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
Friday 26 February 2010
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
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