Reflection: Weeks 1–4
Planning, Research & Early Music Analysis (Gibbs Reflective Cycle)
Description
In the first few weeks of my project, I focused on planning everything properly and setting up the direction I wanted to go in. From the start, I knew I wanted to base my music around Metroid Dread because I like horror and sci-fi soundtracks. I looked into game music theory, especially leitmotifs and ambient styles, and started to break down what makes those tracks feel creepy or immersive. I also began to look at composers like Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Kenji Yamamoto.
I also set up my workspace and started working on the structure and ideas. I didn’t fully get the template and reflection system sorted early on, which I realised later was something I should’ve done from the beginning.
Feelings
At first, I was excited to get started. I like doing music production more than performing, and this project gave me the freedom to work in my own style. I was confident with researching and planning, but I started to get a bit frustrated when some things (like sheet music and theory) became too technical for me. It slowed down parts of my research and made some things harder to understand.
Evaluation
What went well:
- I picked a theme I enjoy, which kept me motivated.
- I started strong with research on horror game soundtracks
What didn’t go well:
- I didn’t fully set up my reflection or project structure early enough.
- I struggled with some of the music theory stuff I found.
Analysis
This first block helped me get into the right mindset and gave me a solid direction to follow. I started to understand what makes music feel atmospheric, and I knew what kind of sounds I wanted to try using. I also realised that I needed to ask for help earlier when I hit something I didn’t understand, like reading chords or understanding how a leitmotif works in detail.
Conclusion
This was a good start. I felt like I was on the right path with my music ideas and research, but I also saw that I needed to be better prepared. I know now that setting up my files, templates and reflections properly at the beginning would’ve helped me stay more organised.
Action Plan
- Get help from tutors when something like theory gets too complicated.
- Make sure my reflections and project notes are set up early.
- Keep linking my research directly to the music I’m making.