Welcome to Section 3 of my Module 3 Pilot Project featuring the Camden Highline.
Thanks for hanging on in there everyone! Only one more week to go after this, and then I’ll review my findings and do a little conclusion with music tweaked based on feedback. If you’ve not given any feedback on Sections 1 and 2 yet, step right up.
This week, we’ve reached the Railway Garden section of the Highline — full context with brief and music piece below.
Just a reminder that whilst I have my lovely Focus Group, I’d love to hear thoughts from everyone. Get involved!
If you’re not part of the Focus Group, and would like to have your say, then click here.
Section 3 - Railway Gardens.
Background and Brief.
Railway Gardens Zone Context.
The residential context of this section guides its character. Visitors entering the Railway Gardens pass an outdoor classroom, which can be used for school trips and the Camden Highline’s workshop program. The planting here transitions to productive gardens, including an orchard of fruit trees and volunteer-run allotments. The centrepiece of this section is the Log Yards Play Zone, which works with the existing sports pitch to provide active spaces for all ages.
Brief.
Objective:
Compose original ambient tracks, pieces or themes inspired by the Railway Gardens’ mixed-use and various areas for play.
Creative:
Phrase Length: Varying the length of musical phrases to reflect the changing and variations of use of the area (allotments, schooling)
Repetition and Variation: Use repetitive melodies with slight changes to maintain interest.
Chord Progressions: Utilize serene progressions without rhythms to allow space sonic ‘breathing space’ for multi-use areas.
Technical:
Deploy effected and granular synthesis to add texture.
Use reverb and delay/echo effects to enhance the sense of space and tranquillity.
Theme guide.
To give you a grasp of where the music and sounds ‘live’ on-site, please refer to the diagram above.
A: Nature Classroom
B: Logs Yard Playzone
C: Overlook and Events Grove
Section 3 Railway Gardens Main Theme.
The first thing to notice is that neither theme in Section 3 features a prescribed rhythm - more a series of pulses using synth pads with glitchy effects cutting them in and out to give a feeling of movement and nature. Due to the mixed nature of both areas, I’ve kept both pieces a little amorphous so they can co-exist with varying degrees and types of activity.
The core Camden Highline melody is present using a Rhodes piano-like tone at the -4:20 mark. This is developed with slight changes to timing and melody as per brief until -2:29 where a flute counterpoint melody is introduced. There’s also a background of female vocals low in the mix for the first time.
At that -2:29 point, a bell-like texture synth is also introduced. This melody is not static timing-wise and shifts around to suggest movement, trees swaying etc. Around the -1:02 mark, a high register version of this is introduced to build and take us to the end of this section.
This piece would be deployed at A and C on the map and be used as an enhancement for nature areas, the allotment sections as well as the overlook and events areas - it’s a quiet, subtle piece and the slightly random nature of the timings would suit double usage in these areas.
Section 3 Log Yard Theme.
To slightly contrast with the previous piece, there’s an injection of fun with the Log Yard theme. With the area’s focus on play and adventure, there’s a slight uptick in the sense of rhythm using effects and echo. The inspiration for this piece is what the experience of light coming through the tree tunnel would feel like, but in sound.
The Camden Highline melody is reintroduced with the same bell-like Rhodes piano sound at -1:48. A small gap is introduced at -0:42 before we have a resolution sound - this would be heard at the intersection of the Camley Street entrance and the Overlook before you would enter the Events Grove.
Overall, this piece is much more random in nature. Overlapping timings and layers suggest the movement of children playing and running around whilst still having a calm and enhancing nature which also works for those with other needs and requirements.
That’s it for this week, everyone! Please let me know what you think by filling in the form, leaving a direct message or a comment below — huge thanks for taking part.
I think this is excellent, good luck with the rest of the project
Loving this weeks work - very uplifting 😃