ASSESSMENT: Sound Composition
This task will involve the creation of a sound composition. These sound compositions won't rely on conventions such as rhythm and melody to hold the audiences attention.
In class we'll discuss our perception of sound, the semantics of sounds and compositional approaches. We'll move through technical skills of recording, sourcing sounds and editing sounds in Digital Audio Workstations.
Task 1:
Come up with an idea for a 5 minute sound only composition. Consider your artistic and/or sound practice. This is an opportunity to explore your own ideas. Think about your platform. You can sound design a podcast, your own music, make music out of found sounds, create a soundscape, or be looking at the fabric of sound itself. Adam is available during week 5 to discuss your ideas 1 on 1.
Other things to consider is to simply come up with a starting point;
- Do a survey of sounds in an environment, or a location (such as sounds for a trip to the snow, or sounds of an urban environment). In this case I'd recommend the idea of Mountain, Person, Flower. Where you look at recording a variety of sounds very close, to very distant. Build a thorough collection of sounds that describes a place or activity.
- Start with something that inspires you, such as an image, or video, or game, or poem. Use this as a marker for aesthetics, or even shape, and even start your sound edit putting sounds to a video. Remove the video (or inspiration) early on in the construction and you have a solid shape for your composition to continue on from.
Write your idea down, have examples, and consider your process to achieve your work.
Task 2:
This can tie very closely with Task 3. Here you need to collect your sounds. Write lists of sounds you want to collect. Organise and name your sounds. Collect sounds through synthesis, editing, location recording, foley and instrument recording and online libraries.
Sounds can be of anything. Even musical elements. Rhythm and melody are not to be central to the composition.
Task 3:
"Music is organised sound" - Edgard Varese
You will take your collection of sounds and compose them, organise them into a sound composition. Your work needs to have a sense of form/narrative/conceptual arc/story which you can frame and discuss in your report. The work should be 4-5min work. This may on occasion be longer or shorter as some compositions include hundreds of edits and are condensed in time. You will need to pose an argument to Adam through email if your work is to sit outside of the 4-5min length.