Aural Sculpture

[Teresa Ulrich]

1. What were the musical constraints of working with another student's sound block? I had to whittle down and find the loops that fit together to make something logical. It actually was not that hard because he used a lot of similar sounds, such as orchestral strings.I personally didn't mind using what another student put together.
2. What were the technological constraints of composing in GarageBand?
I am not that savvy with the keyboard, so if I wanted to record something, I might have just end up frustrated because I probably would not have been able to make it sound exactly the way I wanted it.
3. Did those constraints help or hinder you (both?) in creating your composition?
Well, he had already put something together, so I just had to mold it into a sculpture. I really didn't have to worry about recording anything into a MIDI file, especially with the sculpture, because that wasn't part of the assignment.
4. How was the process of composing an aural sculpture similar to and/or different from the free, additive composing you did the previous class?
The two processes are different because in a free composition, a student must come up with his or her own material. Whereas in the sculpture, the loops are already picked out and the student is able to exercise his or her own creative forces on the block.
5. Did you find it easier to compose subtractively, as in the aural sculpture project, or was it easier to compose from a blank GarageBand canvas? Why?
I think it was easier to compose subtractively because someone had already put loops together. I just had to edit and find what I thought sounded good. In working with a blank canvas, it can sometimes be frustrating with so many choices and trying to find the right loops that fit together.
6. What do you think students could learn and/or show about their prior understanding of music through this kind of project?
Students would be able show an understanding of style, form, and mode.