Re: If you had to state 5 rules of a successful music composition for 12th grade students...

[Matt Davignon <mattdavignon@gmail.com>]

1) When sampling, don't depend on the samples themselves to make it a
good song. A listener should get a sense of your creativity, not the
creativity of the people you're sampling.
2) Listen to songs you like, and pay attention to the dynamics - how
adding and subtracting layers creates the energy flow of the song.
3) Small details make a big difference - pay attention to this when
listening to songs you like.
4) The finished song should not sound like a bunch of samples and
loops laid across a grid in multiples of four. Add (or subtract)
little details to make each moment stand out. It's ok to use some
sounds only once.
5) Trim the fat! Seriously consider taking out any part that isn't
excellent or productive to the entire song. An excellent 3 minute
composition is way better than a 5 minute composition where you're
waiting for the good moments to come.


-- 
Matt Davignon
mattdavignon@gmail.com
www.ribosomemusic.com
Rigs! www.youtube.com/user/ribosomematt

On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 6:03 PM, margaret noble
<margaretnoble2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hello Loopers List,
>
> This thread could turn into a complicated philosophical discussion. I aim
> rather to put your ideas in a box for my students to have a performance
> criterion/check list of what they should nail on their first electronic
> music composition based on the simplicity of Reason and "Fair Use" 
>sampling
> in Protools. It is assumed that they have no previous music knowledge and
> are forging their way through to try and find a measure of success.
>
> So, I'd love to hear your top 5 (or more) descriptors/performance 
>criteria
> of a "successful" composition.
>
> Margaret Noble - Sound Artist
> Sound is Art Magazine - http://margaretnoble.net/soundisart
> Artist Website - http://margaretnoble.net
> New Record Label - http://femrecords.com/
>
>
>