Fall 2019 Music Production Residency Presentation
“To me, music is similar, like a puzzle, and I wanted to reflect that. I was also inspired by the process of the exhibition, specifically the historical and cross-generational aspect.” — Hector
🎶Yesterday Advanced Program Students completed their music production residency and presented their projects and received certificates of completion at the USC Pacific Asia Museum! Students played their Ableton music soundscapes which were inspired by the exhibition Following the Box and spoke of their work to an audience comprised of their families, teachers and community members from the neighboring area. Congratulations on a successful completion to the Fall Level 2 program! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Listen to the student's final project playlist with inspiring beats and music samples from Bengal.
We started off the day with food and refreshments upstairs in the newly created historical gallery at USC Pacific Asia Museum, and then made our way down to the galleries where students spoke on how the exhibition informed their beats and sounds.
Throughout the day, participants also worked on art-making activities and took student-led tours throughout the museum.
Ben
“The soundscape I created has a melody that is very light, while the bass is very deep and heavy. It mimics how in the piece I chose, the top half is very colorful, while the bottom is a lot more somber feeling.”
Christian
“The artwork that inspired my music was a collage with tigers, samurai warrior, kids in a circle. When creating the soundscape for this piece, I wanted to incorporate sounds like a tiger roaring, or kids playing -- something you might hear coming out of the visual. I want whoever listening to my track to feel as if this collage and all the imagery is coming alive.”
Hector
“I chose the introduction piece to the exhibit, JERRI ZBIRAL called WHAT,WHERE, WHEN, HOW, WHO AND WHY? . It reminded me of puzzle pieces, where each piece had a specific meaning. To me, music is similar, like a puzzle, and I wanted to reflect that. I was also inspired by the process of the exhibition, specifically the historical and cross-generational aspect. I made my beat in a similar way that the artists in the exhibition made their artwork, in response to the photographs.”
Luis
“The piece I chose is a multimedia installation by artist ALAKANANDA NAG. The piece to me resembles birth and life. The piece is comprised of a darkroom with a red light, including a lot of different photos from “the box”. It inspired my soundscape because it reminded me of life, and that’s what I wanted my piece to resemble -- birth and the beginning of something big.”
Oscar
“I was inspired by the room in the exhibition with all the propaganda posters. It inspired me to make my music piece because I felt like the artist tried to tell the sad story of those dying due to famine that was caused by the war, so I wanted to make a sad type of beat.”
Pres
“I chose the Comic Strip because It was the story of how they found the box of photos -- the mystery behind the story was what interested me and also each artist’s view of the photos. Or each individual photo, and craft the world behind it all. I created the piece to mimic that mystery, I wanted it to sound a bit mysterious so I used ambient noises and other sounds.”
Santos
“I was inspired by the piece by SANJEET CHOWDHURY of a Boeing B-29 bomber airplane, flying. I wanted to create my soundscape to be the theme song for the war, with a modern take on it. I added a siren at the beginning to depict that feeling, but also based the style of sounds in my project off of modern dubstep. I also incorporated Indian music samples because it sounded like a guitar to me, and I thought that specific sound would go well with my dub step piece. I chose to create a fast paced beat and wanted to have a guitar-like sound that was a little slower.”
Steven
“I chose this piece since it speaks to me spiritually and brings peace to my soul as it does when i create art”