Today is all about getting feedback for your projects. What does that metaphor mean? It’s a process by which the output is picked up again as input. You’ve brought in your output so far; now you’re going to learn by getting input from your audience.
To avoid some of the potential pitfalls of peer review, I’m going to insist that you provide this feedback in three steps:
First, describe what you hear, without judging whether it's good or not. What is this project? What do you think is happening? What stands out? What seems to be the focus?
Next, evaluate according to our shared criteria, in light of the focus you perceive in the project. NB: This is still a form of description.
Finally, suggest some revision possibility that you think might help take the project to the next level: assume a revision is on the way. Given the goals, the focus, the criteria, what might be next?
We can’t trade cards, so we’ll trade clones
In an in-person semester, I’d ask you to fit your comments on index cards; that should give you a sense of how much writing I’m expecting here. (It should be relatively focused.) Since we can’t do cards, you’ll clone three repositories, as specified below, and write your feedback for the authors on GitHub.
To make this process easier, you should probably indicate in your README.md file where to find the main .aup file for your project, if you have more than one.
Baseline criteria
For a minimum grade of B, all projects for this unit must:
Contain at least one sound originally recorded by you; duration is flexible, depending on your soundscape and narrative.
Contain at least one sound NOT originally recorded by you, but fair game for you to use (e.g. Fair Use or open licensed)
Have three layers (tracks) of sound overlapping at least once in the file, e.g. ambient sound + music + action
Play for 2-4 minutes
Correctly credit your sources, either in the piece (usually at the end) or in a clearly labeled file in the repo
Have something change from the beginning to the end of the piece (think: plot)
Clearly signal an intentional ending
Aspirational inspirations
To target (but not guarantee) a grade above a B, the best projects for this unit may (but need not)…
Organize your files through track labeling, file structure, etc
Experiment with Audacity features/effects you haven’t used before
Locate the narrative with sounds specific to a place and/or time
Create a sense of 3D environment using panning and relative volume
Use soundtrack (music) to convey a consistent narrative/emotional tone
Use soundtrack (music) to convey a climax or shift in narrative/emotional tone
Demonstrate that listeners can describe the soundscape narrative as intended
Use the title to help listeners understand the soundscape narrative as intended
If using human voices, have more than one character interact
If not using human voices, have one sound respond to / interact with another (e.g. pouring sound + spoon stirring sound = coffee; pouring sound + crunching sound = cereal)
Practice careful editing through well-aligned transitions and loops, cuts at zero crossings, etc
Any surprises there, before we move on?
3. Peer Review Workshop (3 times 10-12 min)
Detailed instructions for workshop-at-a-distance
Go to your first partner’s website, and use the green “Code” button, probably with the “Open with GitHub Desktop” option.
In order to avoid name conflicts, you’ll want to append your partner’s name to the name of the Local Folder
In GitHub Desktop, choose View in Finder (Mac) / View in Explorer (PC) to find the files you just downloaded, and open them in Audacity.
Optionally, zoom out to see the whole Audacity project with Fit to Height and Fit to Width. (Look under the View menu, then Track Size.) Note that you can later use the same menu to Expand All Tracks; this will let you see the settings for pan, gain, etc.
Here’s where the cycle really starts:
describe the soundscape and narrative you hear
evaluate the project relative to the shared set of criteria, and
suggest changes that you think would take it to baseline and/or above.
Finally, make sure you post all these comments – in language you’d be comfortable sharing publicly – on the latest commit on the project’s GitHub website. Here’s how and where to leave comments on GitHub: Just
click through to the history of commits (the clock page);
click on the commit hash, the set of random-seeming numbers and letters almost at the end of the top row (i.e., for the most recent commit); and
scroll to the bottom of the diff view that appears. You’ll see a comment box there:
Repeat the steps above for your next two partners’ repos. On subsequent loops, note that after viewing the project first, you may also want to read and/or refer to the previous comments.
Your Groups
Let's do this!
Within each group, you’re responsible for commenting on the three people listed after your name; if that takes you to the end, wrap around again. (e.g. Alexa will review soundscape narratives for Ben S., Henry, and Jacob; Ben S. will review for Henry, Jacob, and Alexa; Henry will review for Jacob, Alexa, and Ben S.; and so on.)
I think it might be best to start by cloning and listening to one repo at a time.
If you're participating asynchronously, please try to complete your review by the end of Saturday night, so your partners can work with your feedback in mind. If that's just not possible (and I understand how that might be the case), let me know asap and I'll make sure the others get my feedback in the meantime. Tuesday morning would be the latest when it might still be helpful, so that's the async deadline; just confirm that you've pulled the latest version whenever you start.
4. Evaluation revisited (10 min)
Based on your viewing, if you’d like to propose changes to the baseline criteria, or add new aspirational goals to consider, please comment on the google doc!
Homework for Next Time
Next class will be a web designers’ studio, like this past Tuesday’s: I’ll be on Zoom during class time (2:50-4:05), as usual, but I’ll mostly put you in our old breakout groups and keep track of 25-minute intervals. I’ll stay in the main room to field questions or just for check-ins.
The final draft is due at the end of the day on Sunday night, 9/20, and a reflection by class-time on Tuesday, 9/22; see the prompt for further details.
EXT:
If any time remains, go ahead and get started on those revisions!
