Title: Finding My Voice Through Song
Essential Question:
How can I tell my story through creating music?
Sub questions:
How can I grow as a musician by better understanding music composition?
How can I develop my own voice by listening to and covering songs of artists that I admire?
I have been immersed in the world of music since I was born, my dad being a skilled guitar player and my mom a professional singer. My parents would always sing little songs they made up to me and that quickly turned into me joining in with them. I started learning guitar when I was 10, just basic chords and songs, and I started to fall in love with music. I also began playing the ukulele. It became my outlet; listening to and playing songs. I casually continued playing guitar/uke as I got older and now I have the basics down but I want to gain more confidence and proficiency playing and singing. With this project,, I did not only want to focus on guitar/ukulele but also on writing music and lyrics which would open up a whole new side of music for me. I have never formally written any songs, but I feel up for and excited by the challenge. With writing songs comes alot of new knowledge and a new skill set which is why this senior project would be very engaging. It combines my love for music and writing into one. I have also always loved writing, and especially writing poetry which I think will prepare me for writing songs. At the end of the project I want to have begun a journey into self exploration through music and to have opened up a different side of myself. I want music to become an outlet for expressing who I am as well, and I hope song writing and taking classes to improve my guitar abilities will support me towards that end.
To get ready for this project I need to find a guitar/uke teacher to work with, almost certainly through zoom. I already have connections to a few teachers that I have worked with in the past and am exploring other options. Along with taking these lessons 1-2 times a week I am going to take part in two courses, one focusing on music composition, the other on songwriting. I have identified a few options which include: Tom Morello master class (who teaches songwriting and guitar techniques), The University of Edinburgh Fundamentals of Music Theory class, and more I will find. The purpose of these classes and lessons will be to develop a structure that can support my own song writing. I do not want a class that specifically helps me write my song, but rather separate courses that will give me more general knowledge as a context to find my own voice.
I will also be focusing on a different genre and group of artists each week or if I find one that is particularly engaging, I will continue with it for longer. I will look into their song writing processes and lyrics. Genres include (but may not be limited to):
- r&b/jazz
- Old pop
- Rock
- Current music (indie/alternative/pop)
As I previously stated I have been playing guitar and singing with my dad for years now. So I am not new to this, but I am fairly new to songwriting and music composition. During my senior project I want to update and record my progress and what I have learned on a blog. I will give a full update weekly, posting notes/insights from my classes and how it is shaping my voice and style. I will also post anything that inspired me such as images or writings that I came across. On the blog I will show the artists that I listened to that week (or over a few weeks) and what insights I have gained.
Schedule
Every day I will do a free write of what’s on my mind and maybe form it into a poem for possible lyrics. Then I will listen to an artist from a genre of that week and play some songs on the guitar from that artist. I will then take some sort of class (most days of the week) on either music composition, song writing or a guitar lesson and will write about it on my blog afterwards. Each week I will be getting closer to a final song/snippets of songs by drafting lyrics and different chord progressions. I will also be playing with my dad who can help me with the technique and also writing. And I have connected with Susan glass who could help me if I have questions along the way. Also I will have access to guitars and a ukulele and will get a mic as well so I can record.
Final product:
Depending on how much effort goes into the production of a song, I intend to write either a final, polished song with lyrics and music, or snippets of a few songs that I had developed (maybe across genres.). I can also have a recording.
Through this experience I hope to gain a new found confidence in myself as a musician and have more of an understanding of my voice and place in the broad world of music. I want to sharpen my guitar skills and learn how I can best write a song. There could be the challenge that I become disengaged with the guitar. In that case, I have the ability to switch to playing the ukulele or even have a mostly writing day; in other words, I can switch it up. I hope that my main takeaway from this project is that I can better express myself and feelings through lyrics and music. And, I will tell my story and growth through this final song that I produce.