Work to have done: a solid attempt at a complete audio narrative, ideally meeting baseline criteria. Rough edges are still welcome.
Plan for the day:
Describe -> Evaluate -> Suggest: A Workshop Workflow (5 min)
Evaluation reminder: our shared criteria (5 min)
Peer review workshop (3 times 10-12 min); EXT: Studio
Evaluation revisited (10 min)
HW preview
0. Warm-up writing
Think about writing you’ve had reviewed before, whether by peers or by teachers. What were the best, most helpful responses? What were the worst, least helpful responses? What could you do to make responses that you give less like the worst, and more like the best?
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. That means your job as a peer reviewer is to return their outputs to them, with a little added distance: to help them see what’s coming across, so they can compare it to what they’d intended.
To make that work, 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?
Trading clones
You’ll download three audio narratives, as specified below, and write your feedback for the authors on GitHub.
In past semesters, I asked everyone to fit comments on index cards; that should give you a sense of how much writing I’m expecting here. (Ie, it should be relatively focused.) But it’s a little more environmentally friendly to write digitally instead.
NB: If you have more than one Audacity project file in your repo, to make this process easier, you should probably indicate in your README.md file where to find the main .aup3 file for your project. Take a minute to do that now, if you need to.
Here’s how and where to leave comments on GitHub: Just
click through to the history of commits (the clock icon);
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: <figcaption>You can leave comments on a particular commit using the GitHub website. GIF made with LICEcap. </figcaption>
As a shortcut, you could also just click on the latest commit message, which sits above the full list of files in the repository’s home page. But it’s kinda nice to see the big list of commits, no?
3. Peer Review Workshop (3-5 min setup, plus 10-12 min for each of 3 partners)
Detailed instructions for workshop
Go to your first partner’s repo on GitHub. If you had a fast connection and lots of disk space, you could clone (e.g. with the “Open with GitHub Desktop” option under “Code”); however, since we’re all trying to do this at once, I think it makes the most sense to download just the aup3 file. (It’ll be plenty big enough!)
To do so, find the file and click on its filename (that is, not on the commit message, but the .aup3 itself). You should get a new screen that says “Stored with Git LFS” and a Download button. (If you don’t see that button, try the three-dots menu.) If given the option, save the file anywhere that isn’t your own repository. You may want to give it a name that distinguishes it from other partner’s files. <figcaption>To download a single file from GitHub, click on that file’s name. GIF made with LICEcap. </figcaption> Be patient: this might take a little while. When it’s ready, open the file in Audacity.
Optionally, zoom out to see the whole Audacity project with View > Track Size > Fit to Height / Fit to Width. 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.
Repeat the steps above for your next two partners’ repos. On subsequent loops, note that after viewing/listening to 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 (3) people that follow you in your line; if that takes you to the end of the line, wrap around again.
I think it might be best to start by downloading and listening to one repo at a time – after that first one, we’ll likely stagger, and so use less of our available bandwidth – but your mileage may vary.
(e.g. Evan will reflect back audio narratives for James, Katelyn, and Marty; James will reflect back for Katelyn, Marty, and Paul; but Marty will reflect back for Kaitlyn Miller, Paul, and Evan; and so on.)
If you're absent from class but not too sick to participate asynchronously, please try to complete your review before class time on Thursday – or earlier, if possible – 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 your partners get feedback from me in the meantime. Saturday morning would be the latest when it might still be helpful, so that's the official async deadline; just confirm that you've pulled the latest version whenever you start.
EXT: Studio
If any time remains, go ahead and get started on those revisions! If you have a chance to let me know in the shared notes doc what you’re working on or what you’re wondering, all the better. :¬)
Contain at least one sound originally recorded by you
Contain at least one sound not recorded by you, but which you have permission (e.g. Creative Commons license, fair use, etc) to use
List and credit file sources used, including your means of establishing permission
Have three layers (tracks) of sound overlapping at least once in the file
Meet deadlines and requirements from the chart below (see: citation, reflection, project title in README)
Export a playable ("rendered") .mp3 file
Have something happen or change during the piece (e.g. a shift in location, an event)
Play for ~2-4 minutes, or justify the decision to go outside that range in your reflection
Use at least one effect from the Audacity "Effects" menu
Aspirational Inspirations
To target (but not guarantee) a grade above a B, the best projects for this unit may...
Use Audacity effects that are new to you
Write commit messages other than the vague defaults
Use relative volume and other effects to signal distance
Use left/right pan and low/high pass filters to create a sense of (locations in) space
Have a clear organizational scheme you can articulate
e.g. Transition seamlessly from clip to clip
e.g. Use sharp cuts to signal scene changes
Have an emotional or intellectual intention that you can articulate
Use sounds that are unique to your narrative, so as to combat the cliches we read about (and identify/explain your choices in your reflection)
Include synthesized sounds created by an automated process
Use speech effects that fit your narrative and locations
Use clear speech, if speech is used
Any surprises there, before we move on?
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 for others to consider, please comment on the google doc!
Homework for Next Time
Next class will be a soundwriters’ studio: a chance to implement your plans in light of the feedback from workshop.
A final-for-now draft is due at the end of Sunday, to give you time to write a reflection by class-time on Tuesday; see the audio narrative prompt for further details.
Even as we zoom in toward the unit finale, I want to keep one eye open toward the bigger picture. Think about projects you’d like to try for at the end of term: e.g. What further possibilities of sound might you want to explore, perhaps in connection with other people, or with other media?
You can post these musings to the Issue Queue; there is no minimum length requirement.
<figcaption>You can leave comments on a particular commit using the GitHub website. GIF made with LICEcap. </figcaption> 
<figcaption>To download a single file from GitHub, click on that file’s name. GIF made with LICEcap. </figcaption>