Your questions here:
Q: What is the ESMP?
A: The Evergreen Student Media Project was founded in the 1980s to create a student-oriented album of music to highlight the talent and creativity of student musicians. Each year since, students have submitted original songs, which then are engineered and produced by the Advanced Audio students.
Q: What is different about this year?
A: In the past, the ESMP stood for Evergreen Student Music Project, now we are broadening the scope to include animation, photography, and video, hence “Media”.
Q: Is there a group/committee I can join? If so, do you have regular meetings?
A: Yes! All students are welcome. This quarter we meet every Thursday at 11am in the library building (room 1328, the 5.1 Mix Room, between Photo Land and the CCAM).
Q: What are the meetings about?
A: We discuss and vote on such things as: promotion/advertising, design of the final package (what it looks like), audio/visual material to be included, physical format (CD/DVD/USB), and other elements regarding the project.
Q: Where can I submit?
A: Online submissions can be made on this blog’s “Submit” page
Q: When is the deadline for submissions?
A: For audio, the deadline is Thursday, January 16th 2014. For all other, visual, media it’s at the end of Winter Quarter (Eval week).
Q: I’m graduating before the end of the year, can I still submit?
A: Yes, although, if you are submitting audio (and are even chosen), it’s likely that your song may not get included on the album (CD), but will find a place on the USB.
Q: So it’s going to be on a CD and a USB?
A: Yes, this year the album will be on a CD and the other media will be included on a, read-only, USB drive. The physical format, usually, is discussed and voted on. In years past, some have been on cassette tape or even vinyl, for instance. It depends on the ESMP budget we are awarded. Vinyl costs much more per unit than a CD.
Q: When will the final product be released?
A: We are aiming to have the completed product available for everyone either at the end of May or beginning of June, 2014.
Q: If my submission is selected, do I get a copy of the final product when it’s done?
A: Yes, you get a free copy of the project upon release.
Q: If my media is included in the ESMP, could I sell it, or a similar version of it, at any time in the future?
A: The recorded production of your selected piece becomes the property of the college and can be used by the college. You retain the ownership and copyright of the song and are free to use it/re-record it for your own purposes
Album Related FAQ
Q: Is there a place where I can record my demo on campus?
A: Not currently. The main audio studios are in heavy use by the audio students who are fulfilling assignments. To use these spaces, one has to be proficient in those studios through taking the Intro or Advanced Audio classes. We do have Mixing Benches on campus that are scheduled through media loan, if you are proficient. To get a proficiency in the mix benches, contact either Aaron Kruse (multimedia lab faculty), or one of the audio interns. The mix benches have limited equipment, but for demo recording it could work.
Q: How many songs can I submit?
A: You can submit as many as you want, but, if chosen, only 1 of your songs will be included in the album.
Q: Do the Advanced Audio students just edit the original song?
A: No, the song is re-recorded and mixed in the 32-Track audio studio. This provides a collaborative environment between the artist and the student audio engineer/producer.
Q: If I submit, how much say do I have about the recording and production of my song?
A: You can provide some input (such as if something should be recorded again for a better take) to the engineer/producer, but ultimately they are in control of recording and mixing. They won’t entirely change your song.
Q: Who does the mastering of the audio album?
A: The Audio Interns, along with the Audio Faculty.