MSP Final Project Blog: Introduction and Initial Ideas

Introduction

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well! My name is Calvin Ton and I use he/him pronouns. I am a South Philadelphia native with a B.S. in Music Technology from Boyer College of Music and Dance. With a background in music and audio, I joined the MSP program hoping to broaden the scope of my knowledge within the realm of media and sound. This class offers me an opportunity to work on a compelling media project with support from mentors and peers. I am excited to begin working on a project that is personal but also valuable to the community. I look forward to connecting with my peers through receiving feedback and watching our projects develop. We all have interesting ideas so I am excited to see where it leads us.

MA Project Workshop: Initial Ideas and Brainstorming

As a student with a background in music and sound, I want my project to be based within the realm of audio. While my idea isn’t concrete yet, I would like to create an EP or collection of songs that draw influence from traditional Chinese music. This project’s goal is to encourage myself and others to embrace and stay in touch with our cultural backgrounds. As a second-generation immigrant, sometimes I question how Chinese I am having been exposed to American culture through living in the U.S. and Chinese culture through my family. I would like this EP to represent the melding of cultures that reflect my identity and experiences. To begin working on this project, analyzing and researching music originating in China will be crucial. This will help me identify trends, sounds, and forms used within it and allow me to apply these elements within my own creations. After I am finished with this project, I hope to release it on a platform for others to hear and use it as inspiration for future projects.

One previous MSP final project that stood out to me was The Cure by Po-Hsien Lee. Since my project is based in audio, this project in particular stood out to me. I like the idea of telling a story through a radio play and the concept of conveying visions through audio is very intriguing. Manipulating spatial placement and modulation within audio is a great idea to create depth within a mix and undoubtedly enhances the audience’s experience. If possible, I would love to listen to this!

Sources:

Lee, P.-H. (2018). The Cure.