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Fri, 10/14/2022 - 18:01
Edited Text
I am Ironfist:
By: Nicholas Zeigler-Heil
Proposed Culminating Experience:
I will employ Internet branding techniques to help start my career as
an electronic artist, producer, producer under the name “Ironfist”. I will
create a Youtube channel and develop my already existing Soundcloud page
that showcases my skills as a producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist. This
will create a global platform in which to distribute my music, as well as give
me a unique visual aesthetic to showcase my music, image, and the Ironfist
brand. I believe that a musician’s visual image has become vitally important,
if not integral, in aspiring to the rapidly growing and ever evolving
professional platforms of the 21st century. Visual imagery has become the
standard as a way to promote artistic content. My Youtube channel will
incorporate music videos, live DJ performance sets utilizing turntables, and
a vast array of music instruments, basic video tutorials of scratching and a
breakdown of my DJ sets, and behind-the-scenes footage from both video
production and live performance. This will incorporate a focused vision on
fashion, costumes, and some basic acting. Audiences must remain engaged
in order to sustain attention and interest. One way to achieve that is through
fostering an interactive element to my music and give the audience a unique
experience. I am researching ways to make my Youtube videos more
interactive by creating boxes that can be clicked to alter the ending of music
videos and/or serve as links to see bonus or alternate footage. This
combination of nonlinear media could serve as a way to make my content
stand out. I believe that engaging the audience by providing platforms in
which they can interact with an artist’s content is an innovative avenue that
will be explored by aspiring artists in the future.
As well as utilizing the convenience and accessibility of
YouTube, I plan to use social networking to help make my brand
become more viral and accessible. Applications like Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, and Spotify, can serve as invaluable
self-promoting tools if used tactfully. They can give my projected
audience more behind-the-scenes content. This form of interactivity
can possibly help make the audience fell more involved in my creative
process, as well as who I am as an artist. While some may make the
case that this reliance on technology may be contributing to the
disconnection of interpersonal interaction, I see the innovations in
social media as a way to connect to fans and supporters who believe
in my music in a way that has never been achieved before. I also
believe that as this type of technology continues to improve, its
awareness and user comfortability will continue to increase.
How the work contributes to the profession:
The job of an innovator more often than not is to take already existing
tools, and to utilize and expand on them to make something new. I believe
that as an electronic artist my culminating experience will contribute to the
profession by creating a profile and portfolio for my music and can also
serve as a press kit that can be distributed to prospective clients. This
interactive portfolio gives a true and accurate representation of my work,
and can be useful when I am trying to book shows, work with artists, or get
sponsorships. The use of employing the Internet to display artistic content is
not new, but I plan to innovate this model by incorporating more audience
interaction. I believe that electronic activity is the next logical step for
getting artists’ names out, and I plan to use my Ironfist brand as a vessel in
which to explore deeper into uncharted waters.
Plan of Action:
I began developing and implementing my culminating experience
during my first semester at Berklee Valencia. I have been taking advantage
of the support and tools that Berklee has afforded me to take the beginning
steps. My Music Technology Innovation curriculum has allowed me to
continually strengthen my production and engineering skills. I am a member
of the Berklee’s DJ collective, and have continued to gain performance
experience to better understand my desired audience’s demographics. I have
also started networking with other artists such as rappers and singers, as well
as producers, and students in the Global Music Business Masters program.
Working with a collaborative group, fostering relationships by building a
small network and team, has helped me develop content. This has helped me
to start develop songs, and I am discovering how these can be turned into a
soundtrack that will complement a video. My next step is to continue a
challenge that I have set for myself this semester. The challenge is create or
produce a new song every week for my music video production. My plan is
to also finish two EP’s ranging from 3-5 tracks, that I will make available on
the social music-streaming site Soundcloud as well as You Tube. My plan is
make at least one of the EP’s into two a short film. This means I have to
have a clear and focused concept on what the creative statement is. I have
already started working on these EP’s, and I’m already 2/3rds’s of the way
finished with EP 1. I plan to have all of the instrumentals of the first EP
done before the start of the Summer Semester. I have completed tracks for
the other EP as well. My deadline is to have both of these completed and
uploaded on Youtube by July 1st. In addition I have completed material for a
DJ Mixtape that I can upload to Soundcloud. This Mixtape will feature
music created by me and will be a continuous compilation. I will promote all
the videos and the behind-the-scenes process by using social media. I also
will develop two performance DJ sets or sound a likes some popular songs
that will have recently been released. For my first Video for the Music
Video Production class I created a comical Mash up of a popular song mixed
with an Oscar nominated song. To date, it is my most popular video and I
plan to create one more such song that has a similar flavor. I have been using
Ben Cantil’s MTI-613 Electronic Dance Music Composition course to help
develop the content during the spring semester. Since the tracks have to be
current, I plan to release one in the beginning of the year, and another in
either April or May. While I accumulate content for my Youtube Channel, I
will reach people and build a small Internet promotion team to push some of
my videos. This team will include some of the Global Entrainment and
Music Business students. In addition, I have been gaining work as a
producer throughout Berklee’s campus, and I will continue to work with
various artists to build my production skills and make music to help other
artists creative vision and not just my own.
My Timeline for my Culminating Experience is as follows:
December 31st: 3 possible tracks I can use for my music videos
January 26th: Begin shooting for first music video
February 19th: DJ Mixtape Completed
February 20th: First “concept” music video completed
April 15th: Live “Battle” DJ performance set completed
June 17th: Have at least 3 Scratch Tutorial videos uploaded
July 1st: Complete first EP completed. Have at least 10 songs, videos,
and/or mixes uploaded to Youtube and Soundcloud
July 1st: Have my second EP/Short Movie completed. It will be
interactive
List of Materials and Resources:
In order to successfully accomplish my Culminating Experience I will need
various musical equipment, software, and production equipment available
for my use. While I have access to most of the equipment below already, the
ultimate task is to master how all of these pieces can function together:
•
(2) Numark TTX Turntables
•
MPC controller
•
NS7 ii
•
Akai APC
•
Akai Keyboard
•
DJ Mixer
•
Bass Clarinet
•
Bass Guitar
•
Dobro
•
Acoustic/ Electric Guitars
•
Serato DJ/ Serato Video
•
Ableton Live 9
•
Various mid plugins such as (Kontakt, Izotope, and
Soundtoy’s)
I will also need access to a video camera that will allow me to upload
videos to my computer, as well as some video lighting. In addition, I will
need a small team of people to help make everything successful including:
•
Cast for Videos (Rappers, Musicians, Extras)
•
Costume/ set designer
I will also need a basic understanding of film and how to successfully direct,
produce, and edit videos as well as understanding basic set design.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, my culminating experiences solves a problem: How
does a musician stand out and make their music known in a rapidly growing
market that is becoming more globally accessible? I believe that interaction
paired with a solid visual representation and social media is one path to do
so. While I’m sure there are many other ways to answer that question, this is
what I would like to invent, and perhaps other artists, whether musical or
otherwise, will follow suit.
By: Nicholas Zeigler-Heil
Proposed Culminating Experience:
I will employ Internet branding techniques to help start my career as
an electronic artist, producer, producer under the name “Ironfist”. I will
create a Youtube channel and develop my already existing Soundcloud page
that showcases my skills as a producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist. This
will create a global platform in which to distribute my music, as well as give
me a unique visual aesthetic to showcase my music, image, and the Ironfist
brand. I believe that a musician’s visual image has become vitally important,
if not integral, in aspiring to the rapidly growing and ever evolving
professional platforms of the 21st century. Visual imagery has become the
standard as a way to promote artistic content. My Youtube channel will
incorporate music videos, live DJ performance sets utilizing turntables, and
a vast array of music instruments, basic video tutorials of scratching and a
breakdown of my DJ sets, and behind-the-scenes footage from both video
production and live performance. This will incorporate a focused vision on
fashion, costumes, and some basic acting. Audiences must remain engaged
in order to sustain attention and interest. One way to achieve that is through
fostering an interactive element to my music and give the audience a unique
experience. I am researching ways to make my Youtube videos more
interactive by creating boxes that can be clicked to alter the ending of music
videos and/or serve as links to see bonus or alternate footage. This
combination of nonlinear media could serve as a way to make my content
stand out. I believe that engaging the audience by providing platforms in
which they can interact with an artist’s content is an innovative avenue that
will be explored by aspiring artists in the future.
As well as utilizing the convenience and accessibility of
YouTube, I plan to use social networking to help make my brand
become more viral and accessible. Applications like Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, and Spotify, can serve as invaluable
self-promoting tools if used tactfully. They can give my projected
audience more behind-the-scenes content. This form of interactivity
can possibly help make the audience fell more involved in my creative
process, as well as who I am as an artist. While some may make the
case that this reliance on technology may be contributing to the
disconnection of interpersonal interaction, I see the innovations in
social media as a way to connect to fans and supporters who believe
in my music in a way that has never been achieved before. I also
believe that as this type of technology continues to improve, its
awareness and user comfortability will continue to increase.
How the work contributes to the profession:
The job of an innovator more often than not is to take already existing
tools, and to utilize and expand on them to make something new. I believe
that as an electronic artist my culminating experience will contribute to the
profession by creating a profile and portfolio for my music and can also
serve as a press kit that can be distributed to prospective clients. This
interactive portfolio gives a true and accurate representation of my work,
and can be useful when I am trying to book shows, work with artists, or get
sponsorships. The use of employing the Internet to display artistic content is
not new, but I plan to innovate this model by incorporating more audience
interaction. I believe that electronic activity is the next logical step for
getting artists’ names out, and I plan to use my Ironfist brand as a vessel in
which to explore deeper into uncharted waters.
Plan of Action:
I began developing and implementing my culminating experience
during my first semester at Berklee Valencia. I have been taking advantage
of the support and tools that Berklee has afforded me to take the beginning
steps. My Music Technology Innovation curriculum has allowed me to
continually strengthen my production and engineering skills. I am a member
of the Berklee’s DJ collective, and have continued to gain performance
experience to better understand my desired audience’s demographics. I have
also started networking with other artists such as rappers and singers, as well
as producers, and students in the Global Music Business Masters program.
Working with a collaborative group, fostering relationships by building a
small network and team, has helped me develop content. This has helped me
to start develop songs, and I am discovering how these can be turned into a
soundtrack that will complement a video. My next step is to continue a
challenge that I have set for myself this semester. The challenge is create or
produce a new song every week for my music video production. My plan is
to also finish two EP’s ranging from 3-5 tracks, that I will make available on
the social music-streaming site Soundcloud as well as You Tube. My plan is
make at least one of the EP’s into two a short film. This means I have to
have a clear and focused concept on what the creative statement is. I have
already started working on these EP’s, and I’m already 2/3rds’s of the way
finished with EP 1. I plan to have all of the instrumentals of the first EP
done before the start of the Summer Semester. I have completed tracks for
the other EP as well. My deadline is to have both of these completed and
uploaded on Youtube by July 1st. In addition I have completed material for a
DJ Mixtape that I can upload to Soundcloud. This Mixtape will feature
music created by me and will be a continuous compilation. I will promote all
the videos and the behind-the-scenes process by using social media. I also
will develop two performance DJ sets or sound a likes some popular songs
that will have recently been released. For my first Video for the Music
Video Production class I created a comical Mash up of a popular song mixed
with an Oscar nominated song. To date, it is my most popular video and I
plan to create one more such song that has a similar flavor. I have been using
Ben Cantil’s MTI-613 Electronic Dance Music Composition course to help
develop the content during the spring semester. Since the tracks have to be
current, I plan to release one in the beginning of the year, and another in
either April or May. While I accumulate content for my Youtube Channel, I
will reach people and build a small Internet promotion team to push some of
my videos. This team will include some of the Global Entrainment and
Music Business students. In addition, I have been gaining work as a
producer throughout Berklee’s campus, and I will continue to work with
various artists to build my production skills and make music to help other
artists creative vision and not just my own.
My Timeline for my Culminating Experience is as follows:
December 31st: 3 possible tracks I can use for my music videos
January 26th: Begin shooting for first music video
February 19th: DJ Mixtape Completed
February 20th: First “concept” music video completed
April 15th: Live “Battle” DJ performance set completed
June 17th: Have at least 3 Scratch Tutorial videos uploaded
July 1st: Complete first EP completed. Have at least 10 songs, videos,
and/or mixes uploaded to Youtube and Soundcloud
July 1st: Have my second EP/Short Movie completed. It will be
interactive
List of Materials and Resources:
In order to successfully accomplish my Culminating Experience I will need
various musical equipment, software, and production equipment available
for my use. While I have access to most of the equipment below already, the
ultimate task is to master how all of these pieces can function together:
•
(2) Numark TTX Turntables
•
MPC controller
•
NS7 ii
•
Akai APC
•
Akai Keyboard
•
DJ Mixer
•
Bass Clarinet
•
Bass Guitar
•
Dobro
•
Acoustic/ Electric Guitars
•
Serato DJ/ Serato Video
•
Ableton Live 9
•
Various mid plugins such as (Kontakt, Izotope, and
Soundtoy’s)
I will also need access to a video camera that will allow me to upload
videos to my computer, as well as some video lighting. In addition, I will
need a small team of people to help make everything successful including:
•
Cast for Videos (Rappers, Musicians, Extras)
•
Costume/ set designer
I will also need a basic understanding of film and how to successfully direct,
produce, and edit videos as well as understanding basic set design.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, my culminating experiences solves a problem: How
does a musician stand out and make their music known in a rapidly growing
market that is becoming more globally accessible? I believe that interaction
paired with a solid visual representation and social media is one path to do
so. While I’m sure there are many other ways to answer that question, this is
what I would like to invent, and perhaps other artists, whether musical or
otherwise, will follow suit.
Media of
