These next two tracks were from my Berklee Online Summer Semester, Week 6 in Synthesis, Sampling, and Sound Design in Film Scoring.

Acid House Bass was an exercise to “create a TB-303 bass line … choose a subtractive synth and create a 16-note sequenced bass line … loop the sequence … make sure to automate the filter cutoff and resonance over time to change the timbre.” I automated the cutoff so that it would have a predictable, planned rise and fall, and then performed the resonance on my modwheel. Using the modwheel as opposed to turning a small knob made it a little easier for me to play a rhythm.

Terminator Drive, Stranger Glass was the assignment to “write a two- to three-minute piece of music using four arpeggiated parts that work well rhythmically together … use the film clips in this lesson to inspire you and incorporate any of the approaches and techniques that were mentioned … you are welcome to add synth pads or percussion, or any other instruments that you want, but make sure the arpeggiated parts are a significant element in the score.” I was inspired by the ostinato from the first Terminator film, the undulating bass from Drive, and the arpeggio from Stranger Things. I adapted the 13|16 ostinato from Terminator into 4|4 by adding a group of 3 and changed it into 10|16 by taking away a group of 3. I did the 4|4 version in my A section and then the 10|16 in the return of the A section at the end. I used arpeggiators with increasing layers of notes and range to build my moving lines. I was also inspired by Philip Glass, so in the B section I used one of his arpeggios (I can’t remember what it’s from), using a step descent bass progression that is 5|16 + 5|16 + 5|16 + 6|16. Throughout the entire piece there is a bell sound with an arpeggiator to make it pulse in a group of three 16th notes, tying everything together.

These four tracks were from my Berklee Online Summer Semester, Weeks 1 to 4 in Synthesis, Sampling, and Sound Design in Film Scoring.

A Single Sound was my Week 1 assignment to “create a 30-second piece of music using the provided audio file as the only sound source … Use the tools in your DAW, such as volume automation, pitch shift, editing/chopping, and panning in order to create a piece that develops over the course of 30 seconds.” The original sound was just a single synthesized sustained pitch.

Synth/SciFi/Horror/Classical was my Week 2 assignment to “create a piece that’s under one minute long using the subtractive synthesizer sounds that you created … in a style that is similar to the Doctor Who theme, or to the music from A Clockwork Orange or Halloween.” I wanted to combine elements from all three styles, so I incorporated the driving bass groove, portamento melody, and song-like structure of the Doctor Who theme, the high percussive ostinato with half step movement for dissonance and driving hihat 16th notes of Halloween, and the use of classical themes played electronically from A Clockwork Orange. I made closed and open hi-hat sounds, a bass sound, a lead sound, a pad sound, and a high plucked sound (for the role of the piano in Halloween). There are four different classical themes that I mashed up, see if you can spot them!

Chariots of Apocalypse was my Week 3 assignment to “make a one-minute long piece with a minimum of four sounds that you’ve made … (use the LFO, filter, LFO envelope or filter envelopes, and automation to create movement in all four of the sounds) … in the style of either one of the films Apocalypse Now, with its experimental and mysterious undertones, or Chariots of Fire, with its magical, inspirational mood.” I wanted to start with a reference to the optimism of Chariots of Fire, but then transition into something along the lines of the relentless military march ostinato from Apocalypse Now. I created a bass, a pad, a lead, a hi hat, a timpani-type sound, and pitch risers.

Casino Royale Car Chase was my Week 4 assignment to “find a short film clip with a scene that is around one minute in length … create your own ambient synth soundscape for the scene … using multiple oscillators that are layered and that represent the mood, feel, and pace of the film clip … any additional layered ambient synth parts with movement using tools such an LFO, envelopes, or automation … any combination of effects … such as reverb, delay, chorus, flange, or phase.” I thought adding tension as opposed to “action” scoring (like in a fight scene) would work well. I wanted to have a change from when he is outside the car and starting the car to when he is actually driving. This ended up also being an exercise in composing around loud sound effects.