For those of you that don’t know French, “Etoile Filante” means the “Shooting Star” The inspiration for this music through the thought that when you look up into the sky, and you see a shooting star, you can only wonder if someone else in the world is looking at the same star. And through the star you wonder how different you and their lives are, what they’re doing, and how they’re doing. With a million miles between the two of you, you can only wish upon the shooting star that they are happy, which you makes you happy. On that note, you come back down to earth from your thoughts and continue studying.

Time for a long over-due commentary about my newest composition. I recently received a message about it, and in replying to the message, I’ve shared a little bit of what the song is about.

Subject: Snowflake Sonata

Message: “Just to clarify, this isn’t really a sonata (: haha very pretty music though. This might be presumptuous of me but I’m guessing you’re not classically trained? This is more of a rondo then a sonata.”

My response:

hey there,

thanks for your message! and thank you for your clarification. actually i am aware that in the most classical sense, i am using the word “sonata” a bit out of context. however, i wanted to use this word in a more general and literal sense, in the way wikipedia describes it: “[sonata] literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian cantare, “to sing”), a piece sung.”

i was inspired to write this song by watching the way snow falls, and the way it covers the land peacefully. I desired to recreate this feeling for those who are going through alot of stress in their studies. Thus, i wanted to title the piece to reflect this inspiration. I wanted to use alliteration and thus came up with three different titles:

1. Snowflake Song

2. Snowflake Suite

3. Snowflake Sonata

I wasn’t about to call this, the “Snowflake Song” because I didn’t really like the ring to it, and Snowflake Suite is a name of a computer software. So that leaves Snowflake Sonata. It felt right, and thus it was therefore entitled as such.

In regards to my training, I have been classically trained for a good 11 years before moving onto jazz and improv, which is why you hear classical elements to alot of my music.

Hope this clarifies things,

Dennis Kuo

Style: Piano & Orchestral
Genre: Christmas/Holiday
Mood: Nostalgic
Best Played When: You really need that final stretch before Winter Break
Best NOT Played when: It is NOT Christmas time!

 

 

PLEASE NOTE! This song is a limited holiday edition of Study Music Project. This video will NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE OR MY CHANNEL ONCE THE HOLIDAY SEASON ENDS! If you like this video, you will have to favorite it or save the link somewhere!! 

“The First Noel” was one of my favorite Christmas music as a kid. I have very distinct memories of playing cello for this song in a Christmas program. Thus, it brings back memories…

Where has the Study Music Project been?! Miss me? hahaha! It’s been more than a month since my last post, and a lot of things have happened that has REALLY delayed production:

1. Macbook harddrive failure! How is that even possible? I had to buy a new harddrive, and thankfully some of my files were recoverable. Unfortunately, alot of my programs were not, and that included Final Cut Express and Logic Pro, my two ultimate production tools for Study Music Project. I can’t even get Final Cut Express anymore because Apple discontinued it! Switched to Adobe Premiere, sorry apple. And also I couldn’t get Logic working either, so this tract was brought to you by: Ableton Live! Looks like these will be my new productions tools for the upcoming year.

2. Lion Upgrade, then downgrade back to Snow Leopard. Almost all my music production tools, hardware AND software, were not yet compatible with the new OSX. Very annoying. I spent several days upgrading and then downgrading.

3. MEDICAL SCHOOL. I went through an onslaught of exams this fall, and I got an exam this upcoming Friday, so I seriously gotta stop this one short. Just talking about it makes me nervous. lol but I hope you guys enjoy this special version of Study Music Project!

Thank you all who has left me comments and feedback in the past! They are all very encouraging and mean alot to me! Thanks again!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Remember the reason for the season!

Best of Luck!

Style: Piano + Music Box
Genre: Classical
Mood: Nostalgic
Best Played When*: You need to sit down and write a good paper. Or if you need to recall things.
Best NOT Played when*: When you on yo way to da CLUB!

*These parameters may change upon more feedback.

Background: Okay, so this is not Space-Time Continuum. Where did it go? The previous piece was taking a while to produce, once again, because of a new style for me as well as new production techniques. It’s really all mentally laid out, but recently I just haven’t had the time to finish it up due to the exam schedule in med school. The past 2 weeks have been extremely crazy, because every Monday we have had an exam. And these aren’t like 10 question pop quizzes; we’re talking full-on 293 pages of notes, 92 question exams. To top it off, I have another one this coming Monday, so posting this blog/music has probably dropped me a couple points already! xD

About the music: This time I want to talk a little bit about my composition/production process. It doesn’t always happen this way, but more likely than not, it has been recently, especially for Study Music Project. Most musical ideas I get for the Study Music Project have been conceived during my own study breaks between long hours of cramming. For some weird reason, the more stressful school becomes, the more creative I get (procrastination at its finest). I’d probably get a good musical idea or so going, sometimes even a whole song. Eventually, I would create a short recorded sample of my music (similarly to Space-Time Continuum).

THEN, I would ask several medical students at my school to listen to it FIRST and provide feedback and constructive comments. With their provided input, I go back and edit, refine, and optimize the music until it’s good for studying (or somewhat pleasing to the ears). I would then play it again for other medical students, and repeat. AFTER ALL OF THIS, THEN I would release it on youtube for everyone.

This was an ESSENTIAL process in particular to this specific piece and its development. Initially, this piece was going to be was supposed to reflect nature (rain, wind, etc.), however, upon hearing the music, one medical student straight up told me that my piece didn’t fit the theme, and that it sounded more like a ballerina music box. It was through this direct input, that the directionality of the song completely changed. I re-worked the initial recording to get what you hear today.

So what is the theme of this piece? It’s about a music box, more so than just that. We all had a music box, a musical toy, or something as kids. Thus the music box represents the past. The piano represents the present. Themes from your past molds the themes in the present. Your previous experiences make you who you are, and some of your characteristics will be reflections of your past. Likewise, who you are right now and what you do today, will affect the you of the future. So stay in school, study hard. And become somebody great one day. Listen to this piece with this in mind (but only when you’re not studying!)

Style: Piano
Genre: Classical
Mood: Nostalgic, focus
Best played when: you are so stressed out to the point that it is starting to affect your work. Relax, you’ll be fine. Also put this on if you really need to concentrate, but can’t stand the silence. NOT exactly the music to play when you’re trying to stay awake.

Background: Summer is barely over, and Autumn JUST set in, but school is already back in session. Well, it is at least for me. 2nd year of medical school is definitely more of a challenge than first year. It could be the dramatic increase in school load compared to the first, but more importantly, I think it is the responsibilities as well. And even more importantly, it is the greater expectation that I try to hold for myself.

During the past few days, I never studied so hard in my life. I went on campus to study Sunday afternoon and did not come home until Monday afternoon after the exam. Most of my slumber was pretty much achieved with my head on the table. Anyway, my walk back from school to my apartment right after the exam seemed like the first time I was able to take a stroll outside while the sun was still up, and was just inspired by the season, which led to the production of “Autumn Melody.”

I was playing with this idea for awhile, and alot of the composition took place between my study breaks in the med school, but when it came time to really recording the piece, it really took some effort. I went through three different attempts and revisions of this song until I came by with one that I was satisfied with.

I really wanted to capture a nostalgic, peaceful feeling of the Fall season with this piece, hopefully to channel this energy into focus and concentration via study music.

Behind the Artwork: The artwork in this video was also drawn by me. A new theme that I’ve been trying out in my artwork recently is to integrate something I’ve learned in school somewhere in my drawings.

For example, in my last video, “Smoothie Samba,” I was going through immunology. So in one of the artwork in the video portrays “Antibody Class Switching of a B-cell” but it was actually a “Bee” cell…induced by a “Tea” cell..get it? hahaha i’m so lame.

In this video, there is a picture of a staff in a pot of gold. Since we are going through the microbiology chapter right now, this picture is supposed to resemble Staph Aureus.

Staph = “Staff” Aureus = (Gold in Latin). Staph Aureus: the bacteria that does it all, causing infections in the skin, eyes, bones and joints, lungs, and GI, and plus more. When in doubt, it’s probably Staph, and you’re probably right. Well, theoretically. You probably shouldn’t act under these same assumptions clinically when treating patients. Run some lab tests and grow a culture.

Welcome to www.studymusicproject.com!

This is the official launch of the new website dedicated to this project! Just a little over a year ago, I had a conviction and a dream to create a unique form of music, that is able to help students of all walks in their education to concentrate better.

Today, I am seriously overwhelmed, encouraged, and amazed by the support all of you have shown me and the Study Music Project. This has led me to this point, where I’ve started a website dedicated to this project! I’m very excited, as this marks the next chapter of the Study Music Project.

Things you will find on this site:

1. COMMENTARIES ON THE MUSIC.
As you scroll through some of my postings, I have imported some composer’s notes and comments below the videos that I produced. I hope to do more of that, and also point out some of the things that I am currently experimenting in my music. Some may be for enhancing concentration, some may be for style, and some may be just for fun.

2. ADVICE AND INSPIRATION.
Well I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. Let me share some to you guys so you won’t make the same. For those that are have a PASSION in something and are debating whether they should stay in school or not, I hope to be an inspiration to these people. I have been inspired by MANY great mentors in my life, and it’s time to give back.

3. OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE.
In summary, there is a lot of conflicting conclusions drawn by the research. There are alot of reasons for this. Maybe people have different tastes, music affects emotions, but the Study Music Project will work.

WHY does the study music project work? The reason is because EVERY STUDY MUSIC PROJECT IS BUILT ON THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME PREVIOUSLY.

Through this site, I hope to use polls to gather data. This will in turn give me a more quantitative measure of how effective the music and will help me effectively make the next one better.

-Is the music helpful? How about the tempo? I take all this into consideration when I write the next piece. There are multiple types of Study Music out there in the world (classical, new age, etc.) but NONE of them integrates DIRECT feedback from YOU, the listener.

Ultimately, if the music works, it works. Maybe one day I can really conduct research on exactly how it works. But the IMPORTANT KEY OF THE DAY is THAT YOUR GRADES IMPROVE AND YOU PASS YOUR CLASSES!

This is what the website is all about. Thanks for visiting!