nboualwa_p7_answers.txt

1. Long Season by Fishmans is one of the most sublime musical journeys to ever grace my ears. It is an absolute tour de force – an enriching experience that leaves one wondering how music can have such an effect on one's psyche. As homage to this "song", I dedicated my final project to an attempt at recreating it through the techniques we learned this semester. I took the most memorable parts of the song – the never-ending piano loop, the penetrating synthesizer, the androgynous vocals, and the vibrating violins – and made my own version of each, boiling them all down to a minute-and-a-half ICM-rendition. 

2. To recreate the song, I had to find the perfect elements that fit, and I had to make those elements fit within the canvas that is Nyquist. This was a considerable challenge. I had to recreate the instruments in the right way (for example, the opening oscillators that simulate the violins in the song) and mix them in a way that stayed true to the original. I also had to figure out a way to bring in elements of the song that are important to it, but aren't obviously manipulatable in the ways required by the project. I'm thinking of the use of vocals – I ended up cross-synthing my voice with the synths in the song, to make a mashup of vocal-synth that is heard at 45s-60s.

3. I used Audacity to line up the three main elements of the song together (main melody, vocals, and granularized synths). I used some amplitude control to increase the volume of the vocals, as they sounded too quiet. I also used the envelope tool to create smooth fades and transitions between the main melody & the granular synths, and at the end.

4. I used four techniques: Frequency modulation, pattern generation, sampling (cross-synthesis), and granular synthesis. The composition opens with frequency-modulated oscillators that almost sound like violins, creating a smooth entry-point into the song. I used pattern generation to create the repeating piano notes heard throughout the song. I cross-synthesised my voice with synthesizers in the original song to be used as a voiceover to the piano. Finally, I used granular synthesis on a part of the original song to use as a tone-changing closer. 

5. I really recommend listening to Long Season. The only proper way to do this is with some good headphones on, eyes closed, and no interruptions for 35 minutes.

6. Sure, I give permission for my piece to be put online.