Week 1: The Blueprint – Creating the Story of My EP
Hey everyone!
My project is a 7-song EP that tells a story through music. Over the next 10 weeks, I’ll be sharing my progress here, kind of like a creative diary. This will help me track everything while also giving you a peek into how I make music. I’ll be diving into songwriting, recording, production, and even cover art and branding. Throughout this project, I’ll be receiving guidance from my teacher, Joey Tranvik. As both a professional musician and my piano teacher, he has played a huge role in my growth, from teaching me the fundamentals to helping me reach a point where I can create my own music. I’m incredibly grateful for his support and mentorship.
So, What’s This EP About?
If you’re not familiar, an EP (Extended Play) is longer than a single but shorter than a full album. For this project, I’m weaving together a story where each song represents a different emotional shift. Since there aren’t words or narration like in a book, I’m relying on the emotions behind the music to guide the story. Each track has its own vibe, but together, they’ll form a journey of struggle, transformation, and resolution.
The Story in Sound
I tried my best to come up with a story to base the EP on and wrote it down on a storyboard where I also made a story curve where each box represents a song. Each song captures a key moment in the story, using music to set the mood:
Blending Genres & Sounds
For this EP, I’m pulling inspiration from jazz, pop, classical, and indie music. I want the sound to really reflect the emotions of each moment. Whether it’s through melody, harmony, rhythm, or dynamics, every piece will play a role in telling the story.
Week 1: Getting Started
Now that I have the overall structure, I’ve started working on the first song. I played around with some chord progressions until something felt right (Am add 11, Bm6(11), Bb maj7, F maj7, C sus2, F, Bb6, C maj7). I usually just experiment until I find something that clicks, then build from there.
After locking in the chords, I added transition notes to help shape the melody. I wanted the intro to start softly, create a slightly eerie moment, then ease into the full chord progression. From there, I layered a simple bassline and extra sounds to add some texture.
Next up was the rhythm. I added a drumbeat to set the pacing and build some momentum. The rushed, fast-paced feel really helps capture the sense of urgency and searching in this part of the story. Keeping the melody as the focal point while adding layers helped balance the energy without overpowering the emotion.
I’m super excited to keep refining this and see where the project takes me. Can’t wait to share more next week—stay tuned for more updates!
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