Development Diary by Bb AA

Initial Ideas

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:15:47 UTC

For my initial idea I am wanting to create an acoustic/DIY sounding song. I would like the song to reflect my ability as a songwriter as well as a musician. I'm wanting the song to have a lot of texture to give the illusion of warmth. I will be using artists like Fog Lake, Youth Lagoon and Alex G as my inspiration and reference.

I’ll be able to use my housemates who also attend waterbear to help me in regards to both practicing the song as well as any ideas they could contribute with structuring.

A skill set I’m wanting to strengthen/develop throughout these 10 weeks is structuring. I’m hoping to do this by both doing my own research which would be looking on YouTube and websites as well as practically performing my song and trying out different ways of structuring it.

SMART Target

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:17:11 UTC

Specific - To be able to better understand structure when making my song for the PMS100 summative assignment

Measurable - To practice for 5 days each week after class practicing on my summative song trying out new structures

Achievable - This is very easily achievable as once my classes are finished I’ve got the rest of the evening to practice so this will not interfere with any of my work

Relevant - This is relevant as it’s going to directly affect my work for PMS100

Time-bound - The end of the first academic term

Week 2 Initial Thoughts

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:18:09 UTC

This week I’ve begun to think of what resources I have around me that could help with my original song. I’ve decided to collaborate with my housemates. However, in the creative aspect of the work I’m going to be working on my own. I am going to need help from my friend as he will be the one playing drums or bass, as well as, helping me record the song onto a DAW.

I recorded the first draft of my original song on my phone using a very basic acoustic guitar. I liked the structure, however it still needs a lot of work until I’m happy with it. I’ll do this by going over the song over and over and analyzing where I could change/grow the structure. As well as this I need to work on more lyrics and the meaning behind the song.

I’m still wanting to develop my ability to structure songs.

First Recording of song

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:20:50 UTC

Week 3 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:22:17 UTC

This week I’ve managed to extend on the previous idea of what the structure of my song will be. I recorded myself playing guitar on my phone of what I’m wanting the structure to be like, however it needs more diversity. I've taken inspiration from the genre midwest emo/math rock as I’ve been listening to bands like Title Fight and American Football. I feel that this style of music will fit my song perfectly as well as help with developing my structure as Midwest music has a large dynamic range when it comes to song structure.

SWOT

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:22:49 UTC

Strength’s

I am able to both record and produce my song without having to book any studios
All my housemates are musicians so I will be able to get a range of opinions regarding the song/performance

Weaknesses

Little to no knowledge of Music Theory
Need more understanding on song structure as well as lyrically
Poor time management

Opportunities

Being able to share the final song on a streaming platform/social media site
Work with other musicians (Network)

Threats

Trying to find the time when my housemates are free to help me with recording my song. This could be difficult as everyone has different schedules
Procrastinating and poor time management could heavily affect this project

Week 4 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:29:11 UTC

This week I started working more of the lyrical side of things by working on what the context for the song will be. I decided on focusing on feelings and situations such as abusive relationships, salvation and what does it truly mean to love someone regardless of their flaws. I was able to decide on what the context will be however when it came to writing the lyrics I didn’t get far as I was being too self conscious about my work and overthinking it.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-06-27 12:30:07 UTC

Description - This week I started on trying to finish the lyrics for my song as well as trying to find a meaning of what the song will be about

Feelings - I came into the situation with an open mind set and was willing to put myself into someone else’s shoes for the purpose of writing. I started off fairly confident and was happy for most of the process

Evaluation - I was happy that I found a subject to write about which is going to be abusive/toxic relationships and how we perceive different types of love. The process to come to this decision was rather easy as I felt that I’d be confident in this area to write with. I wasn’t as pleased with the lyrics as no matter how hard I tried nothing was coming to mind on what to write

Analysis - I feel that I was overthinking when it came to start writing the lyrics and was being too self conscious about my work

Conclusion - I sadly only achieved half of my target as I came up with the context for the song but sadly was not able to build on the lyrics I’ve previously written. I could’ve spent less time overthinking the lyrics and being less judgemental on myself so at least I’d have some lyrics to work with.

Action Plan - For me to improve next time I think I’d want to work with someone in the sense that I still write the lyrics but they’re just there for somewhat of a moral helping hand. This would help if I start overthinking and they can reassure me that the work I’m doing is good enough.

Week 5 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:01:05 UTC

This week I was taught about Health and Safety and how I can evidence safe working practices for my PMS100 work. I was able to do a risk assessment however due to being ill I wasn’t able to go to anymore classes and work on my song throughout the week.

SWOT Research

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:02:28 UTC

In week 6 I am going to do research into an area of one of my weaknesses for my SWOT. I’ve decided to focus on the area of structure in regards to both lyrically and instrumental. This will help me when both perfecting the making of my song as well as recording my performance for WB01.

I plan on doing research into poetic structure, look into common/uncommon forms in music and how I can use this for my submission in WB01. I am going to use videos as well as articles I will find online/YouTube to do find out the specifics mentioned before.

Week 7 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:03:41 UTC

This week I finally figured out both the lyrics and structure to my summative work. As well as this I taught my house mates the structure to the song in a practice we had as i'm going to be using them to help me perform the live version of my summative work. In my Thursday lesson I was taught a few production tips which I feel are going to help me when it comes to recording the alternative version to my song such as compression and ways to avoid phase when it comes to recording drums.

I feel there is room for improvement when it comes to the structure as it still doesn't have a “midwest emo” feel to it. I will try to experiment with playing guitar to introduce a stylistic lead/intro part that will suit the genre i've chosen.

Production tips

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:05:41 UTC

In this week's production lesson I was told about a few tricks/tips that are going to help me in the recording process for my summative track. I learnt how to use an XLR cable to ensure there will be no phasing issues when recording the drums. This will be done by measuring the end of one mic to the center of the snare. Once this is done use the length of the pre-measured cable and that should be where the other mic will be placed distance wise.

As well as this, I was told about musical compression in regards to the drums and how it levels out all the hard and soft parts of the dynamic range. I will use this so the sound of my overall recording of the drums will seem consistent in level so there will not be any parts where it's too loud or too quiet, unless I want to change the dynamics for artistic reasons. For example, the drums will go soft for a bridge/build up section. I'm also wanting to use the compression in a creative way to give the drums a more punchy and abrasive feel as this would suit the style of my track.

Finally, we were also taught about the frequency range of different instruments. This will be very useful when it comes to EQing my summative track as I now have a better understanding of where each instrument should sit frequency wise.

Summative Practise

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:10:09 UTC

This week I played through the track with my housemates who I'm using to perform with instead of the house band. Due to the audio being recorded on my phone it isn't the greatest however both the structure on tone I want come through very clearly.

My housemates were able to understand the structure a lot better than the house band due to there being no time restrictions. I felt that the structure I decided on going for would break up the track giving a much better dynamic feel.

The one thing I would want to change for the live performance is the vocal tone as in the jam my vocals were rather soft and I felt as if they were getting lost in the mix of the distorted guitar. I will practice on this by trying a more harsh sounding vocal take to really punch through the sound of the distortion.

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:11:23 UTC

House Band Practice

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:12:08 UTC

This week I performed with the house band my original track for PMS100. Overall I felt it went ok in terms of them understanding the structure however there are some areas I would have improved if I were to perform again with the house band.

Firstly I wouldn't want to include any keys into the performance as I feel it drags down the sound of a classic band set up. My plan is to keep the instrumentation as minimal as possible by just using a guitar, bass and drums.

Secondly, I felt that I didn't communicate with the band well enough for them to understand that I wanted a lot of energy throughout the entire performance apart from the bridge where everyone drops out.

Finally, if I were to work with the house band again for this track I would shorten a few sections such as after the first verse we play the chords round twice. I would cut it down to just once as I felt that i makes the song drag and could lose both the audience's attention as well as bring the high energy of the song down.

House Band practice

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:47:53 UTC

Week 3 Guitar Practice

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 16:54:43 UTC

Practice Track/Final Lyrics

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 17:01:30 UTC

Final Lyrics

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-06 17:02:52 UTC

My Music Explanation

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-09 12:47:23 UTC

This week we were told to write about what influences we can hear in our PMS100 track, where they are most obvious as well as what artistic doors are opening for us.

I personally feel that I have embodied the sound in which I wanted to produce from the start of this assignment. When it comes to the technical side of the track both the structure as well as my guitar playing represent the genre of mid-west emo as the structure constantly changes dynamics to keep the listener engaged whilst using only a few chords through out the track. Whilst I'm only using a few chord changes in the song I added a small "riff"/lead line to reference the intricate lead lines which is a key theme in mid-west emo.

Another key theme I feel I have represented well is with my song writing on the track as it is highly emotive and gives the listener a sense of loss and nostalgia.

Throughout this assignment I have noticed more doors opening for me, especially when it comes to collaborative work on genres I usually would not work on. For example, I have been helping my house mates record over six different tracks all ranging from country, indie and rock which has really strengthened both my technical playing on guitar but also my knowledge on different styles and structures.^.

Week 9 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-09 13:10:06 UTC

This week I have been reviewing my performances I did last week with both my house mates and the house band. I came to the conclusion that I want the band set up to be as simple as possible with just one guitar, one drum kit and a single bass. I decided on this by going over some research material such as bands like title fight where they have a very simple set up but still are able to produce a raw D.I.Y sound.

I feel fairly confident about doing my final performance as this week we were told to take a deeper look into both are PMS100 track as well as what inspires us to make music. due to doing this it helped have a better understanding of why I make the music I make as well as being more confident in my final track for this project.

Risk Assessment

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-09 13:10:50 UTC

Practice Track/Final Lyrics

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-15 12:34:18 UTC

In my practice session I recorded myself playing my track with the final version of the lyrics. I decided on playing an acoustic guitar for the practice session instead of an electric just so that when I watch the recording back I can hear the lyrics and vocals more clearly. I am happy with how the lyrics embody emotion and I truly feel this emotion will translate to the listener.

Gaps/Challenges

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-15 13:11:36 UTC

This week I was told to discuss what challenges do I expect to face during this assignment as well as what gaps do I have in my knowledge that I might need to fill with research to better my growth.

When it comes to challenges I feel there will be a number of them such as poor time management, procrastination and learning new structures/dynamic styles. All of these challenges are more than achievable to conquer however the only challenge that might seem difficult is time management as I am wanting to use my housemates to both practice and record with but with them all having different schedules this might become an issue.

The current gaps in my knowledge that will hinder this assignment are definitely in the areas of song structure as well as vocal exercises. This gap of knowledge is easy enough to fill as there are plenty of online resources such as articles and videos to view that will help me out.

PMS100 Track Sheet

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-17 13:26:50 UTC

Tempo - 130/140

Key - G

Chords - G Maj 7

D Maj/Dsus4

E Maj 7

D/F#

Texture - Sharp, Distorted, Melancholy, Abrasive

Research Material

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-24 12:59:09 UTC

I decided to find a video via youtube that could help me better understand what chords/movements are used in emo music.

I found this video which describes the use of constantly changing the root note to create different chords. Whilst only changing the root note I feel it gives a chord progression a deeper sense of emotion which would connect to the listener on a deeper level. My plan is to use this technique throughout my project.

Inspiration/Research Material

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-24 13:08:01 UTC

Carrying on from last week, I have been listening to a lot of different mid-west emo bands however I have found a lot of inspiration in the song "Shed" by the band Title Fight.

The use of the classic band set up (Bass, Guitar and Drums) gives a raw and upfront sound in which I am wanting to emulate. Even though I am wanting to take great inspiration from the band I feel like I might not use the vocal techniques in which the main vocalist uses as it is rather harsh n difficult to understand. If I'm wanting to truly portray emotion with my lyrics I feel like it would be best to have them sounding clear so the audience can both hear and understand what I'm saying.

Screenshot of DAW

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:02:58 UTC

In this recording session I started by recording the main guitar part so I have a foundation to work with. I decided to do three recording of my vocals, two of them were in a mid vocal range panned left and right as the third vocal take was in a lower octave. I decided to do a lower octave as due to the track being very bare and stripped back the lower octave acts almost as a bass filling up the overall sound of the recording.

Once I finished the vocal takes I still felt the recording was missing something so I decided to add a lead guitar part which plays all the way through the track. I used a very cheap acoustic guitar through out this recording session to really give a D.I.Y feel to it however when recording the lead guitar parts it sounded less of a guitar and more of a banjo. This was never intended however I am very happy with this as it gives the overall track an uplift of emotion which contrasts with the lyrics.

Production of Recording Session

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:03:14 UTC

When it came to mixing the track I decided to keep it as basic as possible. I only added a single compressor on the vocals due to the fact that there were some points in which the vocals would clip resulting in an abrasive sound.

The reasoning behind my choice of only adding a compressor to the vocals and not adding anything else to any other part of the track was because I really wanted to give the listener the sense that they are hearing a recording of an upcoming underground mid-west emo band who has to do everything D.I.Y. The raw recordings really add a sense of this as it gives off a vibe of being unpolished and not over produced hopefully contenting to the audience on a more personal level.

Poetic Structure research

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:18:31 UTC

Through my research into poetic structure I found a very informative video which gives details on various literary devices I can use to help me lyrically.

I am interested in the device of allusion which is a way to engage the listener/reader to what you are writing as well as to paint a clear picture for them to understand and connect with. I feel this device of writing will benefit me as my main objective for my lyrics is to engage the listener with the emotive lyrics and story of the song.

Week 10 Reflection

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:27:02 UTC

In my final week of this project my main aim was to focus on recording the acoustic version of my track as I am very confident with the live performance version of it.

My plan for recording was to keep the structure very basic by using only an acoustic guitar and vocals for the instrumentation. I decided on this structure as I wanted to put emphasis on the vocals so by stripping everything back it will force the listener to really take in the lyrics.

In this week as well I am starting to write my Reflection for this project.

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:53:25 UTC

gabrielatkin2 — 2024-07-25 11:55:31 UTC

Reference list

block perce (2017). Alex G - World/Insured. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGyQQS5i0s4&list=LL&index=76 [Accessed 23 Nov. 2023].

fog lake (2017). Fog Lake - Rattlesnake (Official Video). [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkGIuvj34qs [Accessed 16 Nov. 2023].

loskyta3 (2010). Cranford nix - Cigarettes and Heroin. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Gu8jD6yec [Accessed 23 Nov. 2023].

PanfisWater (2014a). Alex G - Cards (Boring Ecstacy: The Bedroom Pop of Orchid Tapes). [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CXMtLpprIg [Accessed 30 Nov. 2023].

PanfisWater (2014b). Pope - Hunter Mann. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWsoFuEkJUg&list=LL&index=52 [Accessed 23 Nov. 2023].

PanfisWater (2015). Attic Abasement - Dancing is Depressing (Full Album). [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O2JdoFMIwk [Accessed 30 Nov. 2023].

PWR BTTM (2023). Ugly Cherries. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaKWuleh6Ac [Accessed 16 Nov. 2023].

Self Publishing TV (2019). Literary Devices: How to Use Literary Elements to Improve Writing. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIFG3ojJSug.

Sounds For Everyone (2015). Camping In Alaska | Please Be Nice [FULL ALBUM]. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2c1aiUzBIs [Accessed 16 Nov. 2023].

Title Fight (2011). Title Fight - ‘Shed’. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcKDSC7c-0M [Accessed 16 Nov. 2023].

Trevor Wong (2020). The Easiest Way To Write A Killer Emo Progression. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ4A_VW64zw [Accessed 23 Jul. 2024].