When I first started recording sounds, I was fascinated with recording quieter sounds that I made primarily with a direct interaction with an object. I really liked these types of sounds because they are very calming and pleasant. To provide a wide variety of contrasting sounds to use, I decided to record some louder sounds last minute. In the end, these louder noises made up most of my composition. I liked the mechanical undertone of these sounds which was heightened though adding effects like delay and reverb. I also liked how the sounds complimented each other well. One of my favorite elements to play around with in Ableton was the volume. I implemented dynamics to create atmosphere within the composition by orchestrating slow builds in volume throughout the piece that create tension to pique interest and inquiring about what the summit of the piece will be.

Diamond Ice

The first sound I thought about recording for this project was the sound of water! Water can produce some of the most calming sounds in my opinion and I thought that calming sounds pair well with ambient music. I went to a stream near my house and recorded the sound of the running water. I really loved how it turned out, especially the sound of the water bubbling, and decided to use it for this project. I liked using the synths because they created a very calming and ethereal sound. It was satisfying to create harmony and short melodies. One of my favorite features in Ableton that this project introduced me to was the pairing of midi tracks with the keyboard; This feature made it super easy for me to maintain rhythm throughout and create fast-paced rhythms as well!

Sparkling Ripples

This project took me the longest amount of time out of the projects I've made for class so far. I started by struggling to pick a genre for the song, bouncing from a composition with an upbeat pop sound, to rock, to classical, to R&B, and splicing over 200 samples, until finally creating this tropical type beat. I found that it was hard to find samples/sounds/drum beats that go well together, are easy to make short and clean samples out of, and aren't too melodical. I find that I was still focused on creating melodies within the piece because it was hard for me to layer too many beats at one time without creating something overwhelming. I decided to make beat-like melodies and proper beats using a combination of drums and other types of sounds. I still struggled with creating smooth transitions within the song, but I think it's better than last time?

Tropical Dreamscape

This track features an excerpt from the end of the story "Vanish" by Nate Davis, Sarah Lawrence College, NY, 2020.
I wanted read a horror/thriller story for this project because I thought it would be fun to create a backing track that would fit in with that mood. I love to read horror manga by Junji Ito, and, in the past, I've watched dramatic readings of his work that have music incorporated within them.  I was inspired by the soundtrack of some of the Twilight Zone episodes to create this track as well! I used GarageBand to create the musical portion of the track alongside many layered found sounds and recorded voice and whispers.

Sodawniee