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.
Friday, 30 April 2010
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
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