The aim of this report is to explain how the concept album was developed. During the analysis, the ideas, influences and applied production techniques will be discussed in detail. Afterwards, an objective and critical conclusion about the album will be outlined.
To begin with, the concept of the album is to reflect three specific and positive types of human emotions (hope, happiness and pleasure) through different genres of music, combined with orchestral and live sounds. Arguably, the reason for choosing a such idea was to prove that live instruments can be not necessarily used just within the boundaries of their acoustic environments. Alternatively, they can be appealingly applied in electronic music as well. This should encourage people to mix both orchestral and electronic music more often in order to gain an original outcome. In addition, it is important to mention that the concept album is targeted for people who are open-minded and prefer multiple genres of music.
The main sources of influence for the assignment came from three different and well-known albums. For the first composition which reflects hope, the inspiration came from Steve Jablonsky‘s score Transformers. Such similar elements from the Transformers score as big brass and strings sections with programmed synthesiser sequencer sounds wew implemented into the Hope song (Draven99, 2007) (Knight, 2007) (MemoryMan1964, 2012). Furthermore, the soundtrack genre with heroic and epic motifs was thought to be the best style to represent the theme of hope.
The second composition from the concept album tried to depict the happiness feeling through the Synthpop genre. This music genre originated around 80‘s and is characterised by mainly having music focused on synthesis...
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...improve the sound quality was parallel compression. Having applied it, the sound became more ‘solid’ and ‘full’ (Kärkkäinen, 2011) (recordingrevolution, 2010).
Another applied compression type in all compositions was ‘bus compression’. With a mild amount of compression, such element groups as drums, leads, bass and pads were able to sound more unified (recordingrevolution, 2011) (Price, 2013). The last technique which helped to improve the production outcome was the use of ‘Mid/Side’ processing on return channels. In short, this allows to separately have control on both centre and side sound information (Izotope, n.d.) (Keller, 2011). A particular plugin from Waves Audio Company called Center was used in the productions. Although the discussed processes helped to improve the production quality, one could still argue that the concept album lacks professional sound.
I want to discuss the function of music to combine intention and perception. I believe in the prehistoric, people sing or beat on the tough surface because they want to express their emotions, otherwise they have no reason to sing. Similarly, the composers also write the songs to express their feelings. Nevertheless, a piece of music which cannot trigger the change of feeling to audience cannot regarded as a musical sound. According to Thomas Schafer, "When people listen to music they usually try to attain specific goals. Those related to self-awareness and the regulation of mood and arousal are relatively important to them and those related to social relatedness less so"(12). From the research, Schafer get a conclusion that the music which can let people attain goals related to self-awareness and the regulation of mood and arousal will increase the strength of music preference(12). Hence, the function of music is to express the emotion and then influence the audience to let them have the same feeling as composers or performers. For example, Beethoven composed the famous Fate Symphony, or called Symphony No.5 in C major to show his determination to fight with the fate, for Beethoven the fate is the loss of his lover. While it is not the only purpose to write this symphony. The final goal is to move the
Ferguson focuses on the importance of creativity and how much we can build off of each others ideas. Remixing is using tools already invented to build new products, it opens a door to an on going process of new inventions and ideas. Ferguson shows the importance and the huge effect remixing has on our music industry and even technology on today’s market. Remixing gives
If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration.
The human ability to perceive sound is often taken for granted and is erroneously considered, by most, to be secondary in importance to sight. It is true that our primary understanding of the world develops through sight, but sound is responsible for our ability to communicate with one another through both concrete and abstract means, as well as for defining the nuances that shape our surroundings. Without sound, humans would be alienated in their own uncertainty; unable to express the fears and aspirations which are common to our condition. Sound has the unique ability to transcend boundaries, cultures, and ideologies through speech, music, and the noises which we distinguish categorically through memory and experience. It is this transcendental quality of sound which Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck chose as a central theme in the film “The Lives of Others”. The film expresses beautifully the effect that music and language have upon our ability to feel empathy and compassion. The use of sound in the film explores the human potential for change and transformation from our basest instincts toward nobler causes.
Steven Connor delves into the mixing and creating of sound by computerisation, as well as the habits of sound; it’s immersion, pathos and objectivity.
... themes of individualism and alienation. The chief value of living with music lies in its power to give us an orientation in time. In doing so, it gives connotation to all those indefinable aspects of experience which nevertheless helps us make what we are.
In conclusion towards the arguments and observations, musical expression consists in presenting emotion characteristics in appearance. It turns out people listen to music as having a purposeful nature and that it has an effect on psychological emotions. If there is a case in which music showing emotional qualities with no reference to feelings, there is a case of happy music that is not powerful of happiness.
The Use of Electronic Technology in 20th and 21st Century Music In this essay, I have examined the use of electronic technology within 20th and 21st Century music. This has involved analysis of the development and continuing refinement of the computer in today’s music industry, as well as the theory of the synthesiser and the various pioneers of electronic technology, including Dr. Robert Moog and Les Paul. Also within the essay, I have discussed the increasing use of computers in the recording studio. The computer has become an indispensable tool in ensuring that both recording and playback sound quality is kept at the maximum possible level. Many positive ideas have come from the continued onslaught of computerisation.
This study demonstrated that pop music influences happiness mood. As hypothesized participants in the pop music category were influence by the music and seem happier. The analysis revealed that participants in the rock and classical music categories didn’t have an effect in their mood. The results for rock and classical music did not supported the hypothesis, which rock music causes a person to have an aggressive mood, and classical music will lead to a calmer mood. The data support the primacy effect pop music results supported the hypothesis that pop music leads to a happier mood. The results from this data support from previous literature research such as the pop category. The results could also interpret as support for (Hargreaves, 1999). People make their music preferences based on the emotional state they are in (Hargreaves, 1999). The analysis revealed that pop music scored higher than students who had rock or classical. The implications for this study are to examine if music influence mood in a negative or positive aspect). As an outcome happiness mood correlated with pop music . There wasn’t no effect between rock music and aggressive mood. Classical music didn’t have a relationship between classic music and calm mood. The results of this study wouldn’t be able to support (Jordana Mena, 2007). This consists of classical music being composed with different emotions based on the key and time signature it is on. If the classical piece is written in a higher key then they saw different mood responses than the classical pieces written in a low key (Jordan Mena, 2007). This study has provided that music is more than just a piece, of a lyric, beat, or instrument it has been proven that music can help people ...
Many say that music has evolved over the years. This essay shall explore the elements of two versions of one song. It shall discuss the correlations and disparities of these songs and confer how it has been revolutionised to entertain the audiences of today.
There is a growing body of work in the philosophy of music and musical aesthetics that has considered the various ways that music can be meaningful: music as representational (that is, musical depictions of persons, places, processes, or events); musical as quasi-linguistic reference (as when a musical figure underscores the presence of a character in a film or opera), and most especially, music as emotionally expressive. Here I will focus on the last topic, for I believe it will be useful for researchers in music perception and cognition to avail themselves of the distinctions that aestheticians have worked out regarding the musical expression of emotion.
ABSTRACT: There has yet to be a culture discovered which lacks music. Music is a part of our existence, but we do not fully understand it. In this paper, working in the tradition of Aristotle, Wittgenstein and Langer, I elucidate some of the connections between music and the emotions. Using contemporary philosophy of mind theories of emotion, I explain how we can have a better understanding of our emotive responses to music. I follow the pattern through representational painting and abstract painting to music, and show how each functions as an intentional object for the object of our emotions in response to each art form.
For this task the brief was to design the construction, soundproofing and acoustic treatment of a recording studio complex within a series of set constraints. The complex had to include a control room, living room, reception and bathroom, within an overall floor space of 15m x 15m. The main focus was to be on acoustic design with the use of scale drawings to make the studio clear and easy to understand. For this studio the idea was to design a space suitable for recording large ensemble groups such as orchestras and so the space was designed with this in mind when regarding the size, shape and layout of the space. Arguably two of the most important aspects when designing a studio complex are that the live and control rooms include a lot of natural light and that the communication between the artists and the studio team is free and easy. In the studio this has achieved this by creating a design similar to and inspired by ‘The Big Room’ at Real World Studios (Realworldstudios.com, 2013), where the ‘control room’ and ‘live room’ are actually all within the one space utilising the live end/dead end theory.
Music, a form of art, made up of unique and special sounds containing elements of pitch and rhythm can powerfully soothe one’s soul. Firstly, there are different types of music, and each has its own features. These sounds and features are what I admire in music because to me it creates a new form of communication to one’s consciousness. It stimulates our mind and gives it a sense of harmony and peace through the hardships that life poses for us. As a kid, I would always listen to music from any genre, deciding which genre would complement me the most as I grew older. In middle school, I remember going on the computer and finding a website/program where I could make my own beats. From that day on, I spent countless of hours each day making sure the tune sounded proper and pleasurable for my ears. At first, it wasn’t good, but eventua...
All of these quiet and soothing instruments produce a very calm mood. I personally listen to this song on days when I need to calm myself down, and just lure myself to sleep. Hope. Generally speaking, hope is another one of the most prominent moods portrayed by the song “A Thousand Years”. Throughout the entire video candles can be seen in massive amounts. As a matter of fact, there are a few points in the video where the entire background is full of a million candles glowing amidst the moonlight. Another representation of hope can be observed in the 0:06 where the singer is holding a candle in her hands which are bound by handcuffs. This small image represents hope. The singer may be bound by some restriction, yet she holds a candle of hope against the dark sky. Then at 0:18 the Christina Perri who is the singer of the song is standing near the window staring outside at the calming blue sky and river. Personally I always connect nature to peacefulness and hope, so this image portrays hope in my eyes. In a fraction of a second, at 0:43 ,the eyes of the singer reflect deep pools of hope in them, due to light from the candle in her