Project 1, Task 7: Evaluation

Project 1, Task 7: Evaluation

Last week in band skills I performed two songs, one original written by Lauren Power and one by Adele. The performance went very well despite very little organisation from the group, as we didn’t practice to a schedule, so we only got together when we could due to some band members commitments. On top of this, my phone stopped working during the rehearsal period of the task, so I had to use email, which was very inconvenient for me and the other members. Before the performance, we prepared ourselves by standing in our group and checking all of our instruments were in tune, ready and everyone was warmed up before we went on.

Before the performance I felt really tense, however that slowly went away as we progressed more into the first song. Gradually throughout the middle of the performance it was going good and I felt that in the end, we performed really well. i noticed that i stayed in time really well and used embellishments when appropriate. I also really liked the fact that Lauren brought in an acoustic guitar instead of an electric. This meant that we got more diversity in the sound and it was more authentic to the original songs.

Overall, the performance went very well, however when looking back on it, I feel that there are some things that I could definitely improve on. When watching it back, I noticed that I didn’t move about enough due to my nerves. But I gradually got a bit looser toward the end of the performance. I feel like I definitely need to work on my stage presence as I feel that I wasn’t interesting enough.
Also, when playing the solo on the composition, I felt like it sounded really good however when looking back on it I don’t feel happy with it. I was trying to get a really psychedelic, pushed sound however when listening back on it, the vibrato I was applying didn’t achieve it and It just came out sounding out of tune. I feel like to improve it I needed a fairly crunchy/distorted sound which I didn’t have, so I should have brought a distortion pedal. Lastly, it looks as if I’m not digging into the chords, but this is due to the carved top on the guitar, so its not as easy to play and dig into as a stratocaster.

If the task arose again, I would definitely take more control of the groups that I choose to be in. I feel that before this, I didn’t have a good idea upon different people and how they work. So, if I had the chance to perform again, I would definitely choose people who are willing to practice, work hard and do well. This would also mean that i would most likely have good chemistry with them as they are like me and have the same attitude toward learning and performing. In conclusion, the whole show went very well and smooth with only some minor problems that could be easily fixed. I also found myself really enjoying the task and making new friends along the way.

(my social media post is with a different band as i didn't anticipate being assessed on this band. However, due to circumstances i decided to go with this band.)

Practice diary - Post 10

Section 1 – Practice updates
For technical development we have been looking at the major scale and utilising it in genres like Reggae and Indie. This would come in useful when i want to solo, as i could incorporate some of the Major scale into the different chord shapes.

In band skills we have been watching all of the groups perform their songs. I really liked this idea, as it was a good relaxing way to end the term.

In stylistic awareness, we were tasked with trying to find a Christmas song and change the style of the song into a style that we have already learnt before. Initially, I wasn’t so keen to play as the group chose ‘mistletoe’ by Justin Bieber, however I found myself to really enjoy this as we turned it into a classic rock song. I also added some bluesy, chuck berry style licks in the chorus.

section 2 - other/ personal study
i have been practicing "Georgia on my mind" by Ray Charles. i have now learnt the song enough that i will be able to play the embellishments over the song.

Practice diary - Post 9

Section 1 – Practice updates

In technical development, we have continued studying scales. This week we continued focusing on the 6 pentatonic shapes and the blues scale. We also worked on building up fret board knowledge. This meant working on utilising all of the different shapes in our soloing.

This week I also went to a theory lesson held by Abi Evans on Monday. I found this to be very helpful as some I needed some help recapping some theory such as the circle of 5ths.

In band skills, we have been performing our songs. I first performed with Matlinda’s band. I felt that the performance went well, although our second guitarist who didn’t turn up to any rehearsals started to play the wrong thing throughout the performance. I felt that this was really annoying for the people being assessed on the performance, as it was so off putting.i originally intended to be assessed on that one but i chose to do use the other band because of that reason.

On Thursday I was ill, so I missed the stylistic awareness lesson, however I did manage to speak to Toby about the lesson and he said that we were just recapping on what we had done last week.

section 2 - other/ personal study

As stated in the previous blog posts, I have been practicing ‘Georgia on my mind’ by Ray Charles. I feel that I have made good progress on the song however I need to improve upon the embellishments of the first section.

Practice diary - post 8

Section 1 – Practice updates

In technical development, we looked at how to use all of the 6 pentatonic shapes. I found this to be very helpful as it could broaden my soloing style, as I am now able to play the same licks in different positions on the neck. So I found this to be very useful when needing to play a low lick high up on the neck.

In critical listening we continued looking at our transposition work. I found this to be very hard as I am not very educated in theory, so I found it confusing.

Throughout stylistic awareness, we looked at playing ‘could you be loved’ by Bob Marley. I found this to be fairly easy to play although nerves got the best of me at time throughout the performance, so I forgot to play some of the chords.

Throughout band skills, we continued rehearsing with the bands. First I practiced with Matlinda’s band (Miracles) and we got some pin pointers from the teacher. This really helped our band develop as at first we were only playing basic chords but now we include embellishments and some licks. I then briefly practiced with Lauren’s band. This was useful as I managed to learn the main repeating lick throughout the song. After all of my lectures were over, I went and practiced with Laurens group for around an hour and a half. This was really good as we managed to get everything together and polish the song.

section 2 - other/ personal study

As stated in the previous blog post, I have been practicing ‘Georgia on my mind’ by Ray Charles. I feel that I have made good progress on the song however it is very hard to learn so i feel that i might be another couple of weeks before i learn it with all of the embellishments.

Project 1, Task 5: Social Media Event

Here are some screenshots of my band event on Facebook. However before i start, i will say that i have had some trouble with Facebook, in which i spoke to Abi Evans, but the problem of not being able to upload was not solved. So i have taken a screen shot of what would be uploaded.

Throughout this screenshot you can see the announcement for my band performance, which is on the 23rd of November, from 10:00am to 10:30am. i chose the title 'get magic with 'Miracles'' as i felt that it is eye catching, quirky and different to all of the other bands events. i also like the fact that magic is related with miracles, so it made sense to use it as a title. I chose the bands logo to have gem stones in the background, as i felt that it was appropriate, unique and worked well with the title (as gem stones are also related to magic and miracles). it is also appropriate as the group is playing pop music, so it would appeal to the audience we are trying to attract, which the majority is teenage girls.

in the description of the gig night i mentioned all of the necessary information and what room the event would be held in. I also made a brief introduction to what the band play. i felt that this introduction was necessary as it is long enough without boring the reader big enough to provide the necessary information for the gig.

After that, I mention about where you will be able to purchase the tickets from, such as sites like ticketmaster, reverbnation and Bandcamp. i also included a discount code below that.

i then mention about the contact information. to do this, i made an email address for the band and made a hashtag (#miracles_band). To make the hashtag, i took inspiration from the #muse idea that we covered in our event management lectures. the #muse idea is to make a memorable, unique, short and evergreen (useable in every event) hashtag. i feel that i have achieved this in my hashtag as it is straight, to the point and easy to remember. I feel that i do not need to change anything about the hashtag, as it can be read as if the band is a miracle for your day and can improve it.

Practice diary - post 7

Section 1 – Practice updates

This week in band skills, I have been put into two groups. One of my groups will be performing ‘come together’ by ‘The Beatles’ and an original written by Matlinda (singer). My other group will also be performing ‘come together’ and an original by Luke (singer). So all in all, I have three songs to practice as both groups are performing ‘come together’. This week I hope to practice with both groups like I managed to do last week.

This week in technical development, I have carried on making progress on the subjects that we have covered previously and improved upon my performance for my end of term test.

I have also practiced ‘why do you only call me when you’re high’ by ‘The Artic Monkeys’ in my Stylistic Awareness class. I found this song to be fairly easy as most of it is just a bassline with only a few chords.

I have also restarted my ear training practice on my computer, as I took a break from it, due to my retake in GCSE maths. I feel that I have been making good progress however a little rusty due to the break that I had from it.

section 2 - other/ personal study

For my personal study, I have been looking at playing ‘Georgia on my mind’ by Ray Charles’. This is quite a complicated jazz standard, so I think that this will take me a few weeks to practice this song fully, as their are lots of chord changes and embellishments to put into the song. However I have set a deadline of two weeks to finish learning this song. This will be hard however I feel I will be able to do it.

Practice diary - post 6

Practice diary - post 6
Section 1 – My personal targets

this week, i have worked on the solo to 'come together' by The Beatles. I feel that i have almost perfected it, however i do want to develop it and make it my own style. I would also like to learn it to such a point to which i don't change the Beatles feel on the music but retain a style that is known for me.

for this week in stylistic awareness, i have been working on "god save the queen" by The Sex Pistols. i think that i have made good work of the rhythm section, as i have learnt to control the palm muting/chug section of the song and open up when i comes to the chorus.

in technical development, i have been practicing playing funk. i found this to be very easy in some sections such as getting the right tone. This was easy to get, as i own a single coil pickup guitar so i could get the quacky sound that a funk song need. i found it hard to get the fat rhythm and odd timings that are needed to play funk songs.

in band skills, i have been tasked with forming my band to get ready to perform. in my group we have settled on covering 'come together' by The Beatles.

section 2 - other

i have also been practicing for my maths tests that i have had on Wednesday and Friday. So, i haven't been able to practice anything apart from the things i have been tasked as i have been doing lots of revision in order to pass. However, in saying this i have practiced soloing for 30 minutes.

The Beatles (essay)

The Beatles (essay)

Throughout The Beatles career they have had major impact on popular culture all the way from the 1960s to now, and are commonly marked as an influence to popular musical artists all over the world. The Beatles consisted of:

Paul McCartney on vocals, bass, keyboard, drums and guitar and played a Hofner Violin bass.

 John Lennon on vocals, guitar, harmonica and keyboard and he played a Gibson 330.

Ringo Starr on vocals, drums and percussion and he played a Ludwig drum kit on stage.

George Harrison on vocals, guitar and sitar and he played both Gretsch and Gibson guitars.

The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960 and went on to do the local circuit like the cavern club only to get their big break on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9^th 1964 (despite having a hit with 'Love Me Do' back in 1962). This then sparked their worldwide career with a crazed fan base/following called Beatlemania.

The Beatles sound originally started as a four-piece band setup with a step into rock and roll and skiffle music. They then went on to develop an experimental period in their music by delving into 60s psychedelic music once they stopped touring. However, throughout their short career of just 10 years they covered lots of ground, from love songs such as ‘love me do’ back in 1962 all the way to their psychedelic era with ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ from Sgt peppers in 1967 and ‘abbey road’ in 1969. The Beatles music still lives in popular culture today with an ever-expanding fan base due to timeless songs.

The music of the older Beatles differs dramatically to the younger Beatles music with more experimental textures rather than just a simple, swung song from their much older material. This is made clear in ‘A Day In A Life’ where they incorporate things such as pianos and orchestras with lots of key changes throughout. As The Beatles progressed to their older years their writing styles started to differ and they started to talk about things more than love like “were Sargent Peppers lonely hearts club band”.

The Beatles have also had mass economic impact, as they are the biggest band in history, selling over 600 million albums worldwide.

The Beatles have had many awards and achievements such as:

·      Rock and Roll hall of fame induction in 1988

·      The Beatles have received 10 Grammy awards

·      The Beatles were the top of the billboard hot 100 artists

·      The Beatles have all individually been awarded a place in the hall of fame

Revolutionizing

The Beatles were also known to help revolutionise recording techniques with their producer George Martin who developed ideas like speeding up and slowing down the tapes as featured in ‘strawberry fields forever’ and ‘In my life’. George martin also arranged orchestras for the Beatles like the feature in ‘A day in a life’, where the orchestra builds up tension as it changes to another song.

The image that the Beatles chose affected the popular culture at the time, as they where the biggest band around. In the beginning of the Beatles career they wore suits and had mop top haircuts, this effected popular culture, as at the time this was cool and stylish. The Beatles then changed their style to suit the era such as in 1967, where they took on their hippie look to stay relevant to the times changing.

The Beatles have also had mass political impact with songs such as ‘all you need is love’ all the way to ‘come together’. The Beatles touched upon everything from peace, religion to politics. The Beatles wrote ‘all you need is love’ as a propaganda song to stop the world waging war and ‘give peace a chance’. This is clear in the lyric ‘All you need is love’, where they give a message of saying love is the best option.

My Formative Assessment (Rolling In The Deep by Adele)

On Wednesday, 5th of October i played "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele for my formative assessment. the feedback i was given read
Try to be a little cleaner on your fretting. Some of your chords were not played as clean as they could have been. Arrangement and form accurate. Try to look up and out more. This is a performance. Greater communication with the rest of the band and audience needed. Your timing was solid, but your picking hand needs to dig in more to project your sound.
i felt that this feedback was decent, as when looking back on the video i noticed that it does look like I'm not digging into the chords that i was playing. the feedback also stated that i needed to work on my fretting however i felt that was not my fault as the other guitarist had a semi hollow guitar with a really odd tone to it that didn't fit in with the style of the song so i feel that that might have been a reason for the problem.
 I also suffer from stage fright and throughout this video I am just starting to overcome it so that explains not looking up. However, near the end of the song i do start to build up confidence and look up. Since that performance i have built up the courage to look to the crowd and get more active.

Practice diary - post 5

Practice diary - post 5
Section 1 – My personal targets

this week, i decided to carry on improving Come together as i have decided that i would like to perform this in the two song assesment after term. so i have been playing it in time with the recording and learning the solo.

i have also been practicing"dancing in the street" by Martha and the Vandellas. i found that this song is really easy and i managed to learn it within 30 minutes. i am practicing this song so that i can perform it in two weeks time for stylistic awareness.

in technical development, we have been looking at the caged system and how it works. i found this to be really interesting and useful as sometimes when playing, i cannot find the chord that i am looking for in one certain area of the fretboard.

I feel that learning the whole of the caged system will greatly improve my fretboard knowledge and make me a better, more experienced player. i have previously looked at the caged system (as mentioned in Post 1, although i only learnt the basics of it).

Throughout band skills we have been performing 'come together' in random groups. i found this to be really fun as i enjoy the song, so i didn't have any problem with any chord changes and so on. i also decided to get up to perform. i was really happy about how the performance went, apart from the solo where i couldn't hear myself so after the performance i realised that i played some bad notes.

section 2 - other

i also decided to attend a session after my lectures. So on monday, i decided to go and attend a wellbeing workshop with a friend. i felt that this was really helpful for me as it helped me relax and stop stressing about small things that were bugging me. i will attend try to carry on attending the sessions when i can. however i have found that trying to attend some of the sessions is rather difficult so i will try to attend as many sessions as i can.