16 APRIL 2018

Today I began to finalize the seventh track off of my final project, which has been retitled Dead End. I added various effects as well as mastered the percussion and changed the oscillation mix of a synthesized lead. In addition, I finished a re-work of one of Isaiah's tracks, titled, "Think About Me" off of his Candle Wax EP, which was released earlier this school year. I had him listen to it and make any notes of what should be changed and ultimately received his approval. I also worked on my paper describing my process, influences, and overall progress throughout the development of my project.

"UPDATE 33" - JANUARY 10, 2018

Today I signed with a label. It was a big step for me in creating my brand and developing as an artist. I am using an online distribution service called DistroKid to pass my music to over 150 music streaming services. I finished a track titled "Noche" (click here to listen) that I planned to be my debut release on services such as iTunes, Spotify, and TIDAL. I added two additional samples and finished drum sequencing. The most difficult part of today was compressing to the correct kbps that would pass the standards of lossless compression systems such as the ones TIDAL uses to provide a seamless streaming experience. I filled out the metadata for the track and uploaded it to the distribution service. Also, I used Photoshop to develop a simple song cover. In about 1-2 business days, my track should be available on all major streaming platforms.

"UPDATE 32" - DECEMBER 15, 2017 (HO HO HO)

Today I essentially finished my term paper. I plan on making some final edits over the weekend and I began work on three potential tracks for my final project HYPERLINK and continued to sort through my collection of samples. I also researched potential MIDI controllers I could utilize to streamline the process of inserting notes into the piano roll. I plan on purchasing the Akai Mini. It would be much more beneficial than manually drawing out every note, especially as I am transitioning to using much more complicated systems, add-ons, and sidechains. I may be producing one of Isaiah's upcoming tracks, as we are frequent collaborators.

"UPDATE 31" - DECEMBER 13, 2017 (HO HO HO)

Today I spent the majority of class making up an essay for Mr. Templet. It took a little over an hour and when I returned, I wrote approximately an additional page and a half to my term paper. I did not work on any new tracks, but I sent two copies of the WAV file stems for my most recent tracks to other artists for feedback and as well as open the opportunity for future collaborations.

"UPDATE 30" - DECEMBER 11, 2017 (HO HO HO)

Today I released another track, titled "Monochromatic". I had to master it and release it on Soundcloud. After that, I opened an old project and revived it by integrating new filters and reverberation. Afterwards, I created a drum kit and began to layer them on top of the pre-existing track. I had to tinker with the side-chaining since it was not exporting with the specified levels. In the evening, I plan to release the track to my SoundCloud. Again, I received assistance from a TAG peer in designing the cover art using Fragment and Photoshop, but have yet to come up with a name.

UPDATE: The song can be heard HERE

"UPDATE 29" - DECEMBER 07, 2017 (HO HO HO)

Today was a thesis day. For half of the class, I was called out by Mr. Templet, the AP English Literature teacher, to make up a multiple-choice test. Upon return, I finished mastering a track on Logic Pro X and converted it into a WAV file compared to the usual MP3 or AAC stems exported. I then uploaded the track to Bandcamp and designed cover art for it using Photoshop, Fragment, and Photo Editor. The song title was chosen by fellow TAG student, Sally Thurman. After that, I shared the song to fellow peers to get an opinion on how to improve. I also began talks with Isaiah about becoming a co-producer on his upcoming record. After that, I began to sort through various samples of songs I had compiled for inspiration for a next track. Out of the approximately 50 I have made, only three have made it to my project HYPERLINK thus far. Finally, Krishna has requested for me to mentor him on becoming a producer and to tutor him on how to use a DAW (digital audio workspace) and MIDI keyboard to create music.

Click here to hear the track "SALLY IS WEIRD" by I/O on Bandcamp.

"UPDATE 28" - DECEMBER 05, 2017 (HO HO HO)

Today I worked on my thesis essay. I started my introduction and continued to produce more tracks in efforts to incorporate them into a cohesive project. I have produced over fifty tracks over the course of the class. I have uploaded some of them to SoundCloud (<- clickable link to my profile) and continue to make music for Isaiah and other local artists as well as other artists on SoundCloud. I have not found another mentor yet, but I have contacted producers for various record labels (such as OVO).