This page contains final compositions by students in Prof. Manzo's Electronic Music Composition class from B Term 2021.

Instructions for Students in Prof. Manzo's Class

Save your audio file as an MP3 with your name included in it (Example: MY_PIECE_MY_LAST_NAME.mp3)
- How to do this step
Click the Upload file link at the left and upload a file
- Copy the filename the Wiki gives you once it's uploaded (Example: File:MY_PIECE_MY_LAST_NAME.mp3)
Return to this page, and click the Edit button next to one of the "Your Name Here" sections below; Do not click the edit button at the top of the page.
Replace the placeholder FILENAME and descriptive text
Note the specific sources of inspiration (game titles, images)

'Note:' If you have more than one piece to showcase, duplicate (triplicate, etc.) all of the code beneath your name, but don't edit an additional Your Name Here section.

Braden Arnold

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Description: For this piece I was inspired by a game I am making as a final project for another class, which is a space heist adventure. I wanted to make something that sounds semi-futuristic, so I chose to use synth sounds that I made in the chiptune lab, and certain parts of the composition utilize randomness. The key for the piece was determined by a random number generator and a coin flip, and the notes and the order of those notes for specific instruments were also decided by a random number generator.

Ben Mangold

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I've wanted to make a piece that incorporates high level music theory concepts for a while, so I figured I would give it a shot here. I used metric modulation as well as complex chords and key changes in order to achieve this. As for previous topics discussed in the class that I incorporated, I sampled the saxophone part.

Nathan Dynko

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Description: A piece I created with chaotic emotion in mind; I had my roommate play a chord progression on some simple drums I made that I turned into a full-length piece. Purposefully, it grows more chaotic as it progresses. Hope to add lyrics in the future.

Jaden Smith-Borne

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Description: Inspired by the melancholy lyrics and energetic tone of Bad Apple, I wanted to make the song fit the subject matter.

Eli Hoffberg

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Description: After about an hour of thought, I decided it wouldn't be too big of a deal to write a piece in 3/4. I was very wrong about that, as I figured out while my brain kept telling me to make sections in 4/4, which I had to go back and fix when they didn't sound right. Honestly, through all the pain and suffering I put into this, I ended up having a lot of fun. For inspiration, I used Mario Kart OST and Kingdom Hearts OST, and I took some midi samples of both and included them, albeit slightly edited to fit my project. I used some of the sounds I recorded for project 5 as part of this piece as well. I also used some of the skills I learned in editing midi instruments on my labs and other assignments. This piece cannot be looped. Hope you enjoy :)

Duncan Soiffer

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Description: What's always been most appealing to me about the prospect of composing music is making tracks with simple but very emotionally sad/nostalgic/melancholy feels. This class was my introduction to music composition, so for my final project I wanted to give this my best shot. Seeing as the only instrument I know how to play is the trumpet, and I am a narcissist, my choice of instrumentation is obvious. In more seriousness, I wanted to give a brassy melancholy feel a try, sort of like looking back upon something that was once great that has now been ruined, literally or metaphorically. As this was the final project for the class, I wanted to try writing some big, loaded chords completely by myself (previously, I had mostly or partly gone off of chord progression charts to form the basis for my compositions, since I don't know much music theory). With a trumpet carrying the piece forward, interrupted by simpler, more solitary phrases, I intended to introduce a contemplative feel to juxtapose the confident lead tinged by something heavier. The ending is meant to be the hardest-hitting part of this, though ultimately I don't think I accomplished exactly what I was going for there, though the gradual detuning resolving to an in tune final note does give the piece a sense of resolution I like. There are still a number of things I would change if I had more time, but alas, time is fleeting and glory is transient. We will all turn to ruin someday.

Adam Kalayjian

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Description: After listening to a lot of atmospheric/dark/electronic music from the Boneworks game soundtrack, I was inspired to make this piece using a slower tempo and focus on developing a dark sound using an upright piano and several synths.

Devin Patel

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Description: 1:00 AM the day before the presentation I decided, right as I finished the project, to scrap it all and start over from scratch because I didn't like the song. Thus, this was written from 1AM to 5AM Tuesday morning. I don't know what I'm doing with my life. there was no inspiration. only pain

Jacob Byrnes

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Description: Action/Adventure theme inspired by music from the Dark Knight Trilogy and some fantasy shows.

Sebastian Nycz

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Description: This is a piece inspired by a lot of my favorite music I usually see described as "dungeon synth". I stole most of the instrumentation from one of my previous works, but this time I put a lot more thought into refining the arrangement and mixing of the song.

Kai Nakamura

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Description: For our last project I wanted to make something that would showcase what I've learned over the duration of this course. So for this piece I took several short unfinished projects that I had made before taking this class and remixed them all together in the style of a chiptune song.

Benjamin Mills

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Description: I wanted to make a pop song similar to "STAY" by The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, and "One Right Now" with Post Malone & The Weeknd. Currently this track is without the vocals. I plan to record vocals very soon.

Alex Mosley

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Description: I tried to compose and perform a piano piece using an 88 key MIDI controller and the piano roll inside my DAW. The piano sound is a virtual instrument with some basic effects.

Mayank Govilla

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Description:This song was originally going to be a type of EDM, but as I worked on it, it kind of transitioned to more of a trap/electronic sort of beat. Some of the major concepts that I tried to incorporate when making this piece are layering and automation. Throughout the piece, I played with the levels of the layers and got different sounds for the drop and for the breakdown.

Joshua Caron

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Description: For my final piece, I started with some inspiration from the most recent single from Shawn Mendes, "It'll Be Okay". What resulted was an amalgam of Mendes, the Interstellar theme, and elements of John Mayer-style blues guitar. Hope y'all enjoy:)

Ethan Chen

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Description: This piece is inspired by a couple of synth-heavy Newgrounds-era songs I enjoy listening to. This piece is not looped.

Jackson Lundberg

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Description: I started wanting to make a track starting from a few drum samples and put them together to make a unique rhythm and sound. I wanted to make a track using different ways to change the main tune of the track for the beginning and end. The lead was also very much inspired by "Tell Em" by Cochise.

Alex Jozitis

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Description: I created a remix of the Marina and the Diamonds song "Oh No!" for my final project. I rolled 2 4-sided dice to determine how many instrumental parts there would be (the result was 5). Within the 5 classifications of instruments, I also rolled for what each one would be (other than electronic). The parameters of the Operator synth were mapped to the number of Physical, Special, and Status moves that existed for the electric and steel types in Pokemon.

Michael Lai

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Description: A demo for a custom Payday 2 track. This is an updated version from a previously submitted assignment. The aim of this was to improve on the sections that was originally there, extending them to full length, and while some of the sections features new backing tracks, redone instruments, and new sounds, I definitely wish I could have done more for the project. With each section (the stealth segment, control, anticipation, and assault phases), there were additional musical ideas I didn't have time to add. That being said however, my favorite section was the second half of the assault phase, with the bass line from the original demo, plus the redesigned synths and backing track.

Zane Carey

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Description: A project partly inspired by Daft Punk, I found some interesting samples and entrust my creativity to take the reins from there. The file is meant to be looped, that being said, I intend to make additional changes after the term ends. There are several elements I would have liked to implemented but until then, this demo will suffice. Thus far, my favorite element (also the most enjoyable) was toying with some reverb effects to create the unique synth-like sound you'll hear in the demo. Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoy.

Daniel Brower

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Description: This song composed using what I learned from the rhythm and bass lab. It was made in addition as a boss battle theme for a video game I made for my IMGD 1001 class. It is designed to be looped.

Rhys Forster

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Description: This piece of music is informally titled “Tremendous Mess”, and was inspired by my relationship with my physics major. I have always been fascinated with physics and am therefore pursuing it as a major, but at the same time it is one of the most complicated and frustrating things I have ever studied. A tremendous mess. The voice present in the piece is that of Richard Feynman, the father of physics pedagogy, giving a lecture about how we perceive light. When I was composing the instrumentals, I felt I needed a vocal track, but didn’t feel like composing lyrics. I added Feynman’s voice as a placeholder of sorts, and found that his speech patterns fit the song surprisingly well. This was also where I got the title of the song, and the idea to relate it to physics. In terms of musical components, I utilized panning on Feynman’s voice and the instrumentals, not only to make each more clear, but also to fill the room better. I also mirrored some of the chord patterns in each of the instruments, while still changing different aspects, to make each part work better together.

Your Name Here

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Description: For this piece, I was aiming for something simultaneously calm yet chaotic. The melody and harmony (mostly) remain calm while the drums fly by at 197 bpm 16th notes creating some sense of urgency. Didn't have as much time to design the timbres as I might have liked, but I think they turned out okay.