Week 11 - Crunch!

Started week 11, I'm 25% finished with the program. Holy shit time is moving so fast! 

Met with my composition advisor 3 times regarding my Rom Com cue. I feel like I've really dialed it in, it fits the parameters of the assignment and even sounds good! I'm quite happy with it. Now on to the 'tech' studio stuff. I have to produce a click track that matches the form and tempo of my cue and output that to a file the studio will upload into their system for Jake to conduct to. Yeah, I thought we were going to get to conduct our own sessions, but not yet. Session three they turn us loose on the unsuspecting and unprepared musicians. 

Started 2 new classes this week. Studio Technology and Synchronizations / Timings.

Studio tech is cool, kinda dry material, it's the more right-brained side of things, at least it is to me. Lots of lectures and assignments on various studio stuff; microphones, mixing boards, cables, effects, that kind of stuff. Luckily for me, I have 2 amazing friends who are crazy talented audio engineers to pick their big musical brains! 

Sync / Timing is the class we are doing the click track file in. It deals primarily with making sure the recording studio has everything they need for the session and that those files are absolutely 100% perfect in every way. Each student is allocated a certain amount of time with the booth personnel and orchestra to record their cue. If the files aren't perfect or there is a problem with the printed music, I have mere minutes to fix things, or they move on to the next student and I have no recording. A little intimidating but they spend 4 days next week going over each student's composition and studio files to make sure everything is in order. It's in the school's best interest to make sure their students look / act professional. 

Oh yeah, next week is my 'residency'. All distance learners are required to be on campus for 1 week each quarter, mostly for the recording sessions. I'll have to go into school every day next week. The Sound Transit system here is top notch. There is a train station about a mile from our house, the train brings me into King Station in Seattle where I walk about 100 feet and board a bus which drops me off right behind the school. It's about a 90 minute trip, which I was spending driving my car anyway. This way, somebody else can deal with lousy drivers.

Recording session is Friday December 15th, after which, I have until January 2nd off for a hard earned and well deserved break.