Week 10 forum

For Forum/workshop we spent the whole 2 hours having a jam. It was enjoyable, but ultimately I'm feeling a bit limited on the Jupiter 4. I know how to achieve certain sounds now and I don't feel challenged anymore. As I was discussing with David, it is like the previous weeks were all building up to the improv jam with Dr Sardeshmukh. Now I have had such and incredible experience where everything came together and we created something amazing, there’s nothing new to do. Seb brought in his game boy in this week, giving him something different, new and interesting to work with. I on the other hand was still doing what I perfected a couple of weeks ago.

I think one of my major focuses in the creation of music, is using new and varied sounds and textures, and discovering new ways to layer them which produce something entirely new and different than before. If I can’t do this I get bored and frustrated. I accredit this to being major factor as to why I didn’t get as much out of jam this week.

So to counteract this problem, I plan to bring my FX station in next week and hopefully experiment and explore the possibilities it offers. It should hopefully add a whole new dimension to what I create and thus regenerate my enthusiasm.

I had considered using my FX station from the start, but came to the conclusion that I should discover the best way to utilise the Jupiter 4 first. Adding in too many variables would have created too many options, detracting from understanding the core element of the sound I produced and thus limiting me from creating and expressing to the best of my ability.

A good example of what I am trying to say is that if you were to learn to run before you could stand, ultimately you wouldn’t be able to run forever and would fall over because you couldn’t keep balance. By learning to stand you have the foundation to then run but stop again when necessary. Similarly, I now have a good understanding of how to use the Jupiter 4, so the extra options are welcome additions that create interest and excitement to the sound, but I can still take them away when necessary.

My group has decided to try and play along to a movie. This means as a group we need to be conscious of what we are doing in relation to what is on screen. This added a new challenge. Rather than judging when to add more or to take away from the group sound by ear, what we saw became the guideline for sounds. Certain sections needed to be stark and suspenseful, some needed to mimic the excitement of the action on screen, and other moments needed to be relaxed and un-intrusive.

From the small amount of time we spent trying to accompany the film it seemed to re-spark my interest. So with both the use of my FX station and the accompanying movie, I think next week should be a good step into re-kindling my involvement and enthusiasm within the group.