At long last I have reached the end of the start of what I hope will be a successful and happy future on a higher level within the music industry.
Not an extremely busy week at college for me however I was kept on my toes with composition practice with a band that has grown from 6 persons to now 9 which has brought added pressure to the group. We now have 9 different songs to manage and have done well to help each other relieve this pressure by ensuring that every one's composition is given equal attention when it became available. The performance is tomorrow and after at least 8 hours of practising over the last 2 days I am insanely confident that we will manage to keep a balanced and professional performance, just don't hold me to that!
The main point of the week was today with my vocal assessment taking place which was witnessed by an external assessor and with the excessive singing practice I have had my voice did feel quite tired although I do feel I performed to a reasonable level. After tomorrows performance I only have the audition for the degree course left in terms of vocal assessment but feel I have been improving the stamina of my voice as I look to improve the reputation I have as a singer of any style.
Overall I am very pleased with my performance across the whole year and also my academic conduct which has saw me complete all the tasks required within the deadline given. Having completed the evaluation of my graded unit I can now look forward to any feedback I will get which will help progress the development I made with my vocal and acting abilities which I hope to put to good use as soon as possible. The project itself has been the core of most of my activities and I have a better understanding of my potential as a singer within the music industry and also the importance of self submergence in projects or interests.
To conclude as we part I would like to thank all the tutors and students within the music department at Perth College for a challenging and entertaining year which I enjoyed for the best part of 10 months. I also thank anyone who has taken the time to read any of the entries I have made to this blog and hope that in someway my small journey can be of assistance to anyone in search of inspiration for their own projects.
We will meet again so don't be sad! Peace and love and light and love to all. I Am Daniel
Thursday 3 June 2010
Friday 28 May 2010
The Penultimate Review
This will be the first from last entry to this blog as I look to wrap up what seems to be a successful year. After a big week at college I now look to wrap up some of the smaller tasks I need to complete to finish my HND year and hopefully look forward to the final year of BA Popular Music Performance.
I have since completed my DAW work and been signed off and also took the time to help half the class with their work which gave me a comparative view as life as a tutor which seems a lot simpler than being a student, more money and less responsibility.
This week was quite empty for me as I only had composition rehearsals and also my first study lesson which is all set for next weeks assessment where I aim to show off some of the vocal talents I have been developing throughout the year and through different projects. If all else fails I will have a glowing career as an impressionist or a manager in Lidl!
Today I made the journey to Perth to submit my analysis project which consisted of a full score, a critical analysis and also a graphical representation. I had a small technology emergency this morning as my work was cleared as my computer crashed however I managed to start a new score which surpassed the criteria of the assessment although was not as impressive as my original effort. I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed creating the graphical representation and have been occupied with the thought of music in different audio and visual forms. This method of metaphorming has always been helpful to me however I did not place it in my creative works too much but now see there can be a benefit from doing so.
Only this evening I have completed my evaluation for my graded unit and also my research report on the Monterey Pop Festival 1967 which leaves me with 2 very small but important tasks to finish off the year. We have a performance of our original compositions next Friday and have been rehearsing each others songs with only 2 rehearsals left before the performance. I have also taken the time to assist other students with their lyrics and vocal melody as these are my strengths and also something I have always done with ease. The other task is simply to complete my first study assessment where I need to perform 4 of the songs I have been practising which include O Gin I Were A Barons Heir, Pilate's Dream, A World Without You and also my favourite Mi Mancherai. I am confident about this assessment as I have done well all year however I will still take caution with my voice and also rehearse enough to be in fine tune on the day.
To close I am now playing in Tonic again on June 13th 2010 and am looking forward to this as I have enjoyed the performances I have done already. It's a nice setting and a lovely host who is also very talented. I will also be looking to persuade the venue to let my new band play a small acoustic set so we can showcase some of the songs we have composed recently.
I am almost saddened by the thought that next week is my last entry to this logbook of progression and development and will miss the opportunity to channel my thoughts in this way. Life does go on however and I have many other projects I must begin, fulfil and complete as I look to spread a true message of hope and love to all those souls that came before and all those who will come again.
I will sign of on Thursday 3rd June 2010 with my final entry and thank you all for your following so far.
Until then and maybe some other time,
I am Daniel.
I have since completed my DAW work and been signed off and also took the time to help half the class with their work which gave me a comparative view as life as a tutor which seems a lot simpler than being a student, more money and less responsibility.
This week was quite empty for me as I only had composition rehearsals and also my first study lesson which is all set for next weeks assessment where I aim to show off some of the vocal talents I have been developing throughout the year and through different projects. If all else fails I will have a glowing career as an impressionist or a manager in Lidl!
Today I made the journey to Perth to submit my analysis project which consisted of a full score, a critical analysis and also a graphical representation. I had a small technology emergency this morning as my work was cleared as my computer crashed however I managed to start a new score which surpassed the criteria of the assessment although was not as impressive as my original effort. I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed creating the graphical representation and have been occupied with the thought of music in different audio and visual forms. This method of metaphorming has always been helpful to me however I did not place it in my creative works too much but now see there can be a benefit from doing so.
Only this evening I have completed my evaluation for my graded unit and also my research report on the Monterey Pop Festival 1967 which leaves me with 2 very small but important tasks to finish off the year. We have a performance of our original compositions next Friday and have been rehearsing each others songs with only 2 rehearsals left before the performance. I have also taken the time to assist other students with their lyrics and vocal melody as these are my strengths and also something I have always done with ease. The other task is simply to complete my first study assessment where I need to perform 4 of the songs I have been practising which include O Gin I Were A Barons Heir, Pilate's Dream, A World Without You and also my favourite Mi Mancherai. I am confident about this assessment as I have done well all year however I will still take caution with my voice and also rehearse enough to be in fine tune on the day.
To close I am now playing in Tonic again on June 13th 2010 and am looking forward to this as I have enjoyed the performances I have done already. It's a nice setting and a lovely host who is also very talented. I will also be looking to persuade the venue to let my new band play a small acoustic set so we can showcase some of the songs we have composed recently.
I am almost saddened by the thought that next week is my last entry to this logbook of progression and development and will miss the opportunity to channel my thoughts in this way. Life does go on however and I have many other projects I must begin, fulfil and complete as I look to spread a true message of hope and love to all those souls that came before and all those who will come again.
I will sign of on Thursday 3rd June 2010 with my final entry and thank you all for your following so far.
Until then and maybe some other time,
I am Daniel.
Friday 21 May 2010
The Week That Was
Well I managed to get through the biggest week of college so far this year and have came out smiling!
The biggest event of the week was Rocky: The Musical which went really well on the night of the show despite an abysmal practice routine in the afternoon. It was slightly understandable given that this was our first rehearsal with stage direction and props however lack of focus among the cast left the directors worried for the evening performance. I was confident that we would improve once placed in front of a crowd however I do realise that the producers and directors of any show need to have that confidence beforehand. The show went well and everyone played their part well in front of over 100 people and even though some sneaky gypsy hid Apollo Creed's boxing gloves for the final fight I did manage to get them back and on Apollo before the main fight scene at the end. Overall I am happy that this experience has helped me better understand the roles within musical shows.
The next day was sort of an anti-climax as it was the day of our band performance and with only 4 out of 6 members present in previous weeks a contingency plan was needed. This was slightly changed also as our drummer turned up on the day and managed to keep time through the songs we agreed to play. We were meant to play 7 however only managed 5 but in hindsight I should of just jammed out another 2 songs but was unsure of the band's confidence in doing so!
The day after this was the big interview for the role of a west end singer! Firstly I was there almost a half hour before my appointment which gave me time to refresh before being ready 10 minutes before the appointment. I was asked to complete my presentation which was designed to showcase my abilities and talents and then take part in a short interview for the position. I was quite happy with my performance on the day however I would have been better pleased if the conditions allowed for better display of video and audio information throughout my presentation. I did include plenty of evidence within my portfolio so hopefully this compensates for any problem with my presentation. The interview seemed to go well as I had the opportunity to discuss my passions and also turned a negative into a positive regarding my lack of experience.
Friday was simply the submission of my music history essay on the views of thoughtful and logical Theodor W. Adorno. I was shocked at my 44% grade in the Fabbri essay and did take the criticism from my tutor to improve my Adorno essay, however if I don't pass this one I will find it hard to believe that he truly read either of them!
After this mountain of a week I am now left with the tasks of an evaluation of my graded unit, a report on Monterey Pop Festival 1967, some small tasks in DAW, my final first study assessment and the performances of our original compositions. Not much!
Until next Friday, I'm me and you are all you!
Daniel
The biggest event of the week was Rocky: The Musical which went really well on the night of the show despite an abysmal practice routine in the afternoon. It was slightly understandable given that this was our first rehearsal with stage direction and props however lack of focus among the cast left the directors worried for the evening performance. I was confident that we would improve once placed in front of a crowd however I do realise that the producers and directors of any show need to have that confidence beforehand. The show went well and everyone played their part well in front of over 100 people and even though some sneaky gypsy hid Apollo Creed's boxing gloves for the final fight I did manage to get them back and on Apollo before the main fight scene at the end. Overall I am happy that this experience has helped me better understand the roles within musical shows.
The next day was sort of an anti-climax as it was the day of our band performance and with only 4 out of 6 members present in previous weeks a contingency plan was needed. This was slightly changed also as our drummer turned up on the day and managed to keep time through the songs we agreed to play. We were meant to play 7 however only managed 5 but in hindsight I should of just jammed out another 2 songs but was unsure of the band's confidence in doing so!
The day after this was the big interview for the role of a west end singer! Firstly I was there almost a half hour before my appointment which gave me time to refresh before being ready 10 minutes before the appointment. I was asked to complete my presentation which was designed to showcase my abilities and talents and then take part in a short interview for the position. I was quite happy with my performance on the day however I would have been better pleased if the conditions allowed for better display of video and audio information throughout my presentation. I did include plenty of evidence within my portfolio so hopefully this compensates for any problem with my presentation. The interview seemed to go well as I had the opportunity to discuss my passions and also turned a negative into a positive regarding my lack of experience.
Friday was simply the submission of my music history essay on the views of thoughtful and logical Theodor W. Adorno. I was shocked at my 44% grade in the Fabbri essay and did take the criticism from my tutor to improve my Adorno essay, however if I don't pass this one I will find it hard to believe that he truly read either of them!
After this mountain of a week I am now left with the tasks of an evaluation of my graded unit, a report on Monterey Pop Festival 1967, some small tasks in DAW, my final first study assessment and the performances of our original compositions. Not much!
Until next Friday, I'm me and you are all you!
Daniel
Friday 14 May 2010
The Week Before The Week That Was.
The sands in my timer are falling short in quantity and it's time to dance for the people. In other words, I've got a lot to do before the grand set of assessments next week.
Firstly I start the week with Rocky: The Musical which has it's show night on Tuesday night and despite being a little nervous about this production I am confident enough in my abilities to produce an impressive performance. Rehearsals of late have been improving and I'm sure that once all these performers and musicians are placed before an audience then their level of performance will be raised significantly.
Wednesday brings a live performance from our college band "Bad Acid" in the Homespun 2010 festival where we are performing our selection of songs from the Monetery Pop Festival 1967. This weeks practice was dismal and I hope that we can all get together next Wednesday and improve our understanding of the songs.
On Thursday I have my presentation and interview for the position of West End singer with the Really Useful Group musical theatre company where I will also be presenting a portfolio which will showcase the highlights of my musical expeditions over the past 2 years. I am happy with the material I have but also feel that with more time and resources I could do a much better job than I have.
Quite a big week and this week has brought some negativity in as band practice was terrible, I almost failed my Fabbri Essay and also Rocky rehearsals didn't go to smooth. Despite feeling down for an hour or two I enforced a change of mood that has made me highly motivated for that tasks that lie ahead and as I realise I can't lose focus in these closing stages.
With regards to the music analysis class we have I am well organised with the transcription and critical analysis of my song choice which is the Elton John classic " I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues". I am now left with the tricky task of producing a graphical representation of the piece which is not too intimidating as artistic freedom is permitted.
Overall not the best week of progress I can remember however I am more than confident now that I will push on and get over the mammoth task list that next week brings.
Tune in next Friday to hear how I ended my college year with what I hope is a successful week of impressive and memorable performances.
Until then I'll be Tony as I attempt to stay in character until Rocky: The Musical is complete.
Love, Daniel
Firstly I start the week with Rocky: The Musical which has it's show night on Tuesday night and despite being a little nervous about this production I am confident enough in my abilities to produce an impressive performance. Rehearsals of late have been improving and I'm sure that once all these performers and musicians are placed before an audience then their level of performance will be raised significantly.
Wednesday brings a live performance from our college band "Bad Acid" in the Homespun 2010 festival where we are performing our selection of songs from the Monetery Pop Festival 1967. This weeks practice was dismal and I hope that we can all get together next Wednesday and improve our understanding of the songs.
On Thursday I have my presentation and interview for the position of West End singer with the Really Useful Group musical theatre company where I will also be presenting a portfolio which will showcase the highlights of my musical expeditions over the past 2 years. I am happy with the material I have but also feel that with more time and resources I could do a much better job than I have.
Quite a big week and this week has brought some negativity in as band practice was terrible, I almost failed my Fabbri Essay and also Rocky rehearsals didn't go to smooth. Despite feeling down for an hour or two I enforced a change of mood that has made me highly motivated for that tasks that lie ahead and as I realise I can't lose focus in these closing stages.
With regards to the music analysis class we have I am well organised with the transcription and critical analysis of my song choice which is the Elton John classic " I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues". I am now left with the tricky task of producing a graphical representation of the piece which is not too intimidating as artistic freedom is permitted.
Overall not the best week of progress I can remember however I am more than confident now that I will push on and get over the mammoth task list that next week brings.
Tune in next Friday to hear how I ended my college year with what I hope is a successful week of impressive and memorable performances.
Until then I'll be Tony as I attempt to stay in character until Rocky: The Musical is complete.
Love, Daniel
Friday 7 May 2010
Back On Track.
Another week of college has passed quickly which leaves me one less week before first study assessment, graded unit presentation & portfolio, Adorno essay, Rocky: The Musical, session skills reports, production analysis report, DAW outcomes, ICT essays, original composition submission, articulation assignment and band performance with research presentation. For anyone who maybe lost by now this is my "To Do List" for the next 3 weeks!
Although I was in a panic last week regarding all these deadlines I have managed to calm myself and gain control of the situation by creating an action plan for delivering in each area on time. I have assessed each assignment by chronological requirement as well as quantity of content and applied this logic into a time schedule that I will follow to ensure I meet all my deadlines.
With my new band I recorded some improved versions of the 5 new songs we have been composing and will now distribute them to each band member so they can use them as reference while we have a study break for the student members who are feeling the pressure of their workload just now.
I started my week at college with band rehearsal and with no drummer and no guitarist we got by on multi-tasking and working out a schedule for our set list and performance. We have only 2 opportunities to rehearse before the performance itself so we need to be punctual and ready to work hard.
My first study was cancelled due to tutor illness so I used my time to work on my graded unit portfolio and presentation. I am more confident now that I have began collating evidence for my portfolio and presentation and with my interview time being pushed back another week I have no excuses if I am not well prepared.
Rocky rehearsal was on in the evening and we have less than 2 weeks before show night and didn't really do ourselves justice with our performance. I did leave however with a better idea of how it will all run on the night and can now concentrate on my performances in the up and coming rehearsals. I have also happily agreed to come into college on my day off to take part in an extra rehearsal in aid of improving the casts performance and understanding of the show.
Thursday started at 3pm as music history was cancelled so it was straight into session skills where I helped produce the last session we were working on and also had the opportunity to record vocals on another bands track. These opportunities will give me extra evidence to provide as I look to prove my worth as a potential west end singer which will hopefully be compensation for the lack of experience I offer.
In DAW I was used as a bass player to assist the class with an outcome which requires us to record a multi-tracked live performance. We all took turns to play and record and very quickly we had completed the outcome for 7 students which shows what can be achieved with a good bit of team work.
I was not present in articulation this week due to family commitments however I have spent some time this morning working on my transcription and graphical presentation which are both now half complete and offer me no apparent issues before deadline day. I do have the troublesome task of scoring my choice of music however after completing my original composition I am back in the swing of notation.
A busy week and next week looks no different however I will find the time to update you all next Friday on the goings on and the ongoings on my wonderful journey to become a west end singer.
Until then, I'm Daniel.
Although I was in a panic last week regarding all these deadlines I have managed to calm myself and gain control of the situation by creating an action plan for delivering in each area on time. I have assessed each assignment by chronological requirement as well as quantity of content and applied this logic into a time schedule that I will follow to ensure I meet all my deadlines.
With my new band I recorded some improved versions of the 5 new songs we have been composing and will now distribute them to each band member so they can use them as reference while we have a study break for the student members who are feeling the pressure of their workload just now.
I started my week at college with band rehearsal and with no drummer and no guitarist we got by on multi-tasking and working out a schedule for our set list and performance. We have only 2 opportunities to rehearse before the performance itself so we need to be punctual and ready to work hard.
My first study was cancelled due to tutor illness so I used my time to work on my graded unit portfolio and presentation. I am more confident now that I have began collating evidence for my portfolio and presentation and with my interview time being pushed back another week I have no excuses if I am not well prepared.
Rocky rehearsal was on in the evening and we have less than 2 weeks before show night and didn't really do ourselves justice with our performance. I did leave however with a better idea of how it will all run on the night and can now concentrate on my performances in the up and coming rehearsals. I have also happily agreed to come into college on my day off to take part in an extra rehearsal in aid of improving the casts performance and understanding of the show.
Thursday started at 3pm as music history was cancelled so it was straight into session skills where I helped produce the last session we were working on and also had the opportunity to record vocals on another bands track. These opportunities will give me extra evidence to provide as I look to prove my worth as a potential west end singer which will hopefully be compensation for the lack of experience I offer.
In DAW I was used as a bass player to assist the class with an outcome which requires us to record a multi-tracked live performance. We all took turns to play and record and very quickly we had completed the outcome for 7 students which shows what can be achieved with a good bit of team work.
I was not present in articulation this week due to family commitments however I have spent some time this morning working on my transcription and graphical presentation which are both now half complete and offer me no apparent issues before deadline day. I do have the troublesome task of scoring my choice of music however after completing my original composition I am back in the swing of notation.
A busy week and next week looks no different however I will find the time to update you all next Friday on the goings on and the ongoings on my wonderful journey to become a west end singer.
Until then, I'm Daniel.
Friday 30 April 2010
The Heat Is On!
Back to my routine of blogging on a Friday and with just over 6 weeks of college remaining the title is not far wrong as the heat is on!!!
Again I started off the week with composing sessions with the new band and as we work on our 5 songs in turn I am hearing a vast difference in how they are layered and structured in comparison to the previous band. I think the venture into the new has brought about motivation for all the band members and this should see us through until we are ready to perform this material live.
On Tuesday I spent the day tying up loose ends from college assignments and also planning out my last 6 weeks of college work. I have looked at all the deadlines I have and also the size of each task and have drawn up an action plan to best suite my routine and also the demands of my tutors. I have already managed to complete certain smaller assignments and now have more free time for the projects that require more of my attention.
The first day back at college started with band practice and although we were missing our drummer we did well to jam over 3 covers we have chosen and also start work on our original composition leaving just 2 more tracks to be worked on before the live performance which apparently has been scheduled for the 19th May 2010.
My first study went well despite my absence and I now have all the songs I need for final assessment as well as starting work on the Grade 8 piece I must perform in an audition for degree entry next year. I think this new batch of songs will be more impressive as evidence in my portfolio as they have more relevance to musical theatre.
Composition class was cancelled which left me waiting around for 5 hours for Rocky rehearsals to start in the evening. I made the most of this time by completing 3 reports on recording sessions for my session skills class. Rocky rehearsal felt really long as we were running through Act 2 without scripts which required a lot of prompting and re-starting of scenes. I did feel quite tired afterward but felt better rehearsed as we go into the last 2 weeks before show night.
The next day I was recording vocals in a recording session for session skills and after waiting a while on the brass section completing their parts it was my turn to record. I had one take to find my volume levels and stance and then done another take to ensure better quality. This is the 3rd session I have been involved in and feel that I now communicate with the sound engineers better which contributes towards a more successful session.
In DAW/ICT a worked across my various outcomes for assessment and am now confident that in the next 2 weeks I will be finished all the work for the class again giving me more time for other projects. I have 2 small reports to complete regarding the research and design involved in making my own website. This is a trivial task for me as I have been working on these things within my own record label and have quite a bit of experience in this area.
For the articulation assessment I have decided to chose "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" as performed by Elton John and have now set about scoring this piece by ear as well as transcribing the piece and also offering my own created graphical representation. I have been more concerned about this assessment than any other and have deliberately freed up some extra time for me to cope with the demands.
All in all a very productive week back at college and with half of my final assessments done I am confident I can push on in the remaining weeks and finish off any remaining projects with quality and hopefully increase my chances of getting that "A" grade
Until next week,
I'm still Daniel.
Again I started off the week with composing sessions with the new band and as we work on our 5 songs in turn I am hearing a vast difference in how they are layered and structured in comparison to the previous band. I think the venture into the new has brought about motivation for all the band members and this should see us through until we are ready to perform this material live.
On Tuesday I spent the day tying up loose ends from college assignments and also planning out my last 6 weeks of college work. I have looked at all the deadlines I have and also the size of each task and have drawn up an action plan to best suite my routine and also the demands of my tutors. I have already managed to complete certain smaller assignments and now have more free time for the projects that require more of my attention.
The first day back at college started with band practice and although we were missing our drummer we did well to jam over 3 covers we have chosen and also start work on our original composition leaving just 2 more tracks to be worked on before the live performance which apparently has been scheduled for the 19th May 2010.
My first study went well despite my absence and I now have all the songs I need for final assessment as well as starting work on the Grade 8 piece I must perform in an audition for degree entry next year. I think this new batch of songs will be more impressive as evidence in my portfolio as they have more relevance to musical theatre.
Composition class was cancelled which left me waiting around for 5 hours for Rocky rehearsals to start in the evening. I made the most of this time by completing 3 reports on recording sessions for my session skills class. Rocky rehearsal felt really long as we were running through Act 2 without scripts which required a lot of prompting and re-starting of scenes. I did feel quite tired afterward but felt better rehearsed as we go into the last 2 weeks before show night.
The next day I was recording vocals in a recording session for session skills and after waiting a while on the brass section completing their parts it was my turn to record. I had one take to find my volume levels and stance and then done another take to ensure better quality. This is the 3rd session I have been involved in and feel that I now communicate with the sound engineers better which contributes towards a more successful session.
In DAW/ICT a worked across my various outcomes for assessment and am now confident that in the next 2 weeks I will be finished all the work for the class again giving me more time for other projects. I have 2 small reports to complete regarding the research and design involved in making my own website. This is a trivial task for me as I have been working on these things within my own record label and have quite a bit of experience in this area.
For the articulation assessment I have decided to chose "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" as performed by Elton John and have now set about scoring this piece by ear as well as transcribing the piece and also offering my own created graphical representation. I have been more concerned about this assessment than any other and have deliberately freed up some extra time for me to cope with the demands.
All in all a very productive week back at college and with half of my final assessments done I am confident I can push on in the remaining weeks and finish off any remaining projects with quality and hopefully increase my chances of getting that "A" grade
Until next week,
I'm still Daniel.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Dearly Departed.
First of all I would like to apologies for not making an entry on Friday as promised however this week has been tainted by the death of a close Uncle which has changed my week as well as my perspective on how much control I have over the things that I do on a daily basis. It is evident that you can plan to perfection and still obstacles can present themselves in your path.
I did not spend the whole week in limbo however as I spent Monday night practising with a new band I am working with at the moment. After the extensive work done with Fuzzy Buck we have decided to reform as a new band with a different sound and image which has yet to be decided. We have written about 5 songs and will continue writing together until we have a good amount of material to perform live.
I also managed to review my action plan for my graded unit and have been working on my portfolio and presentation. The evidence I need to prove my worth as a West End singer needs to be collated quickly as I look to incorporate it into these projects. I have also looked at the goals and targets I set myself and have been quite pleased that I have managed to achieve all but one of my targets so far and look to completing the remaining target or provide some relevant compensation as well as an explanation.
I have managed to rid myself of small tasks with later deadlines in order to free up more of my time for the bulkier assignments. This sort of time management is essential when running in a show and I hope to display these and other skills within my portfolio and presentation.
Nothing more to add as the rest of the week was spent tending to my family and attending my uncle's funeral which all went quite smoothly despite the circumstances.
I shall return next Friday with a clear head and the motivation to hit everything I need to head on!
Peace and love, Daniel.
I did not spend the whole week in limbo however as I spent Monday night practising with a new band I am working with at the moment. After the extensive work done with Fuzzy Buck we have decided to reform as a new band with a different sound and image which has yet to be decided. We have written about 5 songs and will continue writing together until we have a good amount of material to perform live.
I also managed to review my action plan for my graded unit and have been working on my portfolio and presentation. The evidence I need to prove my worth as a West End singer needs to be collated quickly as I look to incorporate it into these projects. I have also looked at the goals and targets I set myself and have been quite pleased that I have managed to achieve all but one of my targets so far and look to completing the remaining target or provide some relevant compensation as well as an explanation.
I have managed to rid myself of small tasks with later deadlines in order to free up more of my time for the bulkier assignments. This sort of time management is essential when running in a show and I hope to display these and other skills within my portfolio and presentation.
Nothing more to add as the rest of the week was spent tending to my family and attending my uncle's funeral which all went quite smoothly despite the circumstances.
I shall return next Friday with a clear head and the motivation to hit everything I need to head on!
Peace and love, Daniel.
Friday 16 April 2010
No Looking Back!
As promised I'm back and on time with my weekly log of events on the road to successfully gaining employment as a west end singer.
I enjoyed the rest I had during the spring break and am now feeling refreshed and ready to go as I look forward to the last 9 weeks of college which is not to be taken lightly. During the holidays I managed to organise a lot of the research I have been doing for different modules and am now in a position to go on and complete the main body of the work required. I also managed to overhaul my PC system at home and with hardware and software upgrades I now have more efficient and relevant tools to work with. I also had the pleasure of performing live at a couple of acoustic nights in Dundee city centre, which I felt went better than previous performances which was mainly due to the changes I made to my practice schedule to ensure I do enough rehearsals before performing live.
My first day back at college started with the first practice of our new band and we have all decided to choose the Monterey Pop Festival 1967 as our basis of reference for completing this final musicianship assignment. We have already picked out some sings to cover and despite being 2 men down we played on and managed to work roughly over 3 of the songs.
In first study I started looking over a few new songs as I look to perfect a set of 6 songs from which I will be assessed on 4 of them. I had already been working on 3 and feel quite comfortable with them so I can now focus on working on the other 3 songs I need.
I finished off this college day with composition class and after hearing a presentation on writing for guitar I have some new ideas for my composition which is almost half complete. I am due to give a presentation myself on aspects of composing for voice which shouldn't be too difficult given all the research I have been doing lately.
After college I had Rocky rehearsals and have been quite pleased with my commitment to this project which will help me prove my flexibility and loyalty within my personal portfolio. We started to run through Act 2 which gives me more dialogue and performing in comparison to Act 1. I felt the rehearsal went quite well and I see a lot of potential in this production and hope that everyone works hard to ensure we all enjoy the experience and deliver an enjoyable experience for the audience. The date of the show has been set and we are unleashed on the public on the 18th May 2010 in Perth.
The next day of college started out with our graded unit class where we discussed the development of the later stages of our portfolio and presentation and also picked names out of a bag to decide upon the schedule of interviews. Guess who's name came out first? That's right "Daniel". 13th May 2010 @ 9 am! Never mind I will remain professional and deal with the situation. I am confident in the work I have already done and have mainly been organising the layout and order of my portfolio and presentation.
Next up was music history and another deadline! This time for the final essay based on Adorno which is due for submission on the 21st May 2010. I have already started this assignment and feel confident I will be ready for submission with time to spare.
In session skills I didn't have much to do as we were beginning a new session and vocals tend to be left until last. I did hang around to learn more about the different processes for each instrument and performer and learnt quite a lot which will help me develop in my home studio.
Finally in DAW/ICT I started and almost finished the design of my own website due to doubling up these classes this week. I came into college early Friday morning and joined another class to learn more about this topic that I have fell behind in. I design my own websites at home however the process for college assignment is considerably different so I had to put in some extra work to manage the adjustments.
I struggle on in Articulation class and although I enjoy and understand the study and analysis of the music we have been listening to I seem to have a little fear about my own assignment. I hope to overcome this with a little tutor assistance in the coming weeks.
A little big blog for you all this week since we've been apart for so long. I will return to my weekly time slot from now til the end of the academic year, so until next Friday, ciao! Daniel
I enjoyed the rest I had during the spring break and am now feeling refreshed and ready to go as I look forward to the last 9 weeks of college which is not to be taken lightly. During the holidays I managed to organise a lot of the research I have been doing for different modules and am now in a position to go on and complete the main body of the work required. I also managed to overhaul my PC system at home and with hardware and software upgrades I now have more efficient and relevant tools to work with. I also had the pleasure of performing live at a couple of acoustic nights in Dundee city centre, which I felt went better than previous performances which was mainly due to the changes I made to my practice schedule to ensure I do enough rehearsals before performing live.
My first day back at college started with the first practice of our new band and we have all decided to choose the Monterey Pop Festival 1967 as our basis of reference for completing this final musicianship assignment. We have already picked out some sings to cover and despite being 2 men down we played on and managed to work roughly over 3 of the songs.
In first study I started looking over a few new songs as I look to perfect a set of 6 songs from which I will be assessed on 4 of them. I had already been working on 3 and feel quite comfortable with them so I can now focus on working on the other 3 songs I need.
I finished off this college day with composition class and after hearing a presentation on writing for guitar I have some new ideas for my composition which is almost half complete. I am due to give a presentation myself on aspects of composing for voice which shouldn't be too difficult given all the research I have been doing lately.
After college I had Rocky rehearsals and have been quite pleased with my commitment to this project which will help me prove my flexibility and loyalty within my personal portfolio. We started to run through Act 2 which gives me more dialogue and performing in comparison to Act 1. I felt the rehearsal went quite well and I see a lot of potential in this production and hope that everyone works hard to ensure we all enjoy the experience and deliver an enjoyable experience for the audience. The date of the show has been set and we are unleashed on the public on the 18th May 2010 in Perth.
The next day of college started out with our graded unit class where we discussed the development of the later stages of our portfolio and presentation and also picked names out of a bag to decide upon the schedule of interviews. Guess who's name came out first? That's right "Daniel". 13th May 2010 @ 9 am! Never mind I will remain professional and deal with the situation. I am confident in the work I have already done and have mainly been organising the layout and order of my portfolio and presentation.
Next up was music history and another deadline! This time for the final essay based on Adorno which is due for submission on the 21st May 2010. I have already started this assignment and feel confident I will be ready for submission with time to spare.
In session skills I didn't have much to do as we were beginning a new session and vocals tend to be left until last. I did hang around to learn more about the different processes for each instrument and performer and learnt quite a lot which will help me develop in my home studio.
Finally in DAW/ICT I started and almost finished the design of my own website due to doubling up these classes this week. I came into college early Friday morning and joined another class to learn more about this topic that I have fell behind in. I design my own websites at home however the process for college assignment is considerably different so I had to put in some extra work to manage the adjustments.
I struggle on in Articulation class and although I enjoy and understand the study and analysis of the music we have been listening to I seem to have a little fear about my own assignment. I hope to overcome this with a little tutor assistance in the coming weeks.
A little big blog for you all this week since we've been apart for so long. I will return to my weekly time slot from now til the end of the academic year, so until next Friday, ciao! Daniel
Friday 26 March 2010
Holiday Time Once Again!
A busy week of activities once again as I finish off the last week of college before we start a 2 week holiday thanks to the historical Christians!
I started off my college week free of west end show research and the glam band and seen a big improvement in my vocal lesson as I showed a better control of the projection and range within my voice. I have been slightly concerned by the stress placed on my voice by recent activities and have set about researching different methods and treatments for resolving these issues. Between tutor exercises and herbal remedies like honey and lemon tea I am finding new ways of conditioning my voice on a daily basis which will be a skill that is needed if I am to be successfully employed as a west end singer. I have started working on another 2 songs and am enjoying the challenge of learning songs quickly then developing the dynamics within my own performances.
We had no band practice however we were briefed on the outline for the new outcome which sees us gather into bands who are to represent a year of albums or a festival in any given year. These topics will give us a huge variety to choose from as we attempt to perform across 5 different genres as well as composing our own relevant song and representing another in a different musical style. Myself and Jamie Mann, a fellow singer/songwriter, have assembled a band consisting of ourselves, 2 guitarists, a bassist and a drummer which should be more than enough to create a varied and big sound. We have been looking at showcasing "Woodstock 1969" however I am now swaying towards Monterey Pop Festival 1967, which I feels opens the variety of genres we can replicate.
In our graded unit we were fortunate to have a speaker from a video games company who is involved in musical composition and sound design and has celebrated success on a global level with games such as Grand Theft Auto 2/3. I was particularly impressed with Stewart's knowledge on the differences between musical composition and sound design and felt that he demonstrated a great deal of knowledge in the field. I was particularly interested with regards to the development of my own acts and record label and see these meetings as networking opportunities to showcase my own talents and potential. I am hoping to contact Realtime Worlds with regards to licensing my own material for them to use in their video games or even develop myself as a freelance composer through their services. I have took a great deal of knowledge from the various speakers who have attended this class with the biggest factor being all their emphasis on the importance of transferable skills and also multi-tasking. I believe these are areas in which I am strong and have found the advice of these speakers inspirational in fine tuning my skills and abilities.
This week saw me eventually lay down some vocals in session skills as I attempting to recreate "Moondance" by Van Morrison, which turned out alright although I feel I was acting a little like Harry Connick Jnr within my performance. Having got my maiden journey out the way I can now go on a do the vocal tracks on a variety of other Motown and funk songs which I hope to include in my portfolio.
Last but not least I want to mention Rocky rehearsals from this week which I felt went quite well as the entire cast attempted to deliver the first outline of act 1. There are 2 acts within this musical and we have skipped across most of the scenes from both but now set about the process of gelling it all together. I can see that my involvement in this will help me develop my organisational skills and my awareness of stage production. Simple tasks like be ready in the wings make all the difference in a successful show and I am trying to focus on picking up the necessary skills and knowledge to assist me with this task.
Overall a good week and I sign off for a few weeks as I look forward to hard work and relaxation across the Easter break. I will return to my blog on Friday 16th April 2010 and update on all the activities and progress I have made within.
Until then,
I Am Daniel.
I started off my college week free of west end show research and the glam band and seen a big improvement in my vocal lesson as I showed a better control of the projection and range within my voice. I have been slightly concerned by the stress placed on my voice by recent activities and have set about researching different methods and treatments for resolving these issues. Between tutor exercises and herbal remedies like honey and lemon tea I am finding new ways of conditioning my voice on a daily basis which will be a skill that is needed if I am to be successfully employed as a west end singer. I have started working on another 2 songs and am enjoying the challenge of learning songs quickly then developing the dynamics within my own performances.
We had no band practice however we were briefed on the outline for the new outcome which sees us gather into bands who are to represent a year of albums or a festival in any given year. These topics will give us a huge variety to choose from as we attempt to perform across 5 different genres as well as composing our own relevant song and representing another in a different musical style. Myself and Jamie Mann, a fellow singer/songwriter, have assembled a band consisting of ourselves, 2 guitarists, a bassist and a drummer which should be more than enough to create a varied and big sound. We have been looking at showcasing "Woodstock 1969" however I am now swaying towards Monterey Pop Festival 1967, which I feels opens the variety of genres we can replicate.
In our graded unit we were fortunate to have a speaker from a video games company who is involved in musical composition and sound design and has celebrated success on a global level with games such as Grand Theft Auto 2/3. I was particularly impressed with Stewart's knowledge on the differences between musical composition and sound design and felt that he demonstrated a great deal of knowledge in the field. I was particularly interested with regards to the development of my own acts and record label and see these meetings as networking opportunities to showcase my own talents and potential. I am hoping to contact Realtime Worlds with regards to licensing my own material for them to use in their video games or even develop myself as a freelance composer through their services. I have took a great deal of knowledge from the various speakers who have attended this class with the biggest factor being all their emphasis on the importance of transferable skills and also multi-tasking. I believe these are areas in which I am strong and have found the advice of these speakers inspirational in fine tuning my skills and abilities.
This week saw me eventually lay down some vocals in session skills as I attempting to recreate "Moondance" by Van Morrison, which turned out alright although I feel I was acting a little like Harry Connick Jnr within my performance. Having got my maiden journey out the way I can now go on a do the vocal tracks on a variety of other Motown and funk songs which I hope to include in my portfolio.
Last but not least I want to mention Rocky rehearsals from this week which I felt went quite well as the entire cast attempted to deliver the first outline of act 1. There are 2 acts within this musical and we have skipped across most of the scenes from both but now set about the process of gelling it all together. I can see that my involvement in this will help me develop my organisational skills and my awareness of stage production. Simple tasks like be ready in the wings make all the difference in a successful show and I am trying to focus on picking up the necessary skills and knowledge to assist me with this task.
Overall a good week and I sign off for a few weeks as I look forward to hard work and relaxation across the Easter break. I will return to my blog on Friday 16th April 2010 and update on all the activities and progress I have made within.
Until then,
I Am Daniel.
Sunday 21 March 2010
Sunday Is Not Friday!
First of all I would like to apologise to all those who might of tuned in over Friday and Saturday only to find that Daniel had not done his weekly blog that he said he would do every FRIDAY! I think I had become over satisfied with my week's work and let this important task slip my mind. 2 days late but just as great I hope.
Today is the last day of my west end show research and after 21 weeks of disciplined study I have managed to compile an impressive compendium of research notes covering 7 of the current top ten selling west end shows. Each show has brought a different perspective on what goes towards making a successful musical, however I feel that this variety has taught me to be prepared as well as being knowledgeable in this field. The concept of turning any event into a musical performance seems to be the secret into mastering this art. I have been impressed with the creativity and discipline within each performance I have studied and see how a well practiced musical performer can develop an abundance of transferable skills that can be applied across many industries.
In first study I feel I struggled again after glam band practice in the morning, although this was the last week of this as we had our gig on the 17th March and was pleased to find out that our efforts were in aid of raising money for the disadvantaged people of Haiti who suffered through the impact of a recent earthquake.
The gig itself was impressive and I felt that the atmosphere was more positive in comparison to the previous gig held in the college lecture theatre. I think performing for strangers as well as fellow students brought about the urgency to perform well more and I believe we delivered. Our band Pink Panther went all out to showcase Glam Rock as we dressed up in mostly female clothing and painted our faces in true glam style. I felt our stagecraft was the most impressive feature of our performance and although random at times, it seemed to go down well with the crowd who have final say after all. The photos and video evidence will be a great help as I try to prove myself as an actor/singer and all round entertainer. These experiences have contributed towards my development in "playing the role", a skill essential in musical theatre.
Not a great deal happened on Thursday due to the gig the previous night however I did tiredly make it into college to meet the 4pm deadline for our Fabbri essay and can now look forward to the other essay in music history on the ever interesting Ted Adorno.
I have not done a great deal of work lately with daniel dundee or Fuzzy Buck due to college commitments however I have scheduled some practice and composing sessions for during the Easter break which should help us catch up on any missed practices of late.
I have spent my time lately planning the development of my presentation and portfolio for my graded unit and have now returned to my action plan to finish of the remaining tasks I set myself. I have planned some visits to the 2 local amateur societies and also Centrestage and am also waiting for the return of my west end lead/understudy questionnaires that I left with my tutor and previous MD. I feel that between these involvements and the research I have carried out that I have a great deal of focus regarding what is required of a west end singer and can now see that I am more than competent enough to carry out this role. All I need to do is to provide evidence of this observation to satisfy the interviewing panel as opposed to my challenging ego, which has had hard time dealing with my new disciplined routine.
Next week is the last week of college before the Easter break and I look forward to the start of the new bands and also recording vocal tracks for the session skills class. This will give me some piece of mind before the holidays as I plan to use this time to develop my portfolio and also tackle the Adorno essay. I have made good progress lately clearing my feet of outstanding work and also freeing up some time to give more focus to up and coming projects.
Tune in next week as I lay out my plans for the break and give you all an update on the progress of.........
"West End Daniel",
Peace out, love in!
Today is the last day of my west end show research and after 21 weeks of disciplined study I have managed to compile an impressive compendium of research notes covering 7 of the current top ten selling west end shows. Each show has brought a different perspective on what goes towards making a successful musical, however I feel that this variety has taught me to be prepared as well as being knowledgeable in this field. The concept of turning any event into a musical performance seems to be the secret into mastering this art. I have been impressed with the creativity and discipline within each performance I have studied and see how a well practiced musical performer can develop an abundance of transferable skills that can be applied across many industries.
In first study I feel I struggled again after glam band practice in the morning, although this was the last week of this as we had our gig on the 17th March and was pleased to find out that our efforts were in aid of raising money for the disadvantaged people of Haiti who suffered through the impact of a recent earthquake.
The gig itself was impressive and I felt that the atmosphere was more positive in comparison to the previous gig held in the college lecture theatre. I think performing for strangers as well as fellow students brought about the urgency to perform well more and I believe we delivered. Our band Pink Panther went all out to showcase Glam Rock as we dressed up in mostly female clothing and painted our faces in true glam style. I felt our stagecraft was the most impressive feature of our performance and although random at times, it seemed to go down well with the crowd who have final say after all. The photos and video evidence will be a great help as I try to prove myself as an actor/singer and all round entertainer. These experiences have contributed towards my development in "playing the role", a skill essential in musical theatre.
Not a great deal happened on Thursday due to the gig the previous night however I did tiredly make it into college to meet the 4pm deadline for our Fabbri essay and can now look forward to the other essay in music history on the ever interesting Ted Adorno.
I have not done a great deal of work lately with daniel dundee or Fuzzy Buck due to college commitments however I have scheduled some practice and composing sessions for during the Easter break which should help us catch up on any missed practices of late.
I have spent my time lately planning the development of my presentation and portfolio for my graded unit and have now returned to my action plan to finish of the remaining tasks I set myself. I have planned some visits to the 2 local amateur societies and also Centrestage and am also waiting for the return of my west end lead/understudy questionnaires that I left with my tutor and previous MD. I feel that between these involvements and the research I have carried out that I have a great deal of focus regarding what is required of a west end singer and can now see that I am more than competent enough to carry out this role. All I need to do is to provide evidence of this observation to satisfy the interviewing panel as opposed to my challenging ego, which has had hard time dealing with my new disciplined routine.
Next week is the last week of college before the Easter break and I look forward to the start of the new bands and also recording vocal tracks for the session skills class. This will give me some piece of mind before the holidays as I plan to use this time to develop my portfolio and also tackle the Adorno essay. I have made good progress lately clearing my feet of outstanding work and also freeing up some time to give more focus to up and coming projects.
Tune in next week as I lay out my plans for the break and give you all an update on the progress of.........
"West End Daniel",
Peace out, love in!
Friday 12 March 2010
The Details Of The Detail
As promised, here follows the more specific details of my busy week as I close in on the final stages of my HND year and also draw nearer to the many different types of performances I am involved in between now and the end of May 2010.
In my first study class I am currently preparing 3 songs for assessment and also looking towards a practice schedule for the vocal showcase planned for the end of May. There may also be the opportunity to enter the "Burn's Song" competition which will allow me to gain experience at performing under pressure. I have felt a hindrance in this subject due to the demands placed on me from the Glam Band and found it difficult to maintain a clear tone before I commence my lesson due to the harsh style of vocals in the song we are performing. My vocal tutor has given me some more exercises to strengthen my larynx and hopefully improve my stamina during performance.
Next week brings the gig at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow, which I am really looking forward too, and after another pleasing practice session I now have the confidence to perform with the band and not over study the songs, leaving me room to perform on the night. Good luck Pink Panther! That's the band name.
I am also continuing with my cartoon composition with my group and also my individual composition for final year assessment and hope to deliver on both fronts and showcase my talent for creativity and stagecraft.
Another week of Rocky rehearsals and things are shaping up as we begin a more balanced practice routine across the acting and singing within the show. I am learning a lot from each session, especially the difficulty for one person to co-ordinate 20 other people with regards to their own creative vision. The directors are quite disciplined and I feel this is helping to maintain order within the cast at these vital stages.
In Music History we are all busy stressing over the first essay assignment on Fabbri's theory of genre, which seems to have stirred up a great deal of hate for the poor Italian. I personally enjoyed researching his work and see a lot of potential discussions with regards to each of his genre rules. I have also took the time to understand and appreciate the views of Adorno despite his obvious attempt to define his Marxist views. Next week brings the deadline for this essay and I am confident that I have done enough research to go forward and produce a compelling discussion.
Graded unit this week allowed us all some time to discuss our portfolio with our tutor on a one-to-one basis and pick up on any potential mistakes we may be making. Although I am confident in my own abilities to promote and present myself I find these mentoring sessions helpful in ensuring that I am on the right path.
Session skills hasn't brought me many challenges lately, however there has been a lot of backing tracks laid down by different bands and I am now to get the opportunity to sing over my own bands tracks and tracks from other bands. This will give me a good amount of evidence to include in my portfolio as I look to prove my worth as a potential west end singer.
DAW has been uneventful also as the work we are doing is an area that I have been working on in my personal projects. I am learning a lot at home regarding recording and producing MIDI and audio as well as mastering the final mix of multi-tracks. I have also bought all my own web domains to promote myself and my record label and have also secured web hosting facilities to display my web designs and profile. I will not become complacent however and will continue to work well with the work I am required to do for this module.
Overall a busy week again and next week looks to be busier as we have our gig in Glasgow and also deadline day for the Fabbri essay. I am confident I have done enough work to complete these tasks with some ease and look forward to letting you all know about the outcome of each event.
Until then, love til you bleed.
Daniel
In my first study class I am currently preparing 3 songs for assessment and also looking towards a practice schedule for the vocal showcase planned for the end of May. There may also be the opportunity to enter the "Burn's Song" competition which will allow me to gain experience at performing under pressure. I have felt a hindrance in this subject due to the demands placed on me from the Glam Band and found it difficult to maintain a clear tone before I commence my lesson due to the harsh style of vocals in the song we are performing. My vocal tutor has given me some more exercises to strengthen my larynx and hopefully improve my stamina during performance.
Next week brings the gig at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow, which I am really looking forward too, and after another pleasing practice session I now have the confidence to perform with the band and not over study the songs, leaving me room to perform on the night. Good luck Pink Panther! That's the band name.
I am also continuing with my cartoon composition with my group and also my individual composition for final year assessment and hope to deliver on both fronts and showcase my talent for creativity and stagecraft.
Another week of Rocky rehearsals and things are shaping up as we begin a more balanced practice routine across the acting and singing within the show. I am learning a lot from each session, especially the difficulty for one person to co-ordinate 20 other people with regards to their own creative vision. The directors are quite disciplined and I feel this is helping to maintain order within the cast at these vital stages.
In Music History we are all busy stressing over the first essay assignment on Fabbri's theory of genre, which seems to have stirred up a great deal of hate for the poor Italian. I personally enjoyed researching his work and see a lot of potential discussions with regards to each of his genre rules. I have also took the time to understand and appreciate the views of Adorno despite his obvious attempt to define his Marxist views. Next week brings the deadline for this essay and I am confident that I have done enough research to go forward and produce a compelling discussion.
Graded unit this week allowed us all some time to discuss our portfolio with our tutor on a one-to-one basis and pick up on any potential mistakes we may be making. Although I am confident in my own abilities to promote and present myself I find these mentoring sessions helpful in ensuring that I am on the right path.
Session skills hasn't brought me many challenges lately, however there has been a lot of backing tracks laid down by different bands and I am now to get the opportunity to sing over my own bands tracks and tracks from other bands. This will give me a good amount of evidence to include in my portfolio as I look to prove my worth as a potential west end singer.
DAW has been uneventful also as the work we are doing is an area that I have been working on in my personal projects. I am learning a lot at home regarding recording and producing MIDI and audio as well as mastering the final mix of multi-tracks. I have also bought all my own web domains to promote myself and my record label and have also secured web hosting facilities to display my web designs and profile. I will not become complacent however and will continue to work well with the work I am required to do for this module.
Overall a busy week again and next week looks to be busier as we have our gig in Glasgow and also deadline day for the Fabbri essay. I am confident I have done enough work to complete these tasks with some ease and look forward to letting you all know about the outcome of each event.
Until then, love til you bleed.
Daniel
Friday 5 March 2010
Busy Times Ahead!
I have been very busy this week with various tasks across my personal, professional and academic life. I find that I now have a lot more musical activities going on in my weekly routine which I feel is a blessing in comparison to previous routines I have been in.
On Mondays and Tuesdays I am practising with Fuzzy Buck and daniel dundee as well as doing production work on the recordings for these 2 acts and also the solo act AF Truman. Across these 2 days I am managing to practise across piano, guitar and bass as well as developing my vocal technique.
Wednesday brings a busy day from morning til night as I work my way through college band practice, my vocal lesson and then finally composition class in the afternoon. My evenings are now committed to Rocky: The Musical with a routine of both acting and vocal practise across 3 or more hours as we prepare for showtime in May.
Thursday sees me working through 4 back to back classes in Graded Unit, Music History, Session Skills and Digital Audio Workstation/Information Communication Technology for Music Industry Promotion. This is probably the most academically intense day of the week for me, however I find the time constraints a benefit in my development at college and am aware that these type of transferable skills need improving as much as my musical abilities.
On Friday I only have one class, from 2pm til 3.30pm, however I have been going into college at 9am and making use of the computers and pianos to assist me with the progress of my essays, assignments, portfolio, presentation and vocal lessons. The articulation class from 2pm is one of the most challenging nodules of semester 2 and requires a pass for access to the degree course. I feel this is the class I must work hardest in as I have less comprehension in this subject.
Finally across Saturday and Sunday I have time to tie up any lose ends from the preceding week and also take some valuable relaxation time which energises me for the week to come. This busy schedule looks to continue weekly until the end of my college year as I also try to complete the final steps of my action plan to develop myself as a west end singer.
Next week I will get back to the details of the detail above and let you all know how it's all going.
Until then take care and love.
Daniel
On Mondays and Tuesdays I am practising with Fuzzy Buck and daniel dundee as well as doing production work on the recordings for these 2 acts and also the solo act AF Truman. Across these 2 days I am managing to practise across piano, guitar and bass as well as developing my vocal technique.
Wednesday brings a busy day from morning til night as I work my way through college band practice, my vocal lesson and then finally composition class in the afternoon. My evenings are now committed to Rocky: The Musical with a routine of both acting and vocal practise across 3 or more hours as we prepare for showtime in May.
Thursday sees me working through 4 back to back classes in Graded Unit, Music History, Session Skills and Digital Audio Workstation/Information Communication Technology for Music Industry Promotion. This is probably the most academically intense day of the week for me, however I find the time constraints a benefit in my development at college and am aware that these type of transferable skills need improving as much as my musical abilities.
On Friday I only have one class, from 2pm til 3.30pm, however I have been going into college at 9am and making use of the computers and pianos to assist me with the progress of my essays, assignments, portfolio, presentation and vocal lessons. The articulation class from 2pm is one of the most challenging nodules of semester 2 and requires a pass for access to the degree course. I feel this is the class I must work hardest in as I have less comprehension in this subject.
Finally across Saturday and Sunday I have time to tie up any lose ends from the preceding week and also take some valuable relaxation time which energises me for the week to come. This busy schedule looks to continue weekly until the end of my college year as I also try to complete the final steps of my action plan to develop myself as a west end singer.
Next week I will get back to the details of the detail above and let you all know how it's all going.
Until then take care and love.
Daniel
Friday 26 February 2010
Absence Makes The Mind Grow Weaker.
Not a great deal of college activity for me this week due to different absences, all through different circumstances, however I have managed to get quite a lot of research and study done at home which has kept me up to date with the various assignments I have. I must make more effort to attend college regularly despite various obstacles, like the lovely weather we have had of late.
I have been more aware of my time management recently and have realised that I am wasting a lot of time sitting around at college when I could be making better use of the facilities on hand and lighten the workload for when I am at home. I think that time management and being diverse are 2 important attributes for a lead in any musical theatre show and I am glad that I have become more aware of this and will now work to improve these skills and provide evidence of my development in my portfolio.
On the development of my own business, I have registered with PRS and PPL as a performer and as a record label. I have also started laying out the foundations of a business plan that incorporates a 3 arm divisional company, each one dealing with different legal and financial aspects of copyright and licensing. Within these plans daniel dundee, Fuzzy Buck and now my brother's solo act AF Truman will all be managed and promoted whilst looking for other writers and performers to boost our repertoire and catalogue.
As I mentioned above my absence has been the biggest concern, however I have managed my time at home better to manage the workload I have across the different modules I am studying. I have worked myself back on an even par and know that I must improve my attendance and motivate myself better to finish off the year on a high.
I am quite pleased with the progress I am making with my portfolio due to the level of quality evidence that I now have available. I am hoping to push on now and complete the few final steps of my action plan to ensure that I can present my abilities in the most effective manner and successfully be employed as a west end singer.
No band practice this week again although all the members have been practising more in their own time to make sure that the level of quality performance is not affected. We are aware that there are only 3 weeks left until the gig itself and have all put in place a rehearsal schedule that will give us plenty time. Our new member Craig has been assigned 2 tracks to drum on and will spend the rest of the time on percussion and dancing.
My vocal lesson has been going well and I was fortunate enough to get a double lesson due to the absence of others. I felt by the end of the lesson that my voice was growing tired which prompted my tutor to advise me on training techniques that will help strengthen my larynx and lessen the chance of fatigue.
Music history has continued towards the detail of the 2 essays we must submit and pass to compete the module. Our first essay is based on the theory of musical genres, as described by Italian musicologist Franco Fabbri, and involves choosing a genre of music to discuss the conceptualisation of. I have decided to cover the genre Rock and have gathered a number of books from the library to assist me with my work. My current research of the musical We Will Rock You may also provide some inspiration as the research period of this is similar to the deadline I have for this essay.
Enough talking already, there's work to be done!
Bye for now, Daniel
I have been more aware of my time management recently and have realised that I am wasting a lot of time sitting around at college when I could be making better use of the facilities on hand and lighten the workload for when I am at home. I think that time management and being diverse are 2 important attributes for a lead in any musical theatre show and I am glad that I have become more aware of this and will now work to improve these skills and provide evidence of my development in my portfolio.
On the development of my own business, I have registered with PRS and PPL as a performer and as a record label. I have also started laying out the foundations of a business plan that incorporates a 3 arm divisional company, each one dealing with different legal and financial aspects of copyright and licensing. Within these plans daniel dundee, Fuzzy Buck and now my brother's solo act AF Truman will all be managed and promoted whilst looking for other writers and performers to boost our repertoire and catalogue.
As I mentioned above my absence has been the biggest concern, however I have managed my time at home better to manage the workload I have across the different modules I am studying. I have worked myself back on an even par and know that I must improve my attendance and motivate myself better to finish off the year on a high.
I am quite pleased with the progress I am making with my portfolio due to the level of quality evidence that I now have available. I am hoping to push on now and complete the few final steps of my action plan to ensure that I can present my abilities in the most effective manner and successfully be employed as a west end singer.
No band practice this week again although all the members have been practising more in their own time to make sure that the level of quality performance is not affected. We are aware that there are only 3 weeks left until the gig itself and have all put in place a rehearsal schedule that will give us plenty time. Our new member Craig has been assigned 2 tracks to drum on and will spend the rest of the time on percussion and dancing.
My vocal lesson has been going well and I was fortunate enough to get a double lesson due to the absence of others. I felt by the end of the lesson that my voice was growing tired which prompted my tutor to advise me on training techniques that will help strengthen my larynx and lessen the chance of fatigue.
Music history has continued towards the detail of the 2 essays we must submit and pass to compete the module. Our first essay is based on the theory of musical genres, as described by Italian musicologist Franco Fabbri, and involves choosing a genre of music to discuss the conceptualisation of. I have decided to cover the genre Rock and have gathered a number of books from the library to assist me with my work. My current research of the musical We Will Rock You may also provide some inspiration as the research period of this is similar to the deadline I have for this essay.
Enough talking already, there's work to be done!
Bye for now, Daniel
Friday 19 February 2010
Mock Interview Week (Weak?)
Quite a busy week this week with regards to my development, and I now feel that I am going forward in the direction I need in order to effectively prove myself worthy of a lead role or understudy part in any musical.
My performance on Sunday went well although my guitar playing was not at it's usual standard despite my recent daily practice. I have noticed that as I try to learn new instruments and musical techniques I am neglecting the abilities I already have and must sort this by maintaining a good level of practice across all the musical activities I may participate in. All this aside I was invited back to play again on the 14th March 2010.
No band practice this week as I had to attend an emergency dentist appointment, however the other members were kind enough to re-arrange and I must remember to show the same kindness myself. We only have 4 weeks left until performance night so we must maintain a good level of practice as we also have a new member to integrate and get up to our level of comprehension.
I did manage to have a vocal lesson later on in the day which went well and I feel that I have a good grasp of what is required across the 3 songs I am currently working on. I am enjoying performing Mi Mancherai as it gives me the opportunity sing in Italian and showcase my bi-lingual abilities, (tri-lingual if you include music!).
Our graded unit class this week saw us all go through a mock interview for our chosen positions and each student was graded and given feedback by the rest of the class. This was a very helpful exercise for me and I felt that although I never researched the mock role as much as I should of I still managed to portray myself and abilities well in the interview itself. The feedback I received from the other students was very positive and I am thinking about including some of their comments in my presentation or portfolio when I am interviewed for the role of a lead or understudy in a west end show.
Session skills was frustrating again and again I managed to motivate myself despite the boredom I was experiencing. I have always had a calm feeling when I am in the control room of a studio and like to use this time to monitor the ongoing tasks and adjustments made to improve the quality of the recording. This type of experience has helped me with my personal projects and also in collating evidence to include in my portfolio.
Nothing happening this week with Fuzzy Buck or daniel dundee but I do believe that the weeks rest has been well deserved and hopefully we will get together next week feeling the benefits from our time off.
Again I must return to the workload, until next week.
I am Daniel
My performance on Sunday went well although my guitar playing was not at it's usual standard despite my recent daily practice. I have noticed that as I try to learn new instruments and musical techniques I am neglecting the abilities I already have and must sort this by maintaining a good level of practice across all the musical activities I may participate in. All this aside I was invited back to play again on the 14th March 2010.
No band practice this week as I had to attend an emergency dentist appointment, however the other members were kind enough to re-arrange and I must remember to show the same kindness myself. We only have 4 weeks left until performance night so we must maintain a good level of practice as we also have a new member to integrate and get up to our level of comprehension.
I did manage to have a vocal lesson later on in the day which went well and I feel that I have a good grasp of what is required across the 3 songs I am currently working on. I am enjoying performing Mi Mancherai as it gives me the opportunity sing in Italian and showcase my bi-lingual abilities, (tri-lingual if you include music!).
Our graded unit class this week saw us all go through a mock interview for our chosen positions and each student was graded and given feedback by the rest of the class. This was a very helpful exercise for me and I felt that although I never researched the mock role as much as I should of I still managed to portray myself and abilities well in the interview itself. The feedback I received from the other students was very positive and I am thinking about including some of their comments in my presentation or portfolio when I am interviewed for the role of a lead or understudy in a west end show.
Session skills was frustrating again and again I managed to motivate myself despite the boredom I was experiencing. I have always had a calm feeling when I am in the control room of a studio and like to use this time to monitor the ongoing tasks and adjustments made to improve the quality of the recording. This type of experience has helped me with my personal projects and also in collating evidence to include in my portfolio.
Nothing happening this week with Fuzzy Buck or daniel dundee but I do believe that the weeks rest has been well deserved and hopefully we will get together next week feeling the benefits from our time off.
Again I must return to the workload, until next week.
I am Daniel
Friday 12 February 2010
Pulling My Finger Out!
It's quite a strange week for me, mood wise!
I have been very de-motivated in certain areas and have found it difficult finding out why.
This is a strange feeling for me as I am usually very positive and enjoy problem solving, so I am very rarely affected by things of a negative nature. Just thought I would share some inner thoughts and already feel better for doing so.
Big news this week is that Fuzzy Buck eventually had a live practice with all members present and it was evident that our recent hard work was not in vain. Our drummer Mark did very well to work over 4 of our own songs and help create an improved groove and rhythm for each one. Our bassist has also been very helpful in the creative department and has also been contributing towards the material recorded by daniel dundee. This constant improvement has been ongoing since we formed and is has kept me highly motivated towards investing time and money in the band and my own record label.
My vocal lessons have been continuing strong and I have managed to perform the majority of the 2 songs I am performing without too much difficulty. My tutor has been very helpful with my development towards applying to be a west end singer and has offered a lot of information and guidance towards doing so. The vocal students are to perform in a vocal showcase in Perth Concert Hall and hopefully I can use this as further evidence of my improving abilities. I have also started on a new song, "Pilate's Dream" from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, which has been a nice change from all the other musicals I have been researching. This week sees the end of my West End show research and I now have to collate and manage the evidence I have found to include in my graded unit portfolio as proof of my progression and understanding of musical theatre. On top of this I am also planning to visit Fiona McKenzie at Centre Stage and hopefully see their production of Beauty & The Beast from which I know I will take much from with regards to my development within musical theatre.
Our college band managed to practice this week and we have begun work on our original composition as well as finding out that our gig will be at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow on the 17th of March. We are all confident that we can deliver in time but have agreed to plan extra practice to ensure that our performance will be highly appreciated alongside our showmanship in the Glam Rock genre.
Music history has been both interesting and extremely dull at random times, no thanks to my lack of focus at times. I have picked up a lot from reading Fabbri and Adorno however I see so much variance in the history that has came before me that I disagree with a lot of what is being said. As negative as this may sound it makes for healthy debate and discussion which I have always found to be important in the development and evolution of any subject.
I have a performance in a small venue in Dundee this weekend which gives me the opportunity to brush up on my guitar abilities and also improve my stagecraft. I am hoping to use these external performances as evidence in my portfolio but know I will need to practice daily between now and then to ensure I deliver an interesting and enjoyable performance.
Tune in next Friday to find out if I broke a leg or not!
Ciao, Daniel
I have been very de-motivated in certain areas and have found it difficult finding out why.
This is a strange feeling for me as I am usually very positive and enjoy problem solving, so I am very rarely affected by things of a negative nature. Just thought I would share some inner thoughts and already feel better for doing so.
Big news this week is that Fuzzy Buck eventually had a live practice with all members present and it was evident that our recent hard work was not in vain. Our drummer Mark did very well to work over 4 of our own songs and help create an improved groove and rhythm for each one. Our bassist has also been very helpful in the creative department and has also been contributing towards the material recorded by daniel dundee. This constant improvement has been ongoing since we formed and is has kept me highly motivated towards investing time and money in the band and my own record label.
My vocal lessons have been continuing strong and I have managed to perform the majority of the 2 songs I am performing without too much difficulty. My tutor has been very helpful with my development towards applying to be a west end singer and has offered a lot of information and guidance towards doing so. The vocal students are to perform in a vocal showcase in Perth Concert Hall and hopefully I can use this as further evidence of my improving abilities. I have also started on a new song, "Pilate's Dream" from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, which has been a nice change from all the other musicals I have been researching. This week sees the end of my West End show research and I now have to collate and manage the evidence I have found to include in my graded unit portfolio as proof of my progression and understanding of musical theatre. On top of this I am also planning to visit Fiona McKenzie at Centre Stage and hopefully see their production of Beauty & The Beast from which I know I will take much from with regards to my development within musical theatre.
Our college band managed to practice this week and we have begun work on our original composition as well as finding out that our gig will be at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow on the 17th of March. We are all confident that we can deliver in time but have agreed to plan extra practice to ensure that our performance will be highly appreciated alongside our showmanship in the Glam Rock genre.
Music history has been both interesting and extremely dull at random times, no thanks to my lack of focus at times. I have picked up a lot from reading Fabbri and Adorno however I see so much variance in the history that has came before me that I disagree with a lot of what is being said. As negative as this may sound it makes for healthy debate and discussion which I have always found to be important in the development and evolution of any subject.
I have a performance in a small venue in Dundee this weekend which gives me the opportunity to brush up on my guitar abilities and also improve my stagecraft. I am hoping to use these external performances as evidence in my portfolio but know I will need to practice daily between now and then to ensure I deliver an interesting and enjoyable performance.
Tune in next Friday to find out if I broke a leg or not!
Ciao, Daniel
Friday 5 February 2010
Second Thought Tuesday
Quite a quiet time at college this week due to my absence through illness and also my ever emerging weakness of missing important details of up and coming events at college. This has been brought to my attention more recently as I have highlighted a few weaknesses in my action plan for development as a west end singer, and have recently noticed a couple of these noted weaknesses rearing their ugly heads and creating havoc in my life. I think if I am to successfully apply myself as a west end singer then I must review my action plan and start to work on the weaknesses I have already identified as well as maintaining my strengths.
I have noticed that I have become a little lazy lately and think this is due to the comfort I have felt in completing so much work earlier in the year. I am confident that I am noticing any trends that emerge from my weaknesses and have been quicker at finding a remedy which has seen me regain my momentum and get back on track with all the tasks laid across various plans in my life.
Last week I finished my planned research of Phantom of the Opera and have now moved on to my final show, We Will Rock You. For each show I have researched I have noticed that I am looking out for more detail and have noticed huge variances in vocal technique and also the balance between vocal ability and general stagecraft. This research has been the most important part of my project and without out it I would not have been able to develop my vocal and acting skills to enable me to successfully be employed as a lead in a West End show.
I have also had further involvement with Rocky: The Musical and see this as another important factor in my development. I have been impressed by the direction given by Rob and also enjoyed working with Elaine on the musical pieces, which she has a very good understanding of. Rob and Elaine are the writers and directors of the musical and seem to have a good level of experience and knowledge in the field which I intend to pick up on.
In my first study lessons I am working on a Robert Burns song, "O' Gin I Were A Baron's Heir" and also "Mi Mancherai" from the opera "Il Postino". These 2 songs give me different challenges that will contribute towards the development of my vocal range and projection, both of which I hope to improve as part of my plan to gain employment as a lead or understudy.
In session skills I have discovered the frustration of a singer waiting to work as I spend all of this class waiting on a backing track to sing over. I have managed to numb this frustration by asking the sound engineers in the studio lots of questions about their subject from which I have learnt a lot about the variety of recording techniques across different instrumentation. For me this is making the best of an undesirable situation and I know that these type of skills are just as important as musical or acting skills when performing as a west end singer.
I have eventually managed to establish contact with the amateur musical societies I have been pestering and now hope to arrange some involvement in the coming weeks. This good news motivated me to create the questionnaires for my vocal tutor and previous musical director. I hope to quiz them on the desirable skills and requirements of a typical west end singer and use this information and experience to add to my development.
I will return to my ever increasing workload and bid you all well until next Friday,
Daniel
I have noticed that I have become a little lazy lately and think this is due to the comfort I have felt in completing so much work earlier in the year. I am confident that I am noticing any trends that emerge from my weaknesses and have been quicker at finding a remedy which has seen me regain my momentum and get back on track with all the tasks laid across various plans in my life.
Last week I finished my planned research of Phantom of the Opera and have now moved on to my final show, We Will Rock You. For each show I have researched I have noticed that I am looking out for more detail and have noticed huge variances in vocal technique and also the balance between vocal ability and general stagecraft. This research has been the most important part of my project and without out it I would not have been able to develop my vocal and acting skills to enable me to successfully be employed as a lead in a West End show.
I have also had further involvement with Rocky: The Musical and see this as another important factor in my development. I have been impressed by the direction given by Rob and also enjoyed working with Elaine on the musical pieces, which she has a very good understanding of. Rob and Elaine are the writers and directors of the musical and seem to have a good level of experience and knowledge in the field which I intend to pick up on.
In my first study lessons I am working on a Robert Burns song, "O' Gin I Were A Baron's Heir" and also "Mi Mancherai" from the opera "Il Postino". These 2 songs give me different challenges that will contribute towards the development of my vocal range and projection, both of which I hope to improve as part of my plan to gain employment as a lead or understudy.
In session skills I have discovered the frustration of a singer waiting to work as I spend all of this class waiting on a backing track to sing over. I have managed to numb this frustration by asking the sound engineers in the studio lots of questions about their subject from which I have learnt a lot about the variety of recording techniques across different instrumentation. For me this is making the best of an undesirable situation and I know that these type of skills are just as important as musical or acting skills when performing as a west end singer.
I have eventually managed to establish contact with the amateur musical societies I have been pestering and now hope to arrange some involvement in the coming weeks. This good news motivated me to create the questionnaires for my vocal tutor and previous musical director. I hope to quiz them on the desirable skills and requirements of a typical west end singer and use this information and experience to add to my development.
I will return to my ever increasing workload and bid you all well until next Friday,
Daniel
Friday 29 January 2010
Semester 2
Well it's the start of a new semester and already I have many challenges to look forward to on top of all the additional projects I am taking on with other students. Although I am going to be constantly busy I am really looking forward to it all beginning and know that this level of involvement in different musical projects can only benefit my development.
There was no band practice this week as 3 of our members were otherwise engaged with external commitments so we have arranged to practice at other times to suit the needs of all. We have been progressing well which gives us the advantage of changing our practice routine however we must be aware that we can become too comfortable and ultimately affect our final performance.
A fresh start in my first study lessons as I look to choose some more songs to help my development and eventually be assessed on our final performances. Already I have started 2 songs of contrasting nature and hope that these type of performances will contribute towards the evidence in my portfolio.
The research class has been replaced by a composition class which will eventually see each student compose their own 3 minute song and score this to enable fellow students perform at the end of the year. I think that this is a very good idea as it is always good to see or hear another perspective with regards to your own creativity to ensure improvement.
There is little change to my timetable on a Thursday which sees music theory being replaced with music history, a subject with a lot less boundaries and varied opinions. This module will be assessed over 2 essays after studying the philosophies of musicologists and philosophers like Franco Fabbri and Theodore Adorno.
Our session skills class has moved into the studio as we look at production techniques and advance on to recording the material we have covered throughout our session work. I am excited by the prospect of the class as it brings forward the final performance and will help me develop and improve my abilities beyond the rehearsal room and also give me some quality evidence to include in my portfolio.
I am currently planning the full content and layout of my portfolio alongside considering the design and structure of the presentation I must give when being interviewed for the role of a lead or understudy in a West End show. I am more confident in the second half of the year that I have enough evidence and persuasion to prove myself as competent and interesting in either of these roles.
A new has been attached to my college week as I now have an articulation class on a Friday afternoon which is part of the conditional access to the degree program. This class seems to call on analysis and theory skills although I imagine I will find out more detail in the coming weeks. Best pay attention in the early stages!
All has been going well with Fuzzy Buck and daniel dundee as I make further steps to build the foundations of my own record label, publishing company and digital media studio. It has been very difficult keeping myself motivated as my ideas can be a huge financial strain on my personal life, however I know that the final outcome will prove beneficial in the later stages of my music career.
I shall sign off now and bid you all well.
Til 'moro brings us near,
Daniel
There was no band practice this week as 3 of our members were otherwise engaged with external commitments so we have arranged to practice at other times to suit the needs of all. We have been progressing well which gives us the advantage of changing our practice routine however we must be aware that we can become too comfortable and ultimately affect our final performance.
A fresh start in my first study lessons as I look to choose some more songs to help my development and eventually be assessed on our final performances. Already I have started 2 songs of contrasting nature and hope that these type of performances will contribute towards the evidence in my portfolio.
The research class has been replaced by a composition class which will eventually see each student compose their own 3 minute song and score this to enable fellow students perform at the end of the year. I think that this is a very good idea as it is always good to see or hear another perspective with regards to your own creativity to ensure improvement.
There is little change to my timetable on a Thursday which sees music theory being replaced with music history, a subject with a lot less boundaries and varied opinions. This module will be assessed over 2 essays after studying the philosophies of musicologists and philosophers like Franco Fabbri and Theodore Adorno.
Our session skills class has moved into the studio as we look at production techniques and advance on to recording the material we have covered throughout our session work. I am excited by the prospect of the class as it brings forward the final performance and will help me develop and improve my abilities beyond the rehearsal room and also give me some quality evidence to include in my portfolio.
I am currently planning the full content and layout of my portfolio alongside considering the design and structure of the presentation I must give when being interviewed for the role of a lead or understudy in a West End show. I am more confident in the second half of the year that I have enough evidence and persuasion to prove myself as competent and interesting in either of these roles.
A new has been attached to my college week as I now have an articulation class on a Friday afternoon which is part of the conditional access to the degree program. This class seems to call on analysis and theory skills although I imagine I will find out more detail in the coming weeks. Best pay attention in the early stages!
All has been going well with Fuzzy Buck and daniel dundee as I make further steps to build the foundations of my own record label, publishing company and digital media studio. It has been very difficult keeping myself motivated as my ideas can be a huge financial strain on my personal life, however I know that the final outcome will prove beneficial in the later stages of my music career.
I shall sign off now and bid you all well.
Til 'moro brings us near,
Daniel
Friday 22 January 2010
What A Week!
This week saw the end of Semester 1 at college and it was quite a week in terms of final assessments, exams and presentations. I also managed to enjoy quite a bit of rehearsals and study both in college and with my own personal projects, which are growing all the time, much to my delight.
On Wednesday morning I managed to have a practice with the college band and we progressed very well with two cover songs and the beginnings of an original composition. We are a glam band and are performing our set to represent the best of British and American glam rock. We have chosen Twisted Sister and Kiss as the American representation and already we sound quite tight as a band when performing these songs. Our original composition is in a similar light and soon we will move on to other choices. This will give me a great opportunity to showcase my skills as a musical actor as glam is quite extravagant and requires a lot of quality stagecraft to represent correctly. I have had my feedback and grade for the Beatles band performances of last semester and was very pleased and motivated by the comments made on my performance and stagecraft. This will be further evidence as I attempt to prove myself as a capable musical theatre performer.
I am also beginning to develop my original composition and have been playing with various ideas but have yet to settle on something and build on it. There is a lot of variety in the instrumentation we are to compose for so many genres are open to be included, on a professional note I should find a theme and begin the detailed construction before it gets too late and I am rushed into producing poor quality.
Having passed all my music theory tests I have no stress of re-sits which should hold me in good stead for progressing well next semester.
We are now beginning to start working in the studio in session skills and hopefully soon we will be recording some of the tracks we have revised and I am told this is to be filmed which will contribute towards the evidence I need for my portfolio. I am beginning to see a lot more opportunities for providing this evidence and my confidence is growing all the time with respect to being a lead or understudy in a west end show.
I have been quite happy with my progress throughout semester one and see no reason why I shouldn't continue this trend into semester two and finish the year on a high. I have had positive feedback from all of my tutors so far and I know that the work I have done on the weaknesses I identified in my action plan has went a long way to improving my development.
We had another Fuzzy Buck meeting this week where we found out our guitarist is no longer available to play with the band, which was troubling to hear so far on in the project. After some discussion I have decided to take on the role as the other guitarist alongside lead vocals. This now leaves me with the task of developing a different kind of stagecraft with the band as I now have a guitar to manage. Bring it on!
Next week is the official start of semester two and I will return with news of what the future holds.
Until then,
I am.
On Wednesday morning I managed to have a practice with the college band and we progressed very well with two cover songs and the beginnings of an original composition. We are a glam band and are performing our set to represent the best of British and American glam rock. We have chosen Twisted Sister and Kiss as the American representation and already we sound quite tight as a band when performing these songs. Our original composition is in a similar light and soon we will move on to other choices. This will give me a great opportunity to showcase my skills as a musical actor as glam is quite extravagant and requires a lot of quality stagecraft to represent correctly. I have had my feedback and grade for the Beatles band performances of last semester and was very pleased and motivated by the comments made on my performance and stagecraft. This will be further evidence as I attempt to prove myself as a capable musical theatre performer.
I am also beginning to develop my original composition and have been playing with various ideas but have yet to settle on something and build on it. There is a lot of variety in the instrumentation we are to compose for so many genres are open to be included, on a professional note I should find a theme and begin the detailed construction before it gets too late and I am rushed into producing poor quality.
Having passed all my music theory tests I have no stress of re-sits which should hold me in good stead for progressing well next semester.
We are now beginning to start working in the studio in session skills and hopefully soon we will be recording some of the tracks we have revised and I am told this is to be filmed which will contribute towards the evidence I need for my portfolio. I am beginning to see a lot more opportunities for providing this evidence and my confidence is growing all the time with respect to being a lead or understudy in a west end show.
I have been quite happy with my progress throughout semester one and see no reason why I shouldn't continue this trend into semester two and finish the year on a high. I have had positive feedback from all of my tutors so far and I know that the work I have done on the weaknesses I identified in my action plan has went a long way to improving my development.
We had another Fuzzy Buck meeting this week where we found out our guitarist is no longer available to play with the band, which was troubling to hear so far on in the project. After some discussion I have decided to take on the role as the other guitarist alongside lead vocals. This now leaves me with the task of developing a different kind of stagecraft with the band as I now have a guitar to manage. Bring it on!
Next week is the official start of semester two and I will return with news of what the future holds.
Until then,
I am.
Friday 15 January 2010
I Use To Love The Beatles!
Back to college after the drastic and highly dramatised weather conditions which have begun to annoy me as it has only highlighted the weaknesses I see in society everyday. I am not sure if this is part of the ageing condition but people just seem weaker in many different ways. Physically we are easily challenged even though we are meant to be evolving mammals that are adapting and improving in our environment. Mentally we are easily held back by the slightest hint of change or discomfort despite the abundance of information we are handed on a silver plate everyday. Spiritually we are slipping far from existence and will soon have little to leave behind other than the 1's and 0's we obsess over as we struggle to maintain control within order. This may sound negative, however these are only observations and I remain as positive as ever.
OK, on with the business in hand. As you can tell from the title my life has recently been plagued with an abundance of information on the popular pop/rock group The Beatles. I myself have been scheduled in next week to present my information, and although I do not think it is particularly boring, I do feel sorry for the students. I decided to do my presentation on Apple Corps Ltd and have almost assembled all the media and information I need for my PowerPoint presentation although I do think that with my knowledge of The Beatles I really should have done better, although I'll find out next week.
I received my feedback regarding my action plan for the graded unit and am so far very pleased with my own efforts and the comments received. I have found this project in particular more satisfying and believe that due to me having clear goals from the start I have put myself in a stronger position with my portfolio going into semester 2.
Another meeting with Fuzzy Buck this week as I broke the news to the guys that I had deleted all the recordings by mistake, however their response was positive and within 4 hours we had re-recorded most of our material and as such will not feel such a loss. Thank you brothers buck!
This week has been the first week of my Phantom of the Opera research and I have found this show a lot easier to study as it is not as fast moving as the others and contains less characters. Throughout my first study I have been given guidance as to the type of songs I should be attempting to develop myself as a west end singer, and in this show I have already identified a few songs that I believe I could perform to a good enough standard myself.
I will also be spending some time revising the songs chosen for my first study as I am to be assessed and filmed next week performing Lost by Michael Buble and Beyond The Sea by Bobby Darin. I am looking forward to this assessment and will revise confidently, hoping to give an impressive performance and show what I am capable of.
Next week brings an end to semester 1 where I will find out if I have passed my presentation project, band performance and first study performance, as well as sitting the final music theory assessment of the year.
I will leave you all as I have much to do to remain as me.
Love,
Daniel
OK, on with the business in hand. As you can tell from the title my life has recently been plagued with an abundance of information on the popular pop/rock group The Beatles. I myself have been scheduled in next week to present my information, and although I do not think it is particularly boring, I do feel sorry for the students. I decided to do my presentation on Apple Corps Ltd and have almost assembled all the media and information I need for my PowerPoint presentation although I do think that with my knowledge of The Beatles I really should have done better, although I'll find out next week.
I received my feedback regarding my action plan for the graded unit and am so far very pleased with my own efforts and the comments received. I have found this project in particular more satisfying and believe that due to me having clear goals from the start I have put myself in a stronger position with my portfolio going into semester 2.
Another meeting with Fuzzy Buck this week as I broke the news to the guys that I had deleted all the recordings by mistake, however their response was positive and within 4 hours we had re-recorded most of our material and as such will not feel such a loss. Thank you brothers buck!
This week has been the first week of my Phantom of the Opera research and I have found this show a lot easier to study as it is not as fast moving as the others and contains less characters. Throughout my first study I have been given guidance as to the type of songs I should be attempting to develop myself as a west end singer, and in this show I have already identified a few songs that I believe I could perform to a good enough standard myself.
I will also be spending some time revising the songs chosen for my first study as I am to be assessed and filmed next week performing Lost by Michael Buble and Beyond The Sea by Bobby Darin. I am looking forward to this assessment and will revise confidently, hoping to give an impressive performance and show what I am capable of.
Next week brings an end to semester 1 where I will find out if I have passed my presentation project, band performance and first study performance, as well as sitting the final music theory assessment of the year.
I will leave you all as I have much to do to remain as me.
Love,
Daniel
Friday 8 January 2010
Snow Blindness
Not a great deal happening in the whole of the U.K. this week, never mind college or my world.
I did show a committed attitude however and made my way through the snow to hopefully enjoy my first day back at college since the Christmas holidays, only to find that I was among a small minority.
I did manage to find out that I have been assigned to the Glam Rock band and again have been paired with the majority of Eat Dr. Ape who all seem highly excited regarding this project. I must admit that I am not as excited about the prospect however see this as an opportunity to prove my professionalism and loyalty by giving it as much as I can. We managed to pick out a couple of songs which gives me something to work on in the meantime.
No other classes were on this day so it was sit around and play around before the college closed at midday.
I am in the last week of my Chicago research and have found that now I am a little more experienced at researching west end shows that I should revisit the research I have completed so far and see if I can possibly improve it's content with use of this new found experience and knowledge. Next week I will be moving on to Phantom of the Opera which I see as more of a traditional musical and one that most people would identify with in terms of general knowledge.
I have also re-commenced Fuzzy Buck meetings and we have discussed our future intentions and will now be working on a single release and hopefully an EP to follow. We have been very pleased with the quality of recordings we have achieved so far and see no real reason for wasting money on local recording sessions that will not provide us with anything better than we already have.
I have also been invited to perform a half hour acoustic set as Daniel Dundee at Tonic in Dundee on February 14th, good job I'm single, which I'm looking forward to as I have not played solo in my home town for over a year. I have already planned my set list and will practice ongoing to make sure I am fully satisfied with the overall sound before bringing it to the public.
I hope to use my experiences performing as Daniel Dundee and also as the front man of Fuzzy Buck to show my ability to get into character and also to deliver a high standard of vocal performance while doing so. Both these acts demand differences within performance and mannerism and I see these as perfect examples of how I research a role and try to deliver to the best of my abilities.
College was closed Thursday as the tutors are simply not paid enough and can't afford snow tyres!
I will say bye for this week as I need to go and plan next week or I will have nothing to tell you all.
Ciao per aura,
Daniel.
I did show a committed attitude however and made my way through the snow to hopefully enjoy my first day back at college since the Christmas holidays, only to find that I was among a small minority.
I did manage to find out that I have been assigned to the Glam Rock band and again have been paired with the majority of Eat Dr. Ape who all seem highly excited regarding this project. I must admit that I am not as excited about the prospect however see this as an opportunity to prove my professionalism and loyalty by giving it as much as I can. We managed to pick out a couple of songs which gives me something to work on in the meantime.
No other classes were on this day so it was sit around and play around before the college closed at midday.
I am in the last week of my Chicago research and have found that now I am a little more experienced at researching west end shows that I should revisit the research I have completed so far and see if I can possibly improve it's content with use of this new found experience and knowledge. Next week I will be moving on to Phantom of the Opera which I see as more of a traditional musical and one that most people would identify with in terms of general knowledge.
I have also re-commenced Fuzzy Buck meetings and we have discussed our future intentions and will now be working on a single release and hopefully an EP to follow. We have been very pleased with the quality of recordings we have achieved so far and see no real reason for wasting money on local recording sessions that will not provide us with anything better than we already have.
I have also been invited to perform a half hour acoustic set as Daniel Dundee at Tonic in Dundee on February 14th, good job I'm single, which I'm looking forward to as I have not played solo in my home town for over a year. I have already planned my set list and will practice ongoing to make sure I am fully satisfied with the overall sound before bringing it to the public.
I hope to use my experiences performing as Daniel Dundee and also as the front man of Fuzzy Buck to show my ability to get into character and also to deliver a high standard of vocal performance while doing so. Both these acts demand differences within performance and mannerism and I see these as perfect examples of how I research a role and try to deliver to the best of my abilities.
College was closed Thursday as the tutors are simply not paid enough and can't afford snow tyres!
I will say bye for this week as I need to go and plan next week or I will have nothing to tell you all.
Ciao per aura,
Daniel.
Friday 1 January 2010
A New Decade, A New Hope.
Happy New Year to all and all the best for 2010.
I anticipate a great year ahead for myself both academically and personally. I have spent many weeks now planning the future for my personal projects and am also looking forward to returning to college and completing semester 1 and starting the next.
I continue with my west end show research and am now in the second week of researching Chicago. I find that this musical itself is a lot more contemporary and accessible by the general public due to the upbeat and familiar sounds throughout. Again I see great variances in costume and production compared to the previous shows I have researched and am beginning to notice that a lot of the aspects I am looking at vary greatly depending on story and concept. I have found however a general likeness in lead character within each production. The lead character in each show seems to offer a similar shape to each show and when you understand how each story fits round the main character then I find that I can better understand the role. I believe that when I look back on this year, this research will provide a great foundation to enable me to develop myself as a west end singer.
I have had a week off from solo and band production as everyone seems to be busy so I have spent my time reflecting upon my achievements so far. Since joining Oxfam in early 2008 I have went on to involve myself in many musical projects as well as managing my study time and keep myself financially afloat in this hectic world. I think that you need to do this from time to time to help motivate yourself and confirm the alignment of the direction you are hoping to head in, overall I am quite pleased but do realise that the hardest work is yet to come.
I will sign off here and wish you all the best for 2010, let us hope that it doesn't all end in 2012.
Daniel.
I anticipate a great year ahead for myself both academically and personally. I have spent many weeks now planning the future for my personal projects and am also looking forward to returning to college and completing semester 1 and starting the next.
I continue with my west end show research and am now in the second week of researching Chicago. I find that this musical itself is a lot more contemporary and accessible by the general public due to the upbeat and familiar sounds throughout. Again I see great variances in costume and production compared to the previous shows I have researched and am beginning to notice that a lot of the aspects I am looking at vary greatly depending on story and concept. I have found however a general likeness in lead character within each production. The lead character in each show seems to offer a similar shape to each show and when you understand how each story fits round the main character then I find that I can better understand the role. I believe that when I look back on this year, this research will provide a great foundation to enable me to develop myself as a west end singer.
I have had a week off from solo and band production as everyone seems to be busy so I have spent my time reflecting upon my achievements so far. Since joining Oxfam in early 2008 I have went on to involve myself in many musical projects as well as managing my study time and keep myself financially afloat in this hectic world. I think that you need to do this from time to time to help motivate yourself and confirm the alignment of the direction you are hoping to head in, overall I am quite pleased but do realise that the hardest work is yet to come.
I will sign off here and wish you all the best for 2010, let us hope that it doesn't all end in 2012.
Daniel.
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