Recently, I have been considering which one of the two options I would like to hand in for. Before starting my second year at LCC, I was convinced that I would mostly be focusing my attention on Sound for Screen, as for my final project last year I rescored 5 minutes of Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Persona’ and it was by far the most I had enjoyed making practical work in my time at the university. I thought that I could work really hard on this subject throughout second year, and then potentially go on to do a Diploma in Professional Studies next year, focusing my work around creating sound for films.

However, now I have been back for a few weeks, I think my plan has changed. I have really enjoyed getting stuck into electronics, building synthesisers and making crazy sounds. I have found the whole process really rewarding, and although in many ways it can feel as though knowledge of this field doesn’t come naturally to me, I can see that when I do make something I am proud of the results and want to experiment more.

I also want to make this course more relevant to my practice outside of University. I am a multi-instrumentalist who is in 6 bands (a couple are passion projects, the others are session work) and I’m very interested in making technology that can compliment my skillset as a musician. Although I know these things aren’t directly related to me studying Sound Arts, I think it’s important to shape what I learn on this course around what I am doing outside of it, and what I intend to keep doing after I (hopefully) graduate. Being able to craft my own creative electronic circuits is a hugely inspiring goal, and being able to play music on instruments I’ve made would be an impressive feat, especially as someone who has always felt scared to dip their toes into the world of electronics.

In addition to this, I believe I have a better view as to how my project would translate to a gallery exhibition for the next element if I were to hand in a piece of electronics, rather than if I were to hand in 5 minutes of a film I’d rescored. This, of course, isn’t to say that the latter couldn’t be done – it’s just that I feel more inspired to make my own instruments for people to play. I am still fixated on using the children’s toys in some form for the exhibition – maybe I could turn the cuddly toy into a touch sensitive synth? Perhaps the more you gouge it’s eyes out the more it screams? Something horrifying but stupid like that could be quite effective…