User Manual

What gives you energy and what depletes me?

A main thing that gives me energy is ideating. Whenever I come up with ideas, I get really into the subject matter and want to dive in head first, especially if it is something I am passionate about. I call them my 2 hour energy periods, because when I get the energy I expend it fairly quickly. So, this also could be a cause of my energy levels depleting. I also lose energy when I am uninspired, and if I am uninspired for a long amount of time, it takes time for my energy levels to kick back into gear. 

What is the best way for others to communicate with me?

The best way for peers to communicate with me would be through text. It is simple and easy to check, plus I can quickly respond. Texting also feels more personal than email to me, and on these types of projects I feel it is important to knock down barriers, like email, to forge stronger relationships between the class. 

What are your pet peeves?

I don’t have many pet peeves, but the few I have really annoy me. First, if the person isn’t as invested as I am in the idea or project it gets on my nerves. I realize that not everyone is as enthusiastic about everything I am, and I am guilty of doing this to other people, yet, I still feel that everyone should go head first into everyone’s new venture. One other pet peeve of mine is if I am the only one pulling my weight on a group project. Too many times in other classes was I the one to pick up the slack. 

What do people misunderstand about you?

People sometimes think that I don’t put as much effort into things, like school, as I should, which is untrue in my opinion. I’m very dedicated to learning and I expend a lot of energy towards school. I think people might think this of me because of the way I used to be, before I found the drive to put more energy toward school.

What values are important to me?

The two main values I hold close are honesty and open mindedness. If someone is honest with me, I immediately know I can trust this person and the work they are doing. I also really value when someone is open-minded. I think being absolutely free of prior judgment or conclusions is the only way to get the most out of a situation.

What kind of innovator are you?

I classify myself as an ideator. I am the person that is going to come up with the big ideas and big picture; the overall picture of the journey, rather than the intricacies of it. This helps me when being ambitious and creating interesting ways to solve problems, however it hurts me when I need specific tasks done, especially when dealing with numbers.

Breakdown: Can’t You See

Can’t You See, the first single I’ve released on to all platforms, was made during the solemn months of quarantine, when there was nothing else to do but make music. I first started with a guitar sample that I found in the Cymatics’ Roses Pack and went from there. I pitched down the original sample and added some reverb. I still found it to be a tad thin, so I duplicated it in the chorus and on the copy of the loop, I added distortion and a S1 Imager to widen the sound. After that, I added a pad to make the song sound lusher and a bass pluck to give movement and bounce to the mix. I didn’t think the pluck was low enough, so I added a sub bass to give the low end the bump it needed.. Then, it was time for drums. I didn’t want the drums to be too complicated, so I went with a straight quarter note kick, claps on 2 and 4, a simple hi-hat rhythm, some hi-hat rolls, and a few snare fills. I thought the claps were too mono, so I layered another one under the original clap to widen the sound of it. From here, I was ready to add FX. For the FX I added a riser and an impact to make the drops feel big and emotional. I want the beat itself to feel crisp and lush, with just the right amount of variance while retaining a familiarity with the listen.

Now that I was done with the instrumental parts, I was ready to begin songwriting and recording the vocals. With this song, I started with the chorus, so I could establish a clear theme. This was inspired by the want of second chances with people we messed up with. I wanted the chorus to be catchy and upbeat. I layered three different takes of the chorus on top of each other, one bass, one high energy, and one in regular tenor. Then I moved to the verses, where I wanted to add on to the theme of second chances and heartbreak. After finishing and engineering the vocals using compression, pitch correction ,reverb, delay, limiters, EQs, and exciters, ad-libs were next up on the list. I like the ad-libs to be far from the main vocal in the mix, so I made them wide and panned. Lastly, I added a guitar pick line that was made from a one shot of the original sample. I placed this in the second verse to give some variety to the composition and add to the feeling that is echoed in the lyrics. I then began to gain stage and mix. Once mixed, I bounced the song to Landr, an automated mastering company, and released it to all platforms that week. It has garnered many positive responses and you can listen for yourself on Apple Music and Spotify with the links below. Enjoy!

https://music.apple.com/us/album/cant-you-see-single/1534612318?uo=4