Project Description
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You will be making a 2 - 3 minute audio collage about the music you like and what you think it says about you. You can include favorite songs from your childhood and/or music that you have only recently started to enjoy.
This project contains several components that we will work through step by step:
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You will write a few paragraphs on the music that is important in your life. Make sure to talk about the music that helps shape your identity. You might also want to discuss the music that you secretly love, but other people don’t know about. You might want to start listing favorite artists, songs, or genres.
The important thing here is to focus on the music that relates to you and helps define you in some way. Why do you love it? What does that say about you? What do you hope it says about you?
The important thing here is to focus on the music that relates to you and helps define you in some way. Why do you love it? What does that say about you? What do you hope it says about you?
You should take the thoughts and comments that you wrote in Step One and try to find the music that best illustrates those ideas. Remember, you will be making an audio collage – so, be thinking about the sounds and feelings of your final product. Also, watch the language in the music, it does need to be school appropriate – find the radio edit version or just don’t use the song.
Step 3 - Put Your Music in One Place
This step will be different for everybody.
If most of your music is in an mp3 format already, then this is easy. Simply put the mp3s onto your Flash drive and then bring them to school. We will transfer them onto the computer during class.
If you need to take things from YouTube, there are usually online converters where you can put a youtube link and then tell it to convert it to mp3 for you. (https://ytmp3.cc/en13/ is one I found with just 10 seconds of googling)
If most of your music is on CD, then this will take more work. (Also, what year is it) You need to rip your CDs onto a computer. When doing so, make sure that you are ripping them as mp3s and not as any other file format (iTunes uses a special proprietary file format). You can look up how to do this online. After you’ve ripped the CD, simply drop the file onto a Flash drive and bring it to school. We will transfer your files onto the computer during class.
If you don’t have a specific song, then you can ask your friends and other people in the class. The idea here is to be proactive. Don’t wait until the very last minute!
If most of your music is in an mp3 format already, then this is easy. Simply put the mp3s onto your Flash drive and then bring them to school. We will transfer them onto the computer during class.
If you need to take things from YouTube, there are usually online converters where you can put a youtube link and then tell it to convert it to mp3 for you. (https://ytmp3.cc/en13/ is one I found with just 10 seconds of googling)
If most of your music is on CD, then this will take more work. (Also, what year is it) You need to rip your CDs onto a computer. When doing so, make sure that you are ripping them as mp3s and not as any other file format (iTunes uses a special proprietary file format). You can look up how to do this online. After you’ve ripped the CD, simply drop the file onto a Flash drive and bring it to school. We will transfer your files onto the computer during class.
If you don’t have a specific song, then you can ask your friends and other people in the class. The idea here is to be proactive. Don’t wait until the very last minute!
You have your collection of 4 or 5 songs. Now you have to determine what those songs represent to you and/or what you hope they say about you. Write a couple of paragraphs about each song. Here are some suggestions to get you started (YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY ANSWER THESE QUESTION, Just reflect on why you like the song):
1) When did you first hear this song?
2) What does this song represent to you?
3) Is there a specific part of the music that is most significant?
4) Is this a piece of music that you share with your friends or family?
5) Is this a “guilty pleasure” song? (A song that you don’t want other people to know about).
1) When did you first hear this song?
2) What does this song represent to you?
3) Is there a specific part of the music that is most significant?
4) Is this a piece of music that you share with your friends or family?
5) Is this a “guilty pleasure” song? (A song that you don’t want other people to know about).
You will have to be flexible during this step.
I would start by writing a rough sketch of what you want to say before you start playing around in Audacity. The form I have created here will help you organize your thoughts.
Then you need to start editing your final project in some sort of audio editor. My choice is Audacity and I would be happy to give a zoom tutorial if you would also like to use this program. It is free for computers.
If you don't have a computer, you might have to get creative with you tablet or phone on how to make this work. I am assuming you all have ways of editing video and audio that I don't even know about. I would love to have a zoom lesson on this stuff to.
At the very least, you could play the song(s) behind you and you talk over them while recording yourself with your phone or tablet camera.
I would start by writing a rough sketch of what you want to say before you start playing around in Audacity. The form I have created here will help you organize your thoughts.
Then you need to start editing your final project in some sort of audio editor. My choice is Audacity and I would be happy to give a zoom tutorial if you would also like to use this program. It is free for computers.
If you don't have a computer, you might have to get creative with you tablet or phone on how to make this work. I am assuming you all have ways of editing video and audio that I don't even know about. I would love to have a zoom lesson on this stuff to.
At the very least, you could play the song(s) behind you and you talk over them while recording yourself with your phone or tablet camera.
Step 6 - Create Something Awesome!
It is the goal of this project to have you think about music’s role in your life in a different perspective. If you begin to understand how music helps shape your own identity, then you’ll be better equipped to understand music’s role in other people’s lives and other cultures. Remember, be honest and have fun!
Now that you've finished your project, it is time to reflect on anything you may or may not have learned while working on it. Please type up a reflection on the following five topics. Each answer should be at least a full paragraph.
1) Do you feel any differently about music’s role in helping to shape your identity? Why or why not?
2) Do you see a connection between music and identity? Why or why not?
3) Do you believe that people choose the music they listen to? Why or why not?
4) Do you feel like the music you listen to accurately reflect the person you want to be? Why or why not?
5) Do you feel comfortable with using Audacity to create sound projects? Does it give you an appreciation for how musicians and producers create the music you listen to?
6) BONUS: Offer to share your creation with the class. (You do not have to share these with anybody if you do not want to)
Feel free to include drawings, collages, song lyrics, photos or whatever else you want to answer these questions.
1) Do you feel any differently about music’s role in helping to shape your identity? Why or why not?
2) Do you see a connection between music and identity? Why or why not?
3) Do you believe that people choose the music they listen to? Why or why not?
4) Do you feel like the music you listen to accurately reflect the person you want to be? Why or why not?
5) Do you feel comfortable with using Audacity to create sound projects? Does it give you an appreciation for how musicians and producers create the music you listen to?
6) BONUS: Offer to share your creation with the class. (You do not have to share these with anybody if you do not want to)
Feel free to include drawings, collages, song lyrics, photos or whatever else you want to answer these questions.
How to put Audacity on your home computer:
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To download Audacity to your home computer use the button to the right and follow the instructions below
You need BOTH downloads to do this project. Lame allows audacity to export files as an mp3. Without this you can not make a final mp3 of your project. |
