Context
Analysis Objectives:
In my Final Major Project, I plan on composing two pieces that relate the theme of,
“Film music,” specifically, “adventure / survival,” films. I will use inspiration from Star
Wars and The Hunger Games, as these franchises highlight successful film compositions
throughout. I will also complete research, allowing me to increase my knowledge of
film composition. I will eventually implement this into an essay that will discuss my
findings, alongside my compositions.
I will use my knowledge in music production to help me throughout my project,
allowing me to achieve various successful aspects within. I will also produce my work in
good time, to allow me time to overcome any obstacles that I may face.
One obstacle that may appear, includes: My chosen software altering my work, similar to that of the,
“Genres,” project. Another obstacle may include: falling slightly behind my work,
resulting in an inaccurate timetable. However, I will ensure that I overcome these
issues, by ensuring that I use a different software than, “BandLab,” alongside
completing work in my own time to ensure I am always up to date with my timetable.
Strengths
Some skills that I have acquired as a musician include: the ability to learn the drums, and teach myself a variety of techniques, such as doubles, paradiddles, double stroke rolls, alongside multiple creative fills. I have also been able to acquire skills in music production, through the Genres project, where I composed my own piece, relating to the theme of, “video game music.” This will help me in my Final Major Project, as I was capable of gaining the correct experience, within music composition. ·
I have also gained experience in my time as a musician, using software, such as Cubase to create multiple compositions for my GCSE’s and Band Lab to mix an original piece during Project two, “What a wonderful world.” I feel this is a useful skill to maintain as a musician, as it allowed me to experience a variety of skills that require more than the performing aspect to the course. This will help my Final Major Project, as it gave me the relevant knowledge that I will require when producing and mixing my compositions.
I ensure that I am present at every lesson, which enables me to retrieve the information required for my projects, and so work is complete on time. It also allows me to successfully gain more knowledge in the subject. This will help me in my Final Major Project, as it will ensure that all work is up to date, alongside gaining the correct advice to help me with areas where I may struggle. Being present at every session, will ensure that I do not miss any deadlines, as well as ensuring that I complete every aspect in strong detail.
I also obtain the ability to learn software quickly. I have noted this in previous areas in life, such as navigating Cubase in high school, alongside BandLab in college. I have realized that I am capable of learning these skills at a fast pace, allowing me to complete my compositions with ease. This will help me in my Final Major Project, as I will be using a different Software from those that I have previously used within my musical journey.
These aspects may help me in future projects, as I currently obtain the ability to understand my instrument, understand music production and composition, learn new skills quickly, while also being able to mix pieces appropriately on various types of software. Doing so, will allow me compose and produce music, and theory work, to the best of my ability.
Weaknesses
I would like to work on improving my confidence, as I have struggled with this massively in previous projects, and I feel it has contributed to the downfall of my previous projects. Improving this will help me in future projects, as it will also contribute to further aspects, such as: writing and composing my own music. To overcome my lack of confidence, I can discuss ideas with peers, and receive relevant feedback that will allow me to produce my work to the best of my ability. This could also negatively impact my Final Major Project, as it may result in me not being able to complete work for deadlines, alongside not being able to achieve work that will be to the best of my ability.
I would also like to improve on my creativity when composing, as it will make songs more engaging, and I feel that challenging myself with fitting the music to the visual is the next step in my development. This will help in further projects, as it will create a more intriguing performance for the viewer.
I have had struggles in the past with understanding sheet music and the notes within sheet music while playing. This will give me a disadvantage when composing, that are specifically on a sheet, as I have been unable to comprehend the different notes while entering my music on the computer, as it takes me time to understand which notes are where in the song.
To develop, I should work on improving my concentration skills, as sometimes I get distracted easily. This will help in future projects, as I will progress further, and my theory work will be of a higher quality, and songs that I rehearse may also be better, as I will be able to further detail the sections.
Opportunities
My current course may help to improve my strengths and
weaknesses through various projects such as Project two, “What a
wonderful world,” which involved producing a song with a band,
mixing it after it has been recorded. It also involved a documentary,
which, before this project, I had never had experience with. Project
three, “On the road,” enabled me to experience different job roles
in the music industry. Through going to various schools, I became
involved in being a Roadie, and setting up and moving equipment.
Project five, “Final Major Project,” allowed me to identify my
creative skills, by choosing a theme for the project, and completing
research that remains appropriate to the given theme. These
aspects have all had a vital contribution to my work, and has given
me further experience within the industry.
To improve my work outside college, I will research a variety of
different ways that will help me improve my compositions. For
example, I will research techniques that film composers use within
their music, where I may be able to implement some aspects within
my compositions. This will massively help me when composing my
pieces, as I will have a clear insight into how I can successfully
produce my own pieces that relate to my chosen theme.
I have been fortunate enough to contribute to multiple different areas while on
this course. For example, I have taken part in multiple performances, alongside
gaining a clear insight into how music production works. I have gained a drastic
amount of confidence throughout the performance and production aspects
throughout the course, which will ultimately help me in my Final Major Project,
as I will be able to produce detailed compositions, that truly highlight my abilities
in all aspects within music.
Threats
Aspects that could possibly prevent me from improving within my Final Major Project, could include my computer malfunctioning or breaking down while I am working, which may result in lost progress, demotivating me to continue. Another aspect that could prevent me from improving, could be the software itself. During the previous project, “Genres,” I had issues with the BandLab, as it would alter my work, persuading me to reflect on the composition as a whole, every time I made a slight change in my piece. This demotivated me massively, as I knew it would take longer than anticipated. I was unable to complete this by the deadline, which could potentially hold me back in my Final Major Project.
If I do not improve my theory knowledge in the industry, it will overall limit my abilities and prevent me from further improving my composition, and the possibility of learning other instruments further in my life. If I decide to pursue a career in music, this will be a key aspect to my knowledge, and will help massively overall.
If I am not capable of learning sheet music, I may fall behind when composing. It may prevent me from improving if there are no ways around sheet music, especially if I am unfamiliar with the song. Learning sheet music will help me become a more independent musician, and will allow me to perfect pieces beat for beat.
Evaluation of Objectives
My ability to adapt to different areas within music will help me massively within my Final Major Project, as I will be able to ensure that my work is to the highest possible quality. I gained experience mixing and producing music in Project 2, “What a Wonderful World,” while increasing my knowledge in composition in the most recent project, “Genres.” In these projects, I was able to gain the correct experience, understanding modulations, instrumentation, structure, alongside a variety of different techniques that I can implement into my compositions. I have also had experience within the theory aspect of the music, completing a detailed Project log for every project, alongside an essay and an Annotated Bibliography in the, “Genres,” project. This will help me when producing my essay, as I fully understand how to produce and structure it, alongside meeting the minimum word count of
1500 words.
What is your project?
My Final Major Project covers the Production aspect within film music. I will compose two pieces that relate to the specific theme of, “adventure / survival,” using films such as, “The Hunger Games,” and “Star Wars,” as inspiration. Alongside this, I will conduct an essay, where I will input my research that details film music composition and production.
What influenced your decision to undertake this project?
I ultimately decided to undertake this project, as I gained a strong interest in music production in the previous project, “Genres.” I also found that, “adventure and survival,” films, such as the two I am using as inspiration, portray strong emotions throughout each composition. Due to my passion for film music, I ultimately decided to input my current knowledge into my Final Major Project, where I plan on increasing my understanding of film music and the production aspects within.
Project
The project that I have decided to research is the “Star Wars,” films, as I find that this specific franchise has had a massive impact on my musical journey, inspiring me to increase my knowledge in music production and composition.
Person/Organisation Composer, John Williams, created every piece within the Star Wars films, ranging from, “A New Hope,” released in 1977, to, “The Rise of Skywalker,” (2019). The music for the first Star Wars film, “A New Hope,” was recorded in eight sessions, by the London Symphony Orchestra, using a variety of different instruments for each composition.
How does this project relate to your own?
This project ultimately relates to my own, as I will be producing my own compositions that relate to the same theme of Williams creations in Star Wars. Both Star Wars and my project contain an, “adventure / survival,” element.
What are the similarities between the two projects?
Some similarities between the two projects include the instrumentation that I will be using within my compositions. For example, I plan on using: Timpani’s, Horns, Pianos, Harps and more within my pieces. This resemblance will allow the listener to completely understand the fierce nature of adventure films, and the music within. Another similarity is that I plan on creating powerful pieces, which relate to pieces such as the main theme, the imperial march, Anakin vs Obi Wan and many more.
What are the main differences?
The main differences between each project, is that I lack the equipment used to create my pieces. For example, I do not have an orchestra or any real instruments to produce my compositions. Instead, I will be using software to imitate these instruments. Another difference includes the lack of time I have to produce my compositions. My timetable states that I will spend two weeks on each piece, whereas Williams was given roughly 10 weeks for the first film.
What techniques could be taken from the project to be used in your own?
The introduction to each Star Wars film features the, “main theme.” This piece starts abruptly with horns and a cymbal, which highlights the powerful, tense nature of the films. I would like to use this technique within my pieces, to ensure that my compositions evoke a similar emotion to the listener. I would also like to use the structure of the main theme as inspiration, as it is, AABA. I will use this as inspiration, as I feel the music will have to be relatively repetitive.
What are the skills used in the project you are researching?
One skill that is visible within the project that I am researching is the use of good time management. This is highlighted through the amount of time it took Williams to write the music for the first film, taking only 10 weeks to produce a 2 hour 10 minute score. Another skill that is visible in this project, is the detail that is illustrated within the music. Before writing the score for the films, Williams was able to understand the story and the individual characters, allowing him to personalize each composition in each scene.
What techniques did you learn that you had not thought of before?
A technique that is used in the “Star Wars Main Theme,” is the use of ascending and descending notes in the form of arpeggios. I feel that this allows for a slightly complicated sound, while remaining familiar, memorable and ultimately successful. I find this interesting, persuading me to implement this into my compositions.
How successful was the researched project?
The project that I am researching was extremely successful, as the music for the “Star Wars,” films earned composer, John Williams: 1 Academy Award, 1 Golden Globe Award, 2 BAFTA Awards, 6 Grammy Awards and 3 Saturn Awards, with additional nominations.
If successful, what were the main factors?
Some of the main factors that highlight the ultimate success within the, “Star Wars,” music, includes the emotion that is portrayed throughout each piece. Williams ensures that the music brings each film to life, evoking a clear atmosphere throughout each scene, whether that be dramatic music on the, “Death Star,” or mellow music in, “Tatooine.”
If not fully successful what were the main factors?
This does not relate to the project I am researching