It was created on the 10th January 2016.
As of 15th March 2016:
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
Friday, 11 March 2016
Newest song: 5PM
7th November 2014
[This song was created prior to this EPQ project but is one of the artefacts being used. The date of this post, 11th March 2016, is the date when this blog was created. Sorry for the inconvenience.]
Name: 5PM
[This song was created prior to this EPQ project but is one of the artefacts being used. The date of this post, 11th March 2016, is the date when this blog was created. Sorry for the inconvenience.]
Name: 5PM
Programme used: Fruity Loops Studio 10 (FL Studio 10)
Instruments used
Instruments used
- Jazz Guitar
- Harp
- Roland Nice Piano
- mk1 rhodes
- Celesta
- Accordion
- Maracas
- SC88 Standard Kit
This song is created from scratch. The bpm is 115.
Inspired heavily by Bossa Nova, this song is meant to represent the calming evening feel, as if one were relaxing and watching the sunset on the beach. It is happy, relaxing and joyful.
The Jazz Guitar acts as the bass throughout the song, supporting the song's main character (Bossa Nova). The Harp and Piano play on top, with simple and happy note progressions. The percussion from the SC88 Standard Kit and Maracas is simple and relaxing, and picks up when the accordion is introduced, making the song feel more lively.
The song then proceeds into a different key, as it progresses towards the end of the song. This adds more 'flavour'.
When the key changes, the accordion is introduced and harmonises with the other instruments making the song feel more 'full' and 'supported' (I feel as though a piano and harp on its own completely would make the song feel bare).
It ends with just the Piano, mk1 rhodes (electric piano) and Celesta, closing off song in a serene and mystifying way.
Inspired heavily by Bossa Nova, this song is meant to represent the calming evening feel, as if one were relaxing and watching the sunset on the beach. It is happy, relaxing and joyful.
The Jazz Guitar acts as the bass throughout the song, supporting the song's main character (Bossa Nova). The Harp and Piano play on top, with simple and happy note progressions. The percussion from the SC88 Standard Kit and Maracas is simple and relaxing, and picks up when the accordion is introduced, making the song feel more lively.
The song then proceeds into a different key, as it progresses towards the end of the song. This adds more 'flavour'.
When the key changes, the accordion is introduced and harmonises with the other instruments making the song feel more 'full' and 'supported' (I feel as though a piano and harp on its own completely would make the song feel bare).
It ends with just the Piano, mk1 rhodes (electric piano) and Celesta, closing off song in a serene and mystifying way.
Overview
The Jazz Guitar
The piano. It finishes off the song with chords and an ending progression of octave notes.
The mk1 rhodes (electric piano) that accompanies the piano.
The Celesta that accompanies the final octave piano chords.
The accordion that harmonises with the Harp and the Piano.
On the 11th March 2016, adjustments were made to the quiz and the questionnaire.
On the quiz, the final 3 questions were removed, as they proved too difficult for the people who were tested (5).These 5 people took approximately 8 to 12 minutes, which is too long and was not the intended sitting time for the quiz (the time I aimed for was 6-8 minutes).
Individually, here are the times for those who were tested with the old format of the quiz:
8:01
8:27
11:30
11:40
18:37
On the questionnaire, question 1 was changed very slightly. I asked for a further opinion so that hopefully, people who take the questionnaire do not miss this in their response.
Further changes may take place.
Newest song: "Soundless Serenity" (4AM)
5th July 2015
[This song was created prior to this EPQ project but is one of the artefacts being used. The date of this post, 11th March 2016, is the date when this blog was created. Sorry for the inconvenience.]
Name: Soundless Serenity (4AM)
Programme used: Logic Pro X
Instruments used
When creating this piece, I heavily considered the idea of time and how it can make us feel finite.
For this song, I've decided to keep the ominous repeating notes but create a more relaxing overall feel. The tempo of this song is 185bpm.
Instead of the repeating notes playing at a slow tempo, I have decided to increase the speed of these notes. I feel like this reduces the tension and creepiness created in the original song, and produces a new feeling when listening to the song.
There are deep piano notes during the first section which is meant to build a foreboding feeling. This then develops into deep guitar notes, which is meant to also create the same, foreboding feeling but in a different way.
During the second part of the song, these guitar notes are replaced with reversed piano notes, which is done to create a further feeling of eeriness. Added strings and flutes that play in the background of the song are intended to create a feeling of realisation - the song is almost finished but time continues to tick away.
Throughout the song, there are consistent sounds of maracas and clock ticking, to make the listener feel uneasy and rushed, just like how time ticks away quickly and never comes back. Essentially, the song could be a representation of how time can very easily be wasted and can flow by very quickly but can never come back.
Due to the fast pace of the song, I predict that this song may decrease the time taken to conduct the quiz. It is a possibility that the repeating notes may stimulate a faster productivity time.
[This song was created prior to this EPQ project but is one of the artefacts being used. The date of this post, 11th March 2016, is the date when this blog was created. Sorry for the inconvenience.]
Name: Soundless Serenity (4AM)
Programme used: Logic Pro X
Instruments used
- Boesendorfer (Bösendorfer) Grand Piano
- Breathless Oboe
- String Ensemble
- Flutes
- Harp
- Turkish Oud Lute (guitar)
- Backwards Bowed Piano
- Vibraphone
- Neo Soul+ (drum kit)
- Cellos
- Clock ticking sound effect
This song is a remixed version of the song called "4AM" listed above, performed by Kazumi Totaka.
When creating this piece, I heavily considered the idea of time and how it can make us feel finite.
For this song, I've decided to keep the ominous repeating notes but create a more relaxing overall feel. The tempo of this song is 185bpm.
Instead of the repeating notes playing at a slow tempo, I have decided to increase the speed of these notes. I feel like this reduces the tension and creepiness created in the original song, and produces a new feeling when listening to the song.
There are deep piano notes during the first section which is meant to build a foreboding feeling. This then develops into deep guitar notes, which is meant to also create the same, foreboding feeling but in a different way.
During the second part of the song, these guitar notes are replaced with reversed piano notes, which is done to create a further feeling of eeriness. Added strings and flutes that play in the background of the song are intended to create a feeling of realisation - the song is almost finished but time continues to tick away.
Throughout the song, there are consistent sounds of maracas and clock ticking, to make the listener feel uneasy and rushed, just like how time ticks away quickly and never comes back. Essentially, the song could be a representation of how time can very easily be wasted and can flow by very quickly but can never come back.
Due to the fast pace of the song, I predict that this song may decrease the time taken to conduct the quiz. It is a possibility that the repeating notes may stimulate a faster productivity time.
A complete overview of the full song.
- Section 1 ends when the harp and breathless oboe are introduced. This is the start of section 2.
- Section 2 ends when the piano notes are reintroduced but this then leads onto section 3, where the string ensemble and flute are introduced.
- Section 3 ends when the harp and breathless oboe are reintroduced. This is the start of section 4.
- Section 4 starts, with a backwards bowed piano (reversed notes) playing instead of the Turkish Oud Lute (guitar) during this part.
- The song then repeats by going back to section 1.
The repeating piano notes in section 1 and 3 of the song
The deep piano notes in section 1 and 3 of the song
The breathless oboe that plays in the background to introduce the repeating harp notes during section 2 and 4 of the song
The string ensemble that plays along with the flute during section 3 of the song
The repeating harp notes in sections 2 and 4.
The Turkish Oud Lute (guitar) notes during section 2.
The reversed notes during section 4.
The simple cello progression that plays during the 1st and 3rd section of the song.
(Please note: the screenshots show a different instrument in the green box to what they actually are. This is an error caused when the instrument is changed after the green boxes are created and the name does not update)
Newest song: Summer Evening (7PM)
17th April
Name: Summer Evening (7PM)
Programme used: Logic Pro X
Instruments used
Name: Summer Evening (7PM)
Programme used: Logic Pro X
Instruments used
- Polka Accordion
- String Ensemble
- Yahama Grand Piano
- Steinway Grand Piano
- African Marimba
- Orchestral Kit
- Caribbean Steal Drums+
- Cellos+
- Upright Jazz Bass
Summer Evening (7PM) is a remix of 7PM, performed by Kazumi Totaka.
The speed of the song remains the same at 135bpm.
Summer Evening (7PM) is meant to create driven, rushed, yet serene atmosphere. The constant repeating piano and marimba notes produces a rhythmic, melodic progression, and the orchestral instruments such as the cellos and string ensemble that play on top tranquillises the environment for the listener. This, in turn, generates an oxymoron; is the song relaxing, foreboding, soothing, unsettling?
The introduction is completely made from scratch and is meant to create a gentle, easygoing environment for the listener, before having a flute introduce the listener to a sudden "foreboding" and "lost" atmosphere.
During the second part of the song, there are many improvisations particularly with the piano changing from its usual course of two notes to a new progression. Many percussion instruments and other orchestral instruments are added to accompany the piano to create a more "foreboding" or "relaxed" feeling (opinion dependent on the listener).
Added orchestral instruments are harsher and sharper, to intensify the feel.
Added orchestral instruments are harsher and sharper, to intensify the feel.
Due to the fast pace of the song, I predict that this song may decrease the time taken to conduct the quiz. It is a possibility that the repeating notes may stimulate a faster productivity time.
The introduction to the song
Repeating marimba notes
Piano improvisation. Has the same notes as the introduction.
The piano improvisations, where the main component of the song changes. It adds a new feel to the song, as if you either accomplished something or as if time is running out. There are new notes to accompany the finishing chords, as if this was the "proper", more signified ending.
The string ensemble that adds a soft feel to the intense song. This part, however, gets "lost" in the second part of the song when the harsher, sharper instruments are introduced.
The flute that introduces the intense part of the song
Overall views of the song
(Please note: the screenshots show a different instrument in the green box to what they actually are. This is an error caused when the instrument is changed after the green boxes are created and the name does not update)
This blog was created on 11th March 2016, to help aid my EPQ journey.
Welcome to my EPQ blog. Please enjoy, as I take you through my journey of ideas, failures, changes and findings.
Image credit: http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/08/140808_SCI_NeuralNostalgia-MJStern.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg
I am aiming to update this every so often.
For all the activities I have done but not uploaded, I will backtrack to a similar date.
For all the activities I have done but not uploaded, I will backtrack to a similar date.
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