Update 3

We are well into our project in music technology right now and it is going much slower than I thought it would.  I have found several times that I don't really have any ideas for what comes next in the song I created.  When I first began to create this song I didn't really know what I was doing.  Now though I have a much better idea of how to use Logic Pro X.  So, I am hoping to wrap up this piece soon and begin on a new piece.  Hopefully, I will move through my next song at a faster pace.  I hope to get 2-3 songs done by the end of semester.  This song will pretty short, seeing as it is hardly a minute long right now.  However, I think that if I start my next few pieces with more of  a plan in mind I will be able to get through them faster, especially now that I have a better understanding of how to use Logic.

Update 2

Progress Week 1

We began our project last week and so far I am finding it a bit more difficult than I first thought.  The real problem is that it is really slow to create music.  Even after a little less than two weeks of work, I only have a few seconds.  While I don't have any trouble coming up with new ideas for the song, I do have trouble applying my ideas because I am not familiar with Logic.  I'm sure as I get better and more familiar with Logic things will speed up.  I might need to change my plan though.  It does not look like I will be able to create 3-4 songs so I'm going to lower that number to 2-3 songs.  Hopefully this process will begin to speed up as I learn.

The Project Planz

http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple4/v4/e2/a6/70/e2a6709a-a66d-71f7-4fda-c10ec78f1236/LogicProX.png

For this project in music technology I plan to create 4 to 5 original songs using Logic Pro X.  I hope to do a bit of recording but I plan on mainly working only with the tools provided in Logic.  I hope that this project will help me get a better understanding of music and technology.  I hope that by the end of this project I will be able to use Logic more precisely.  Some of the key skills I will be using to create this project are using technology, recording, and thinking creatively.  I hope to develop these skills throughout the course of this project.

Driving Question:

How do I use logic to create original pieces of music?

Plan the Assessment:

-Step 1: Define the Products for the project.  What will you assess?

• Early in the project I will be learning how to use Logic Pro X to create music.  I must spend a good amount of time researching how to use Logic and I have to make sure that I learn to use everything properly.
• During the project I will be creating the songs.  For each song I must spend a good amount of time creating and fleshing out the ideas for the song.  I must also make sure that these ideas are creative and original.
• Towards the end of the project I will be editing and revising the song.  I have to make sure to spend the proper time editing the song to make it sound good.  I also have  to use the Logic tools properly in order to make sure the song is edited well.

-Step 2: State the Criteria for exemplary performance for each product.  

      Product: Music Creation with software instruments

      Criteria: With the beat, creative, interesting.

      Product: Recording

      Criteria: Sounds good, properly done

      Product: Editing

      Criteria: Quantized properly, does not have mistakes

Map the Project

Skills and Knowledge Needed for this Project:

• Logic Pro X: For this project I need to have a general understanding of Logic.  Previous to the project I spent a bit of time learning how to use Logic but throughout the course of the project I will have to refine my skills with using Logic.
• Recording Skills: Also, I hope to do a little bit of recording throughout the project. At the beginning of the Music Tech class we learned a little bit about recording and about microphones but during the project I will need to spend time to learn how to record better.
• Editing Skills: While, I need to be able to understand and use Logic in general, I will also need to be able to use Logic in order to edit my songs.  During the project I will need to learn more about how to edit songs properly and how to use the proper tools in Logic.

Throughout the project I will use this blog as a journal in order to share my ideas as well as to organize them.

Key Dates and Important Milestones:

Week 10/28/13: Begin working on creating first song.  Spend extra time researching how to use logic properly.

Week 11/4/13: Continue working on first song.

Week 11/11/13: Wrap up the first song, try to finish it by the end of the week.

Week 11/18/13: Start working on second song.

Week 11/25/13: Continue working on second song.

Week 12/2/13: Wrap up the second song, attempt to finish by the end of the week.

Week 12/9/13: Start working on third song.

Week 12/16/13: Continue working on third song.

Week 12/23/13 Christmas! (Wrap up third song?)

Week 12/30/13 Christmas! (Wrap up third song?)

Week 1/6/14 Have 3rd song finished and begin 4th song.

Week 1/13/14 Continue working on 4th song.

Week 1/20/14 Finish 4th song and make final touches on other songs.

http://images.apple.com/logic-pro/images/index_hero_gallery_intro.png

The 8-Track Tape

Eight-Track Tape

(http://wgeneration.com/image/70/fidelipac.gif)

The eight-track tape was invented by William Powell Lear, an inventor who, before creating the eight-track tape, created instruments and communications equipment for airplanes at the Learjet Corporation.  Lear first began working with the components used to make the Eight-Track Tape in 1946 while working at the Armour Research Foundation as a licensee.  At the Armour Research Foundation, he was introduced to wire recording technology and began experimenting.  However, he eventually went back to working with planes.  In his absence, the endless loop technology changed from wire to tape.  Then, in 1965 Lear returned to the endless loop technology with the invention of the eight-track tape.

In 1963 Lear had become a distributor for Muntz Electronics but was not satisfied with the technology they offered so he eventually quit and began contacting the suppliers.  With a few changes Lear created a endless loop recorder with smaller pole pieces and which held eight-tracks. In 1964, after producing a couple hundred of these eight-track tapes, he began distributing them to executives at auto companies.  Eventually, in 1965, he gained the backing of Ford and, in 1966, they began to put eight-track tape players into the dashboard of their cars.  Just as Muntz's four track tapes were becoming popular, Lear cut in with his eight-track tapes which were cheaper and could be played in several car models.

Eight-Track Player in Ford

(http://www.recording-history.org/images/8track1.jpg)

From the 1960s into part of the 1970s, eight-track tapes flourished and became one of the first mass-marketed tapes.  The eight-track tape was also very important in the car business.  In 1966, the first year they were offered in Fords, 65,000 of the eight-track players were installed.  Soon, eight-track players began showing up in other cars also.  However, while originally they were manufactured in the USA, almost the entire production of eight-track tapes moved to Japan by 1970 and by the late 1970s the eight-track player was becoming more and more obsolete due to new innovations.  It was not long until eight-track tapes were replaced by cassette tapes.

While many people regard the eight-track tape as a failure, it actually played a big role in the advancement of music and technology.  The eight-track tape led the way when it came to in-car listening and although it didn't last long, for almost a decade it, was one of the primary tapes found around the world.  I believe that the eight-track tape played an important role in the history of music and technology.

Lincoln Continental with Eight-Track Tape Player

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MqewX8Ix7-4)

Sources:

http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/8track4.php

http://www.wgeneration.com/70f4.html

http://www.aes.org/aeshc/docs/recording.technology.history/8track.html

How does sound affect the world?

From the roar of a lion to the slight whisper of the wind as it blows, the world is a place of millions upon millions of unique sounds.  In our daily lives, we are surrounded by sound.  Rarely, if ever, do we witness complete silence.  However, despite the thousands of sounds surrounding at any given time, most of us use our sense of hearing for little more than communication and listening.  The sounds which you hear in every day life are often forgotten or overlooked.  We live in a culture dominated mostly by the use of sight.  As students of music technology though, we should have a higher appreciation of sound.  To become better musicians and we should embrace the idea of "sonological competence" and learn at least the basics of a field of study known as acoustic ecology.

Scientist R Murray Schafer is one of the most important figures when it comes to acoustic ecology.  Schafer was a writer, composer, educator, and environmentalist.  Schafer was concerned with the dangers which technological sound had for humans and the environment.  Noise pollution from factories or transportation vehicles such as jet planes can increase stress levels, aggression, and cause lack of sleep and cause hearing loss in humans.  Furthermore, noise pollution can effect the environment.  Loud noises created by humans can cause animals to have trouble or be unable to communicate or navigate using sound properly.  Schafer worked hard to get governments to pass legislation to limit sound pollution.  In his project known as World Soundscape, Schafer attempted to raise awareness for acoustic ecology.

As musicians, it is important for us to understand and appreciate sound and the effects of sound.  The natural sounds of the world are beautiful and should be preserved rather than cloaked by the sounds of industry and human life.  I hope that after reading this everyone will raise their awareness for the sounds around them and listen more carefully to better understand sound and its effects in our world.

                                                                 R.  Murray Schafer

References:
"The World Soundscape Project." WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

"R. Murray Schafer." - The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

Wrightson, Kendall. "An Introduction to Acoustic Ecology." N.p., n.d. Web.

Beat

The First Days of Technology

We started our music technology class Wednesday last week.  I can hardly wait to get started.  I already have many goals and hopes for the class.  First of all, I hope to learn how to use all the technology available.  I can't wait to begin messing with the music making programs on the computers.  I hope to learn to use them all fluently and skillfully.  Secondly I really hope to put together at least one entire, good-sounding song.  I think it would be really cool to be able to listen to something which I made myself.  I hope to create a piece which I can be proud of.  Lastly, I hope to share my work with my classmates and hear their work.  I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of music my classmates will create.

Though I have very little musical training or experience, I took this class in order to gain more experience.  I have played guitar for a few years now but only had a few lessons.  Although this class doesn't have much guitar I hope to become more familiar with music itself.  I can't wait to get started.