As you may or may not know, all music majors at the University of North Florida are required to host a senior recital before graduating. In the recital, we are meant to showcase our growth as musicians by performing music in our repertoire and (if we want) teaching a lecture, all within 50 minutes.
On a cold, rainy night in Jacksonville, music technology and production student Miriam Ganas held her senior recital at UNF.
Miriam began her recital by demonstrating her music technology compositions in chronological order from her freshman year to her senior year. She started on a light note with compositions she made for video games. After demonstrating a Logic session with a video game music mashup, she presented a video of Mario Kart, playing her original music in the background. Luigi was riding on Rainbow Road to an upbeat track of synth and sound effects. Miriam explained that she created this by mixing her original work with free samples she found on YouTube.
Because Miriam said she mostly listens to 2000s pop-punk music, her favorite project in the Electronic Music Production Techniques course was one in which she had to compose electronic house music (EDM). She played with cymbal crashes, audio reversing, and filtering processing effects on her sister’s voice to create her composition.
When Miriam played the composition for the audience, it took us through a journey. Starting with a serene ambient soundscape, the piece transitioned into more traditional house-music. An ascending electronic sequence led into a beat drop. I’d say Miriam’s composition definitely qualifies as a head-banger.
Next, Miriam started talking about her soundscape, a composition made with sounds from a natural, acoustic space. (Think of when you search for “rainstorm,” or “crackling fireplace,” to play as background noise.)
Separating her composition from the ordinary, Miriam wanted to push the boundaries of natural sound. She explained that the goal for her soundscape was to invite people into her mind to get a glimpse of how she felt when dealing with a loved one with bipolar disorder. Creating this piece made Miriam realize that music does not need a traditional chord sequence, a beat, or harmony…
“Music is an experience,” Miriam said.
Acousmatic music is made by using acoustic, usually natural sounds and processing, mixing, and mastering them in a way that makes them unidentifiable.
Rock Music is the title of Miriam’s acousmatic composition. She explained how traditional acousmatic music makes her feel unsteady and anxious, which is pretty common. The title Rock Music represents not the rock genre, but the different sounds she could make solely from rocks. Miriam explained how the eerie feeling that is elicited from her while listening to acousmatic music is not one she wanted to create herself; her interpretation of the genre was one that provided a calming experience for her listeners.
Miriam told us that, with the techniques she’s learned in her years at UNF, she has been able to create advertisements for law firms in Orlando, Florida.
Her first video advertisement began with a blue background filled with fluffy, white clouds for the Hertz Law Firm. She took samples from the Simpsons to create the video advertisement in a humorous way with the main phrase being, “Got Hurt? Get Hertz!” This was funny.
Transitioning from the lecture of her music technology compositions, Miriam invited her band Says Who? to the stage.
Kisan, Giselle, Anna, and Mamielue make their way to the stage to play their original music as an all-girl pop band.