Finishing the Project

Its January 10th, 2014 now so we are nearly done with our projects.  We have only one more week to work on them.  I have found using Logic Pro X to create music much more challenging than I thought it would be at first.  Despite having some trouble with Logic, I have learned a lot about the program and I am getting much better with it.

When we first started the project I planned to create 4-5 songs.  I'd say I was a little overambitious though, because so far, I was only able to create one, very short song which I have posted below.  One of the biggest problems I had so far this year was with this song.  I started it right at the beginning, just after being assigned project and I had little idea of how to use Logic.  So, naturally, I was just experimenting.  After being a few weeks into the project I found though, that I didn't really have any plans for the song.  However, I also did not want to quit working because I had spent a good amount of time working on it already.  So I just kept working, which, looking back, turned out to be a bit of a waste of time.  For weeks worth of work, I came up with only a one minute song.  However, I do actually feel accomplished because while working on the song I learned so much about both Logic and just writing music in general-- but thats not what I'm going to talk about right now.



This was my project plan when we started the project back in October.

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.

Looking at it, it was pretty ambitious.  I gave myself about 3 weeks per song, which, when you think of it, is not really a lot of time, especially since when I began I was unfamiliar with Logic Pro X.  It ended up taking me several more weeks to finish my first song than I thought it would.  I ended up finishing it just before Christmas break.  Then, when I shared my work with the class, I got a really great piece of advice back.  It needed more of a melody.  The lack of a melody went unnoticed by me, but as soon as it was pointed out, I realized why I was having so much trouble creating a song.  Immediately after break I began a new song and this time added a melody.  With a melody I find it so much easier to make my song change from part to part unlike before when I found it always sounded the same throughout the song.  With this new discovery I hope to be able to create at least one more song before the semester is over.

At the beginning of the project I said that I will use the following to assess my project:

-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

However, now, looking this over it is clear you can  remove the product "Recording" because I never recorded anything.  I think I will try that next semester.  Also, I think that while assessing my final song which I have yet to finish, one must be generous in assessing how I edited and revised it in the end, since, with only a week left, I will not have much time to edit or revise it.

Now... time to get back to using Logic.