Blog Post Week 8
Hello everyone, and welcome to my final blog post!! Yup, it’s nearing the end of the semester and here is my project write up for my Careers in Music class:
Marketing Myself as a Freelance Composer
Proposal by: Andrew Stickney
andrewstickney@email.arizona.edu
andrewstickney.com/blog
Introduction
I started writing music when I was 11 years old and given the notation program Finale 2001. Years later in 2009, I became interested in composing in other genres and began posting my music online. This is when I created the alias ClassicalCrysis on Youtube.com and first began to compose electronic music and experiment outside of the classical realm, creating music with a digital audio workstation (DAW) instead of just using Finale. Since then, I have been on a number of sites, some of which are no longer in operation or I do not use like betarecords.com or myspace.com, however, since 2010, I have used reverbnation.com and since been very successful in the Phoenix, AZ area charts for Electronica music in the past year, climbing as high as the #2 ranked artist in the area for a few weeks this past summer.
One major focus of my project was utilizing the many facets of the site that I hadn’t explored each week that could benefit me as an artist and gain me more recognition on the site or on the rest of the web, the goal of all of this leading to employment opportunities come May when I graduate. I also attempt many more endeavors like making a Twitter, planning a folk metal album/making a track for the site while also failing horribly some weeks at certain plans like trying to promote my concert music through the internet and having no success whilst trying to submit my reverbnation music to the sites’ radio stations but finding out I must be on the “paid subscription plan” to do so.
Project Summary
Each week I wrote a blog which described my use of the internet to explore opportunities to further my music on the web as well as work on music related projects like songs, albums and a concert in order to promote myself as a freelance composer.
Timeline
Week |
Tasks Accomplished |
Week 1 |
Project introduction- I will use various methods on the internet to promote my electronic music (ClassicalCrysis) as well as my concert sheet music from using mailing lists to submitting to competitions. Finished my first assignment for my electro-acoustic music class/first song on my future folk metal album entitled “Preparing the Voyage Vessel”. I learned that starting a piece is the most difficult part of the creative process and finishing on time is the second most difficult part of creating music. |
Week 2 |
Set up and used my mailing list to tell fans about my new track “Preparing the Voyage Vessel”. Wrote a five page paper on folk metal this week for my electro-acoustic music class in one night, thus learning about time management. It was a good paper, however, the presentation could have been better if I had practiced/prepared cue cards or had more time to plan what I was going to say. But it went very well even so, and I did my best to improvise off of the freshly written paper. |
Week 3 |
I had some extra time this week and re-mastered some of the virtual instruments playing the piece I wrote in week 1 so it sounds less like “8-bit” music, and much more full. I liked it so much more this way and posted it on ReverbNation. Also this week one of my goals was to create a Twitter account. I consider this one of my “last stops” in account making for now since I’m already on several other major sites with ClassicalCrysis. Creating a Twitter account was surprisingly easy, and in no time at all, I was following some of my favorite celebrities and musicians. |
Week 4 |
This week I was busy writing my second piece for my electro-acoustic music class. I tried to find availabilities for my concert music through ProNovaMusic.com, a site which was recommended by my electro-acoustic Professor, but I found nothing that suited me at this time. The site is fantastic and I will definitely come back to it in the future. On the other hand, I did find four opportunities to expand my career as ClassicalCrysis on ReverbNation. Three of them were basically online radio stations looking for music of a certain sound to play on their stations, and they were looking to promote talent, they were: 1. Road Runner Records and they are looking for a good rock or heavy metal track. 2. The Title Fight.com which is looking for an upbeat song. 3. Sunderland, UK’s Spark Radio, and finally 4. I could license with ReverbNation to get exposure into the music business/multimedia world to land a job composing and getting my music earning royalties. |
Week 5 |
This week was full of interesting discoveries with some disappointments. First, I stayed up all night in the lab working on my second piece for my electro-acoustic class, and it did not pan out well. First off, I couldn’t get the microphone to work, second, my drum track didn’t mix properly when I rendered it in the end. However, the class liked it anyways, and I think I got a good grade on it, defiantly “A for effort”. As far as the internet radio opportunities, I couldn’t submit to any of them because I found out that I would need to be on a 10$ a month “paid plan” type deal, which gives me more benefits on ReverbNation, but it’s not something I’m ready for yet. Also, for the licensing program, I was close to signing up for it, because it is free to join, however, you must be a member of an organization like ASCAP or BMI first, both which have initial fee(s) anyways, I believe. I am planning on joining ASCAP sometime this coming year. |
Week 6 |
My senior recital was on April 2nd, in Holsclaw Hall. I was very busy, stressed, and excited in preparation for this event. |
Week 7 |
The concert turned out GREAT!!! I had a lot of fun organizing almost all aspects of it, with plenty of help from my Professor, family, and a lot of support from friends who showed up. I stayed out till 4 in the morning with friends celebrating, and had the most awesome after party. The foremost lesson that I learned is to always plan/email/make preparations early for events like these. One of my regrets is having to pull a composition from the program that I have really wanted to hear in concert/get a recording of. Also, I am beginning electro-acoustic project #3, which is the final for the class. I will be recording a variety of ethnic/folk instruments from around the world including the zampona, or “pan flute” in this piece, along with other South American/Peruvian percussion instruments. |
Week 8 |
Tweeted about the recordings from my senior concert I posted on ReverbNation. Sent out another mailing list to fans to tell them to listen to tracks from senior recital. |
Results
I have a better understanding about how to market my music as well as myself on the internet as well as having a better common sense of what works and what doesn’t in the modern music industry due to having direct exposure, exploration and working on and sharing a variety of projects.
Reflection
I believe the overall project was a success, and I tried many new things and ideas and learned much in the process. It was only through this project that I was able to take the time to explore the many extremities of my music site and the internet in general, as well as analyzing and reflecting on major projects. These include my 5-page paper on Folk Metal and Other Types of Metal and its oral in class presentation, my 3 electronic compositions and my hosting a recital of my ensemble, solo and electronic works.
Most obstacles in this overall project were overcome by persistence. Meaning I had to stay up all night writing my 5-page paper, or finish composing a piece. As far as my senior recital, I had to be very persistent with the performers especially and return and send their emails and phone calls and stay in contact and keep track of schedules.
This project will help me with my career as a freelance composer because I took on a lot of new projects, and I tried many new things, some which panned out, others which didn’t, and some I will revisit and revitalize in the future.
Here are some electro-acoustic tracks from the second half of my senior recital. Enjoy!
Lastly, here is a picture of a quena, an Andean flute which I will be playing solo along with an accompaniment part I will compose for my final project for my electro-acoustic class.
Blog Post Week 7
This week was my concert on Saturday night (with an after party till 4am!). All that combine was probably the most fun, exhausting and intense experience I have had here at the U of A. I slept a lot in the days following, because I was so exhausted from the concert plus hanging out so late with my friends that night.
However, it was all worth it and I felt I have learned much putting on my own concert, where it was up to me to coordinate everything from gathering the players, to arranging rehearsal times, to making the program, to even reserving the reception room. A few things I would do differently in the future would be to follow up sooner rather than later on all inquiries I send out, so that there is not as much time lost if someone ignores/misses your email/call. There was only one piece that did not make the concert, and I wonder if following up sooner at the beginning rather than waiting for a response would have made a difference.
Granted I had a lot of help from my Professor, and the other studio teachers here, as well as my family who came down from Phoenix to bring food for the reception. The performers did splendidly, and you can hear the first half of the concert below (the 2nd half was electronic), which is streaming from my ReverbNation.com channel.
My final project for my electronic music class will be an interesting one. It consists mainly of three parts. First and foremost, is composing the score in the Finale notation program. Second is the “tape” part which will be recorded in my music studio and eventually become an mp3. The third part is rehearsing the performance, as the assignment is to create a piece for live instrument(s) and tape and perform it for the class, complete with several copies of a bound and professional looking score.
Below are two photos relevant to my starting the project this week. The first is my PreSonus AudioBox USB, which was a Christmas present from my parents, and is basically a really good usb connector for your microphone/guitar/bass/MIDI keyboard and powered monitors (speakers). It also comes with its own Digital Audio Workstation and 4gigs of VST’s, samples, and loops, which I am very excited to try out.
This photo is of my pan flute, or zampona, as they say in South America. My Dad got me this instrument when he visited Peru a few summers ago. This pan flute has two rows, and is the largest of 3 in my collection of folk instruments. I also have a quena flute from Peru, as well as other ethnic instruments from there and elsewhere that I plan to play for this final project if I see fit.
Blog Post Week 6
This week was especially busy and extremely stressful due to preparations for my senior recital this Saturday, April 2nd 7 pm in Holsclaw hall. This event is free and open to the public, and I’ve attached my program below. Next week, however, I will be covering an exciting new project with a surprise ethnic instrument complete with photo and backstory of where I got it and the country it is from.
Blog Post Week 5
A lot has happened in the past two weeks since my last post. First, my music took an unexpected turn in the studio and didn’t turn out to my liking, so I didn’t post it on ReverbNation. The microphone wasn’t working right for me, so I couldn’t record my vocals last week, nor could Digital Performer render or “freeze” the MIDI’s right, so my drum track didn’t make it through. I’ll try post it anyway, and you can see what you think.
Second, I was not able to submit my songs to any of my three desired radio stations (Road Runner Records, The Title Fight, and Sunderland) for consideration because ReverbNation demands that I purchase a “plan” and pay $10 a month to do so, which I am financially unable to do at the moment.
I also failed to be considered for licensing and discovery by talent seekers because after reading the forms, I learned that I needed to be part of ASCAP or BMI before submitting any of my music. I have been planning on joining a musical organization like ASCAP, along with a union like AFM (American Federation of Musicians) before I graduate with my bachelor’s. However, it looked like a great and otherwise free opportunity to get my music exposed, and possibly gain royalties, two great things for a budding composer like myself.
Blog Post Week 4
First, I apologize for having no visuals, links, or songs on this post. This is because the competitions, or “opportunities” in reverbnation.com can only be viewed in my account, so I can’t give the links or pictures to these, but I can give the descriptions to the 4 exiting endeavors which I have chosen to pursue. But first, here is an account of how my week went musically, with a personal reflection.
As far as my musical progress and how my week went, my piece will be done on Friday (March 11), just in time for spring break!! I will be leaving Tucson for break, and returning home to my family in Phoenix, and will not be posting for another 2 weeks, (until March 23rd) the Wednesday when I get back to the University. My next song premiering on Friday went through an interesting creative process, with 2 name changes, two time/meter changes, and an unexpected usage of only 1/5 of the lyrics I had planned to use. This means I can possibly make at least two, if not three more songs over the summer in my home studio with just these lyrics (and maybe a few added) for my folk metal album. I was not disappointed that I was unable to use all of my lyrics, but in fact I was proud of myself for being so creative and resourceful in using just one verse, (at first as a 6/8 dirge, then in a fast tribal dance style).
The other time change is that I wrote the intro in 4/4 time, and it sounds very slow because I was going to write the whole piece in 4/4 time, but the rhythm of the lyrics demanded a 6/8 meter. Since the dirge was so slow and long, and it only used up one verse, (the verse I would’ve used for the intro to As Vikings We Sail) I decided to repeat the intro in a slightly different manner to act as a bridge, then I got the radical idea that the rest of the song, (it was 2 minutes long by now) would be in a very fast tempo, and with all the instruments recorded through the microphone. I would play my djembe (drum part), digeridoo (bass part), and my panflute and/or tin flute. The lyrics would be the same, maybe some screams, harsh vocals, but this time in a 6/8 dance style, a lot like pagan folk metal. The name of the track is “I Would Dream”. Originally it was going to be “As Vikings we Sail”, that will have to wait, but it will be here soon! I was going to use some other lyrics as well, so I was going to name it “Row, Row, the Viking Boat”, after that section of the lyrics.
Concerning my competitions I’m entering next week, I went to the recommended site ProNovaMusic.com but I found no competitions open as of now for my concert music. It is a great source to bookmark though, and I will keep my eye on it. I did however find 4 opportunities to expand my career as ClassicalCrysis on ReverbNation. The first was from Road Runner Records and they are looking for a good rock or heavy metal track, which I think I can give them in the near future. Next is The Title Fight.com which is looking for an upbeat song, so I will submit to that. Also, there is Sunderland, UK’s Spark Radio which is looking for music for their online radio, so I am sure to submit a track. Finally, I can license with ReverbNation, which is something I have never looked into that might be beneficial and give me lots of opportunity.
Blog Post Week 3
This week (thankfully) was a lot less busy compared to last week’s chaos. I ended up getting much more rest, and I also started exercising every day, something which does not happen when it is crunch time to complete a composition, whether literary or musical (especially with an added oral presentation to give as well!).
Since I felt a bit rushed the first week completing my folk metal track “Preparing the Voyage Vessel” and ended up having to use almost all MIDI sounds instead of mostly VST’s and VSTI’s (which sound WAY better) I decided to re-mix/re-master the entire piece, so I could finally be satisfied with it. It took a great deal of reading and trial and error to figure out how FL Studio 12’s MIDI out feature works, but eventually I learned the correct way to set up my VST instruments, and I felt very accomplished. Next, I sent it on its way to being the latest track on my ReverbNation page, here’s the song, enjoy!
My planned “goal” for this week however, was to create a Twitter page and to start posting on it. As a reflection, Twitter seems like one of the last stops of social media for ClassicalCrysis (of this decade, let’s hope, until a new trend picks up), considering I’m already on Facebook, Twitter though I had never visited the site, had always seemed like a condensed version of Facebook, a “mini-Facebook” because you can only post a small amount of characters. It seemed by doing this, there is more space for everybody to look at everyone else’s posts. My knowledge about Twitter was that it has and still remains one of the most popular social media services available. People use it not just among their friends though, but they also tweet live TV shows and celebrities as now Twitter has made live TV and pop culture more accessible and engaging to its fans. I don’t have much interest in celebrity life or pop culture except when it comes to music. The live TV I do enjoy is usually music/arts centered like America’s or Britain’s got Talent, The Voice, or Dancing with the Stars.
Nevertheless, for my musical career as a composer I think that creating this account has been by far one of the best things I have done in a while for myself partly because I linked my Twitter to Facebook and ReverbNation, so when I post something on Twitter, it automatically posts it to Facebook and ReverbNation for me. I am even considering getting the Twitter app on my phone, which would be my first experience with a social media phone app. I don’t do Facebook on my phone or email because I think it would be too distracting to me and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace fast enough anyway, which would add stress to my day. Setting up an account on Twitter was surprisingly simple actually, and within minutes I was up and running, ready to make my first post to the world.
https://twitter.com/classicalcrysis
My post was about posting my new folk metal track on ReverbNation. Next week, there will be more exiting posts to the new Twitter and a new Folk/Viking Metal song, “As Vikings we Sail” as well as possible composition contests for my concert music works.
Here’s a picture of my project goals listed in a weekly fashion.
Blog Week 2
The biggest challenge of this week was writing my 5-page paper on folk metal for my electro-acoustic music class because it took so much of my time and energy that I didn’t have time for a whole lot else. The paper was basically a history of the genre and its many regional and national subgenres as well as a disambiguation of these among other types of heavy metal, such as gothic metal and black metal. Writing the paper was very exhausting and took all of Thursday night as well as some of the next morning, but it was worth it. I had to give a presentation, which I didn’t have time to make cue cards for, so I just went with information I had memorized with some help from the paper in front of me. I also prepared a flash drive with links to good folk metal songs in all the genres as well as good songs in the other genres and subgenres in gothic and black metal. The presentation and the paper were a success! I learned a lot of new stuff about folk metal that I didn’t know before, learned about foreign countries and their musical instruments and singing styles and found some great music along the way.
An Analysis and History of Folk Metal
Blog Week 1
In a nutshell, my project currently revolves around promoting my electronic music (ClassicalCrysis) as well as my concert sheet music. The plan is to use various methods of reaching out to people from mailing lists to submitting scores to the latest competitions, I plan to disperse my music in ways I haven’t tried before. I am predicting that my project might morph into something else, go in a different direction, or add on different components to make it more thorough.
Visit: www.reverbnation.com/classicalcrysis
This week, the main challenge was getting my piece finished. As a composer I’ve learned that the first hardest thing for me in the compositional process is starting a piece from scratch. The second most difficult thing is finishing the piece, because there is always so much more detail one could add to make it better. Next week comes more challenges like a big 5 page paper and presentation on folk metal.
andrewstickney.com 