Tallen Intern Final

8/10/2019 Tallen Intern Final

1/4

Tristan Allen

Internship Final Paper

I worked for Vessela Stoyanova, an accomplished musician currently

teaching here at Berklee. She was originally trained as a classical percussionist and

gravitated towards the Marimba. Her love for the instrument continues, however its

lack of sustain and pitch control have negated certain ideas she wishes to express.

Vessela now performs using the Marimba Lumina, an unusual electronic instrument

of explorative potential. Its essentially a MIDI controller that lets a musician play

sounds using a control surface based on the layout of a marimba. Vessela has used

ready-made sounds on the Lumina for the entirety of the time shes had it. She set

up this internship in hopes to find someone willing to show her the ins and outs of

the music software Ableton. This programs interface provides an artist with the

proper tools to make sound from scratch. Vessela needed an intern to help

familiarize her with Ableton along with other techniques in creating expressive

sound.

This goal of hers was provoked by the experimental characteristics of her

current band Bury Me Standing. The group defines itself as Balkan dirge-core or

the work of roast pigeons of absolute knowledge. I was fortunate in getting the

position of helping Vessela construct a pallet of sound to play for the band.

I began with showing her the basics of Ableton. The program is quite

intimidating by virtue of its endless possibility. I provided limitations and


2/4

assignments similarly to the way scales on a piano would be taught: first finger,

second finger, third, then cross, etc. In the world of Ableton: record a sound,

compress it, lower the threshold, sample it, etc.

Despite frustrations with the machinery Vessela learned fast and we were able to

move on to more difficult work.

My skill set with electronics is seemingly contradictory to what may be

expected of someone working with machines. I find great amusement in the organic

sound of the world around me rather than the facilities of synthesis. Recording out

in the field feels like playing god. You can record a singing gibbon, bring its song

home, and bend it in whatever way you choose. During the internship, Ive made

great efforts to try and convey my excitement for sound to her. I remember

recording the sound of water dripping on a pipe in a cave-like basement and

showing it to her in one of our sessions. I was intrigued by the drips audible glory

but cant say the same for her. It was hard for me to engage her in the process of

sound design for she longed for the playable product. I can completely understand

where shes coming from. Theres nothing quite like hitting something and

immediately being rewarded by its tone. The unfortunate truth of sound design is

that it never works out that way. A lot of steps are taken before a sound is organized

into music or can even be made into a distinguishable note. It dawned on both

Vessela and I that more progress would be made if she focused on the playing rather

than making of sound. Thus, I started to make the pallet for her. Her band-mate


3/4

utilized some the techniques I demonstrated in order to contribute and eventually

became the leading contributor of her sound bank.

Throughout the course of the semester, Vessela has been in many battles

against the faults of technology. Her computer wasnt recognizing her marimba, the

interface would die out for no reason, and the sounds output was mono rather than

stereo in certain instances. The technical difficulties were endless. I did the best I

could to try and fix these issues and am happy to say that things generally worked

out.

Vesselas band, Bury Me Standing, was preparing for an important show. I

was appointed with the duty of collaborating with her band-mate in finalizing a

sound bank. Going to the show gave me a very deep sense of satisfaction. Her giving

life to the sounds made me beam.

This semester was a mutually stressful time for both of us. I ultimately

expected to meet with her more than I did. A lot of our sessions were canceled as a

result of her maddening schedule. I intend to voluntarily work with her after this

semester in order to achieve finality with the sounds that were worked on. As a

whole, the experience of aiding Vessela with the Marimba Lumina was beneficial. I

find it incredibly helpful to step back from Berklee while utilizing its academic

intent.


4/4

Berklee is the mainland and this internship enacted as an island. Being

scholastically prepared to enter mainstream culture the outsider culture of

professional music provides nourishment for my individuality. Hemmingway was

once asked, of all the books in the world, you could take one to a desert island.

Which one would it be? Hemmingway answered, a blank one. The opportunity

inherent within the blank pages ofsound design begets a freeing consciousness.

My studies in the inside augmented by my personal experience aiding Vessela

have proved beneficial to my experience here at Berklee.

The work I have done in my internship with Vessela has been incredible

relevant to my goals as an aspiring musician. I hope to make a lot of things in my life

and was fortunate to watch the development of someone work within the walls of

my methods. I suppose I love sound design for the same reasons I love piano. The

idea of adventure thrills me. Sound gives people the ability to pursue beauty

through adventure. Musical ventures begin with an idea. However, this idea never

culminates in the way one can expect it to. This is magical. I have caught glimpses of

Vesselas joy with tweaking sound. I saw her instinctual, almost survivalist

inclinations force audio into pattern and for that moment I feel truly grateful for the

opportunity to have given her a basis in Ableton. The making and interpretation of

sound enables this adventure and exposes the beauty of the mysterious. I believe I

make music for this reason. The internship has most certainly helped me in my

development as someone who feels dedicated to the beauty of music.

Documents

Tallen Intern Final