Write write write

Just a quick update when I'm having my dinner break from writing evaluation of my piano improvisation project. Right, it's dinner break but I'm in a mood to update blog and write. I hope I would have this energy when I do songwriting and composition, because I tend to get "sick" of my own composition during the process I'm making the music. Most of the time I can't finish my works because my perfectionism principle stops me from creating.

I really learn so much through this improvisation project. I'll update more about it after I finish it tomorrow.

Invisible seclusion

Now playing: Chet Baker playlist

I have been wanting to write my first "official" post on this "work" blog, but apparently my mind and heart got stressed out when it comes to "work".

I went to several concerts and gigs in last 2 weeks. I hate the word "review" because it is such a boring word, though it does sound more professional.

So, this post ain't a review nor a "work" post.

My principle is "my work is my entertainment". I have entertainment ALL THE TIME and I freaking love this. This should be a privilege musicians and artists have. We definitely love the path we have chosen, don't we?

Chet Baker's voice for this kind of late night is so soothing and suits the mood so much. Though I have been having company these few days, I still feel a tinge of loneliness when it comes to music and thoughts. I think it is something good and bad, as I always feel this kind of loneliness regardless where I am and surrounded by zillions of people.

I don't mean to seclude myself, but I just feel better when I have an invisible isolated space to think about myself and other things/people. I should be glad that I can work anywhere anytime no matter how noisy and crowded it is. It is a kind of seclusion in the middle of the crowd. My skills in focus got so much better.

I have so much to talk about, but I'm leaving them for next time. Good night.

Another beginning

Classes have officially ended but this blog is going to stay alive for my music + art + writing exploration. Topics that I learnt in FACS2930 The Electronic Landscape still need much experiments and exploration, because creativity always exists in a versatile motion. I learnt a lot in this class but I also realized how bad I am in visual arts.

I think I began to understand what fits me better and how various medium of creativity allow me to think more about music and sound. I love to work with ideas, especially when I don't feel like doing a regular music piece. Life needs balances indeed. Hopefully I'll update this blog with my thoughts, confusion, realization, discoveries, and much more. Beware, I like to do random murmur too. But it's fascinating to see (and feel) how randomness works, it's just so natural and creative at the same time. I'm proud to be a life-long learner in music and art.

Presentation

I tried Zoho Show for the first time, it's better than Google docs I shall say. And it looks cuter.

Audio Walk - "The Unheard"

Download it here

Group mate: Sara S.Manesh

Basically the audio walk takes place in Accolade East building, starting its journey at the Northeast entrance of the building. Then it goes into the lobby then the basement following to Room 001. Then the walk continues to the long and quiet hallway next to Room 001. The destination is the end of the hallway, where a murder happened in 2007.

The story is purely fiction, but the location is real. We chose a new building because nobody would think a new building could be "haunted" too. The whole audio walk is in an atmosphere of Real vs. Unreal and Past vs. Present. Sue's haunted story was back in 2007 but the listener is following BOTH the narrator (the present) AND Sue (the past). The filtered voice of the narrator is to depict the unreality of reality. As you can hear the opening whisper is Sue's voice (the past), the sound effect coming after and the radio-signal tuning noise create an non-smooth motion of time change leading to the narrator's voice (the present). Simply speaking, it's to create the uncertainties between the past and the present.

The narration and some sample recording were done in my home studio. Some noise and effects were made by synthesizers. I didn't include the real soundscape recording of the location because in my opinion, it's pointless to put in something already existed when the listener is already standing at the location. If he/she is using regular earplugs/headphones, regular soundscape noise will still be able to bleed in; if he/she is using good quality headphones which can block all the sound from outside, I would suggest that no soundscape recording should be included because it should be "blocked" as well, the isolated state of sound can be very fascinating.

The background music is a snippet from Krzysztof Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima", which is an avant-garde piece. Other sounds are original or from music software sound library.

It seems Sue was killed too, but is the listener killed as well? The unheard story can never be heard unless you follow "me".