Published Productions:
Road to Pride
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A short animated film by Brisbane based screen writers with no dialogue just sound and music alone. Funded by Screen QLD for the Epic Games short film challenge using Unreal Engine animation software.
Release date: February 2023 with the Mardi Gras 50th anniversary https://www.imdb.com/CrystalWilkes https://screenqueensland.com.au/sq-news/latest-news/the-creators-behind-road-to-pride/ |
Byron Youth Theatre Song Compositions
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Byron Youth Theatre production Composer, Music and Lyrics: Crystal Wilkes Performed by: Annika Stautner |
Byron Youth Theatre’s new original production Loves Me Loves Me Not - explores issues of consent and responsible relationships. It refers to and includes references to abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. BYT are well known for their honest and open exploration of important issues and provides an excellent opportunity for parents, caregivers, teachers and youth-related organisations to engage young people in meaningful conversations on the topics raised.
Loves Me Loves Me Not follows several different relationships that intertwine and gives a powerful platform for both young people and adults to express their hopes, fears, confusion and deep longing about how we develop meaningful connection with one another. It includes live music, choreographed dance and dramatic scenes.
Byron Youth Theatre’s new original production Loves Me Loves Me Not - explores issues of consent and responsible relationships. It refers to and includes references to abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. BYT are well known for their honest and open exploration of important issues and provides an excellent opportunity for parents, caregivers, teachers and youth-related organisations to engage young people in meaningful conversations on the topics raised.
Loves Me Loves Me Not follows several different relationships that intertwine and gives a powerful platform for both young people and adults to express their hopes, fears, confusion and deep longing about how we develop meaningful connection with one another. It includes live music, choreographed dance and dramatic scenes.
2023 Creative Production using UNITY game engine
www.exploremindmatters.com - December 2022
Mind Matters was a collaboration prototype for an immersive experience using a game platform as delivery which aims to raise awareness around Mental Health conditions.
Musical compositions and sound assets were created and implemented within the game. Along with an exegesis, online presence and website to promote the game to further the concept.
The Academic study side of things:
In my bachelor degree class we explored critical theory and studied different aspects and perspectives of society and culture, questioning how society takes on ideas as 'normal' For example, Mental illness was a construction of society in the 1800’s which created a binary around what is considered normal. The medicalisation of society in this way has constructed mental illness as a 'disability'. (Foucault, M. 2001)
Foucault wrote extensively about how in a society which is constructed around a 'medical' model of disability the onus is on the disabled person to be 'fixed' and adapt to society. However in a 'social' model of disability a society should adapt to allow different people to exist in society . (Mills, S. 2003)
Though treatment of mental illness has alleviated suffering for some, it has also contributed to the stigmatisation of mental illness. So that even when it is clear that psychological damage is the result of social conditions, sexual abuse or poverty, the individual is held to be at fault or to blame. As some feminist theorists have argued, the mental health services have helped to maintain the social status quo by naming and managing as "madness" the psychological damage and distress caused by social inequalities’ (Williams et al. 2001 as cited in Mills 2003 pg 102)
The first step is to have an understanding , by raising awareness. Which was the aim of this project to create an immersive experience in a game format.
The Creative side of things:
I was involved in the Music composition side of things for this game designed in Unity. Below is a link to a walk through of the psychosis room. The composition in the final game export is paired with voices surrounding the player which make for a confusing disorientating experience. An increase in tempo with almost alien like sounds attempt to imitate hallucinations and anxiety.
Musical compositions and sound assets were created individually by the group members according to their interests. The logo, colouring and fonts by the design students. This was all brought together and implemented within the game, Along with an exegesis, online presence and website to promote the game to possibly further the concept. We met with psychology students and facilitators on campus to discuss representation and ethics around what we were doing and they loved the idea and could see it being a great educational tool to use.
■ Foucault, M. (2001). Madness and civilization. Taylor & Francis Group.
■ Mills, S. (2003). Michel Foucault. Routledge. Pg.102
■ Williams, J., Sco, S., & Waterhouse, S. (2001). Mental Health Services for “Difficult” Women: Reflections on Some Recent Developments. Feminist Review, 68(1), 89–104.
Mind Matters was a collaboration prototype for an immersive experience using a game platform as delivery which aims to raise awareness around Mental Health conditions.
Musical compositions and sound assets were created and implemented within the game. Along with an exegesis, online presence and website to promote the game to further the concept.
The Academic study side of things:
In my bachelor degree class we explored critical theory and studied different aspects and perspectives of society and culture, questioning how society takes on ideas as 'normal' For example, Mental illness was a construction of society in the 1800’s which created a binary around what is considered normal. The medicalisation of society in this way has constructed mental illness as a 'disability'. (Foucault, M. 2001)
Foucault wrote extensively about how in a society which is constructed around a 'medical' model of disability the onus is on the disabled person to be 'fixed' and adapt to society. However in a 'social' model of disability a society should adapt to allow different people to exist in society . (Mills, S. 2003)
Though treatment of mental illness has alleviated suffering for some, it has also contributed to the stigmatisation of mental illness. So that even when it is clear that psychological damage is the result of social conditions, sexual abuse or poverty, the individual is held to be at fault or to blame. As some feminist theorists have argued, the mental health services have helped to maintain the social status quo by naming and managing as "madness" the psychological damage and distress caused by social inequalities’ (Williams et al. 2001 as cited in Mills 2003 pg 102)
The first step is to have an understanding , by raising awareness. Which was the aim of this project to create an immersive experience in a game format.
The Creative side of things:
I was involved in the Music composition side of things for this game designed in Unity. Below is a link to a walk through of the psychosis room. The composition in the final game export is paired with voices surrounding the player which make for a confusing disorientating experience. An increase in tempo with almost alien like sounds attempt to imitate hallucinations and anxiety.
Musical compositions and sound assets were created individually by the group members according to their interests. The logo, colouring and fonts by the design students. This was all brought together and implemented within the game, Along with an exegesis, online presence and website to promote the game to possibly further the concept. We met with psychology students and facilitators on campus to discuss representation and ethics around what we were doing and they loved the idea and could see it being a great educational tool to use.
■ Foucault, M. (2001). Madness and civilization. Taylor & Francis Group.
■ Mills, S. (2003). Michel Foucault. Routledge. Pg.102
■ Williams, J., Sco, S., & Waterhouse, S. (2001). Mental Health Services for “Difficult” Women: Reflections on Some Recent Developments. Feminist Review, 68(1), 89–104.
You can read more and download the app here:
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Dystopian Symphony : Soundtrack to 2050
What will 2050 sound like? a Dystopian nightmare or a Utopian new way of life. This track is a slice of earth experience as told by animals of the forest. After the devastating bushfires in Kinglake Victoria 2009 burnt down my childhood home I returned to see the once misty wet lush forest I grew up in during the 80's completely burnt out and destroyed. Over the years the ecosystem had become drier and drier as private and commercial land clearing fragmented and opened up the state forests, drying out the wet undergrowth.
As I walked over the blackened soil and looked up at the charred black remains of the big old trees, white ash falling like snow, there in the distance a lone lyrebird walked. Unbelievable to imagine how it survived, while the bluestone rock foundations of my childhood home had been reduced to powder by the heat of the fires.
The Lyrebird is the story keeper of the happenings of the forest. It mimics perfectly the sounds it hears... all other bird calls, car alarms , camera clicks, chainsaws even the sound of a tree being sawed.
Targets for change by 2050 feel like just another post ponement of action which could easily be taken today. When I worked as an environmental campaigner in the early 2000's the target was 2020, and yet here we are in 2022 pushing the goal further away again. If we want to live in a beautiful environment filled with wildlife and rich ecosystems, real action and changes need to happen now. We are blindly walking into a Dystopian nightmare of an impoverished planet Earth. But the future is still uncertain. There is still time.
Track Collaborations and Credits:Composed and Produced by: Crystal Wilkes Drums: Grant Gerathy Electric guitar: Ed Bambach and Crystal Wilkes Dulcimer, Piano, Flute, Bass guitar and Sound Production: Crystal Wilkes Shakuhachi: Shivam Rath (and sitar which didn't make it in) Special thanks for encouragement, feedback and tech support to all my class mates! Luke, Renee, Hannah, Az, Callum, Ed and Shivam Recorded at SAE Byron Bay by Jan Muths and Dirk Tirrell Drums mixed by Dirk Tirrell Fine tuning of mix: John Gould Final Mix: Crystal Wilkes Mastering: Michael Worthington Album artwork: Sadie Archibald |
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Dystopian Symphony
This project idea started while I was researching elements of trip hop and making a 'Dystopian Trip Hop track' which became a song for the song a week project in my bachelor degree. The climate talks were happening at the time in Glasgow and I felt so disillusioned by the political structure ruled by corporate owned lobbyists perpetually post poning the use of renewable technology and implementing intelligent ideas. I put out a proposal to the class: "What does 2050 sound like to you?" A pretty abstract question, but I wanted to find another vision (and corresponding soundtrack) and see what it felt like to play, feel, envision and find a more Utopian sort of end.
I've always loved movie and documentary soundtrack music. For this project I was also inspired by the experimental ideas from David Lynch playing guitars with toothbrushes or whatever comes to mind in terms of making noises musical (album Crazy clowns), American Beauty Thomass Newmann, love the Bass slide effect and wanted to record a live bass part. (although I ended up cutting this out of the track) John Zorn's experimental soundtrack to Spillane, the musical documentary One giant leap and Prince's 4 track album N.E.W.S. (specifically 5 minutes in on the track 'South')
I came across Bernie Krauss who records ecosystems and Wilderness areas before and after human impact. One particular story really moved me on his Ted talk about how humans destroyed a beavers family, and the recording of the howling despaired cries of the sole survivor mourning his loss.
In the vein of sampling and trip hop I began by taking samples from Bernie Krausses album of forest and ocean sounds and manipulated them into a sort of musicality. With this project like my reference tracks I also wanted to mix genre influences together to create something which was a combination of all of the musical styles and influences in our class with the intention of collaborating with as many people as I could. Accoustic, heavy metal, trip hop, Dub, 90's grunge, electronic music, classical, pop, rock.
It starts off with the Dulcimer a peaceful 60's vibe and then descends into the forest where we hear the lyrebird imitating a chainsaw and trees being chopped down...
I've always loved movie and documentary soundtrack music. For this project I was also inspired by the experimental ideas from David Lynch playing guitars with toothbrushes or whatever comes to mind in terms of making noises musical (album Crazy clowns), American Beauty Thomass Newmann, love the Bass slide effect and wanted to record a live bass part. (although I ended up cutting this out of the track) John Zorn's experimental soundtrack to Spillane, the musical documentary One giant leap and Prince's 4 track album N.E.W.S. (specifically 5 minutes in on the track 'South')
I came across Bernie Krauss who records ecosystems and Wilderness areas before and after human impact. One particular story really moved me on his Ted talk about how humans destroyed a beavers family, and the recording of the howling despaired cries of the sole survivor mourning his loss.
In the vein of sampling and trip hop I began by taking samples from Bernie Krausses album of forest and ocean sounds and manipulated them into a sort of musicality. With this project like my reference tracks I also wanted to mix genre influences together to create something which was a combination of all of the musical styles and influences in our class with the intention of collaborating with as many people as I could. Accoustic, heavy metal, trip hop, Dub, 90's grunge, electronic music, classical, pop, rock.
It starts off with the Dulcimer a peaceful 60's vibe and then descends into the forest where we hear the lyrebird imitating a chainsaw and trees being chopped down...