Grade 7 (Term 2/L1/2015/2016): GarageBand Remixing

What is remixing?

A remix is an new work made from existing musical material that is edited or altered in some way. Remixing has been around for centuries. Composers have always “borrowed” ideas from one another to make new musical pieces. 

The art of remixing as we know it today involves taking all or part of a recorded work and using it to create something new. Remixing extends to other art forms too: film, images, artwork and literature can all be remixed to create something new.

Take a look at the History of Remixing for examples that date back to the Classical Era and beyond.

http://www.historyofremixing.webs.com/

Who makes a remix and why?

Remixes are usually created by DJs and/or music producers. There are many reasons for remixing, some of which are:

• to create a new song for artistic purposes
  
• to create a dance mix for clubs
  
• to make a song conform to a specific musical genre
  
• to create new versions of “back catalogue” items 

How remixes are made?

The DJ or music producer sources the original recording of a song - preferably all the separate recorded tracks (known as stems) - so that they can chop them up, add a new drum beat, change the tempo or add new harmony.

Sometimes the DJ or music producer will create their own samples from a recording (a little snippet of sound) which might become the basis of a new melody or rhythm.

Almost any musical element of a song can be changed in a remix:

• drum beat
• style or “feel”
• tempo
• key
• instrumentation
• the vocal line can be “chopped up” into snippets
• song structure 

Remixing examples

There are thousands of examples available. Here are some good places to look:

• Youtube: search for a song name with the word “remix” after it
• On Youtube, take a look at the work of Pogo who has remixed sounds from many of the Disney and Pixar movies. He samples spoken lines, music and sound effects and puts them together to create a completely new song
• DJ Kutiman: also on Youtube, search for “The Mother of All Funk Chords”. DJ Kutiman found a series of unrelated music videos on Youtube and put them together to create a new piece
• iTunes: search for a song and check all of the results. Chances are that someone has created a new version 

Project

Create and record a 30-second arrangement

• Spend some time experimenting with the sounds available on GarageBand
• Drag the classical composition that you have chosen into GarageBand to start a playback of the sound 
• Choose up to 7 of the 20 sounds that you would like to include in your arrangement. Include a variety of rhythmic and melodic patterns 
• Play around with the mute and solo buttons to test out different combinations
• Plan your arrangement so that it has a beginning, a middle and an end

1. Beginning - use layering to bring in all or some of the parts
2. Middle - create some interest by using the solo and/or mute buttons to vary texture. Some sections may have all dudes on, and others just one or two
3. End - layer the parts out at the end 

• Get ready to “perform” your mix
• When finished, email and upload your arrangement on Google Drive

Musical Concepts

• Arranging skills 
• Layering
• Solo and tutti
• Rhythm
• Texture and timbre
• Acappella part-singing and beat boxing 

Assessment and feedback

• Students will each play their arrangement for the class    
• Other students offer constructive feedback and comment on the choice of sounds, use of layering, use of solo and tutti sections, the ending 

Remixing Terminology

• Tutti 

A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with all instruments together. The opposite of solo. all; i.e., all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form: they both play together again at the point marked tutti

• Stems

Individual audio tracks from a recording, ie. the lead vocals, the bass, guitar, keyboard, backing vocals and so on 

• Acapellas (yes, spelt that way!)

Also known as a cappellas, capellas or pells - vocal stems; the vocal track without any accompaniment 

• Beat

Used in the remix world to describe the entire drum pattern or musical style, rather than just the underlying beat of a song 

Introducing basic remixing with Incredibox (Let's start here)

Incredibox is a free online music resource which is lots of fun to use (and very simple). 

http://www.incredibox.com