Project 3: Song Writing
I plan to create and conceptualise an EP demonstrating my skillset as a songwriter. I am inspired and influenced by the artist Eminem and the genre of hip-hop. I would be focusing on the transformative effect of the voice and how the spoken word uses cadences and nuances as well as rhyming syllables rhythmically to create a dramatic effect. By the term ‘dramatic effect’ I am implying the emotional effect that is felt by hearing the spoken word in an articulated form. Improvisation plays an exciting role, however; this methodology focuses on the speciality of a writer in a sound art context. I was introduced by Imani Mason Jordan to an insightful lecture discussing the transformative effect of voice.
Merging Personal Practice & Academic Practice
This idea launches the combination of my personal practice and my university practice. In a seminar with lecturer Dawn Scarf, classmates Baria Qureshi, Ben Sheils and Aparna Siv began a debate about whether this year will our personal practice stay personal as a hobby or if we would cross over personal into academic criteria. Baria argued the point, she will keep personal separate from academic practice. Her practice is a therapeutic outlet therefore changing the structure into an academic criteria could potentially create a sigma of stress disconnecting the therapeutic value. I agree that combining the two elements of personal and academic, mindfulness must be a rigorous process to avoid spoiling one with the other. However, on the other hand, peer mate Ben Shiels is in favour of combining personal practice and academic practice. In his words, “I feel now is the time to pull the trigger and push for something I love and enjoy.”. His words have resonated with me as this is the be-all and end-all to the resources and access we have at our disposal in an arts university. In conclusion, I can envision LCC being a great opportunity and resource to build an album and I can imagine collaboration opportunities with other students exploring other artistic fields therefore for my project two will combine my personal practice with my academic practice.
Initial Research:
I plan on conceptualising and exploring the theme of explicitness and nakedness in art, in the context of sound. Songwriting is an expression of sound where voice has a transformative effect in a performative context. Recording the vocalisation of my written work will be the performative element as well as a music video. I plan to create an album where at face value a listener will be experiencing an album however, a further in-depth analysis will uncover the complexity of a concept which can be determined from interpretation in other words reading behind the lines.
Robbin Nelson argues the complexity of the ambiguity of conceptualization which has influenced my practice, (2013, p. 46) “…a required movement away from the proximal towards the distal can be effected through critical reflection. The more embodied experience moves away from the proximal, the more it becomes possible to articulate its import in additional modes, including the intellectual, as patterns ‘emerge’ into discernible forms.”. In this argument, Nelson emphasises the importance of critical reflection to obtain ambiguity which he describes as a ‘distal’ perspective. Therefore ‘proximal’ is the knowledge gained at face value, an instantaneous reaction.
Eminem – The Death of Slim Shady
Eminem’s new album (Eminem, 2024) showcases his geniuses in conceptuality. To give a ‘proximal’ summary of the concept, Eminem re-births his stage name persona Slim Shady which he created at the beginning of his career and resurrects him into the present day which ends up being ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ which is the album name. However, to critically reflect and analyse from a ‘distal’ perspective the album concept can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
The album name ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ can be interpreted as a prediction of career suicide because of how today’s generation would respond to the issues Eminem would voice. Throughout Eminem’s career, he has experienced a huge cultural shift in the generational evolution, especially facing an issue with freedom of speech. Culturally freedom of speech has become censored resulting in writers becoming restricted, for example, comedians, TV shows and other forms of voice in a performance context have suffered as in contemporary Western culture we have placed criteria on freedom of speech. Eminem volumes in favour of freedom of speech by risking career suicide to confront this issue. The name ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ implies career suicide.
Eminem volumes his opinion in a clever articulation of using the Slim Shady persona, which is identified by his younger voice, which is believed to be generated by AI. Eminem uses his present voice to respond, creating a playful back and forth of the two characters using the difference in tonality of voices as a transformative effect distinguishing character. By characterising and storyboarding a conceptualised body of work, the album is received by the public more openheartedly and acceptable.
The chronological structure of the album has ambiguity from a ‘distal’ perspective. The album is designed to be heard chronologically as the events match Marshall Mathers killing Slim Shady, symbolising the album name “The Death of Slim Shady”. And secretly, when the album is played in reverse order, Slim Shady kills Marshall Mathers, which can be symbolised as Slim Shady never died for fans of the character.
I am inspired by the level of complexity demonstrated by the ability of interpretation that can be formed by listeners. In my work, I plan to have the same masterful effect that the body of work will be presented so that listeners can form their interpretation from a ‘distal’ perspective. In my opinion, this stylistic approach creates ambiguity and meaningfulness, resulting in the longevity of a body of work.
Free Speech – Jacob Mchangama
Mchangama states (2022, p. 3) “Like a massive body in outer space pulling in all the matter close to it, censorship draws us all in.”.
Chapter, “Why Elites Fear New Technology”. (2022, p. 6) Mchangama states “This clash between an egalitarian versus an elitist conception of free speech stretches back to antiquity.”. Research term: egalitarian.
Mahangma concludes, (2022, p. 8) “I hope to demonstrate just how much humanity from the gradual spread of free speech – and just how much we have to lose if we allow its continued erosion in this most recent digital phase of the age-old conflict between authority and free expression”.
Critical Reflection Chapter 1: I am inspired to explore free speech as a concept for an album. I want to use speech in a performative way to create an effect that takes a sonic approach to voicing this issue. I am interested in the debate of egalitarian versus an elitist conception of free speech.
As I keep reading example after example, I am becoming unattached and unenthusiastic about this concept. My initial research has been a great attempt however I feel failure, but I am not disheartened by failure. I enthusiastically expected failure, which would ultimately lead me on the right path to success.
(2022, p. 357) Chapter – “Elite Panic Again”. Possible research chapter for future work exploring my idea for an audio paper, I will question the sonic approach to scare-mongering society. Authority versus egalitarians.
Bibliophagy:
Eminem (2024) The Death of Slim Shady [CD]. Michigan: Shady Aftermath Entertainment.
Nelson, R. (2013) Practice as Research in the Arts. Edition. England: Palgrave Macmillan
Mchanhgama, J. (2022) Free Speech A Global History From Socrates to Social Media. London: Basic Books London.