This is my presentation for my initial idea. This was just a quick brainstorming session to gain feedback of my ideas, aims and objectives. I was given lots of great pointers, and already have a good idea on how to improve my project. I believe I spoke confidently and without too much interruption. It was good practice for when I do my final presentation in front of the whole class. With the feedback that I was given, I think I am ready to move on to the rest of the project.
The first piece of advice that I was given is to think of a theme for my EP. I believe this is a great piece of advice, something I had previously forgotten to think about. For my final project last year, I formulated a clear theme and vibe for my single. I was able to do this because of the lyrics I had chosen. The theme was someone who is struggling with anxiety, and being in the rave (their previous comfort) is starting to negatively impact them as well. “When I take a step forward, I end up taking two steps back”. I’ll leave the link to that single below.
I would like to follow with the same theme for this EP. It has become a big talking point with the industry, as raves are starting to feel less accepting and more hostile. That was the theme for my single, and possibly my EP. Some of the vocals I will be using in my EP touch on this subject.
Another piece of advice I was given is too focus more on my marketing strategy. I have already been sending my tracks out to other artists and labels, but it was suggested that I take more time to do more research. Doing more research about the artists and the labels gives be a better chance at getting picked up. This is important, as in 2024 I look to really further my career, and getting picked up by a label, or supported by other artists will help me get representation and build my name. Playing these tracks in my own sets and sending them to others will be a big part of this project.
It was touched on that I need to focus on social media as well. How am I going to market my EP so it can be as successful as I want it too be? This is possibly the most important part of my project, as I want every track to get over 1,000 streams. I believe this is completely attainable, I just need a good marketing strategy.
Lastly, I was asked about my use of samples. My production style has always been very sample heavy. This is often looked down on, but I don’t think using samples makes you any less of a producer than others. It’s how you manipulate the sample that matters. I will be live recording some instruments in, as well as programming elements such as basslines and synths. However, the use of samples will be prominent in my work. Especially in aspects such as vocals and drums.
These are my main takeaways from my presentation. I believe that I have taken away some good points and have enough to make a good proposal to show the class. I will try and speak in detail, to make sure everyone understands my idea. I will keep watching this video, and take positives and negatives from it. Reflection is the best way to better myself and my public speaking.
UPDATE 08/02/24:
-Upon reviewing my plan for this project, I realized that doing an EP would leave me with minimal time to work on, and research some aspects of the industry that interest me. I believe that doing a single would leave me with a better split of practical and written work. By doing a single, I can now put more time and effort into creating one quality piece of music. I felt like my time would be distributed too widely if I was to follow through with the EP idea, most of my time would be spent on production, and not all the other steps and stages it takes to release a piece of music. With new found time, I would like to spend more of it on sending my track out to Labels and other DJs. I would like to create a dedicated section of this project to feedback from others in the industry. This way I can reflect and see how I can better myself as an artist. I would also love to take some time to look further into monetization. Delving into how I can make money from producing, and ultimately, how I can turn this into a viable career. With all aspects of this together, I think I will have a much better, polished, piece of work when it comes to deadline. This is why I have chosen to produce, mix, master, promote and monetize my own single.