Assignment #13
- 1Borrow a phrase or line from Poetry Foundation’s Poem of the Day.
- 2Before considering any music, write all of the lyrics, including the borrowed line.
- 3Include at least one a cappella moment in the song.
- Due Mar 12, 2023
- 10 Submissions
- Created by NCBC
Other Assignments
Assignment #21
- 1Choose a chord progression with no more than four chords in it and never deviate.
- 2Create three distinct song sections by focusing mostly on melody.
- 3No hiding! No effects other than EQ and compression.
Assignment #20
- 1Base your song off of a dream you’ve had—recurring or otherwise.
- 2Feature two interweaving musical elements.
- 3Involve your subconscious by including some amount of improvisation in your recording.
Assignment #19
- 1Set your song at a motel during a meteor shower.
- 2Feature a “cascading” melody.
- 3During your process, spend some time outside at night alone.
Discussion
nick March 6, 2023 10:10am
Already hit that point where I would have adjusted the lyrics/arrangement because I’m not sure how to support them musically… but it’s nice to know reworking the music is the only option. As @@nurphgun would say #parameterswillsetyoufree. How’s it going @@agasthya?
agasthya March 6, 2023 10:55am
same! I’ve got a bunch of words that *look* nice, now I’m trying to edit by feeling the rhythm of the words themselves to set myself up for the music part. definitely hard to ignore any little melodies that come to mind. I suspect that I’m going to make some lyrical/syllable adjustments once I start writing music.
nick March 6, 2023 11:18am
right, finding the natural rhythm of the words is the way to go… definitely have to avoid loyalty to those knee-jerk melodies. I’m doing my absolute best to keep my sheet untouched, but it is a struggle.
Ryan March 6, 2023 11:35am
This assignment has been fascinating. My lifelong obsession with the difference between writing lyrics and poetry has been fully rekindled. I’m leaving my sheet untouched just for the sake of sticking to the parameter—it’s certainly revealed some oddball rhythms.
agasthya March 8, 2023 11:13am
ok in music writing mode now and OOF dis is hard to do. love it!
Ben March 12, 2023 7:07pm (edited)
lyrics are so hard. poetry is hard.
i definitely have a bunch of lines that
are sung like this.
i finish singing some of the phrases in the
next “line” of the lyr-
ics
agasthya February 27, 2023 8:51am
this is gonna be great. lyrics are the toughest part for me so I’m excited for the challenge!
nick February 27, 2023 4:24pm
yeah i think i’ve only ever had lyrics before music once
Ryan February 27, 2023 6:08pm
yeah I don’t think I’ve ever pulled it off. kind of horrified, mostly psyched.