Check out the sheet music for the main menu theme, Savior of the Timelines as a PDF download!
Time Reborn
My first application project, I worked alongside the team at Tick Tock Studio from Full Sail University to help them create the music for their game, Time Reborn.
Working alongside the developers gave me the chance to work with steady feedback and adjustments towards a sound everyone was happy with, and then applying it to the game sections properly.
I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with a team of such friendly and welcoming people who pushed me towards our finished work.
These two songs were composed for the D&D podcast that I take part in, ADHDD&D, in our current campaign, Rime of the Frost Maiden, so it is meant to have a very frozen and icy theme. These songs are used as background while people talk and fight in game in order to help the atmosphere.
Background Music
Portfolio 6
This song was an assignment where I was tasked with making music based on a regional type. Such as urban or medieval. I decided to go with a desert theme rooted in an adventure. I always love my music when it sounds like something that could work in a video game, and I think this one definitely hit that mark. I had an old version of this song that I decided to revamp for this project, and it basically sounds completely different than the original, I just reused some instruments. Overall, the instruments were the most challenging part to figure out for this assignment, because it has to be a very particular decision to fit the right genre and style in order to give the feelings that you're aiming for. But I'm proud of how it turned out, this song has a nice sound and I like how my melodies and harmonies work together well.
Portfolio 4
A mixing project for Portfolio 4.
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For Educational Purpose Only.
Portfolio 3
This song was something that I wanted to make a little while ago, but was struggling heavily with regular midi sounds, and found that this could be a decent place to try and make it in my vision. A song about the struggle of looking in the mirror in the mornings.
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I started with the guitar because I wanted it to be the first sound that is prevalent, and I wanted it to sound echoey and sort of lost, but I didn’t want to add too much reverb to get that effect. Instead, I went with a guitar that ends up leading the way for the rest of the instruments, to symbolize the need for a leader in the singer’s story.
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I really wanted some sort of unique soundscape or sound effect to be there throughout, under the main instruments, so I used kinetic metal to create a grinding metal static drone that sweeps through the song.
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I typically find myself struggling with drum patterns, but I decided to try to utilize a tool taught to me in Project and Portfolio 2, which is the types of breaks to take in what measure, such as rhythm changes or fill placements.
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The bridge ended up being my favorite part, I struggled to find a better way to make the beginning of the chorus hit properly, it feels like a struggling lead in rather than a solid landing, but everything else I really liked.
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For my vocals I had to jury rig a way to record, as my studio mic broke literally this week, and I won’t be getting a new one until next week timeframe, so I had to record in my closet with my phone microphone, but it isn’t the final mix, so it hopefully works out.
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I’ve also been trying out a lot of the native instrument options and trying to play around with them a lot, which is mostly what I ended up using in the project.
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Lyrics
Forced Reflection
Verse 1
The picture of me on the wall
Is staring back in disgust
All I can do is wonder why
It seemed to lose the trust
Pre-Chorus
There’s no anger
There’s no fear
Just a smile from ear to ear as it
tells me the same thing as before,
Chorus
What’s the matter?
Going out?
Not like that and you know it
Look at me,
Feel that doubt?
You struggle to control it,
Your forced reflection
Verse 2
A struggle through the day
It laughs relentlessly
Watches from the shadows
Even when I can’t see
Daring Skies
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This track is called Daring Skies because I find myself gravitating towards bell synths and higher notes a lot of the time, which gives me the idea of being above the clouds. For this track, I spent a while trying to find a synth to start with, but ultimately decided on going with a drum beat first, to get me going. After I added the beat, the synths all kind of came to me from there, and I decided on a progression to begin with, and then added the bass. I didn't know where to go from there, so I decided to look through my library and found a muted synth that I liked the sound of, and wanted to build with it, so I made a descending melody accompanied by a bell synth that I love the sound of. From there it felt like smooth sailing until I got to the end section and it didn't feel as full as I wanted it to. I had to figure out what to change, and decided that the drum machine I picked didn't have the full punch that I wanted it to, so I added a different patch solely for the ending hook. I also decided to add brass synths to make each downbeat feel more punchy. Overall, I really like the end result, and even though it didn't come out the exact same style as hip hop, I find it to be a mix of hip hop and electronic.
Ethereal Walk
This track was influenced by my love of electronic instruments and the use of synths to make sounds that are interesting to me. The use of electronic sounds in music creates some of my favorite soundscapes, and I like to make my own versions of that. I also love the idea of the unknown, and unease, so the words are inspired by a place of unknowing.
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This track is set at 120bpm and in a 4/4 time signature. I like to write in 4/4 because my brain is used to it, but branching out is always of interest to me too. The drums follow a backbeat pattern trying to emphasize the 2 and 4, as well as every 4th measure. The bass also follows the pattern of the kicks, but has little fills of its own to help transition between sections.
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The track starts in a 4 chord progression, changes once, then returns to home, but in the second half, the progression changes to a section of three. The intention was to start in G minor, and then change to the relative major of Bb, leading to a bit of an emotional change.
Gm, Cm, Bb, Dm
Gm, Cm, Bb, Dm
Dm, Gm, Eb, Cm
Gm, Cm, Bb, Cm
Bb, Dm, Eb
Gm, Eb, Dm
Gm, Ao, Bb
Bb, F, Dm
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The audio track is called Brandon Dialogue because it just consists of me speaking into the microphone. I set up my mic with my interface and put the instrumental on loop, brainstorming different lyrics, and then ultimately decided to just have dialogue instead. The original synth tracks are labeled as exactly that, Original Synths. They are just meant to add different feels throughout, one emphasizing chord changes as a riser, and the other to have some rhythmic feelings within. The sampler track is called Sampler, meant to take the recording of my voice and repeat it as if it was non-human, in an attempt to create unease during the second half, because maybe the reassurance that is given in the first section shouldn't be trusted.
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For the dynamic and time based effects, almost all of the tracks have a dynamic processor somewhere, from compressors to limiters to exciters. The time based effects are more reverb on the drums as well as reverb and delay on the vocals to help create that echoey hallway feeling.
The mix itself came together because I wanted to keep the vocal part kind of buried in the music, and have the melody stand out a bit more.