Project 2: Beginning - Middle - End

Important: For your second project you will use a web-based software called Soundation.  You will be asked to provide an email address in order to sign up for a free account. If you are not comfortable providing this, please speak to Ms. Moynihan.

Project 2: Beginning, Middle, and End

Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end.  Every good song should have the same.

Here is an example of a completed Beginning- Middle- End project 

• You will be creating a short piece using Sound Loops that is 12 bars long. 
• Your beginning, middle, and end will be 4 bars long each.  
• You must use Drums, Bass, Piano or Guitar and 1 other instrument loop for each 4 bar phrase. In total this is 12 different sounds in your assignment. (3 drums, 3 bass, 3 Guitar/Piano and 3 other)
• Use a 4 tracks for your four different sounds
• Label you tracks Drums, Bass, Piano or Guitar, and other instruments as you choose them.  There should be no tracks left unlabeled. 
• Make your Drums, Bass, Piano/Guitar and other instrument change every four bars.
• Your 3 phrases should sound like they are all from one song, but distinctly different from each other.
• Any other instruments you add are your choice once your 4 basic tracks are created.
• As always, have a peer listen to it before you finish it.
• TAKE A SCREENSHOT to show me that your project is set up correctly. 
• Shrink your screen view so you can see all 12 bars and all four tracks. 
• Press ALT and Print Screen
• Go to the Start Menu and open Paint
• Click Paste
• Open the top left corner Paint symbol and Save
• Save this .png file as "Project 2 - Your Name"
• Complete this NEW Google Form Checklist before your are finished your project. 
• Export your completed song as .wav to the "Project 2: Beginning Middle End" folder in the dropoff folder.  Name your file "Project 2 - Your Name.wav"

Due Thursday, Oct. 2 by end of class.

If you are done ALL these steps, you may begin work on the MIDI Tutorial assignment in the blog post below. 

MIDI Tutorial: What is MIDI and how is it used?

Watch this quick video about MIDI, an important technology we will be using in this course.



Open a Word file on your computer and answer the following questions in full sentences.  Save the file as "MIDI questions - Your Name" and submit it to the Dropoff folder.



Questions on MIDI Tutorial:

1. What do the letters MIDI stand for?

2. What is "Event Data"?

3. Name two things that Event Data records.

4. What does MIDI not record?

5. Name two kinds of MIDI machines.

6. What is a MIDI keyboard?

7. What is the difference between Audio Signal and MIDI Event Data?

Sound Story Rubric and Assignment Requirements

Your Sound Story is due today in MP3 format.  Look at the previous post to discover how to do this. Name your file "Sound Story - Your Name".  I will not listen to any file that is not named correctly!

Here is the RUBRIC for the sound story.

You must write complete sentences answering the following questions in Word and submit it to the Drop Off folder labeled "Project 1:Sound Story" Label your file "Sound Story Questions - Your Name"

Questions:  ( 10 marks)
1. Describe your story in detail including the setting, characters, and action.  (2)
2. Explain why you made the choices you did in background music and sound effects. (3)
3. Explain, in detail, three audio editing skills that you learned while completing this project.  Use correct terms for the program and tools you learned. (3)
4.  Who was your "peer listener," and what, if any, comments did they make about your project? (1)
5. After listening to other student's work in class, choose a favourite and describe why your enjoyed it. (1)


When you are done, you may proceed to the previous post "MIDI Tutorial" and follow the instructions.

Sound Story Checklist

Today's tasks
Step 1: Watch the entire tutorial video about Audacity. (in the previous post)
Step 2: Restart your project as outlined in the previous post.
Step 3: Save immediately under "Save As" in your AMM2O1 folder on your Home Drive

Projects are due in the first 10 minutes of class on Wed., Sept 24
Projects will be presented to the class on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

How do you know if you are done your project?
Here are the details you need to complete before you can say your project is done.

Checklist:

1. Balance : the background music is softer than the foreground sounds.
2. Story: your story is clearly told with sounds. (at least 6 different sound effects)
3. Length: your work is between 30-60 seconds.
4. Ending: your work "fades" off at the end and does not end abruptly.
5. Peer Edit: you have played your work for at least one other student in the class and received feedback
6. Save As: your file is saved as "Sound Story - Your Name" in your AMM2O1 folder on your home drive
7. Export your work as MP3 by going to File - Export as MP3
8. Save your file as MP3 in your AMM2O1 folder using the same file name
9. Submit MP3 file to Desktop - Jarvis CI folder - Moynihan folder - Project 1 - Sound Story Folder

Create a Sound Story

Your next project will be to create a Sound Story that tells a narrative and sets a mood through music and sound, but without speech.

Purpose:

• Learn to edit sound using a multitrack audio software (Audacity)
• Use sound creatively to express your ideas and thoughts
• Learn to understand the concepts of background and foreground sound

Steps:

1. Make-up a very short scene or story to tell through your Sound Story (i.e. travelling to school, a wild party, a crime, a spooky haunted house, a sad moment, a happy celebration, an outdoor nature scene etc.)
2. Go to Incompetech and download Royalty Free background music to set the mood for your story.
3. Use SoundBible or FreeSound to download free sounds as foreground sound effects to tell the story.
4. Use Audacity to put the sounds together to tell the story.  Your total Sound Story should be 30 seconds to 1 minute long.  

Help:

Audacity Video Tutorial here.