Purpose
The main purpose of the website was to create a platform through which my music could be shared and stored. As a cover artist, I have the opportunity to interpret some of my favorite songs in my own unique way. What is great about a website is the endless opportunity for creativity and innovation. Throughout the last few weeks, I worked on producing my first cover song that is now available on all platforms and is showcased on the website. I used Wix.com to create my website from scratch.
Here is the link to the website: https://kykellcovers.wixsite.com/kykellcovers
The Website
Home Page
I wanted the home page of the website to feel welcoming and bright. The above screenshot has a moving background of water ripples and a photo slideshow that contains professional photos and pictures of me performing live at different locations for certain events.
The next part of the home page contains another moving background that takes you through a tunnel-like structure. Almost as if you were following me on the journey as you read about what has inspired me up to this point.
The final portion of the home page contains a link to my first released cover song. Some of you may know the song, “Dream On” by Aerosmith.
About Page
The next page contains a little more information about why I decided to become a cover artist. Below it you will find videos of some of my live performances starting back in 7th grade all the way up to my senior year of high school.
I decided to add a page dedicated to some of my favorite quotes about music. It is something that I will continue to add onto as more come to mind.
Review Page
I love constructive criticism and feedback. This section will give people the opportunity to let me know what they think and can provide song suggestions as well.
Contact Page
My final page contains a contact form in case anyone wanted to connect for whatever reason.
Challenges
I encountered many different challenges during the website creation process. One of the hardest things was figuring out the color scheme for each page, the transitions for the text and photos, and the type of background I wanted to implement on each page. I spent a lot of time experimenting with the different types of animations and did a lot of research on how to use the Wik program. My mentor gave some great insights on how to make the website look more esthetically since he has experience creating his own websites. The hardest part was coming to a decision on what animations to use because there were so many that I loved and it was hard to choose the best out of them all.
Aside from the website, the process of producing my first cover was no walk in the park. It also required much research, trial and error, and time working with my mentor to work out the kinks. I used a digital audio workspace called Ableton Live to record, mix and master the song.
Process
I have never attempted to create a website before. So, I had to start from scratch. At the beginning of the process, I did a lot of research about different websites that could help me build my own. Ultimately, I found that Wix was the best one for me and could meet the needs I required. It is versatile and has many amazing features that I have barely tapped into even after spending multiple weeks and hours working on the website.
After starting on the website, I created social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram called Kykell Covers. Through Wix, I was able to link my socials to the website. The icons are located in the top right-hand corner and the very bottom of each page.
For me, the important thing was to have a home base where my work could be showcased throughout time. I worked on finding good photos to use, and what colors I wanted to show throughout. Each page has its own unique style and communicates what I wanted in its own way. Through the moving backgrounds to the way the text and photos warp into the space when scrolling was all a part of the process. Again, I changed my mind almost weekly in terms of what I wanted to use for animations and how text and photos were spaced on each page. I found new favorites the more I explored what the site had to offer.
I figured out halfway through the semester that I wanted to show samples of me performing live. I thought that would give the audience a better idea of the music I am into, and how I have improved over the years. I created the timeline and used a background the looks almost like a spotlight to help highlight those live performances.
Finally, I finished producing my song and it was released on most of the popular music platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Youtube to name a few. The link under the “Latest Releases” page will take you to my Linktree app where you can choose to listen to the song on the platform of your choice.
In the future, if I do well enough, I hope to add merchandise that people can buy and will explore those options when the time comes.
Experience and Final Insights
In the beginning, I never thought that I would create my own website. I had always heard that website creation required a lot of coding and things that I don’t know much about. However, Through modern technology, website building is now easier than ever. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and have come to love the creative process especially when it comes to music. I have never been very computer savvy, but throughout these last few weeks I developed the confidence needed to keep going and improve my website and music each day moving forward. With those new skills I hope to continue to make music and share it for the whole world to see.