-fi, stripped-down acapella cover, using minimal effects on my vocals- inspired by Billie Eilish, to maintain authenticity to the nature of acappella.

Meetings with Kieron Pepper have greatly influenced my ideas, and support sessions have been essential in refining them. My Gantt chart and practice plan have also helped keep me organized and on track in this module, which is often a challenge for me.

"The Era of Genre-Blending

Traditionally, music genres served as distinct categories that defined an artist’s sound. However, in recent years, artists have increasingly broken free from these constraints, creating music that seamlessly fuses elements from multiple genres. This genre-blending movement has given birth to a wave of innovative and boundary-pushing musicians who refuse to be confined by labels." (Musicians Institute, 2023).

Genre blending isn't a new concept and can be seen in music both new and old. It can be seen in rap music, in the sampling of jazz and blues tracks. It can be seen in the new wave of electro-metal, combining metal and drum and bass. "Hip-hop came about from a heady mix of blues, jazz, reggae and soul. Rock and jazz techniques mixed to become prog rock." (Boffard, 2024). It is a great way to spark innovation and create something different to the plethora of music released.

For my DAW track I am using a genre blend of folk and metal. There are already plenty of artists that have used these genres together, but with both genres being very vast- I believe I can create something unlike anything else.

In my track, I’ve been deeply influenced by industrial metal, drawing inspiration from bands like Nine Inch Nails and Chelsea Wolfe, while blending in a modern folk sound influenced by Paris Paloma and Lucy Rose. This approach significantly differs from existing folk/metal tracks, which often feature heavy, male-fronted styles typical of both genres—like Finntroll's "Trollhammaren" attached above. My track incorporates more synths and vocal harmonies, resulting in a softer sound that reflects a unique industrial metal-folk fusion.

I plan to use folk and world instruments, such as marimba, Chinese guitars, and mandolins, combined with distortion to create a distinctive and blended sound. Vocals will also play a major role in my track, setting it apart from other existng metal/folk tracks. As I can’t produce screams or traditional metal vocals, mine will naturally lean towards a softer, folk style. However, they will be processed to achieve a sharper, more distorted quality.

 In my DAW track I have also used limitation within its melodic structure- by only using one chord (D minor). This forced me to explore creative ways to generate movement, such as incorporating sporadic arpeggios within the marimba arrangement using Logic’s arpeggiator. This approach added complexity and variety while staying within the constraint of a single chord.

Constraints within working on a track can be extremely motivating and can forge innovation. I found this in creating and planning my live performance track. For this track I am creatively covering Black Sabbath’s ‘Planet Caravan’, using only my vocals. Recording my formative sketch version has been a useful insight on how to approach creating my summative submission- for I found out that the best way to approach recording was just to have fun and not take it too seriously. I felt that once I ditched the structure and mindset to get it sounding the exact same as the original, I made much faster progress and achieved something that is my own. I feel that the track was reflective of my folky and ethereal style more so than Sabbath’s psychedelic rock sound but had obvious compliments to the original (one being the fuzz on the lead vocals, reflecting that of Ozzy’s).

I am expecting further restraints moving forward but am more welcoming of them now- for I have seen how constraints can fester innovation, which is my aims in creating my tracks this module.

Gavin is primarily a metal guitarist, but he also explores various genres from time to time, so I thought he'd be fairly flexible and a great fit to contribute to my track.

In my communication with Gavin, I sent him my track and gave him creative freedom. I felt that the track was developed enough to give him clear direction, but I was also curious to see what he would bring to it without specific instructions. Allowing someone this level of creative freedom was a new experience for me, but I believe it will add fresh input to my track and help confirm whether it fits within the genre blend I’m aiming for. I also mentioned my ideas within utilising scales, and he said he will play around and see what works.

Gavin listened to the tracks and by a couple days, he had some recordings for me to listen to. His guitar added a more defined metal sound, and really assisted me in making my track sound more abrasive and typical to a metal genre. He instantly understood my direction for the track, informing me that he could hear the folk elements along with the metal- dubbing it "metal Florence + The Machine," which was extremely appeasing.

I quickly realised the benefit of using AI. Because it is a software that uses algorithms, that interpret data, to provide a result (International Organization for Standardization, 2024), this meant that it could analyse characteristics typical to folk lyrics and provide me with lyrics entirely true to the genre- something I was threatened by doing myself. I did have doubts however, worried that the track was not going to sound true to my songwriting- so I input a half written track, so AI could replicate my writing style as well.

I'm really pleased with the outcome and feel much more confident using AI- especially since it’s so helpful when working to a brief, like I am right now.

In addition to Gavin's guitar, I've also developed the layout for the second verse, which introduces more world instruments—such as harps, pipas, and marimbas—playing sporadic arpeggios to create a folky, whimsical atmosphere. The vocals in this verse are more airy compared to earlier parts of the track, with heavy reverb and room adding to the effect. The verse follows a call-and-response structure, which came about by happy accident during recording, but I kept it because I liked how it sounded. I wanted to emphasize the folk genre in this section, not only to add movement but also to ensure a balance between the folk and metal elements in my track.

This second verse is still majorly unfinished, but demonstrates the direction I wish to head in.

In adding the synth, I also had an idea of playing the main melody of the track on the guitar. This was just something I did as an experiment, just to see how it sounded- but ended up really liking. The guitar is layered in plug-in effects, giving it the same tone as the vocals. This addition provides the track with structure, and also adds to the middle range of the track- something I again struggle to achieve with my higher vocal register.

In adding this guitar segment, I had to edit the vocals and lose a lot of what I had recorded prior, but will add them back in when I next record- to further emphasise the acapella sound.

The press release opens with an engaging and headline-grabbing title, "Florence + The Machine's Road To 'Dance Fever': How Agoraphobia, Motherhood, And Mass Mania Shaped The New Album" (Palmer, 2022), immediately capturing the reader’s attention. This is a key element in writing a successful press release. As Murray (2016) explains, it’s important to think about how your story might be introduced on a TV or radio program, where a presenter typically has just 5-6 seconds to hook the audience. Asking yourself how the story would be introduced in this context can help shape a compelling opening. The press release follows this with a brief, concise summary of what to expect in the rest of the article, which serves to further engage the reader. It then includes essential details like the release date, an overview of the album, and a quote from a press statement—all of which are crucial for providing key information. This structure emphasises the importance of a strong beginning in a press release, as it shapes the reader’s first impression and sets the tone for the rest of the content.

In conclusion, using AI for creating press releases can save time and help target the right audience. However, with so much competition in the media landscape, the human touch and creativity in writing remain essential for success. While AI can help draft a press release quickly, it’s the storytelling and ideas that need to stand out (Ling, 2024). With this in mind, I will input my own draft into ChatGPT, then edit and add a personal touch to the result- to ensure my personality shines through.

In regards to the production of this track I have also made some progress. I have started to meet with Paddy, a production tutor- who has a great deal of experience in producing metal music. We have now scheduled weekly 1:1's to develop my production skills. This week, Paddy showed me how to use EQ's on tracks in Logic, to prevent the bass from sounding muddy. "Muddy sound means a lack of clarity and definition with poor separation between instruments." (Hahn, 2019). He showed me how to cut the low sections to limit the bass from being to over bearing, and also showed me how to create clarity in vocal tracks by moving various bell filters to where it sounds most clear. I also learned about parallel processing, a technique where you record two main vocal tracks: one clean, without reverb or distortion, and the other with the effects. This approach allows you to achieve the desired sound while maintaining clarity in the mix. This use of EQ has allowed a clearer and higher quality sound- but as a result cut away all of my lower section and also lost a great deal of depth in my track. This is something I am going to work on over the next week.

Unlike the more descriptive, flowery language in Florence + The Machine's press release, this one is more direct. Both, however, are tailored to their respective audiences. Florence + The Machine, a folk artist known for their eccentricity (Karabacak, 2024), naturally reflects that in their press release. In contrast, Bring Me The Horizon, a metal band known for their bold, edgy persona (BBC, 2024), adopts a straightforward, no-nonsense tone. Both press releases highlight the importance of aligning with fan expectations and staying authentic in order to create a successful release.

The prompt I have composed:

"Devon based singer-songwriter Cora Rose is about to release her discography defining track ‘Unearth’… A blend of folk frensy, mixed with harsh undertones of heavy metal- creates a whimsical whirlwind, nothing like anything you have seen from her before. Interesting innovation lies within her use of familiar folk instruments, resurrected with harsh distortion and plug ins to create this Frankenstein creation of a track- just in time for the season of the unusual."

I’ve tentatively set Halloween as the release date, though this is just hypothetical. I chose this time of year because autumn aligns with the mood of my song, and the ghostly, otherworldly themes feel especially fitting for Halloween.

Now I have the lead vocals established, I am able to finalise the track ready for submission. I had added some harmonies to the lead vocals and added some more looped backing vocals- so all that remains to do is to finalise the mastering on the track, integrate the video and recorded vocals and get it ready to submit.

This week, I’ve also further developed the second verse and added a second chorus. To make the chorus flow smoothly, I introduced a crescendo to bridge the gap between the airy, soundscape-like second verse and the heavier, sharper chorus. I used a Japanese Shakuhachi flute along with a slightly distorted guitar to blend folk and metal elements. The build is subtle, but in my opinion, it transitions nicely between the two styles.

I’ve also begun to finalise and master the intro of my track. I’ve edited the beginning to include a fade-in of all the instruments, while introducing a prominent vocal adlib to lead into the song. This creates a smooth transition without overwhelming the listener. Additionally, I’ve incorporated more guitar elements that Gavin sent over to me, adding extra layers and depth, particularly to the metal aspects of the track. <- (Link to Gavin's guitar pieces he has sent.)

START: A powerful vocal adlib fades into the track, which blends folk and metal. The metal elements include distorted guitar and drums, while the folk influences come from marimba and world instruments. The lyrics also follow a folk-style narrative. Lyrics developed by AI. Limitation by only one chord- D minor.

01:25: A shift from a heavy chorus to a gentle, airy vocal soundscape, with a dynamics change and a move toward a more folky genre.

01:53: Beginning of crescendo to build to a genre shift back to metal.

2:38: Drums stop, all metal elements stripped and the track truly shifts to be that of a folk genre. There is an abundance of airy vocal loops and soft, reverb heavy lead vocals. Lyrics written by me for the last verse.

END: Fade out slowly and quietly- opposite to how the track began.

'Planet Caravan' creative cover:

START: Entirely vocal loops, except a guitar playing main riff and a bass soundscape synth- to provide depth in the low sections of my track. Performed in a different genre to original- original being psychedelic rock and mine being in an acapella acoustic genre.

00:33: Lyrics written by me, inspired by the original.

00:55: Original lyrics.

00:57: Harmonies get louder- to add power to vocals.

01:18: Lyrics written by me, inspired by the original.

01:39: Original lyrics.

For the outro, I’ve created a dramatic drop in dynamics, transitioning to a more stripped-back, soft folk sound. This change serves to draw the listener in while highlighting my vocal performance. In this section, I’ve focused heavily on my vocal delivery, crafting a challenging melody that pushes the higher end of my vocal range and demonstates strong sustained notes. Despite the softer tone, the outro still nods to the metal genre, with a looped distorted guitar riff from Gavin, but it’s complemented by airy synths and world instruments, maintaining the folk sound.

This outro was heavily inspired by the approach Sleep Token takes in their music, particularly in how they strip down a track to create vulnerability and dramatic shifts. I was influenced by the transition in their track "Atlantic" (2021), where the song moves from an intense, full-band sound to a soft, piano-driven ballad, letting the vocals take centre stage in a way that draws the listener in (4:18). I wanted to replicate that effect in my outro, focusing on my vocals as the primary element and demonstrating my ability to navigate different genres, which has been a key focus of my work in this module.

I’ve also written additional lyrics for the outro, which weren’t part of my original plan, but felt necessary to complete the section.

Now, I just need to finalize the mixing, mastering, and a few finishing touches to get everything ready for submission.

In this last week I have also learnt the importance of recording vocals without effect first and then adding the effects in closer to the track's completion. As I have found it more difficult to achieve clarity on the tracks recorded with effects.

I feel that if I were to release this track, it would definitely need to go to a producer for some fine tunings- but I am satisfied and proud of what I have been able to create with this track. I have pushed many personal boundaries, and truly honed in on my innovation skills- and have learnt so much about my musical and production ability in the process.