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Workflow - after 5 years at WAAPA (rip I'm taking so long to finish this degree omg)

The online dictionary definition of workflow is the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion. A lot of people seem to think that creativity is this mystical thing that only a few are good at but I really, genuinely believe it is a skill that you can build. And I think one of the ways you can build this skill is through developing (or adhering to) a creative process which I guess is similar to a workflow. In my experience, the thing with creating something is that when you start out, it is often really messy and confusing and it takes effort and work to bring it clarity. This might put a lot of people off because they haven't realised that it's like that for everybody, especially when you are first learning how. It's kind of like learning a language and sometimes that language has come come from within you. So you have to open yourself up to new and different ways of doing or thinking about things. Through Flood and Phillips I found that actually, openness is listed as an essential trait for creativity.


I think creative processes will look different for everybody, and might even vary between projects - At least that's how it works for me. But I absolutely believe (and it seems there are mental health professionals who also believe) these things can be learned and that they have a huge benefit to the learner(s). So in the interest of improving my creative process, I have done a little research and would like to outline both what I have learned and a reflection of my process below. Writing often helps to clear my mind and reveal things I hadn't thought of before.


My workflow will always vary, depending on the medium but there is a general pattern:


1. Reading or experiencing other media: I find it really hard to just make things out of nowhere, and even if you are making things without an idea or inspiration, you are probably still using your life experiences and influence from media (particularly music) that you consume and have consumed throughout your life. This used to bother me because I felt there is no way to make anything original or new but now that I've developed a process that works for me, I feel it is actually kind of nice because ideas launch themselves from other ideas and so you are a part of something that is much bigger than just yourself. This musical history is as old as the human race itself and you're just playing a part to keep it going. You are not alone.


Anyway so a lot of my ideas come from reading and watching different things, like researching for assignments or watching documentaries in my leisure time. I particularly like nature and ancient history (and especially dinosaurs). In this way, I am able to use different pieces of information to develop an idea or concept. The majority of the time this is a relaxed and natural process for me - I am quite a curious person so I work to understand things purely because I'm interested in them. Generally I will forget about them and an idea will pop into my head at random intervals, although I have noticed that they generally come up during a workout or at like 3am (which spooks me because that's when the aliens will come for you).


2. Ideas & Journalling: This is a habit I picked up when I went to art school - I didn't finish that degree, I don't even know why I even started studying art to be honest. But this has been a really helpful tool for me because it helps me organise my thoughts, develop ideas based on various things like research and my own opinions/beliefs, and it allows me to write down any ideas that come to me during the process. That last point is important because I have realised I have a tendency to try to use too many ideas in 1 piece - I did this in my 3rd year recital and it kind if ruined it (for me at least). There were too many things going on. So it's important for me to quiet my mind and "capture what I see as the most essential part" (Meir, 2018) so I do not ruin the music - both sonic and conceptual. I guess editing is an important part of the process in terms of this but it doesn't solve my problem, that's where this journalling comes in. For me, it is a really helpful technique because if I write down an idea, it solidifies and I don't feel pressure to use it.


3. Actual Music Production: This is usually the step that changes depending on what I'm making. For example, if I am making electronic music I will primarily use the computer, however if I am writing a song or choral music I will use an acoustic instrument, my voice, a pencil and piece of manuscript. There are different points to make below:


Computer based composition - I have a number of steps when I'm using this type of production. I only use Ableton, mostly because my friends when I started at WAAPA all used Ableton but it is quite an easy program to use. I have also only ever used recorded sounds like guitar amp, voice, and field recordings so my main practice is a "direct sound manipulation" (Oppenheim, Phillips & Hollander, 2019). That is, I process and organise the sounds. I always start with an idea of what I want structurally, like a kind of vision. That way I can head in that direction but when you're working with a computer it is a little bit unpredictable so you have to be comfortable with a little bit of chaos, you sometimes have to let go of control. So far my music has all been quite noisy so even if something goes wrong (LIKE THOSE CURSED CLICKS IN MY RECITAL), it still usually seems to fit.


There is an idea in aesthetics that is about appreciating the medium as an individual with an intelligence of it's own as it is and I feel my position on mixing and mastering/my process utilises this idea. I don't really ~master~ any of my "music". I have a little formula of EQ Eight, Acoustic Compressor, Utility and Limiter which I put on all of my tracks and this works for me because I am not a detail-oriented person and actually, small details are often exhausting and stressful for me to deal with. This allows me to do some basic mixing as I go.


This type of composition is actually really easy and I think would be very accessible for anyone with access to a DAW program, I think the problem is a lot of people don't like the type of sound it produces. For future endeavours I could find a way to use such a straight-forward process to create something that would sound nice, I feel this would be useful for all people who want to make their own music - not just "composers". Or maybe this already exists..


Acoustic composition - This is definitely a weak spot in my practice. Of course I know the notes and rhythms I am playing but I never start with an analytic approach, it's always feeling-based. I believe music can be therapeutic and my main goal when writing a song is to work through or express an emotion, it is a much less conceptual practice for me and it often starts with an improvisation. I do not write anything down - it develops and solidifies on it's own over time, with more and more practice. I suppose it ends up that I memorise it. When I do this, I'm often in the moment and so I don't think so much about line logic or chord progressions. These things, as well as the structure of the song, often come out organically which I think means I have internalised a lot of musical information and so these habits come out as a result of all the study and listening I have done throughout my life. I do not think this is the most effective way to compose - a professional would probably think more about what they are doing and so I am trying to implement a more professional approach to this practice through some choral pieces I am working on for my special topics class, my goal is to maintain the potential for emotional expression and connection while also creating a decent composition in a methodical and informed way. I am still working on this.



*An important aspect that I haven't mentioned yet is the meditative quality of creation. I touched on authenticity/self-awareness in my introduction, I think these are important to develop if you want to forge a new path but this idea of novelty is only one aspect, or definition of art. Through my experience I have come to believe that state of mind is one of the most important and beneficial things that creation can foster - your art is better if you work while you are in the moment and present with it, and the art works for you in return if you are (again) in the moment and present with it. I have not read anything to support this - I have only experienced in through my own work. I would like to explore this idea more in the future.




References:



Flood, M. & Phillips, K. (2007). Creativity in older adults: a plethora of possibilities. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28, 389-411. University of Tennessee. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6375372_Creativity_in_older_adults_A_plethora_of_possibilities


Forgeard, M. J. C., & Elstein, J. G. (2014). Advancing the clinical science of creativity. Frontiers in Psychology. University of Pennsylvania. PA, USA. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00613/full



Oppenheim, D.V., Phillips, A. & Hollander, R. (2019). How Music Technology Will Impact Personal Creative Expression. Digitized, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 41-71 https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-78973-619-920191003/full/html




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