Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Secondary Mentor

I would likely use Mr. Defazio, Mr. Pfaff or even potentially consult Beth Lykins when creating the album cover for the capstone because of her expertise and knowledge in Photoshop in the event Ricardo is permitted to be my primary mentor since he is a faculty member in another school. This also depends if he is available and interested in my capstone idea as well.

A secondary mentor is another good resource throughout the capstone process. This person can provide constructive feedback as well and give you helpful advice. You can find a secondary mentor in the school of media arts and science, and likely another school. It could even be someone outside of IUPUI.
I would not want my secondary mentor to be someone I do not think respects students or is incapable of giving positive feedback. I would also not want a secondary mentor who does not seem interested in my capstone idea or that may be too busy to be a good resource.

Project Development Issues

One of the first issues that came to mind regarding the capstone is studio availability once the songs are ready to be recorded. The school only has one sound recording studio and during some weeks, can be pretty booked. This issue is correlated with time management and requires proper planning to ensure deadlines are met and the workflow of the project does not get behind. Another time management issue is dedicating enough time to the capstone in general, especially during the mixing and editing stage, as well as not letting other obligations and responsibilities, such as work control my schedule.
For this project, I will need to brush up on my recording and mixing skills. It has been since last semester that I have recorded in the studio and then mixed the content for an assignment.
My main resource will definitely be ProTools or Logic. This is where I will mix the recordings until they sound perfect. My secondary resource is the studio, where I will record the content. Another noteworthy resource is the technology services where I will be able to check out recording equipment that I do not own, such as microphones. As far as people that will be resourceful, my friend Taylor is very knowledgable with Protools, recording and mixing so I have a feeling I will definitely consult his opinion throughout the process. My primary and secondary mentors are also going to prove to be major resources as well.
Luckily I think my budget for the project will be fairly low since there is little I will have to purchase. Most of the tools I need are available to me for free. Producing the short album (printing the cover and making the cds) seems like the only money I might spend, although I'm sure other costs are sure to come up.
Some issues I foresee involve my mentors vision and my vision of the music. There may be a disagreement on what is best for the song(s) or what sounds good. Obviously taking their advice will be in my best interest, however if I strongly disagree I'm going to have to consider the risk of doing something my own way. Another issue as mentioned is making sure to reserve the recording studio in advance to avoid setbacks. Other classes could also get in the way of staying on schedule. Of course, there are always software issues that may come up when editing or recording.

Mentor Profile

For my capstone, I would really like to write, record and mix a short album of music. I feel that five songs would be enough to keep me busy the following semester since I will be attending class full time and working. I would also like to design an album cover in photoshop for this album. I really enjoy digital design and as long as time permits, I want to be able to incorporate this aspect of my project.

For this project, I will need a mentor who is very familiar with what quality music sounds like; has a good ear. I want a mentor who is constructively critical with feedback and ideas and pushes me to do my best. I want my mentor to be easy to communicate to and I want a mentor who is going to help motivate me.

Mark Pfaff comes to mind first and foremost for my capstone mentor. He is very well educated about recording and mixing music. He seems to have a good ear for music which will help me produce a better project, and I feel he would be constructively critical.
Ricardo Laranja comes to mind second. I have also previously had him as a professor and am confident in his opinion of how music sounds. I know he has produced music for artists as well as composed and mixed for films. He is easy to communicate with and is in general a positive and encouraging professor.
When doing research, I found Joe Defazio in the list of faculty, a professor with whom I have never had. I read within his profile that he has a bachelors in music performance and has also composed music as well in addition to being a musician. So far with these credentials, he seems to be a good candidate for a mentor.

Mark Pfaff has his masters in Multimedia technology, which would be helpful to me. He also has worked in a recording studio, currently teaches sound design, and has played in a band in the past. I have not contacted him yet because I just recently narrowed my wide range of ideas, but plan to do so to find out his availability next semester, his expectations when mentoring, and whether or not he would be interested in my type of project.
Ricardo Laranja's information has been removed from the informatics website because of his recent switch, and I cannot find his faculty information in the music and technology faculty listings. However, I am very interested in having him as either my primary or secondary mentor. He has a long list of credentials I know would be beneficial to my capstone, especially regarding the recording and mixing element of my project. I have not yet contacted him either, but plan on e-mailing him to find out his availability in the spring and whether or not he would be interested.
Joe Defazio has a background in music, both performance and composition. I want to approach him as well to find out more about him since I am not familiar with his expertise.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Peer Support Information

I think for my general capstone ideas, I'm going to be working primarily with sound. I have not yet decided whether or not I want to do a live performance (if so maybe as a DJ set). I may also use art in conjunction with my capstone and incorporate music with it. (I will likely compose and mix this music myself if that is the case.) The documentary "Wasteland" inspired me to create something artistic in an unconventional way and I'd really like to use art in some form in my capstone. If I were to do a live performance of any kind, I would want to create an image to go with the performance, for example an album cover. So basically I'm balancing between sound, imaging, and possibly a live performance.

Today in class I spoke with Greg because his potential idea is to do a live performance about the four elements. I offered a bit of advice to Greg and put out there what I would be willing/capable of contributing to his project. I would like to read the script Greg has to get a better grasp of the concept he has in mind which will also give me a better idea of what he's looking for and if I would be a good fit for his project. I spoke with Andrew as well; he is also highly considering a live performance, specifically a musical. I gave Andrew some advice for his theme so as to relate to his potential audience. The two of us also mentioned working together on our capstone with his idea, although I am not entirely sure at this point.