Project 3a Creepy Scene Soundtrack - Gr. 10 and 11

Creepy Scene Video Project

You will replace the audio from a creepy movie scene.

Complete this BEFORE completing the "Spooky Music" Project

Get details on the project here on the project sheet. 

Updated Instuctions

 Add scrolling credits at the end of your video identifying yourself as 'Sound Editor." Watch this video to learn how to put titles into your video.

Project 3 Spooky Music

It is time for Halloween music!

Your task is to make a clip of music that tells a spooky Halloween story using music and sound effects from Mixcraft.
Length Requirements:
Grade 10: Minimum 30 seconds, Max 2 mins
Grade 11: Min 60 seconds, max 3 minutes

Basic Requirements:
Grade 10s; Use loops to make your song
Grade 11s: You must use at least one MIDI keyboard part in your song.

Both Gr. 10 and 11:
Use musical sounds to make the mood music AND "Sound Effect" sounds to tell a spooky story. Make it creepy, scary, and spooky!

Try importing any sound effects you don't find in Mixcraft from these sources:
Incompetech
Sound Bible
Free Sound

Try creating all of your own sounds using a variety of Virtual Instrument MIDI keyboard sounds.

Project 2: Texture and Layers

Grade 11s:
You will be composing a piece in Mixcraft that demonstrates your understanding of textures.

Your composition will:

• start with one sound alone 
• add a new sound every 4 bars 
• have a minimum of 4 layers (drums, bass, chord instrument, melody) but no maximum
• melody is made by YOU with a MIDI keyboard (use white keys on keyboard)
• If using loops, set Key to C Major so your white key melody will sound good
• Have one "Drop" where in rhythm or beat drops out and then is reintroduced.
• Optional:  compose any or all parts yourself using MIDI
• End your piece with a reverse texture by removing one part at a time in 4 bars intervals until there is only one sound left.  
• Length: Minimum 56  bars. No Maximum

Grade 10s:

 You will be composing a piece in Mixcraft that demonstrates your understanding of texture.

Your composition will be:

• start with one sound alone 
• add a new sound every 4 bars 
• have a minimum of 4 layers (drums, bass, chord instrument, melody) but no maximum
• Have one "Drop" where in rhythm or beat drops out and then is reintroduced.
• End your piece with a reverse texture by removing one part at a time in 4 bars intervals until there is only one sound left.  
• Length: Minimum 48 bars. No Maximum

Layers and Textures

Grade 10s and 11s

There are a few important textures in Music

Monophony (Mono=one, phony= sound)
Once voice or instrument sounding a melody alone without accompaniment.

Homophony

This is most common in popular music.  It consists of a melody sung or played over chords.

Polyphony
This is multiple lines of melody and counter-melody at the same time.

Texture can be thick (many layers of instruments at once) or thin (only a few layers of instruments at once)

Exercise: 

• With a partner, choose a song from an online source
• Identify the layers of sound that you hear in the first 30 seconds.  
• Identify what kind of texture it is (monophony, homophonic, or polyphonic) and whether the texture is "THICK" or "THIN" 
• Use "Paint" or a similar program to map out the texture you hear from each instrument or voice like the image above. 
• Label you line drawings with instrument names and texture terms
• Put a timeline across the top in seconds to mark where important textural changes happen.
• Label your file with your names and the title of the song.   
• Save as "Your Names Texture Drawing.jpg"  JPEG format
• Due at the end of class.  Submit to "Texture Drawings" folder. 

Submitting your Work

There are two places you must submit your work:

• Soundcloud  

and

• Moynihan AMM2O1 or Moynihan AMM3M1 Dropoff Folder

Soundcloud submission:

1. Make a Soundcloud account.
2. Mixdown your song to MP3 and listen to it all the way through. 
3. Upload the file to Soundcloud.
4. Tag the project #gr10amm or #gr11amm 
5. Title the Track to match the Project - Eg: "Project 1" 
6. Check to make sure it is searchable by searching for the tag.  Click "Everything" to see your file. 

Dropoff Folder Submission:

1. Mixdown your project to MP3 - Title the file "Project 1 Your Full Name. mp3"
2. Copy and Paste the file to "Moynihan AMM2O1" or "Moynihan AMM3M1" and the correct project folder.
3. Save As and rename your mx6 file to "Project 1 Your Full Name.mx6".
4. Copy and Paste the file to "Moynihan AMM2O1" or "Moynihan AMM3M1" and the correct project folder.

It is your responsibility to ensure your projects are submitted properly.  

Project 1

NEW UPDATES

Please read carefully and pay attention to instructions in class.  Grade 11s (AMM3M1) and Grade 10s (AMM2O1) have different projects.

Grade 10:
Introduction to Mixcraft
Open Mixcraft 6 from the desktop or in the program menu.


You will be creating a 12 bar composition using sound loops that has a Beginning, Middle, and End.


Objectives:

• To learn the basic functions of Mixcraft including, start-up, library, loops, tracks, editing editing length of loops. 
• Experimenting with track volume, pan, and FX including Mastering (Compressor).
• Mixing down to MP3.

Instructions:

1. Open a new project.  (File: New Project)
2. When prompted, name your project FIRST! Project 1 Your Name
3. Select "Build Loop and Beat Matched Music"
4. Open the Loop Library Tab.
   
5. Label your tracks as in the photo.
   
6. Undock the library to make it easier to navigate.
   
7. Sort by: Instrument
   
8. Choose Drums.  Note the way they are organized by Name, Tempo, # Bars, Instrument,  and Style.
   
9. Find a loop that is 4 bars long. "Audition" the Sounds by pressing the play button. 
10. Drag the name of the loop into the track pane when you have chosen a sound or sounds.  
11. Now find, another, different 4 bar sound.  Drag it into the same Track beside your first. 
12. Repeat this process again until you have 3 different 4 bar drum loops for a total of 12 bars. 
13. Now select the loop button. 
    
14. Now choose "Bass" as your instrument and repeat this process in a new track until you have 3 different 4 bar bass loops for a total of 12 bars.  Put the bass loops right above the drum loops.  
15. Repeat for a Chord instrument like Guitar or Piano and a melody instrument of your choice.  Here is an example what a complete project will look like.
    

NEW! Adjusting Volume, Pan, and Effects

1. After your project is done, you will make adjustments to the volume levels in order to balance the sounds of your project. Watch the demo to understand.  Here are some screenshots to help you afterwards.
2. 
   
   

Grade 11s:

• You will a song using loops in an AABA form.  
• Each section is 8 bars long using Drums, Bass, chord instrument and Melody. 
• You will be composing a melody for you song using MIDI keyboard. 
• Remember to write your melody in 4 bar phrases.  
• Choose a tempo for your song that is not the standard 120BPM
• You will use Track volume, pan, effects and Mastering before completing composition. 
• Mixdown to MP3 and submit as Mixcraft and MP3 format. 

Objectives:

• Review use of program.
• Review concepts of A section and B section.
• Review concepts of melody and phrases. 
• Review use of mastering and effects.  

You must select the KEY of your song as C in order to use the C major scale notes in your song. 

Make sure all your loops match this key.  

 C Major Scale Notes

Choosing the key of your song. 

Producer Trademark Logo

After you have completed the "Who Am I?" presentation, create your own trademark logo that includes your Producer name and an image or icon that represents you. Your trademark logo will be displayed on the classroom wall.

Your submission must:

1. include your producer name
2. include an icon or image that represents you
3. be no bigger than a regular 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper
4. be handmade or digitally created

Due Thursday, Sept. 24

Only 1 copy allowed to be printed by each student in the classroom!  Please think before you print!

Some examples: