For my final project for digital studies I decided to write some music. I wasn’t sure exactly how much to write or what to write about but I wanted to keep 2 things in mind while I was working on this project: I wanted to make up for some of the work I turned in late by doing something big, but at the same time I tried that in a different class and it didn’t go well. So I wanted to do something big but I also wanted to do something small and manageable, then the answer hit me like a beat drop: Microsongs.
Now I should preface by saying micro songs are not my original idea, they are a product of the internet, a creation original found on YouTube, and a way to convey a feeling or concept in a short string of notes and chords, I thought this was a perfect way to encapsulate the internet so I decided to create some micro songs, that could highlight or better express some of the things I feel while I’m on the internet (i tried to keep it positive since i think we’ve had enough doom and gloom for a lift time [and because the application i used is generally very major sounding.] to spice things up a little I used a web application called Chrome music Labs and then I converted those into songs using Musescore.
In another digital class I attempted to write 3 full length songs in about as many weeks, which was a big mistake and i ended up with 2 almost songs, so as to not bite off more than i can chew I decided to just make 6 micro songs around 30 seconds-1 minute each. some came out longer because i really like the direction they were going in and some came out shorter, because it was really just a single motif that I was working with each time. I started of with ideation because i didn’t want to get stuck in the middle trying to come up with song ideas.
I didn’t stick with all of these concepts they were just ideas to get me started incase I got stuck, but I found it incredibly simple to get started making melodies on chrome labs. From their taking it over to muse score was a little more time consuming, first I had to decide if i would use the same instruments as were available in chrome labs, then I had to decide how I would change up the music so it was just a one line melody, finally I had to adjust the Key and the tempo to where I needed it around the 4th song I started to run out of ideas. there’s a limit to what you can do in chrome labs after alll, so I had to come up with different concepts for the pieces different rhythms, and so on, and I was left with these 6 original (micro) songs and 6 concepts.
I really liked the Vibe I got from this first one, but it was also the most time consuming one I wrote I believe. I wanted to try and capture the feeling of getting outside after being cooped up so long
I am not sure why this one is displaying 1 minute 4 seconds its only around 35 seconds. anyway I enjoyed the vibe I got from this one initially but i felt it got a little sloppy towards the end, im excited to go back in and clean it up on my own time.
again im not sure why this one is displaying such a long time its only around 15 seconds.
Hills was something I was thinking of while i was working on touch grass, i was picking up a similar feel from these 2 songs and I thought it might be a good idea to merge their concepts but I didn’t want to get caught up in the one song and neglect the others.
I wanted to do at least 1 waltz/dance song because I feel like they have played a big role in my experiences with music and also because the internet loves dance crazes.
This was another one that I am very excited to work on outside of class, I felt like there was something i couldn’t quite capture with the instruments I used, and the sound wasn’t balanced very well, but i think it has a lot of potential.
So those were the 6 micro songs I worked on for this class, In other classes I also worked on some music and I would like to develop these pieces some more and combine them into an Album/mixtape/ep. I would say the development of this project is my goal for 2022, and I hope to submit it as part of my portfolio for Grad school. I’d also like the share the other pieces i’ve worked on
I think over the course of the semester I’ve developed a much closer relationship with music and I hope that my love for the craft continues to grow.
