Introduction
For the final unit of Junior year, we explored a topic that we were passionate about but didn’t have much experience in. In English, we studied many lyrical essays written by different authors before writing our own. In Digital Media, we learned how to use virtual instruments in Pro Tools to create original music. In Design, I explored jewelry making and made a matching set of a necklace and earrings.
Process
We started by brainstorming different ideas for topics we were curious and wanted to learn more about. Since we had less than 3 weeks to work on this project, we had to be realistic choose something short. I debated many ideas but ultimately settled on jewelry making because when I was little, I used to make rainbow loom and string friendship bracelets. For this project, I wanted to go more into depth and create something more professional looking, so I decided to create a necklace and matching pair of earrings. I wanted to use purple crystal beads and silver charms to create a magical and enchanting feel.
I started off by making the earrings since they were simpler than the necklace, so I figured it would be easier to learn the basics. I slid two beads onto each head pin (small piece of pre-cut wire) and made a loop on either end using pliers. Then I attached a earring hook on one loop and a star charm on the other loop.
For the necklace, I also created a “chain” of crystal beads using the same technique as before and connecting the different head pins with jump rings. I also cut sections of the silver necklace chain to use to hang different charms from the crystal bead chain.
Final Production
Here is what the final product looks like!
Here is the presentation we had to create as well:
Reflection
I really enjoyed this project and the chance to create something more physical. I definitely want to use the skills I learned during this project to create more jewelry for myself and also as gifts for others. Thank you to Lexi D and Ms. Parkinson for letting me borrow supplies and teaching me the basics of jewelry making!
Experimental Music
In Digital Media, we learned how to use the thousands of virtual instruments on Pro Tools to create music. This is useful because we can create songs without needing to buy or know how to play the actual instruments like the piano or drums. We also created album art in Illustrator or Photoshop to go with the music. I drew a potion bottle in Illustrator to go with the magical feel of the song.
Lyrical Essay
A lyrical essay is a piece of writing that combines elements of the traditional essay and poetry. To gain inspiration, we read many lyrical essays by authors like Maggie Nelson, Ander Monson, Ryan Van Meter, Ross Gay, etc. Afterwards, we wrote our own lyrical essay on a topic of our choosing. I choose to write about food and the memories they’re connected to. Here is the full lyrical essay and annotated bibliography!