Cue How do our bodies tell the difference of when we are staying up during day/nighttime? Is it related to sunlight? If so, is this consistent with weather changes?
Notes
Sleeping before learning, and after learning primes your brain, and saves the knowledge you’ve been introduced to
Sleep deprivation restricts the ability to commit new experiences and knowledge to memory
Links have been formed between Alzheimer’s, aging, decreased brain function and lack of sleep
Direct current brain stimulation can be used to increase memory benefit in young adult through increasing the brain wave sizes
24 percent increase in heart attacks in spring for daylight savings///and 21 percent decrease in “fall back” time
Natural killer cells///immune deficiency has been linked to cancer strongly—–night shift work is constituted as a probable carcinogen
Summary
Regular, quality sleep, is an important factor in maintaining health. Lack of sleep has been correlated to an array of illnesses and physical and mental disadvantages in terms of function.
Learn Better Practicing Techniques from Dr. Molly Gebrian
How long of a break from material is too long when the struggle to recall material is inherent to the memorization process? Is there such thing as too long?
Notes
The more breaks you take when learning something helps you. learn it faster and remember it longer—-constant practicing is counter intuitive
Segmentation+ recall= permanency.
Early learning activates prefrontal cortex, while the processing and memorization activates different areas of the brain
Biggest benefits come from taking breaks over a span of days
Practicing something/memorizing something before sleep
Taking breaks helps maximize memorization
Use expanded schedules. the more complex the task, the longer the break from the task should be
3 practice session a day is ideal
Summary
Practicing in strategic ways which consider the body’s needs (such as sleep) can influence and possibly increase the memory of ideas/activities/concepts. If one is setting out to memorize something which would be difficult for them, they should incorporate a schedule which encourages them to recall things after having distanced themselves.
DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS AFTER COMPLETING THEM
SUMMARY
Write your daily summary last, at the end of the day here… Only one to two sentences. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
Choice 1:Explore Carol Kaye and James Jamerson’s Profiles in Excellent. These are two bass players are credited with creating some of the best bass lines! Then go for a walk and think of the funky work they created.
After playing with Quizlet, go for a walk and think about bass lines. Think of songs that have great basslines. When you are back from your walk, you might want to research more about the notes that make those basslines stand out?
Screenshot from Quizlet Bass Composition Techniques
Write a brief reflection on your mental meanderings. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
STUDIO
Play around with playing the low E string (6th string on the top of the neck) on your guitar. Create a simple three note-ish bassline. Get funky with it. Try different plucking tempos to great the groove. You can even try playing Smoke on the Water
Screenshot from Kidsguitarzone.com
What did you compose? Write a reflection on what you did. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
CONTROL ROOM
Record the bass line you developed in the studio.
How did the recording go? Write a short reflection. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED
Tell your daily story here! Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most and at least one problem you solved. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
DAILY ACTIVITY EVALUATION
Give feedback on the class Content and Process
Participation will be part of your leadership project due at the end of the course
Throughout this research, analysis, and recording project, I experimented with drum arrangements to create rhythms. The project goal was to become attuned to the purpose and creation of a quality rhythm so that I could layer one of my own into a song I’d been developing.
This arrangement was a “rock drum beat”. I emphasized the introduction and closing, alongside the fill-in at the beginning of measure six to regain interest. I like how the beat was able to add more urgency in a complementary way. The added rhythm fit into my arrangement without disrupting what was there before.
Subdividing/accenting beats was popularized by Phillip Glass but has been heavily prevalent in African culture/history. Accenting beats and repeating the sequence creates a groove. These accents attract attention to certain areas of a song or can change its entire theme
Brains superimpose hierarchy on beats even if not present, often creating virtual accents
Syncopation is a term that’s used to describe the common occurrence in jazz and music before where the rhythm would stray from its melodies and harmonies in a “playful” way/”playing catch up”, being delayed, etc–this has become very common in folk and pop— was popular in gypsy culture and ragtime music
Syncopation later evolved into Swing Cross rhythm — rap—rap lines can work as percussion in rap–simple drums beneath a complex rap line are cross-rhythmic examples
“Song” music from Cuba like Congo, and salsa, etc., fused Europeans style harmonies with African-style drums and local instruments to develop the genre
In Cuban song music main beats are anticipated-not delayed—melody and bassline jump ahead in Cuban music—vocals pushed in front of the beat—“killing me softly” —-ex
Swing has the main beat delayed
Musicians play with where listeners intuit beats to be and occasionally work around this
Summary
I learned about different rhythmic styles that have developed globally and how we’ve exchanged them. I also learned a bit about beats and how they’re used to influence the energy of a song.
Rhythm Composition Terms and Definitions
Rhythm comes from natural things
rhythm is even in music when you can’t hear it
most beats are divided by 2,3, or 4
accent, pulse, sub-division
accents can put emphasis on one or two notes to make it sound very different
syncopation is a musical slight of hand that makes it sound more mischievous and playful
the elastication of syncopation became jazz
cross-rhythm is music’s party trick. its the overlay of one pattern over another
in Cuban music, the melody and bass line are ahead
the Latin push has become very common nowadays
One of My Favorite Rhythms (Beats)
Wait And Bleed is in the Key of B, with a G note tonic and no tension chords visible on Hookpad. I think the allure of this piece (aside from the enjoyable rhythm) is the consistent pattern in the melody. A pattern is seen in the harmony as well. Both parts of the song continue repeating the same notes and chords and linger in the same tonal areas. It creates a tone that works with the song’s lyrics to develop an interesting story.
My second drum arrangement is very similar to my first. The only notable difference is the additional cymbals I added to strengthen the sound. I raised tension in the drums and with the cymbals alongside the increase in my melody. The resolution in my rhythm came in the last measure when the rhythm became more spaced and quiet.
What I Learned & Problems I Solved
The most interesting thing I learned during the time I spent researching rhythm was that “Brains superimpose hierarchy on beats even if not present, often creating virtual accents.” To have evidence that our brains respond, digest, and predict music on subconscious levels is something I find fascinating and comforting. I’ve been learning about this recently and enjoyed hearing other perspectives on this information.
Creating a rhythm for my pre-existing harmony and melody was not particularly difficult. There weren’t many issues to solve because I found that the resources provided worked well enough to accompany my composition. The only thing I had to adjust to was getting used to the process of applying fill-ins to my work in hook theory. And though hook theory has predetermined drum sets I chose to keep them because I continuously struggle to produce beats that sound natural while being interesting. The balance of not overwhelming a piece while still contributing something meaningful is difficult for me to achieve with rhythm.
The harmony research, analysis and recording project is intended to teach students harmony structure and how to create harmonies for their musical ideas, or existing melodies.
I’m not very familiar with harmonies so i’m not really sure whether I’ll like it or not once I join it with my melody. On its own it sounds bland, but in conjunction it may be full enough to not distract from the focus (melody).
How do we know that we’ve found all of the harmonics to a note? How do we measure the difference?
“harmony is the intentional coming together of two or more sounds for a pleasant affect.”
Western Harmony-
drone follows the melody
chord progressions are the life blood of western harmonies which move
Whenever a note in the melody collides with drone notes, a chord progression is formed
each chord is made of three notes, but within notes and chords there is a spectrum of other notes with deciding harmonics
the basic chord we make up from harmonics is a triad
tonic-dominant-subdominant are referred to as the primary triads
discord/dissonancne is when notes intentionally put together arent supposed to fit together and belong to the wrong triads
classifying dissonance has become more difficult with the passage of time
churches called discord “the devil in music in the 17th cent.”
only used to some dissonance-but still not all of it…
passing/suspending notes can be forms of dissonance
harmony makes music sound warmer and fuller several voices together rebel 2
Summary: I learned what defines a harmony, and about the different kinds of harmony used during progressions of western music.
Harmony Composition Terms and Definitions
Harmony was not originally part of music until the middle ages and the renaissance
Harmony sounds like it comes from some other plane of existence (to exaggerate a bit)
Harmony in its simplest and oldest form in two notes playing at the same time
A drone is a single note that you can sing any melody above. Bagpipes are an instrument that plays a drone.
A drone is usually the tonic
When people started to move the drone around, it was like the melody and the harmony were parallel lines. As the melody moved up, the drone moved up
Triad – 3 notes that come together and create a chord
Chord progressions are the backbone of western harmony
People discovered the “hierarchy” of chords and created rules to go with these
In one note, there are other hidden notes called harmonics
Humans can only really pick out three or four harmonics
Using the harmonics humans were able to make chords by finding the notes hidden in the harmonics
In minor chords, the middle note is a half-step lower than in a major chord
Polyphony is when you have a bunch of chords under the melody
Polyphony – many “voices”
Progression – a certain series of chords or notes that “work together” and sound good
Tonic – the first note of a scale “home”
Dominant – the fifth note of a scale that raises tension
Passimezzo Antico – A chord progression that’s a variation of a double tonic. It was popular during the Italian Renaissance
Passimezzo Moderno – “Modern half step” A chord progression that’s a variation of Passimezzo Antico. It divides the section in two and often uses a contrasting progression or section known as ripresi
Dischord – a deliberate collision of notes that are meant not to sound “pretty”
Dissonance – lack of harmony between notes “a clash”
Passing Notes – notes that don’t sound “pretty” but are used a small number of times like they are just “passing through”
Suspended Notes – dissonant notes being held for as long as possible and then finally moving at the last second
7th Chords – A regular triad chord plus the note seven steps above the first note
Diminished Chords – A regular triad chord with the bottom note being moved up a step
Augmented Chords – A regular triad chord with the last note being moved up a step
Tonic (1 and 8 chords)
Root note creates a feeling of resolution and stability
Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant (2, 3, 6 chords)
Moderate tension, useful for transitions
Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone (4, 5, 7 chords)
Key of D minor, with d minor as the tonic, an F chord as its dominant, and a C chord as its subdominant. The pattern I see in these chords is a sequence of four tones that repeats three times until the seventh measure. At the seventh measure, every other chord of the 4 chord sequence is given extra time to close the harmony.
My Second HookTheory Chord Progression (Harmonies)
I like the chord progression I’ve written, because it follows the melody with little discord, allowing it to sound full in the short amount of measures available. I attempted raising tension at the fourth and seventh measures to follow the original melody, I released tension by gradually using lower-toned chords in the last two measures.
What I Learned & Problems I Solved
Before beginning this unit, I struggled ridiculously to understand the distinction between melodies and harmonies. I have a better idea of how to do that now, but I still think I need more time to put this simple task of recognizing distinctions into practice. From my updated understanding, melodies are made of a sequence of individual notes, while harmonies are made of chord sequences. Though the guiding principle I used for this project was a quote from Howard Goodall’s video which said that “-harmony is the intentional coming together of two or more sounds for a pleasant effect.”
Why did the government decide to stop repressing Buffy’s music? What other musicians were repressed for the same reasons?
link ray- banned instrumental-half native
ghostdance? wounded knee massacre
The blues is linked to Native Ghost dances——“pre-blues”
African and Indigenous peoples have cultures and ancestry intertwined in ways which have impacted music
85% of African Americans in America before the civil war share Native ancestry
Enslaved African people who had escaped had occassionaly sought safety on Native Reservations where they would often be accepted
Charley Patton- native- white- creole////most impactful to blues- influenced US pioneers of rock
CIA/Fbi files on Buffy saint marie?? a Native musician and activist whose music was banned throughout the US for its messages
Summary
This documentary was enjoyable for me. It educated me on some of the musical origins of numerous genres and rekindled my interest in my ancestry.
I was particularly intrigued by Buffy Saint-Marie and her story. In part, because I often speak to whoever will entertain me about government caused suppression, and how its enacted through media manipulation. This documentary I was particularly intrigued by Buffy Saint-Marie and her story. In part because I often speak to whoever will entertain me about government suppression and how it’s enabled by media manipulation. This documentary discussing that (even in short) was meaningful to me. Enough so that after the “Rumble” viewing, I looked deeper into Buffy’s music, and I now have a greater appreciation for folk music and consider myself a bit of a fan of her work.
The goal of this project is to improve understanding of musical techniques used to engage the listener and harness certain features. Learning to do these things effectively can be important to musicians who strongly value being understood amongst a large audience. I did this through creating and experimenting with melody forms using hooktheory, and by referencing songs whose melody I enjoyed.
My First HookTheory Melody
As a first melody, I appreciate how it’s not super busy and has a somewhat ominous quality to me.
How did cultures go about developing more notes once progressing past pentatonic notes?
Why have humans not come to a global consensus on how many tones to use on a scale? What impacts the decision that causes scale length to vary?
– All music “uses the same baseline”
– Some melodic principles are universal to every culture around the world
– Every music system uses the same five notes- instincts for language and frequencies seem to have been instilled in us since birth—” these five notes are like a human inheritance”—pentatonic notes–
– Tone variation is impacted by culture
-Movement between whole tone to whole tone is more common (especially vocally) because more people struggle with transitioning from whole tones to half-steps/ semitones.
– Note groups-scales are called modes
– Modes—moods in different cultures
– Across all frequencies we pick notes and assign moods/feelings—these are called modes
– Sharpening—raising by a semitone/half step—yearning/reaching
– In declination, modes are left without alteration/sharpening—this later started to lead to lowering/flattening. False relations occur when these alterations are overlapped.
– The melodic modifications applied to the vocals of different genres can be cultural–blue notes–
– Standardized tuning–diatonic tuning gives people the option to join frequencies that complement each other
– Ionian-major scale minor scale designed to be compatible with major leaving room for a smooth transition between the two
– Identifying which mood is intended to be channeled before assembling a song could help establish a starting point through modes.
– Jewish melody was crucial to creating the foundation of American broadway-style music.
————————————–
tonic-tonic –closed off phrase no tension tonic-dominant–tonic—high tension–demands the second phrase to resolve tension submediant–not high tension/not tonic focus on creating patterns
Summary: The overarching idea I was able to take from the video was that humans are naturally attracted to certain sounds, tones, and frequencies. This causes them to reappear within different cultures and ultimately influence those listening, even subconsciously.
Melody Composition Terms and Definitions
The terms and definitions below are from the Basic Concepts of Music Theory podcast by Jamie Henke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Antecedent (Question) Phrase: First 4 measures of a period.
Consequent (Answer) Phrase: Second 4 measures of a period.
Scale Degrees (C Major Scale)
Tonic: C (1 , 8) – Stability and resolve.
Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant: D, E, A (2 , 3 , 6) – Moderate tension, useful for transitions and carrying on an idea.
Subdominant, Dominant, Leading Tone: F, G, B (4 , 5 , 7) – Causes the most tension, leads to the tonic.
Steps: Any movement using half or whole steps.
Leaps: Any movement using intervals larger than a whole step.
Conjunct motion: Melody is built primarily out of steps.
Disjunct motion: Melody is built primarily out of leaps.
Repetition: Repeated material (i.e. motive) used to create a link between two phrases of the period.
Contrast: Two phrases that contain contrasting material to create tension and interest.
Variation: Halfway between contrast and repetition. The two phrases include some recognizable material and some varied material (i.e. taking ideas up an octave).
One of My Favorite Melodies
Oh Well, Oh Well by Mayday Parade.
I like this melody because of how simple it is. It does not vary much and this makes the contrast more apparent. The behavior of the melody above reflects in the screenshot as fairly “grounded”. I think of this as a charming thing because of how familiar and comforting it feels due to the use of repetition, while also expressing conflicting feelings of somberness and positivity in its slight variation. This song is in the key of B, with D# as its tonic note, and E as its dominant.
My Second HookTheory Melody
I feel drawn to repetition and I think my melody reflects that. It stays near the “home” notes for the majority of measures but I raised tension to its highest point in measure 4. I attempted to keep an interesting amount of suspense in the measures which followed by altering speed, but resolved it by bringing the melody back to its starting notes. The tonic note was note A in C major, and dominant note was an E.
What I Learned & Problems I Solved
This project helped me learn more about the technical terms which I’m not too familiar with, and often forget. Directly applying it allowed me to adjust my perspective on developing melodies in order to properly resolve and raise tension. I often favor patterns of high tension and low resolve, i don’t necessarily see this as a problem, but I do think it becomes a creative issue. While I haven’t completely reformed my preferences for this project, I was able to form respect for the pattern/formulas that result in favorable melodies.
By March 1st, I will have developed and improved my ability to play Every You, Every Me by Placebo.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Brian Molko
Training Source(s)
SMART Goal Schedule
My schedule for this smart goal included a 15 minute practice every other day for the entirety of the January- March 1st session.
PRODUCTION
SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence
SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I used problem solving skills to correct the repeated mistake I’d make between adjustments and notes I was playing. The transition which was particularly difficult for me to correct was the transition at between —– and —-. I had to retrain my instinctual brain to play the piece.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
This session was very individually focused, requiring no collaboration, and no communication. I did not use these skills for this project.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
I used YouTube for sourcing the tutorial and Spotify for listening to the original. The final accumilation of evidence is uploaded to edublogs (here). These were the primary media outlets used for this project, however, Grammarly is another tool I frequent.
By December 13th, in School of Rock and as part of my SMART Goal, I will have evidence of a developing original song created using a DAW. I will be using a tutorial as a frame of reference.
Focus / Instrument
My December SMART Goal session will focus on experimenting with beats. I will do this by increasing my understanding of DAWs and attempting to create an interesting and cohesive piece.
Intention (SMART Goal)
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
“Avi”- Track 5 of Geidi Primes (First album- made on Garageband)
Claire Boucher, more famously known as Grimes is a self-educated Canadian musician/singer/songwriter and has been an active music producer since she first began her career in music. Resources reflect that she gravitated toward music around age fourteen and persisted throughout High School and into college before deciding to break away from her neuroscience degree in progress. Her first album Geidi Primes was released on January 10, 2010, at age 22. Grimes is a specific inspiration to me because I relate to aspects of her personality very personally, and I’ve felt motivated by the fact that her first album was created on Garageband. Her music is often described as EDM or futuristic dance pop.
Steve Lacy is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was born and raised in Compton and recounts an interest in music from a young age. The perspective imparted to him through his environment had such an influence that he was able to connect with fellow local musicians and join the touring band “The Internet” whilst still in high school. He has since maintained his Rnb sound throughout his current solo career but has experimented enough to also be considered an alternative indie musician. He is also an inspiring figure to me because of his use of Garageband as well. I found it impressive how he was able to create an iconic song independently using such an available resource.
Training Source(s)
The video follows the YouTuber along as he demonstrates his approach to an EDM song. I used this as inspiration for my approach. Watching this doesn’t seem crucial to the process but it gives me a good idea of how to layer and where to start.
SMART Goal Schedule
I intended to spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day exploring Garageband specifically. I stayed fairly consistent with this schedule, but it was flexible. When exploring and experimenting I would play with just about every loop I found which would relate to the tone of the song. I played with speed, keys, and instruments I was unfamiliar with during this time.
PRODUCTION
SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence
First few days on Garageband.
SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving)
A big influence on my decision to make electronic music was my skill set. It was a compromise but it solved the problem nonetheless. I channeled a lot of creative energy into this project because I had written some lyrics prior to this session and felt the tune would work well with the electronic genre. I created the structure I needed to encompass my words and curated the song so that the instruments were complimentary.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I asked my sister for feedback throughout the process. Even though I don’t believe she understood my artistic vision, I valued her input. These exchanges were the extent of my collaboration.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
The tools I used were YouTube (for reference/ inspiration) and GarageBand (for creation). On GarageBand, I discovered some features I’d been unfamiliar with, and it completely changed my relationship with the DAW and gave me more self-confidence.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
This project required me to experiment, and adapt. Important life skills. Not everything I imagined would be completely accessible (of course), but I could appreciate that restriction. It required me to try new things. Though, there were still some cool ideas I had to let go of.
Reactions to the Final Version
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
I’ve been conflicted since the early stages of the project about whether or not I would want to add vocals. It’s a shame because I’m still not sure which way I think works best. I created a version with them and a version without them. The issue is that I don’t believe I am particularly good at singing, but I really think this project would sound greater with the lyrics I wrote. Alongside this, the ending is far too abrupt. What I’ve uploaded here is the purely instrumental version of the song, and since my music preferences have changed since creating this song, I am not really impressed with the result. From an objective perspective, I think I created something mediocre with potential.
During the November Smart goal session for school of rock 2022, I continued my role as a researcher and looked further into an array of interpretations of music theory, techniques and structure. This was done independently and primarily through the continuation and eventual completion of a book I started in my October 2022 Smart Goal, The Addiction Formula.
Intention (SMART Goal)
As a result of my current interest in how to make music that attracts and maintains the focus of an audience I wanted to connect with resources deeply and ideally meet the November Smart Goal deadline. The way I thought to measure my completion of the project was through my completion of the book (alongside completion of this blog post).
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
The primary source used to conduct my research was a book written by Friedemann Findeisen. A german songwriter, author, and
Completing this book consumed the majority of free time in School of Rock during the November session. I spent each period listening to music and alternating between notes and reading. Occasionally, time was also set aside for in-depth research of concepts or features which caught my attention. Being that I tend to move through media slowly I also lended a copy of my primary resource to read when outside of school.
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I practiced critical and analytical thinking skills through comparing notes and structures I collected through reading to a large array of music.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
This project did not require me to collaborate with anyone in particular, as a result these skills weren’t exercised during this session.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
I relied on books, and websites for my research during this session. On several occassions I fact checked and researched intriguing details for the sake of understanding.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
When consuming material relating to music theory, or material from others, the skill I would consider most necessary is the ability to distance oneself from the material when necessary as a way to remain open minded and present in order to respond, or simply absorb in the way your future self would want you to. This is something I believe my actions coincide with. Life requires us to compartmentalize our opinions from facts and theories in order to make important decisions.
