The Sonic Storytelling of Song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’
Divine Affliction: Perception Through A Feminine Lens Part 10
Divine Affliction: Perception Through a Feminine Lens Blog Series presents an expansive view behind the music production of album Divine Affliction. An expression of the feminine aesthetics in music. A sonic portrayal of the duality of divinity and affliction, a journey through the female experience. The album is a shorter album consisting of seven songs and would be defined as experimental electronica with raw, introspective, brooding, emotive music. This album presents an aural representation of the female processes and application to music production. The musical compositions are inspired by my own experience of the intersectionality of gender and music production along with the preliminary research uncovered in the 1st four theoretical blogs of this series. This blog dissects my creative process, with visceral accounts on the sonic storytelling of the song — ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’, narrating my music-making processes. Highlighting how I implement the song concepts into the musical composition, audio processing, and lyrics. Observe the creative experience through the lens of a female producer.
‘Mulier in Ecclesia Taceat’ Sonic Storytale
The Song Concept
This song expresses the afflictions I have with the intersection of gender and music production and the historical censoring of women from music. This censorship has aided in the under-representation of female producers in the field today. This leads to barriers for females to access music production as we are not represented in this space and have no one to identify with. “You can’t be what you can’t see” (Mariane Wright Edelman, Spellman College, 1959). This song is a statement against this censorship of women from music, along with the social suppression women have endured. Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ translates to Let women keep silence in the church. Here is a Youtube video explaining how to pronounce this term.
Institutions of the church and government believed female expression as a threat to their power and imposed the impression of female expression as un-rational. ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ or ‘Let women keep silence in church’, during the fourth century was the earliest official censorship silencing women from music (Fenn, N.d, p. 5). During this time, also known as the Pauline Injunction, “all musical portions of church services were entrusted to professional choirs of men and boys” (Fenn, N.d, p. 5).
In the course of this injunction and censorship, thousands of women were subjected to wearing a scold’s bridle, depicted in the images to the left and below. ‘Let woman keep silent in church’ — actually referred to the Parish community or more precisely; the male hierarchies of a community, not literally the building of the church. This would suggest the more accurate translation to be — ‘Let the woman be silent in the presence of the male’ (Bekic. N.d). “In a society dominated by men, any feminine opposition to the ruling male powers was considered an attack against authority (civil or ecclesiastical). Many of the masks contained mouthpieces with nails that pierced the tongue and the roof of the mouth, forcing the mouth to remain closed without being able to move the jaws. These people generally died of starvation or by being repeatedly beaten, especially on the breasts or the pelvis if women” (Maertz, 2015).
The scold’s bridle had a bit that stuck in the female’s mouth to prevent her from talking, with rivets so it could be moved to allow for bread and water to sustain life. This feature indicates its use for long term incarceration. The scold’s bridle was used in Scotland from the 16th century and became popular throughout England during the 17th century, and was last used in Britain in 1824. It was also used in Colonial America by the “Puritan Pilgrims who severely punished offenses which violated their cultural or religious values” (Bekic. N.d). This shows evidence of a long history of the censorship of women from music, along with demonstrating heinous social suppression and wrongdoings cast upon the female gender during this long course of history. Following is an image taken from under one of these masks in The Torture Museum, Rudesheim Germany.
The censorship of women from vocal expression was also identified in ancient and modern Greece. Canakis, Kantsa, and Yannakopoulous discuss Anne Carson’s detailed reconstruction of the long history of the symbolic associations of speech with men and inarticulate sound with women. Which focuses on the systematic control and the prohibitions imposed by the laws of ancient Greece cities on exuberant bodily and vocal expressions performed by women, especially in the context of funeral rituals. “The uncontrollable female expression of emotions undermined the political integration of the city as rational” (Canakis, Kantsa, & Yannakopoulous, N.d, p. 208–209). They compare this with Nadia Seremetakis’s study of women in modern Greece which focuses on “the crucial political role of women’s vocal expressions or screaming, which she describes as ethics of antiphony”(Canakis, Et. al, N.d, p. 208–209).
“This screaming is a gendered performance constituting a renegotiation of social relations in local society as well as a protest against the subordinate position of Maniat society in hierarchal relations with wider political forces and agendas. Women who scream at the wake, engage in a crying ritual for the dead, enact a female counterpart to the official religious funeral. In doing so the radically oppose all kinds of external male rationalizations, impersonated by the clergy and agents of political power, and pose a dangerous and contagious threat against modernizing discourse penetrating Maniat society” (Canakis, Et. al, N.d, p. 208–209).
In Greek antiquity, there was a major relationship between voice and feminine sexuality. This is specifically the symbolic equivalence between the two mouths of the female body, the vocal and the sexual. Due to fear of feminine expression and the contagious uncontrollable actions either of the females two mouths produce, the church placed the systematic control over both of the female mouths, vocally and sexually (Canakis, Et. al, N.d, p. 208–209). The historical censoring of women from music is like the censoring of Lilith from history altogether.
“Lilith was the first wife of Adam. She was banished from the garden of Eden when she refused to make herself subservient to Adam. Specifically, she refused to get into the missionary position with him during sex. When she was cast out she was made into a demon figure, and Adam was given a second wife, Eve, who was fashioned from his rib to ensure obedience to her man” (Thurmond Morris , 2010, p. 106).
Lilith and Eve were both banned from the Garden of Eden, like women censored from music. Eve’s curse is a woman’s dispossessed voice. Be like Lilith, never Eve. Lilith tells us to take back our power and with it, we will be silenced no more…Following is how I depict this concept into musical form.
The Musical Composition and Audio Production
The song, ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ is a down-tempo song with a 4/4 tempo at 70BPM. I composed it in the key of F#minor, choosing a minor key as theories on aesthetics in music correspond the feminine with minor scales. Stoltzfus explains that “musical expression can provide orientation for the entirety of the inner life” including the characteristics of gender, heard in the metaphors of the masculine and feminine in the major and minor keys (Stoltzfus, 2006, p. 81). This was explained further in earlier blog https://medium.com/orthentix/the-sonic-storytale-of-song-the-phenomenological-ecriture-of-motherhood-5768d9e10346. Hobbs describes in blog Musical key characteristics & emotions that the key of F#minor expresses,
“Gloomy, Passionate, Resentment. Tearing at your hair and shirt, discontentment, long periods of lamentation and crying. Still capable of fighting this feeling” (Hobbs, 2018).
Therefore I thought that this key would be perfect for the concept of this song. The female expression is passionate, hence the contagion it can create. She would have had gloomy emotions and felt resentment for the censorship, especially if she had to wear a scold bridle. She endured this censorship for a long period and would have cried due to the suppression. Though the female is strong and is always capable of the fight for social justice.
This song was written with a pentatonic scale. Brett Vollert describes the pentatonic scale as the common chorus of humanity. With completely isolated ancient cultures sharing this common scale, heard in the chants of ancient Greece and in the Asian Pacific (Vollert, 2013). I chose to compose this song in a pentatonic scale due to its relationship with ancient Greece and the censorship of women that also happened in ancient Greece. This scale also represents ancient times, showing the long period of history that the women were silenced from music. A pentatonic scale has a pattern of five notes per octave. ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ is written in the F# minor scale, with the notes of F# — A — B — C# — E depicted in the following image on the keys of a piano.
The Arrangement
The simple cyclic arrangement of this song with the intro — build — chorus/drop — breakdown — chorus/drop — breakdown — build — chorus/drop — chorus/drop — outro was used to represent the cyclic nature of feminine sexuality. “The continuity and openness of feminine writing also reflect women’s sexual experiences [as] indefinite, cyclic, without set beginnings and endings”(Macarthur, 2002, p. 113). ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ was composed of a simple single movement structure that was repeated throughout the arrangement, adding to the cyclic nature of the song. Macarthur explains songs that demonstrate the characteristics of typically female works, possess a highly emotional inclination and routinely use simple forms within their single-movement structure. Like the stereotypical definition of feminine work, these pieces begin and end delicately and softly (Macarthur, 2002, p. 91). This aids in expressing that this song is from the female voice, her story. This song uses the compositional traits of counterpoint, and tension and release, to express the emotion of the gloomy restlessness felt with the censoring of women, along with the passion of rising from the suppression. The counterpoint is heard between the harmony and bass instruments, which melodies go down in the scale, with the main melody which rises in the scale. The tension is felt with the counterpoint of these rising melodies and their accompanying harmonies, at the end of the cycle the melody finishes on a different note for variation, and with this variation, release from the tension is felt.
The eleven and a half bar intro starts with water dripping samples to depict tears flowing, like the crying funeral rituals in the church in ancient Greece. The four pad instruments are introduced one at a time at the start of the fourth bar, along with a warm bass instrument. The build starts at the 7th bar with a wine glass ringing sound FX, and kick drums are introduced at 8 and a half bars, building into the 8 bar 1st chorus/drop and 4 bar breakdown. This 1st chorus/drop and breakdown sections do not have the main melody playing, giving this song a staggard introduction feel. This 4 bar breakdown leads into the 8 bar 2nd drop/chorus, where the melodies are introduced. Then the 2 bar 2nd breakdown section follows into a 2 bar build which leads into the 8 bar 3rd drop/chorus, this section has the main synth introduced and more harmony instruments. This section finishes into a brief 1 bar silence, to depict the silencing of women, leading straight into the 8 bar chorus/drop section again, to depict we will be silenced no more. This leads into a simple 4 bar outro with the bass, pads, strings, and melody instruments fading out into reverb swirls of the either, ending delicately and softly.
There are two different chord progressions of this song alternating with F# — C# — A — E and C# — A — E — F#. The intro and build sections start on the C# progression. The 1st chorus/drop section starts on the C# progression for the first 4 bar then on F# progression for the remaining 4 bars, leading into the breakdown section which starts on F#. This leads into the 2nd chorus/drop sections which start on F# progression for the first four bars and then on the C# progression for the remaining four bars. Which leads into the F# breakdown and build sections, then follows with the chorus/drop section repeated twice, which again starts on F# for the first four bars and then on C# for the remaining four bars, leading into the F# in the outro.
Here is an instrumental version of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ for an aural representation of the discussed arrangement.
Here is an image of the arrangement from the Logic Pro X project ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’. Notice the build and dynamics of the instruments in the song as it progresses from start to end with the staggard introduction, along with the indefinite cycles of the intro — build — chorus/drop — breakdown — chorus/drop — breakdown — build — chorus/drop — chorus/drop — outro sections.
Drums
The drum samples used were Trap and Hip-hop drum samples and processed to sound similar to these genres. The drums were written with a 4/4 tempo at 70BPM. The drums were created with a layer of samples to create a particular sound. The kick and a snare were the main two drums in the pattern. The kick had a shorted hip-hop kick layered with a booming bassier kick. In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chorus/drop sections an 808 kick was layered over the regular kicks to give more texture to the drums and make them bigger and more dynamic. The 8 bar chorus/drop parts have a different snare playing over the last 4 bars. A crash introduces each of the chorus/drop sections and arpeggiated hi-hats were introduced in the 2nd chorus/drop section and played through till the end of the 4th chorus/drop section. There were other layers of percussion in the 3rd and 4th chorus/drop sections including trap snares, delayed rims, gun clicks, and a big snare. Following is an image of drum arrangement in Logic X, for a visual representation of this discussion.
The drums are processed with equilisation, compression, and pitch-shifted to be tuned with the key of the song, with a small amount of reverb processing to some of the drums. The reverb gives air and space to the drums. Most of the drums were sent to a drum group for further parallel compression. This was not including the 808 kicks, hi-hats, bells or cymbals. To do parallel compression, the drums are sent to a stereo bus as a group. This stereo bus is processed with equilisation, saturation, transient shaping, and bus compression, and then mixed in with the dry drums. I then did this again with only the main kicks and snares and side-chained the compressor on this kick and snare group to the drum group, to add air to the drums. The drums were all mono samples and panned to the center, except the high-hats and crashes, which are stereo and panned left and right. Following is an image of drum processing in the mix view in Logic X, for a visual representation of this discussion.
FX
The FX were simple and used to add accents or build tension at ends of sections or to bring in sections with tension. The sound FX used was an eerie wine glass sound in the intro and build, along with record player static during the song for an underlying static atmosphere, these were left dry (without processing). In the previous song ‘Divine Affliction’ I recorded a wine glass with water and slid my finger to make a sound, using my Zoom H4n microphone. I incorporated this into ‘Heartcore’, ‘Virgin or Whore’ and this song for intertextuality, which aids in tying these songs together, so they relate to each other when listening to the album. There was also a metal scraping sound and a reverse crash, which were processed with EQ and reverb. The FX were all stereo samples and panned to the center. Following is an image of sound FX highlighted white in the arrange view in Logic X, for a visual representation of this discussion.
Following is a video of the drums and FX of the song ‘Virgin or Whore’ for a sonic representation of the above explanation. With footage and audio of the breakdown — build and 3rd chorus/drop sections.
Bass
There are five different basslines playing throughout different sections of the song to give texture to the bass section. The intro has the Blow Bass which is the main bass of the song. The Blown Bass is a warm soft bass and is played throughout the whole song, except for the 2nd breakdown and build sections. This instrument was created with Native Instruments synthesizer Absynth and plays the rhythm line of C# — A — E — F# over four bars throughout the C# sections, and the root note of C#throughout the intro section. In the F# sections, it plays the rhythm line F# — C# — A — E over four bars. The same rhythm line is repeated on the BA DnB Roller bass, which was created with Serum synth and processed with an LFO triggered to 1/4 bar timing to the BPM of the song. This bass gave this bassline a wobbly dubstep feel. The BA Feel the Mau5 bass is a shorter stabbing sounding bass and was also created in serum. It played the same rhythm line, though hitting faster quarter notes over the four bars, for example, F# F# F# F# F# F# F# F# — C# C# C# C# C# C# C# C# — A A A A A A A A — E E E E E E E E. These two basses played during the chorus/drop sections and 1st breakdown section and give these sections a groove. The Sinister Exaggerator was used in the 2nd and 4th chorus/drop sections and the final breakdown and build section to build intensity at the ending of the song. This played the same rhythm line as the blown bass of C# — A — E — F# over four bars, and F# — C# — A — E over four bars, and was made on Native Instruments Absynth. In the breakdown and build section, it plays a continual drone on the root note of F#. The Bamboo Bass plays the same C# — A — E — F# over four bars, and F# — C# — A — E over four bars hitting the notes strongly on the first beat of each bar. Though on the 2nd notes in the sequence, on the A and C# it hits the higher note going up in pitch while the other bass instruments hit the lower note going down in pitch. This gives a slight counterpoint to the basslines. It is also created with Native Instruments synthesizer Absynth. Following is an image of the bass instruments in the arrange view in Logic X, for a visual representation of this discussion.
The audio processing on the bass instruments as discussed in the following is depicted in the image to the left. The bass instruments were heavily processed with EQ, so the different bass instruments could be heard while all playing together. As these had similar frequencies, without EQ the bass end would sound muddy with possible comb filtering. The Blown, BA DnB Roller, and BA Feel the Mau5 basses were all compressed as these were the main bass instruments. They were then processed with saturation for textured, grit and warmth. The Fab Filter Saturn was used for the saturation with a warm tube emulation. The Bamboo bass had transient shaping, giving it a slower attack on its envelope. “The envelope represents the varying level of a sound wave over time and is broken down into four areas; attack, decay, sustain and release” (Teachmeaudio.com). The bass instruments are all panned to the center.
Lead Synth
The lead synth is made with the Serum LD Ring Scream and BA Complextro 1 instruments with LFO settings, giving an intense Dubstep sound. These play the same rhythm line as the basses of C# — A — E — F# over four bars, and F# — C# — A — E over four bars, during the 3rd and 4th chorus/drop sections. The Lead Synth was processed with EQ, saturation and set to a bus for short reverb processing. Following is an image of the lead synth MIDI notation.
Following is a video of the drums, FX, bass and lead synth of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ for a sonic representation of the above explanation. With footage and audio of the breakdown — build and 3rd chorus/drop sections.
Melodies
The melodies were made with a lead or top line, rhythm, and chord stab Piano instruments, along with Marimba, Synth and Violas Pizzicato accompaniments. They were written with a cyclic rhythm and melody to keep with the theme of composing from the feminine. “The continuity and openness of feminine writing also reflect women’s sexual experiences [as] indefinite, cyclic, without set beginnings and endings”(Macarthur, 2002, p. 113). The melodies play in higher octaves to the bass instruments.
Rhythm
The Piano rhythm was made with the Logic native EXS24 sampler and plays the rhythm along with the kick drum. It follows the same notes as the bassline of C#C#C# — AAAA — EEE — F#F#F#F# over four bars, and F#F#F# — C#C#C#C# — AAA — EEEE over four bars hitting the notes with the boom of the kick, during the chorus/drop, breakdown build, and outro sections. The Piano had an echo effect to give depth and space to this piano part with a doubling feel. This Rhythm Piano had a Marimba and Synth accompaniment, playing the same notes, though without the echo effect. The Synth was made with Serum synth LD D_Lead 1, and the Marimba was made with the Logic native synth Sculpture.
Chord Stabs
The Piano chords were made with the Logic native EXS24 sampler and played the chord stabs in the chord progression of C# — AAAA — E — F#F#F#F#F# over four bars, and F# — C# C#C#C# — A — EEEEE. The Chord Stab plays throughout the chorus/drop sections.
Top Line/Lead
The lead Piano melody was made with the Logic native EXS24 sampler and played the melody of F#ABC#F#AB — C#AEF#C#AE — ABC#EABC# — EF#ABEF#A over four bars, and C#AEF#C#AE — ABC#EABC# — EF#ABEF#A — F#ABC#F#F#F#, over four bars, during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chorus/drop sections. Though each section has an alternate ending; the 2nd chorus drop ends with the F#F#F#; the 3rd chorus/drop ends with the F#AB, and the 4th ends with the F#AF#, this final F# is in a higher octave. These quicker notes of the melodies and the repeated melody cycle add tension, building into the release of these ending notes. This Top Line/Lead Piano had a Marimba and Synth accompaniment, playing the same notes. The Synth was made with Serum synth, LD D_Lead 2 and the Marimba was made with the Logic native synth Sculpture. There were further accompaniments in the final chorus/drop section with an arpeggiated Marimba and Violas Pizzicato also playing the top/lead line to give the song variation and instrumentation for this final chorus/drop. The arpeggiated Marimba was panned right and the Violin Pizzicato panned left.
The MIDI notation of the melody instruments discussed is depicted in the following image.
The audio processing of the melody parts is depicted in the image to the left. The piano’s were processed with a bandwidth EQ so they didn’t interfere with the bass instruments or the higher frequency instruments in the mix. As the piano has a large frequency band, it can tend to make the mix cloudy without this bandwidth EQ processing. The piano’s also had short piano reflection reverb to aid in giving it the hammer sound and depth needed to depict this. The rhythm piano had echo processing. The piano’s were further processed with compression so they cut through in the mix, as the piano melodies were the main motive or hook throughout the song. The marimba and synth melody accompaniments were processed with EQ to fit them into the mix. Equilisation is used to separate all the instruments for clarity in the mix. The melodic instruments were further time based processed with bus processing with a short reverb, a longer reverb, and a delay. The delay was used to widen the piano chords and rhythm slightly, and the reverb was used for space and depth. The delay was sent back into the short reverb for extra sweetening. The melodies were all stereo instruments with the rhythm panned center, the chords slightly left and the lead slightly right, to depict them being played on the same piano as if one played a lower part and the other the higher section.
Following is a video of the drums, FX, bass, lead synth and melodies of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ for a sonic representation of the above explanation. With footage and audio of the breakdown — build and 3rd chorus/drop sections.
Harmonies
The harmonies of the song were created with Pads, Cellos, Violins, and a marimba motif. These give a counterpoint to the melodies. Following is a breakdown of the audio production and composition of these elements, along with the instrumental sound FX.
Pads
There are three different pad sounds an ethereal sound, an atmospheric sound, and a one-note stab. The ethereal pads were made with the Serum PD Centipad and Absynth 5 synth Angels Singing. The PD Centipad plays F# — C# — A — E over four bars and C# — A — E — F# over four bars, while the Angels Singing synths plays F# — E — C# — B over four bars and C# — E — F# — A over four bars. The atmospheric pads were made with a layer of 3 different instruments; Serum’s PD Emotional More, and Native Instruments FM8 All Things Must Pass and Epic Movements. These played the same melody as the PD Centipad pad of F# — C# — A — E over four bars and C# — A — E — F# over four bars. The pads played the continuous drone tone of C# during the intro section. The one-note stab plays the melody of C# — A — E — F# over four bars, and F# — C# — A — E over four bars, and was made on Serums synth with the SY Space Bach pre-set. The pads played from their staggard introduction in the intro throughout til the end of the outro. These were processed with EQ and sent to the bus processing with the short reverb. The pads were panned mainly to the center with two of the instruments panned very slightly left and right for a little stereo width and separation. The pad instruments MIDI notation is depicted in the following image.
Strings
There are Cello and Violin harmonies in the 1st breakdown, 2nd chorus/drop, 4th chorus/drop and outro sections of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’, to give depth to these sections. These were made on the Logic native EXS24 sampler and processed with EQ, compression and a short strings reflection reverb. They had further bus processing with short melody reverb processing pre and post-fader, with the Cello panned right and the Violin panned left. The Violins and Cellos played the melody of A — E — C# — F# over four bars when the melody line is F# — C# — A — E, giving a counterpoint to the melodies. When the melodies are playing the C# — A — E — F# over four bars, the Violins and Cello play E — C# — G# — A. The Cello and Violins MIDI notation is depicted in the following image.
Motif
The motif was made on a Marimba with the Logic native synth Sculpture. It plays C#C#C# — C#C#C# — C#C#C# — C#C#C#C# or F#F#F# — F#F#F# — F#F#F# — F#F#F#F# over four bars during the chorus/drop and breakdown/build sections, as a tense accent. This was processed with EQ and had further bus processing with the short melodic reverb and was panned slightly to the left. This motif instrument’s MIDI notation is depicted in the following image.
Sound FX
A Serum PD Emotional More synth was used as an FX in both of the breakdown sections and at the end of the 4th and final drop to build tension into the release of the next section. This was also used in the outro at the end of the song. There was also a Native Instruments Absynth Sinister Exaggerator synth in the 2nd breakdown/build section and the 4th and final chorus/drop section. These were panned to the center. White noise is used as a constant underlying FX from the 2nd chorus/drop section through to the end of the 4th and final chorus/drop section, to add texture to this dynamic part. “White noise is probably the most common type of noise used in music, especially electronic music. Because white noise has equal strength across frequencies, it can add texture and depth to your mix and interact with your instruments in interesting ways” (Kendall, 2018). These instruments are depicted in the following image.
Following is a video of the drums, sound FX, bass, lead synth, melodies, harmonies and motif of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ for a sonic representation of the above explanation. With footage and audio of the breakdown — build and 3rd chorus/drop sections.
Vocals
The vocals were recorded with the AKG P420 condenser microphone, with a sound reflector and pop filter. These were recorded through the TC Helicon Voice Play Live and the UAD Apollo twin interphase. I used a pop filter to capture the plosives like P’s and B’s and reflection filter to encapsulate the sound acting as a vocal booth. Josie Doolan sang the chorus section, which was recorded with a plate reverb with a double effect setting on the TC Helicon. I performed the spoken word, which was recorded with a nice plate reverb setting. Using the two different settings on the vocal recordings of the different parts gives a unique sound to these parts, adding variation. There is an image of the chorus setting as follows.
I processed the vocals with EQ and compression, and sent them to a reverb chain, with a shorter reverb sent into a medium plate reverb. I made the chorus vocals reverb quite wet in this song as I wanted an RnB ballad chorus quality. The chorus came in as a backing vocal in the 2nd drop section. The main vocals and chorus vocals were panned to the center while the backing vocals were panned left and right. The last chorus also had backing vocals to really build this section and make it feel like many females were singing. The vocals had automation on the volume to control certain sections and delay sends at the end of certain words, phrases, and parts to enhance them.
Mixdown
The final mixdown is the stereo mix that you listen to out of your speakers, this is mixed to level with peaks no higher than -3dB and an RMS of around -10dB to -15dB, ready to be sent off for mastering. A good RMS level can really give your song energy and power. It is essential to ensure that you are 100% happy with this mix as it is the final version. For this blog, I am going to give you an in-depth analysis of my mixdown workflow as follows.
I start with bouncing MIDI instruments to audio and doing fades on these individual files. Then listening to the whole mix at an average-to-loud level with nothing on solo, I start to balance the levels and adjust the volume of certain things until I am happy with the level of the mix. I usually mix the drum to around -8 to -10 dB and the basses to -10 to -12 dB. I then proceed to work on the stereo imaging with the panning of instruments to give width to the mix. I then work on frequency balancing with equilisation to ensure separation in the mix and clarity. This gives height to the mix depending on the difference between the pitch of the lowest and highest instruments. I solo certain things and mute others, for example, I will solo the drums and basslines to check the rhythm sections groove and look for frequency clashes in the low end. I then process with dynamic processing of compression, saturation and at times limiting to move things forward and back in the mix, then I work on the time-based processing, adding depth to the mix until I am satisfied with how it sounds. I also mute some elements in the intro’s or where they are brought in to adjust the arrangement to flow and suite the taste I am wanting. As I use the process of working on the sound design and semi mixing as I proceed the mixdown is quite straightforward. I then proceed to write in the automation to the mix.
Automation
The use of automation is what really helped with the mix. Automation is making things happen automatically like changing the volume on things or building reverbs and echos. I use volume automation on elements to bring them in gently or to bring down the level on sections to fade out nicely or brought to the front of the mix. I mainly used automation sends in this song, with echos and reverbs on the melodies and harmonies at the end of drops/chorus and outro sections, so they fade out nicely into the next section. Following is an image of the volume, melodic reverb, and echo automation on the melody and harmony instruments.
The Lyrics
The lyrics of song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ are a statement against this censorship of women from music, along with the social suppression women have endured. Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ translates to Let women keep silence in the church. This song communicates the message that women will be silenced no more.
Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ — Lyrics
Women have been censored and silenced throughout history
Due to the power of our feminine expression
Like Lilith censored from knowledge altogether
Due to her feminine power and independence
Our voices have been dispossessed and suppressed
Like Eve, fashioned from Adams’s rib to ensure obedience
Our feminine expression was banned
Lilith and Eve, both banned from the Garden of Eden
Eve has always been the archetype symbolizing woman
Eve’s curse is woman’s dispossessed voice
Exhibited throughout history
With the censoring and suppression of woman
Women must conjure the archetype of Lilith
Lilith tells us to take back our power
And with it
We will be silenced no more…
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer be your whore
We be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer will we ignore…
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer will we ignore…
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer can be your whore
I be silenced no more, I be censored no more
I been suppressed to the core, No longer will we ignore…
Censored and suppressed for all that I express
Caged up, mouth with a bit
Can’t speak, can’t handle this shit
Rendered with silence, Eves curse a feminine virus…
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer be your whore
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer can/will we ignore…
We will be silenced no more, We will be censored no more
Been suppressed to the core, No longer can we ignore (Orthentix, 2018).
Here is ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ with the lyrics and vocals to gain an understanding of the above discussion and all the elements of the song.
A Female Music Producer in Her Realm: Reflection on My Creative Practice of Music Production
The following reflection is on the feminine aesthetics of my creative practice, music production. This leads to an understanding of how my gender affects my practice. This song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ flows on from the previous song ‘Virgin or Whore’, with similar instrumentation, afflicting emotions and message. ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ expresses the afflictions I have with the intersection of gender and music production and the historical censoring and silencing of women from music. This song is a statement against this censorship of women from music, along with the social suppression women have endured. ‘Mulier in ecclesia taceat’ translates to ‘Let women keep silence in church’. This was the earliest official censorship silencing women from music, reported in the fourth century, with all musical sections of church services entrusted to choirs of men and boys. Women were excluded from musical educational institutions for a long time preventing women from a professional carrier in music. Women were also censored from music conservatories until the end of the nineteenth century, accepted only in performance classes although still not permitted in theory and composition classes. Fenn describes Helen Clark’s remarks of German Teachers’ refusal to teach women the science of harmony because they believed no woman could understand it. During the middle ages, the only female compositions that have survived history are the sacred music of Hildegard of Bingen, 1098–1179. In 1686 the Papal States banned women from appearing on stage, with the female parts of opera sang by castrati. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, this ban was on the grounds that it was impossible for women performing on stage to keep their chastity (Fenn, N.d, p. 4–5). This censorship of women from music has aided in the under-representation of female producers in the field today. As discussed in the previous blog, the misrepresentation of women in music creates the compounded issues of; marginalization and discrimination of women in the field, devaluing of female work’s, barriers for those wanting to access the field as these representations lack authenticity, and identity issues for those in the field. Comparatively, the censorship of women from music creates the compounded issues of; an under-representation of women in the field, devaluing and lack of recognition of female work’s, gendered stereotyping and discrimination, identity issues for those in the field, and barriers for those wanting to access the field, as we are not represented in this space and have no one to identify with. “You can’t be what you can’t see” (Mariane Wright Edelman, Spellman College, 1959). That’s the problem with culture, one problem breeds into a variety of other problems. As bacteria in the petri dish, it takes hold and breeds new bacteria.
The Riot Grrrl movement in the Grunge genre during the ’90s was a time in music when women were more visible and equally represented. Just like all culture, this culture bread and these representations gave women someone to identify with, leading to more accessibility for women to enter the field. Therefore creating more of a gender balance in this culture and healthier identities for the female gender. All-girl subcultures provide their members with collective confidence, which could well signal an important progression in the politics of female youth culture. “By providing girls with collective confidence, Riot Grrrl’s revolutionary counter-culture, and radical political activism empower female youth to liberate themselves from the rampant commercialism, misogyny, ageism, racism, and homophobia they experience in their everyday lives” (Whitley, Ed Kearney, 1997, p. 225). While the Riot Grrrls representation for females in the subculture insurged towards gender equality, the mainstream media representation Kearney describes as problematic. The mainstream media portray the narrative of female musicians appropriating masculine forms of music-making, without questioning how Riot Grrrls musical aesthetic may be using these traditionally masculine genres and performance styles in order to deconstruct the gendering of music (Whitley. Ed. Kearney, 1997, p. 212). Coates comments that Riot Grrrl’s retained some control over the self-definition of the movement by avoiding the mainstream rock and other media channels, and by using Do-It-Yourself (DIY) methods of production, including self-production and fanzines. Though this results in a diminishing of control over-representation of the movement in those mainstream publications that the Riot Grrrl’s avoid, which reinforces theirs and other women’s position on the gendered margins of rock. Coates explains that the construction of gender is also affected by its deconstruction:
“Paradoxically the construction of gender is also effected by its deconstruction, by any discourse that would discard it as ideological misrepresentation. For gender, it is not only the effect of representation but also its excess, what remains outside discourse as a potential trauma which can rupture or destabilize, if not contained, any representation” (Whitley. Ed. Coates, 1997, p 55).
Many feminists, like the Riot Grrrl’s have been deeply committed to eliminating the sexist barriers and representations that have prevented their entry into the public domain of the social world. Though a number of feminists have noted, the problem that needs to be addressed is that the public social world, including music, is constituted as male. McLary comments “Concerned with laying bare the kinds of gender/power relationships already inscribed in many of the presumably value-free procedures of Western music, it becomes difficult to stash that information and simply analyze music, even if is produced by women. For even though women have managed to enter into music composition as professionals, they still face the problem of how to participate without unwittingly reproducing the ideologies that inform various levels of those discourses” (Mclary, 2002, p. 19). Macarthur states to overcome the problem women must analyze the institutional structures that act as barriers to women, with the social constructions of the binaries of representation and to set about dismantling these structures. Though for women to produce themselves as positive agents in musical discourses would be impossible for these are already prefigured as male (Macarthur, 2002, p. 114–115). As seen in the above example of the Riot Grrrl’s and mainstream media channels. This can also be seen with the work of Delia Derbyshire, who during her time of practice had a feminine aspect to her work and media representation with compositing non-mainstream music. She “embodied an idea of futuristic technologies and techniques that were not only available to but enthusiastically embraced and then further developed by communities of musicians who operated independently from mainstream channels but created popular, if not populist music” (Frances Morgan, 2017, p. 16). Though today Derbyshire’s works within mainstream media channels could be analyzed with a “masculine aspect to the way in which she is characterized as a hero or genius who achieved great technical mastery. In this way, she becomes the masculine subject of the story, thus elevating her to a point at which she can be considered on an equal footing with her male contemporaries” (Frances Morgan, 2017, p. 22). Some may see this representation of Derbyshire as a masculine representation. Though I see this as a representation of tokenism in mainstream media channels. Representing a female in this space to give the appearance of some femininity in the field of music production, appeasing the public relations image of the industry.
The analysis of Derbyshire's work as having a masculine aspect should be discouraged. As female contributions to composition and production should be analyzed in context with the social, cultural, political and historical processes that shaped the effects and potential limits of the contribution. Macarthur ‘s comments that “women’s compositions and productions can be understood in terms of relating the diverse forms of women’s compositions and productions to the cultural and ideological processes shaping the effects and potential limits of music production at historically specific contexts” (Macarthur, 2002, p. 114–115). Therefore we must take into account the historical context of Derbyshire's work, which was within independent, non-mainstream channels, therefore her work’s have a feminine aesthetic. Macarthur is also implying women’s textual practices in music production will be shaped, disciplined, and produced differently due to these cultural and ideological processes. She states “It is useful, then, to identify the ways in which the practices of writing and music are deeply embedded in ideological frameworks and social institutions since this inevitably leads to an understanding of how sexual difference comes to be shaped at the level of the text itself” (Macarthur, 2002, p. 114–115). Derbyshire may have chosen to operate within these non-mainstream, independent channels, as a way to access music production. As there were many barriers for the female gender to access popular music production in her time and be taken seriously. She had a restricted aesthetic to her production by these means due to the barriers. Much like the Riot Grrrl’s, who also had a restricted aesthetic to their practice, with the use of DIY as an example of their restricted aesthetic. Macarthur uses Rieger’s definition to explain this restricted aesthetic.
“Rieger has argued that there are a number of similarities to be found in the music of 20th- century women while taking into account the specific social and historical contexts in which their music has been composed. She lists these as follows:
1. Many women composers have a special ability to create a maximum amount out of a minimum of material, a sort of “restricted aesthetics.”
2. Many have a special preference for functional music.
3. Communication is of primary concern to them.
4. Women composers are more interested in constituent substance than in compulsive innovation.
5. They often strive to overcome binary contrasts.
6. The aspect of Ganzheitlichkeit means that they wish to combine not only various fields of art but also the whole human being, body and soul, Mankind (or Womankind) and Nature.
7. They relate closely to their own bodies and the human voice.
Rieger argues that although women have composed in all forms and genres, their social status in the 19th century meant that they were largely confined to writing parlor music. As Rieger says, they became skilled in writing music that could be easily performed; songs, piano, and chamber music predominantly, though were less experienced in writing music for its own sake. Rieger suggests that this has meant that women have had a tradition in making the most out of limited circumstances. In turn, this gives rise to what she describes as a restricted aesthetics in the music itself” (Macarthur, 2002, p. 12–13).
This feminine aesthetic of a restricted aesthetic within the music can be heard within this song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’, with the simple single-movement structure. This composition was not an intricate arrangement, nor an overly complicated technical production. This is due to the amount of time I have in the studio, as I am a mother a lot of my time is taken up with domestic duties. There is also a restricted aesthetic to the production of the song in regards to audio processing. Audio programs and plug-ins can be costly and I am a single mother, therefore I have to focus my finances on household expenses. I only have what I have in my production tool belt to work with. Though this restriction can help with creativity, too many choices can be distracting. I use Do-It-Yourself methods in my practice with the use of my bedroom studio to produce and record music in as I can’t afford to rent a studio. Due to the lack of access to music production, female artists have found access to production via DIY with self-production. This recent rise in women self-producing shows a potential promise of addressing gender inequalities in the future. Wolfe states that “the steady rise in self-production practices amongst women not only points to artistic and career potential for the individual but may also serve to address an inherited gender imbalance in the field” (Wolfe, 2016). I also use the DIY modality of collaboration within my creative community by recording my vocalist friends to feature on the songs. The restricted aesthetic and DIY modalities of production including collaboration and self-production could be defined as gendered modalities of music production.
To understand how my sexual difference comes to be shaped at the level of the text itself. The song, ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ sections and outro swirl and decay into the following section with reverb and delay processing on the melodic instruments. These endings overstep the barline, giving the song a feminine ending. Musicologist McLary references Apel’s definition of feminine endings “that refuses the hegemonic control of the bar line” (McLary, 1991, p. 11). Another feminine aesthetic to my music production and practice is that I don’t compose music in a particular style or genre. My music is not set to a certain discourse on music production. It is more of a fusion of genres or an amalgamation of music styles. In turn, this makes the music a feminist text freeing it from the patriarchal discourse of music production. To further analyze the feminine aesthetics of my work and the gendered modalities of music production, the whole album, and associated content is based on a feminine philosophy of collaboration, intersectionality, representation, diversity, and inclusivity. The use of these feminine aesthetics of music production seen in these examples of gendered modalities of production, with the restricted aesthetic, DIY modalities, the feminine ending, and feminist texts breakdown the barriers that exist in music production for women. The use of a feminine aesthetic dismantles the institutional structures that breed the under-representation of women and barriers to accessibility for women in the field of music production. By representing a female in this space via publicizing these blogs and releasing the album, I am a woman producing herself as a positive agent in musical discourses. Which creates a difference within the discourse itself by refiguring the discourse as feminine, with the feminine ending as an example. I will finish this blog with a quote from McLary.
“Thus I am especially drawn to women artists who, like myself, are involved with examining the premises of inherited conventions, with calling them into question, with attempting to reassemble them in ways that make a difference inside the discourse itself, with envisioning narrative structures with feminine endings. The work of these women broadens the range of possible music’s, as it comments both on the assumptions of more traditional procedures and on the problematic position of a woman artist attempting to create new meanings within old media” (Mclary, 2002, p. 19).
Conclusion
This blog on the sonic storytelling of the song ‘Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia’ presented an informative view of the feminine realm of music production. It delivered a comprehensive understanding of the female approach and process to music production with the discussion on the feminine aesthetics and gendered modalities of music production, including; the restricted aesthetic; DIY modalities; and feminine endings and feminist texts. Which “comments both on the assumptions of more traditional procedures and on the problematic position of a woman artist attempting to create new meanings within old media” (Mclary, 2002, p. 19). Please comment below if you have any questions or would like to further discuss the intersection of gender and music production. The following blog will dissect my creative process with visceral accounts on the sonic storytelling of song ‘The Rise’ — highlighting how I implement the song concepts into the musical composition, audio processing, and lyrics.
Read the previous blog: https://medium.com/orthentix/the-sonic-storytelling-of-song-virgin-or-whore-2f0b0bf4bfdc
Read the following blog: https://medium.com/orthentix/the-sonic-storytelling-of-song-the-rise-829b1c2e8a38
Encore
Divine Affliction, experimental electronica with raw, introspective, brooding, emotive music. A journey through the female experience. A musical expression of the divine feminine and the afflictions she faces…She finds strength in her vulnerability and turns her affliction into a virtue.
The Divine Affliction album will be released — December 2019! There will be a series of video tutorials published on Youtube — early 2020 under the same title Divine Affliction: Perception Through a Feminine Lens with an exoskeletal view into the production of title song ‘Divine Affliction’ from the album. The tutorials will give a breakdown of the music production with each tutorial covering how to produce a certain element of one song from the album, giving a visceral account of how to compose and produce a song from start to finish, with the final tutorial educating how to independently release your own music. Experience her story of music production through a feminine lens, a feminine perception of music production, educating womxn how to make music and embrace the realm of music production. Excited? I am…Stay Tuned via the following Youtube link to my channel!
Reference List:
Bekic. N.d. Remarkable travels [Blog]. Retrieved from http://remarkable-travels.blogspot.com/2013/12/mulier-taceat-in-ecclesia-let-woman-be.html
Canakis, Costas; Kantsa, Venetia; & Yannakopoulous, Kostas. (N.d). The gender of voice: Transgressing the boundaries of bodily sound [Article]. London, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Carmen22063. (April 2009). The masks of shame — The Torture Museum, Rudesheim Germany [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/13720808@N08/albums/72157617440514040
Emma Saying. December 2013. How to pronounce Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6N3BUA8ihs
Fenn, Eva. (N.d). Women and music censorship — Past to present [Article]. Retrieved from https://freemuse.org/graphics/Publications/PDF/cnrship-in-fem-music.pdf
Hobbs, Jared. (November 29, 2018). Ledgernote: Musical key characteristics & emotions [Blog]. Retrieved from https://ledgernote.com/blog/interesting/musical-key-characteristics-emotions/
Kendall, Jaclyn. (April 4, 2018). How to Turn Nasty Noise Into a Creative Mixing Tool [Blog]. Retrieved from https://blog.landr.com/how-to-use-noise-mixing/
Macarthur, Sally. (2002). Feminist aesthetics in music. Greenwood Press, CT: USA. ISBN: 0–313–31320–2.
Maertz, Anne. (2015). Breaking free — Living well, despite what life throws at you [Blog]. Retrieved from https://breakingfreeblogdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/mask-of-shame-e1480003295309.jpg
McClary, Susan. (1991.). Feminine endings. London, UK: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978–0- 8166–4189–5.
Morgan, Frances. (2017). Delian modes: Listening for Delia Derbyshire in histories of electronic dance music [Article]. Dancecult: Journal of electronic music dance music culture, Vol 9, No 1. ISSN 1947–5403. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.12801/1947-5403.2017.09.01.01
Stoltzfus, Philip. (June 5, 2006). Theology as performance: Music, aesthetics, and god in western thought. New York: TT Clark. p 81 & 101
Teach Me Audio.com. (N.d.) Sound envelopes [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.teachmeaudio.com/recording/sound-reproduction/sound-envelopes/
Thurmond Morris, Theresa J. (2010). Uplifting the Soul. Kentucky, USA: Morris Publishing.
Vollert, Brett. (July 2nd, 2013). The Pentatonic Scale: The music of humanity?[Blog]. Retrieved from http://matterundermind.com/the-pentatonic-scale-is-this-the-global-music-of-humanity/
Whitely, Sheila. (1997). Sexing the groove: popular music and gender [Book]. Routledge: NY, USA.
Wolfe, Paula. (2012). A studio of one’s own: Music production, technology and gender [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.arpjournal.com/asarpwp/a-studio-of-one%E2%80%99s-own-music-production-technology-and-gender/
Wright Edelman, Marian. (1959). Marian Wright Edelman quote [Website]. Retrieved from https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/marian-wright-edelman-2254.php
Orthentix. (2019). Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://soundcloud.com/orthentix/mulier-taceat-in-ecclesia
Orthentix. (2019). Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Instrumental [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://soundcloud.com/orthentix/mulier-taceat-in-ecclesia-1
Orthentix. (2019). Blog: Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Drums & sound FX [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/353498759/acd47c97a6
Orthentix. (2019). Blog: Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Drums, sound FX, basses & lead synth [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/353500144/38bfd720ac
Orthentix. (2019). Blog: Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Drums, sound FX, basses, lead synth & melodies [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/353501623/7417cbc033
Orthentix. (2019). Blog: Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Drums, sound FX, basses, lead synth, melodies & harmonies [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/353502998/8cecf7c079
List of Figures:
Figure 1. Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Song Offical Promotional Image. Image is taken from still from Divine Affliction Poetic Documentary — Director Wayne McPhee, editing by House of Pheonix Eleven. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 2. Mulier taceat in ecclesia. Bekic. N.d. Retrieved from http://remarkable-travels.blogspot.com/2013/12/mulier-taceat-in-ecclesia-let-woman-be.html
Figure 3. Woman wearing scold’s bridle. Bekic. N.d. Retrieved from http://remarkable-travels.blogspot.com/2013/12/mulier-taceat-in-ecclesia-let-woman-be.html
Figure 4. Carmen22063. (April 2009). The masks of shame — The Torture Museum, Rudesheim Germany [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/13720808@N08/albums/72157617440514040
Figure 5. F# minor pentatonic scale. Retrieved fromhttps://www.basicmusictheory.com/e-minor-pentatonic-scale
Figure 6. Arrangement of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 7. Drum arrangement of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 8. Drum audio processing of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 9. FX arrangement of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 10. Bass arrangement of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 11. Bass audio processing of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 12. Lead Synth MIDI notation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 13. Melodies MIDI notation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 14. Melodies audio processing of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 15. Pads MIDI notation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 16. Strings MIDI notation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 17. Motif notation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 18. Sound FX arrangement of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 19. Vocal recording processing of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 20. Automation of song Mulier Taceat in Ecclesia — Logic Project File. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
Figure 21. A Female Music Producer in Her Realm. Copyright Orthentix 2019.
