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Front cover by Cephas Liu
Inside cover by Genesis Flores
Meet the Team Anatomy of a Synthesizer Synthetic Sounds
How Music Impacts Your Body
Wanna Listen? Bomba Latina Most Popular Music Genres
4 6 8 12 14 18 22 24 26
Piece of The Note A Second Voice 30
Letter From the Editors
Fall 2022. Boom! Music
Daniel Lee is a freshman at LASA High School. Some of his hobbies are playing basketball and doing pull ups. He led his teammates’ focus on assignments they each had to complete, which made their grades better. He wants to attend a good college, just like others, and get a job.
Genesis Flores is currently a freshman at LASA, and she enjoys playing basketball and listening to music. She enjoys hanging out with friends and is in the role of making this magazine about hispanic music, as it is one of her favorite genres. In the future, she hopes to go to a school of law to become a lawyer and move out of Austin.
Lucas Dudley is a 9th grader in LASA High School. He likes to spend his free time working on electronics and using synthesizers. He is very funny and very interesting as he always has something to say about life. He is in charge of writing a story about electronic music. He wants to be an electrical engineer in the future.
Cephas Liu attends LASA as a freshman, and he likes to play piano. He completed lots of graphic design with efforts, which helped the Ezine team. His story is about classical music. He wants to debate over people in the future.
Fall 2022. Boom! Music
An enevelope generator converts a plain on/off singal, called a gate, into a sloped singal with more shape, called an envelope. The four knobs correspond to the attack(how fast the signal rises), the decay(how fast the signal drops to the sustain level),the sustain(the level where the voltage stays), and the release (the time it takes for the voltage to drop to zero. This envelope can then be used to control the volume and/or tone.
A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) outputs a constant hum. The pitch of the hum is controled by a voltage level from a keyboard or other source (pitch CV). The pitch CV can also come from an envelope generator, an LFO, a sequencer (a device which outputs a programable sequence of voltages), and even another oscillator(FM synthesis). This hum will often have multiple different available waveforms, which all sound different. Some waveforms also have a pulse width, or PWM, control. PWM can add a fuzzy or nasaly sound. PWM can also be controlled by CV, usually from an envelope or LFO.
A voltage controlled filter, or VCF, changes the shape of a wave to change how it sounds. The most common types are lowpass, which smooths out sharp points and gives a rounder, smoother sound, and highpass, which sharpens smooth culves ans gives a thinner sound. The cuttof knob controls how much shaping occurs. Some filters also have a resonance control. Resonance adds a “ring” to the tone. The pitch of the resonance is also contrilled by the cutoff knob. The cutoff can be controlled manually, or by CV, usualy from an envelope or LFO.
A voltage controlled amplifier(VCA) is used to control the volume of the tone. This is what starts and stops notes and is usually controlled by an envenope.
A delay effect creates a series of echoes. The rate of these echoes is controlled by the “time” knob. The number of echoes is controlled by the “feedback”.
A low frequency oscillator(LFO) operates under the same principle as a VCO, but at a much lower speed. Instead of producing an audible tone, it makes a voltage that slowly rises and falls (triangle) or alternates between low and high (square). An LFO can have a contol voltage input that controls the rate. Some LFOs have aditional shape controls, and some can reach audibe ranges of pitch, but they don’t play in tune.
The output turns the large signals the synthesizer uses (~10v ptp) into a line level output that other devices can handle (~1v ptp). The output module also controls final volume, and some also have another output capable of driving headphones.
An analog synthesizer uses a series of steps to create and shape sound. Some synthesizers are fully integrated and every part is connected together with no access other than the output, these are your typical keyboards. Others, like the example above, are semi-modular, with inputs and outputs for each part. These modules are usually still connected and those connections are overridden when you plug in a jack. Some are also fully modular, each part is completely seperate and none are connected. The modules can be moved and swapped freely. In modular and semi-modular synthesizers a CV input can be connected to any output. This can create a lot of weird or cool sounds.
Fall 2022. Boom! Music
synthesist sits in front of a huge modular rack. She starts plugging in patch cables and all of a sudden a beautiful sound erupts from the speakers beside her. Pulsating sub oscillators underline brain tingling highpassed square waves. Bitcrushed pinknoise and filter ping kicks bring the music to life as the keyboardist beside her starts to play. Big brass OB-XA chords underline a funky Minimoog lead. All of
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this is made possible by amazing circuitry and a community devoted to creating new sounds.
An analog synthesizer is an
electronic musical instrument that uses analog circuitry to create and
change sound. A digital synthesizer is an electronic instrument that produces sound with digital circuitry. Synthesizers in any form are a relatively young instrument, and they are still changing, according to Keegan Streicher, a long-time employee of Switched On Austin.
Switched On Austin is a small
“Music is essential to our life.”
-Patrik Veltruský, Bastl InstrumentsPhotos by Patrik Veltrusky. Courtesy of Bastl Instruments Bastl Instruments demo modular synth, patched. Superbooth 2022.
business based in Austin, Texas. Their focus is the repair and resale of new and vintage hardware synthesizers.
“They were [originally] intended to emulate, but they became their own thing,” Streicher said.
When synthesizers were first conceived, they were intended to mimic other instruments. Over time, however, synthesizers shifted to being their own unique instruments, according to Streicher. They developed their own unique sound, unlike anything else.
“It is more about how musicians have changed synths to suit their needs,” Streicher said.
Bastl Instruments is a Czech synthesizer company. They make innovative digital and analog hardware synths and modules.
“Our main goal is to make instruments that are engaging and fun to use… that is the reason why to use hardware and not software,” Veltruský said. “Hardware has to be engaging.”
Synthesizer designers have
always worked hard to make the best instruments possible.
“I think I can tell everybody in the company that music is essential to our life. My life was always revolving around music and it gave me comfort when I needed it and a way how to express myself,.” said Veltruský.
Typically, synthesizer designers are musicians as well. There is a lot of communication between the musicians that make synthesizers and the musicians that buy them. This communication has led to innovation and kept the industry evolving. Many musicians that use synthesizers have a deep understanding of how they work.
“[Synthesizers] have changed [music] just as much as any other new instrument,” Streicher said. According to Streicher, they have created entire genres and now they can be found almost everywhere. Musicians and designers work together to advance the industry.
“It is not really about selling but
more about the thrills of showing to our fans and others in the synthmaking community what we were working on and what we are excited about.” Veltrusky said.
Designers are still driven more by innovating and bringing new ideas to the table, than by profit.
“Right now we are experiencing big changes, thanks to price hikes and chip shortages,” said Veltrusky. “Some of the other brands went bankrupt, some are shrinking their team. I think it will drive innovations in some companies.”
Changes in the industry are driving innovation and causing a shift in how new synthesizers are being designed.
“More digital brains [will be used] and analog will be used only when it makes sense,” Veltrusky said. “Analog drum machines and the poly synths will go away as it is super expensive to produce and the innovations are hard to implement in the analog-only world.”
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Photos by Patrik Veltrusky. Courtesy of Bastl InstrumentsListening to music reacticates areas of the brain associated with memory, speech, emotion, and reward.
Music helps people manage anxiety and reduces distractions by increasing the dopamine.
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changes when listening to music.
You experience physical sensations on your skin in response to particularly moving music.
Music helps your body complete repetitive movements more efficitently.
Fall 2022. Boom! Music
People who wants to enjoy music/people who’s looking for sound sources can use music providing websites, such as Soundclick.
By Daniel Lee
usic is important. It can improve mood and reduce anxiety and through bringing people together, can be an antidote to loneliness and social isolation. People often use music services to make, or enjoy music. A lot of people enjoy music. Music providing websites can be helpful for you to listen to music and goo beyond varieties of genres. Music streaming works in a very simple way: a streaming service delivers data to a streamer in small amounts so that the user can get pre-buffered
music that has been pre-buffered a few minutes or even seconds before playing a song. Tolgar Canli, a co-founder of Soundclick, keeps tracks of music provided by users in Soundclick, and if someone grossly miscategorizes their music, workers, including Tolgar, sometimes overwrite which category the music goes in.
“Soundclick is a site where artists upload their songs and create their own profile page. Other users then visit those pages and listen to the songs online.
We created charts that users can create playlists with their favorite songs. Soundclick started in our bedrooms in New York in 1996. At that time the internet was still very new for most of us. We were very interested in music computers in general, so it started mainly as a hobby. Over the years it all became more professional and commercial. We still love what we do and feel blessed to work in a space that we love.” Tolgar said. “All our content is user-generated. So the users create music first, then
Music could help your work performance, memory, physical ability, and more.
they upload their music onto our site. We serve them as a hub to present this music to the audience. Generally the artists decide which category the music fits for themselves. If someone grossly miscategorizes their music we do sometimes overwrite this though. On our site most people listen to beats in the hip hop genre. But we offer all kinds of genres and value every single one of them. Music accompanies us our whole lives. It’s there when we are happy or sad. Many songs trigger emotions and memories when we listen to them again in later life. You can say that music is life and that it carries a lot of our emotions.” Tolgar added.
Some people use other platforms in order to manage their music, and Storyblocks is a great asset in this regard, helping content creators with working on and distributing their projects.
“Storyblocks is a stock media content provider that provides users with video clips, music tracks, sound effects, and stock images that video creators can use in their commercial and non-commercial projects,” Tifara from Storyblocks
said.
Tifara added on how users make their songs. “Once they’ve created their projects, they can then distribute their projects on social media platforms, websites, or simply share their creations with their friends. We provide customers with access to our content through affordable monthly and annual subscription plans depending on their specific stock media needs (access to our
them might be looking for beats to use for their music. Beatstars, a website that provides beats, can be helpful for music artists, audio editors, or anyone that might be looking for beats for whatever reason. Jamel, a worker from Beatstars, claims that many producers around the world are using Beatstars for their needs.
content without watermarks is not free). Our extensive library of content contains more than a million assets that customers can choose from!”
There are many artists/singers around the world, and some of
“The beats are provided by the producers uploading their content to beatstars.com. They title their own beats, and decide which category their music fits in.”
He says not all the beats are free.
“The producers provide some content for free and some paid,” Jamel said.
“Most beats are catered to certain genres the producers choose. On the platform, various forms of hip hop, and R&B are popular genres. The producers manage their own licenses, content, sales, and client communication.” Jamel added.
Around the world, music is being used as a vehicle for social change and bringing communities together. At the core of our everyday experience with music, we use it to relax, express ourselves, come to terms with our emotions, and generally improve our well-being.
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“Music accompanies our whole lives. It’s there when we are happy or sad.”
-Tolgar, Soundclick co-founderImage by Peter Francken
room with hispanic music is like a second heaven. From a quinceañera to just a typical wedding, music is always the one that brings the vibes. In a Hispanic party, even if it is just a carne asada, people will dance with others and connect through music. Uncles relate to each other with rancheras while all being next to the griller waiting for the meat to be ready while the aunties are judging everyone while listening to La Gata Bajo La Lluvia by Rocio Durcal. The little ones would be playing around while the older kids are dancing to El Payaso del Rodeo. Hispanic culture is known for
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its variety of music styles. From dancing bachata in the Dominican Republic to dancing punta in Honduras or even zapateado in Mexico. One thing about hispanics is that no matter how far from home they are, music is always a way back home, according to Victor Andres Cruz, a member of the Colombian band Nemegata.
“The music brings me closer to Colombia,” Cruz said.
When Cruz was 9, he moved to Miami from
Colombia. He wasn’t fluent in English and didn’t know many people at first. When he was unexpectedly gifted a guitar, music became a big part of his life, and gave him a chance to express himself.
“Music was a positive way to express myself,” Cruz said.
Another person impacted by
How Hispanic music impact people’s livesPicture by Guillermo Azpeitia from Mala Nota Graphic by Genesis Flores By Genesis Flores
Hispanic music would be Guillermo Azpeitia from the band Mala Nota who said, “Music helped me grow.”
For Azpeitia, music helped him express himself in his own way more every day. Cruz agreed, adding that it impacts many people in different ways, but comes with hurdles. One major challenge involved being accepted by other people, Cruz explained, which also affected him economically.
“The biggest challenge was being accepted as a starting band,” says Cruz, “especially because money was short as a starting band.”
Like Cruz, Azpeitia said that even though the economic issues and acceptance were hard, it helped them grow as people.
“Starting as a Hispanic band was definitely hard, especially when nobody believed in us,” Azpeitia said. “But that never stopped us from trying to grow as a family.”
Music also helps people learn more about Hispanic culture. For example, Cruz learned more about Colombian rhythms as he grew with the band.
“I like to study Colombian rhythms,” Says Cruz. “Music makes me feel closer to Colombia.”
Along with learning more about their culture and personally growing from it, Azpeitia and Cruz also learned to connect with people through the music they shared.
“Learning new things with the band helped us grow more as a family,” says Cruz. “But the nicest part was growing together and having faith with us after the difficulties that came through.”
Not only Cruz connected with the band, but also with other bands that shared interest in Colombian music.
“We have played and became good friends with bands like Cico and Pwache,” says Cruz.
Cico is another Colombian band that, like Nemegata, started very small and had many challenges in their way.
Like Cruz, Azpeitia also connected with his band through the music they shared and grew as a family.
“Even after all the challenges came along, that never stopped us from trying to grow as a family,” says Azpeitia.
“Music-Victor Cruz, Member of Nemegata
Hispanic music unites people.
Picture by Guillermo Azpeitia from Mala Nota
Growing with the bands and others around them helped them a bunch during the starting days of their bands, but even though they are in a good spot now, it won’t stop them from growing together in the future. Both Azpeitia and Cruz hope to have a brighter future with their bands and continue growing with them as a family through music.
“I hope in the future to continue sharing music with the band and others while having more futuristic Colombian rhythms,” says Cruz.
“The band has had a major impact in my life. We hope to continue growing together,” says Azpeitia. “Music is the one thing that connects us.”
Picture by Victor Cruz from Nemegata and taken by Beatriz Lopez
Picture by Victor Cruz from Nemegata and taken by Beatriz Lopez
Picture by Guillermo Azpeitia from Mala Nota
Around 60 high schools students from Austin, Texas took a survey about their favorite genres were and in first place we have pop as many are fans of Taylor Swift.
64 high school freshmen were surveyed about their favorite genre of music. Rock, classical, pop, or electronic. Almost a quarter of students answered some type of rock music. Nearly 40% answered some sort of indie/pop music. Around a tenth said classical music. 8% answered electronic music, and finally, about a fifth of people answered some other type of music. Rap. hip hop, country, or even Mongolian throat singing. Of the 64 high school freshmen surveyed, 53% did not play a musical instrument, and 47% did play an instrument.
Classical guitarist, performer and teacher Arnold Yzaguirre (Left). Violinist Patrice Calixte (Right), member of the Castle Hill string quartet and assistant concertmaster of the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
How an instrument becomes an extension of oneself, a second voice other than one’s own.
By Cephas LiuThe final note rings in the air as the audience rises to their feet, and the sound of raucous applause fills the hall. This is what they love, this is what they live for. They strive to give their audience the most stunning, ethereal experience possible standing there in the auditorium. This is why many individuals are so entranced by this experience, with each performance leaving the audience wanting more. It’s exhilarating, exciting, and a reason to live.
Classical music
is perceived by some to be your generic “study music,” but for others, classical music is so much more. Patrice Calixte, second chair violin in the Austin Symphony Orchestra and first chair violin of the Castle Hills String Quartet, has made music a part of who he was, saying that “You can really bring music to another level, and really explore music in a different way.”
“It’s fun, because it’s teamwork,” Calixte said, “It’s like playing with a bunch
People around the world love listening to music. Many also love performing music and sharing their emotions with the audience, or perhaps just the feeling of being able to pour out everything in the form of beautiful melodies and harmonies.
“I loved doing it.” Mr. Calixte said about music.
Music is such a broad and expansive topic, and there are so many different aspects of music that make it so interesting. Many people choose their profession based on their identity, reflecting themselves and their ideals in what they do. Music is no exception. James Preucil, a university student pursuing a career in music, said “I felt like that was who I was.”
When most people think of the phrase “classical music”, an image of a violin or a piano is what usually pops into their
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Fall 2022.
Cellist Dr. Bion Tsang (Left), professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and head of the string division at the University of Texas at Austin. Violist James Preucil (Right), otherwise known as “Viola King” on YouTube.
minds. A guitar, however, is usually not what some would consider “classical”. However, the guitar can be an ethereal, beautiful instrument. The sounds of the classical guitar are like no other. Even the greatest composers, such as Beethoven, appreciated its complexity.
“He said that classical guitar is kind of like a mini-orchestra,” said classical guitarist, performer, and teacher Arnold Yzagguire. “[The sounds] we play are very full of beauty and charm and just complexity.”
Guitar concertos have even been written, further showcasing the capabilities of the classical guitar.
All instruments are beautiful in their own right, and each instrument has their own
attraction. For instance, the cello has a beautiful, deep and rich sound. It is also the best instrument at singing, as it lines up with the range of the human voice perfectly.
“I was drawn to the sound,” said Professor Bion Tsang, instructor and performer, as well as division
their identity around their passion. For those who study music and go on to create music, their instrument becomes a part of them.
head of the string division at the University of Texas at Austin. “It’s right in the range of the human voice.”
Many musicians make music the centerpiece of their lives, shaping
“It’s a very valuable part of who I am.” Calixte said.
Music is a powerful force, and we are constantly surrounded by it. “Music in and of itself is inherently inexact,” and “it can pull out so many emotions and pull on the heartstrings of the listeners so vividly,” said Tsang. Music is “an all encompassing endeavor that uses both sides of the brain,” said Tsang. Finally, music is a universal language, being able to cross any language barriers or cultural barriers, being something everyone can enjoy.
The power of music is unquantifiable, unique and unlike any other. Music brings people together, inspires people, and is enjoyed by people around the world. The power of music is very real. Music “brings joy to whoever hears it,” Yzagguire said.
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Back cover by Cephas Liu Inside cover by Genesis Flores
Our team will be writing about different genres of music, as well as different perspectives of people we interviewed. We contacted the interviewees, made lots of graphics, and also struggled with thinking of what to write about. This magazine will be a result of our team’s effort and time. We hope you enjoy reading our magazine, and wish you a good time!