The entire experience of the In the Making course so far has been just amazing. The residential phase was an inspirational experience and I learnt a lot. I didn’t have much of an idea of what it was going to be like, but it proved to be very comprehensive, well organised and an excellent way to make good connections with other musicians. The residential phase far exceeded my expectations, and I was very glad to have so much help and support with my composition work. 

Mixing with the other composers, sharing ideas and finding common ground was a highlight and I’ve made some great friends that I talk to everyday. The final concert was a highlight and made me feel like I’d really accomplished something. It was really helpful to learn about and work on new and different aspects of composition in areas I hadn’t previously explored. 

 

“The entire experience of the In the Making course so far has been just amazing.”

 

— Eva 

 

I definitely learnt a lot of new skills within composition and got more confident using Cubase. We did some work on Logic which was difficult to use, especially as I’ve never used a Mac before, but I got a lot of help and in the end managed to create a composition I was proud of. The residential increased my confidence as a composer and meeting other people with similar ideas made me feel much better about my progress and future as a composer. 

Working with my group leader was very insightful, one thing that really stood out was when we created graphic scores as it was something I’d never done before, and it was fun to explore. My group leader also taught me about foley which was something I’d never heard of really. Taking sounds from the real world and putting them in the DAW was something I’d never done before. I was also taught about contrasting textures and how to pick instruments to suit the composition. The assistants in my group were also very helpful in supporting my compositions and helping me organise a plan. 

“Taking sounds from the real world and putting them in the DAW was something I’d never done before.”

 

— Eva 

Sound and Music – In the Making

The session that I would say really stood out was the one on an evening where the ensemble came in to play music from graphic scores we were writing. It was fun to hear their interpretations of the scores and how the musicians worked together and improvised as a group. It was also very helpful in showing how well non-traditional scoring can work. 

The development phase sessions have been useful in further showing me different approaches to composing music and the feedback I’ve received from the short ideas I’ve put together in Cubase have provided me with new elements I can incorporate into subsequent compositions. 

“I feel more confident trying out new ways of composing and techniques, since the residential phase.”

 

— Eva 

I feel more confident trying out new ways of composing and techniques, since the residential phase, and it’s helped me explore other areas of music production. I’ve been creating more atmospheric pieces that use a lot more music technology than my previous compositions which were more theory and classical based. 

The support and feedback I’ve had, for example, trying out things like panning, doubling, contrasting textures and binaural audio, have helped me get a better understanding of what kind of music I want to create and what my personal style of composition is.  

Sound and Music – In the Making Showcase

When I received the email about SoundEscapes I felt like the opportunity would be beneficial and would help me gain confidence in creating compositions made for a specific purpose rather than just creating something I like. I also thought SoundEscapes was just a cool idea. Music and artwork being joined together seems like something that should be seen and heard everywhere, and it’s an exciting idea that I’m glad I got to be a part of. 

The opportunity to provide music for something visual was something that really aligned with my goals, as I’d love to compose for visual media like film and video games. So, the opportunity to compose something to represent a piece of visual artwork was a great first step and helped me understand how music can complement something visual. 

The artwork I composed for was Barbara Hepworth’s Discs in Echelon II which is two stone discs beside each other. My approach was to use literal aspects of the title and the sculpture to create a piece composed of the physical construction. For example, I surround the piece around the notes D and E because of the words Discs and Echelon. I used movement in the panning to emphasise the cyclical nature of the shapes. I also used instruments that I thought reflected the ambience of the artwork, which was mostly glassy and delicate textures to give an almost ethereal quality to the sound. The sculpture itself is serene and tidy so I felt that it needed instruments and sounds that demonstrated that. I included some foley of scraping sounds like those of a sculptor. 

Barbara Hepworth’s Discs in Echelon II (Version 2)

The first step was to create a sound to represent a base on which the sculpture sits as a background for the piece, which would exist throughout the duration and not change much. Then I created ideas around the sculpture by looking for sounds that matched the aspect and researching about the development of the artwork. I also researched into what an echelon was which turned out to be a formation of things such as birds flying in a v-shape, this inspired me to produce this visually in Cubase by moving up and down the scale as though the music was ascending and descending though an echelon. 

I used Cubase as my DAW, and composed some of the patterns first on my piano. I used various libraries for the different instruments and EQ to help blend the sounds. I used LFOs for things like panning and changing the timbre over time. These tools helped as I had access to a lot of sounds and effects that helped create the sound I wanted. I couldn’t have done it just on my piano. 

“I felt like as I got better at using Cubase the composing just became easier. I could make the ideas in my head into sounds quickly. ”

 

— Eva 

Having a keyboard that plugs up to the computer really helps, particularly an 88-key version that lets me experiment with sounds at different octaves really quickly. The addition of LFOs to Cubase made it easy to alter the sound over time. The controls on the keyboard could be assigned to different sound elements so I could alter the sound in real time. The best workflow element I think was just being able to quickly layer different sounds on top of each other and the ability to just keep playing and recording without worrying about mistakes or losing my work. I felt like as I got better at using Cubase the composing just became easier. I could make the ideas in my head into sounds quickly. 

Working with other composers who had some similar and some different creative approaches to the task was very insightful to see, as I got to hear people’s thoughts and ideas on certain ways of composing, and it was nice to hear about their compositional journeys and ways of thinking. It also helped me to see different perspectives of composition, as everyone’s piece was original and different to each other. Hearing their pieces and the artwork they composed for also gave me potential ideas for my own compositions.   

The launch event at the Sainsbury Centre was incredible and a great opportunity to see people gathered to discuss music and art, and I was very proud to have contributed to the event. Seeing my work was very inspiring to see, and it also made me feel more confident as a composer. Seeing my photo on a giant screen as I walked in was terrifying, but still fun! Hearing other people’s thoughts and compliments on my composition also made me feel accomplished. 

“Hearing my music in context being listened to by other people made me feel like I was an actual composer.. It increased my confidence and made me feel like this could be an actual career for me.”

 

— Eva 

Sainsbury Centre: SoundEscapes Launch Event

Hearing my music in context being listened to by other people made me feel like I was an actual composer and a part of an important project. I really enjoyed it and having the opportunity to share something I loved making. It increased my confidence and made me feel like this could be an actual career for me.  

I love music, and to know that my composition is going to be in the gallery for a few years helps me feel that I’ve contributed something and validates me as an artist. I think the project is a very good idea and joining two subjects really benefits both. I would love to do more. 

“In the Making and SoundEscapes have made me feel that I can be a composer.. I now feel like I have a clearer future in music and know what steps to take.”

 

— Eva 

In the Making and SoundEscapes have made me feel that I can be a composer. They’ve helped me achieve a lot of new skills. I’ve gone from being someone who liked the idea of creating music but had no idea how to really do it, to having music being played at a concert at the residential and for the public in a great museum in the space of half a year. I now feel like I have a clearer future in music and know what steps to take.

I’ve discovered my own style more. I know now that I can sit down at a computer or piano and actually create something without worrying too much about how it turns out. I feel more capable now.  

They’ve given me the ambition to make it as a composer and I’m really grateful for how these experiences have shaped my ideas and helped my grow as a composer. They will help me a lot in the future because I’ve gained new skills that I can always use. This has been a great experience and opened a lot of doors. 

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