Remix1

This is my first attempt to remix a song with a single vocal. That is also a work about my first attempt of classical hiphop. I like this genre because of its unique energy and feeling. I also want to try as many type of music as I can and explore my possibility in the future.

Remix 2

This is my group work with a fantastic bass player. I learn a lot in this meaningful group work. My partner show me many variable beautiful bass playing way. He is also a really patient friendly gentle man. When I try to enhance my bass composing skill, he often answer my question and I definitely develop my composing skill.

Jotting

Please enjoy this jazz ambience! This is my first work of junk and jazz style.

Classical jotting

Once I played my piano, I considered that I can use simple acoustic instrument to compose. “Being simple is not being stupid ”. I adhere with this concept. The results is interesting.

why did you leave me

I learned about a special group of children whose families were very poor and the children had no mother to care for them because their mother were women who had been trafficked to this place. These poor women have now been rescued by the Chinese military. But now the children are left behind in the land where the evil events took place. I was shocked that such crime had taken place here and it is heartbreaking to see how it is affecting these poor children, so I decided to write a song about this, hence the song title "why did you leave me?" I wanted to sing "why did you leave me that time" from the perspective of the children whose only impression of their mothers was the description of the people around them. Ignorant people telling their children that their mothers have abandoned them. This has caused great hurt and pain to the children. The second half of the song with the lyrics "I hope that you will have a happy ending." are my blessing to all those who have experienced the crime of human trafficking. Although I can't change their pain, I hope to use my songs and future efforts to reduce crime in this world. In the intro, I used a simple synth pad to play a melody. In the first verse, I changed a new instrument to continue to play the intro melody and added vocals. I also added finger snaps onto the second and fourth beat. I recorded the finger snap and slightly adjusted it to fit the song. I added bass in the second half of the first verse. In the first chorus, I added kick. Different from the traditional first beat and fourth beat, I designed a kick that rarely beats again to make the music more romantic. My hi-hat has also changed. Furthermore, I have added ear candy to make the music more interesting. I kept the energy of the song low in the interlude, and the arrangement was only one melody and chord. The emotion and arrangement of the second verse is fuller than that of the first verse. I added a different pad layer, including kick, snare and hi-hat. Bass also has a more intense rhythm. For the second chorus I added more ear candy using bell instruments. The rhythm of the chords also becomes lively. I let the rhythm of the drum change constantly to enrich the emotion of the song. For the interlude between second and third chorus, I chose the chord progression Dm, Bbmaj7/D, Dm, Bbmaj7/D, Gm7, A, Dm, Cm7, F7,B7. I play with instruments that sound damp to create a feeling of sadness. Entering the third chorus, I used a layered pad to smoothen the transition between the different sections and let the emotion of the song become bright again. For this section I also highlighted the snare to push the song into the climax I used the 808 electric piano to play the chords for the entirety of the song. In addition to lead vocal design. I also recorded the vocals and harmonies for the second verse. Especially in the last chorus, I recorded the vocal chorus to make the song full and passionate. During the post production stage, I use melodyne to adjust the speed and pitch of the voice. For adjusting the EQ I used Fabfilter’s ProQ3.

swear

The song draws inspiration from Adele and The Great Gatsby theme songs. I was captivated by their powerful energy that seemed to pull me deep into the emotions they express. In the intro, I layered three distinct elements: an acoustic bass playing in the low frequency range, a piano providing rhythmic foundation, and another piano carrying a singular melody line. For the verse, I chose to emphasize the vocal entry by initially using only a deep synth bass. After four bars, I introduced deeper-sounding pads to enhance the emotional depth. The first chorus features an impact sound to bridge each section. I discovered and layered a majestic pad sound in Serum to give the chorus a more serious, grandiose atmosphere. In the second verse and pre-chorus, I intensified the arrangement by tightening the chord rhythms and incorporating syncopation. The heightened tension comes from adding drum elements - kick, snare, and hi-hat, with particular emphasis on the hi-hat pattern. The transition between pre-chorus and chorus incorporates a brief melodic passage recorded using a piano VST, complemented by several reverse impacts to create forward momentum. The chorus itself features four layered pads creating a rich, passionate soundscape. I structured the bass rhythm more deliberately and added weightier bass sounds to establish a solid low-end foundation. The drums received special attention through emphasized snare and kick. A piano melody serves as ear candy throughout the chorus. Notably, I composed and recorded with an electric guitarist whose parts drive the chorus to its emotional peak while filling out the high-frequency spectrum, adding crucial texture to the piece. The bridge begins sparsely with just two bass parts and vocals, creating dramatic dynamic contrast. Its latter half gradually builds energy through the addition of three carefully selected pads. The final chorus builds upon its predecessor while highlighting the electric guitar parts. I expanded the chord voicings to maximize impact, enhanced by strategic ear candy and impact sounds. Following this emotional climax, the outro gradually unwinds the energy by transforming the pad sounds and removing the electric guitar and intense drums. The piece concludes with just chord progressions, bass, and distant vocals expressing the final emotional statement. For the vocal arrangement, I recorded dual lead vocals and added six harmony tracks in the second and third choruses. Though subtle in the mix, these harmonies add crucial fullness to the main vocal. The outro features vocals with varying proximity effects, creating an intriguing sense of mystery. The mixing process involved Melodyne for vocal processing, Fabfilter for reverb and delay, compression for volume balance, and EQ adjustments. I completed the mastering using Fabfilter alongside Logic's Direction Mixer and Limiter for the final polish.