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17 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Lucid Dreams (cont.)

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17 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Lucid Dreams (cont.)

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((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-iw8_QS8Cw&feature=youtu.be))

This week, we continued with last week's stimulus which was lucid dreaming. However, we decided to change it slightly and it became more of a love song. The idea was based on how Sara would sometimes have a vivid dream about seeing her girlfriend only to wake up disappointed in the morning when she finds out that it never really happened.

We decided to go with this idea but we wanted to write a happy song so we twisted it and made the song end with a verse about how the protagonist's partner was actually asleep next to them when they woke up.

The happy theme led us to write in a major key - A major. We also decided to use some quite unusual chords such as 7ths and 5ths. We did this to establish a sort of fantasy world where everything, much like the chords, feel sort of 'off'.

The accompaniment was played by me on the ukulele and Morgan on the bass. I played chords, and Morgan played the root notes of the chords, which also included a walk down during the bridge.

We also included several dynamic changes, the most notable being straight after the bridge. We did this to create a feeling of calm, much like the calm that would rush over the protagonist when they realized that they were safe in bed with the person that they loved.

LYRICS:
[Verse 1:]

Please, don’t wake me up,

It’ll hurt too much if I find out it isn’t real

I want nothing more,

Than to stay with you.

‘Cause when you smile it lights up the whole room.

[Chorus]

And if you,

Let me into your heart

I promise I will never break it apart.

Is this just a dream?

[Verse 2:]

I try so hard

To keep you safe I know it’s tough but I’m here no matter what you say.

Sometimes I am afraid,

That you will walk away

But I know, I know, I know you’ll always stay

[Chorus]

And if you,

Let me into your heart

I promise I will never break it apart.

[Bridge]

I know it’s just a dream

I thought it was reality

I wish you were here next to me

[Outro]

I open up my eyes

I turn onto my side

And I smile

As I realise you were here all along

CHORDS:
[Verses:]
A, A5 x3, Dm
A, A5 x3, Dm
A, A7

[Chorus:]
Dmaj7, D7, E7

[Bridge:]
C#m, Dmaj7 (bass walkdown)
Bm, Dmaj7, E7

[Outro:]
A, A5 x3
A

The feedback we received included comments on how it fit the stimulus quite well. The lyrical content was also mentioned in this context because before we performed we talked about how cheesy the whole thing was as that was the best way to write for the stimulus.

People also liked the ukulele and said that it fit in with the cute, cheesy vibe that we were going for.

As far as areas to develop go, not much was mentioned. The volume of the vocals was commented on but I don't really think that they were too loud in relationship to the rest of the instruments.

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10 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Lucid Dreams

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10 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Lucid Dreams

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This week, our chosen stimulus was lucid dreams. We got our stimulus from Sara telling us about her vivid dreams wherein she can't always tell what is real and what is a dream. From this, we talked about the panic that would undoubtedly come when you couldn't tell if you were dreaming.

LYRICS:
[Verse 1:]
Let go but don't forget yourself
Time means nothing now.
Give over and accept your fate
And find a way to make it out alive.

Alive

[Chorus:]
Am I alive or am I dead?
Is this all just in my head?
I don't know where I can run to now.

This idea will continue into next session, where we will adapt and improve upon the first draft here.

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03 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Drawing of eye

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03 11 2016 - Own Stimulus - Drawing of eye

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((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQzUquXfuU&feature=youtu.be))

Our chosen stimulus for this week was a picture shown to us by Caitlyn. The drawing showed a close up of an eye, a tear hanging from the corner, threatening to fall. The person's brow was furrowed in what looked to be either anger or sadness. Within the eye was another picture that showed what the person was looking at and what had made them so upset. A man and a woman stood in an intimate embrace with a backdrop of a beautiful city behind them. From this, I inferred that the person whose eye is visible is looking at their partner with someone else.

In rehearsal, Caitlyn brought some lyrics and a loose idea of a melodic structure. Dan brought a chord progression and we all played together until we found something that fit well and that we agreed on. Some minor changes to the lyrics were made such as dropping a few syllables to make them fit neatly into the new melody. For the most part, the developing of ideas was essentially a jam session wherein we all got to know the progression and structure before stopping to think about the finer details. When we were all clear on the chords, Sara was able to work out a solo and a simple melody line on the guitar that almost mimicked the vocal line in a complimenting way.

LYRICS:

[VERSE#1]

Looking back I should have seen it coming,

The signs were there but I was blind.

You hold me close but it means nothing,

You can't go back, you can't rewind,

[CHORUS#1]

Please tell me now that you are sorry,

Please tell me now you've changed your mind.

'Cause I can't handle one more heartbreak,

I'll be yours if you'll be mine.

[VERSE#2]

I see all these people talking,

They're tryna tell me you've moved on.

But they don't know like I know you,

They don't know you still hold me in your arms.

[CHORUS#1]

Please tell me now that you are sorry,

Please tell me now you've changed your mind.

'Cause I can't handle one more heartbreak,

I'll be yours if you'll be mine.

[GUITAR SOLO]

[BRIDGE]

And after everything we've been through,

I deserve a little respect.

If you're over me just tell me,

Don't leave me hanging by a thread.

[CHORUS#2]

Don't tell me now that you are sorry,

Don't tell me now you've changed your mind,

'Cause I can't handle more heartbreak,

I won't be yours, and you won't be mine.

CHORD STRUCTURE:

[VERSE]

F, Dm, Bb x4

[CHORUS]

Dm, Bb, F, C x4

Stay on Dm for 2 extra bars and play only on the beat

[BRIDGE]

Am, Bb,

Am, Bb, C

Overall, feedback was positive. The idea that the song felt like someone was 'washing their hands' of the other person came up, which I think fits quite well. When the lyrics to the chorus change, it symbolises the protagonist moving on and refusing to hear any apologies from the person who broke their heart. The balance of instruments was the main criticism that we received on two instruments in particular, those being my ukulele and Morgan's bass. When all of the instruments are balanced it will improve the overall sound quality and allow everything to hold together nicely.

To develop this performance further I would like to add more harmonies, particularly a harmony on the chorus that is a 3rd above the original, as well as making the existing harmonies louder in relation to the rest of the performance. A couple of issues in regard to remembering the structure need to be resolved as well but this would just come with more practice and communication.

I think that overall, the finished song reflected the stimulus very well. One could argued that the protagonist was sad about what they'd seen and therefore would beg for their partner to say sorry and to come back. However, someone else could argue that they were angry – hence the furrowed brow – and would want nothing to do with their ex ever again. The change in lyrics reflects this and represents the stages that the protagonist would go through when mourning their relationship.

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 20 09 2016 - Own Stimulus (Noel Fielding article)

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 20 09 2016 - Own Stimulus (Noel Fielding article)

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(http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/the-surreal-thing-the-return-of-noel-fielding-9639869.html)

This week, I worked on a response to my own stimulus by myself because I was away during the lesson. My stimulus was an article that I read about Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt. In the article, Noel talks about the first time that he met Julian. The line that I decided to base my song around was Julian's response to Noel telling him he couldn't leave, "Fine. I haven't got anything on anyway."

This led me to think about a relationship that could have started from this exchange. The basic storyline beyond the song is that Person A made the promise to never leave Person B. Person A then goes off and starts new relationships while still being with Person B. B knows about the other relationships but just accepts then out of fear of losing A. In the end, Person A comes back to tell B that they can't be together anymore. The song shows the inner response that Person B has to.

Lyrics:

[VERSE#1]
I never thought
You'd ask to talk
We always fall down deep inside
Always stumbling for the light

But don't get me wrong
I know we were dumb
But you can't say it wasn't fun
No, you can't say it wasn't fun

[PRECHORUS#1]
Maybe we knew that this would all end in tears
But we started it anyway despite our fears
And even still, I can't regret that night.

[CHORUS]
So come on in,
Take a seat
Sit yourself down
And promise me you'll stay

I know you said
That you'd be here
But that was so long ago
You might be ready to go home
Now

[VERSE#2]
I won't be mad
But I'll be upset
And you can't stop the tears that fall
No, you can't stop the tears that fall

Surely I can't think
That you still mean
A dumb promise from years ago
I wanna be where you call home

[PRECHORUS#2]
Maybe all you wanted was the warmth inside
Of an untidy flat that's meant to pass you by
But even still I can't forget that night

[CHORUS]
So come on in,
Take a seat
Sit yourself down
And promise me you'll stay

I know you said
That you'd be here
But that was so long ago
You might be ready to go home
Now

[BRIDGE]
Now when you kiss me when you say goodbye
The taste of coffee on your lips
And nothing hurts more because I know the brand she drinks

Found your key on the kitchen side
How easy was it to lie?

[CHORUS]
So come on in,
Take a seat
Sit yourself down
And promise me you'll stay

I know you said
That you'd be here
But that was so long ago
You might be ready to go home
Now

Chords:
VERSES - F, Cm, Bb
PRECHORUS - C, Bb, C, Bb
CHORUS - F, Cm, Bb
BRIDGE - Dm, Am (x2) Bb, C, Dm, Bb, C, F, Dm, Bb

The song is entirely played with just a vocal part, piano part and ukulele accompaniment, meaning that it has entirely acoustic instrumentation. I added the piano melody to fill in the blanks in the transitions between the different sections of the song.

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQrI-TJL-n8&feature=youtu.be)

This week's stimulus was an article about the crisis in Syria and one girl's - Dima's - experience. The article talks about the tragedy that Dima lived through, having to see her father lying dead on the ground while trying to make a better life for them. The stimulus was very sad and emotive and as I know very little about the Syrian crisis and didn't feel like it was my story to tell, I decided to use the emotion from the article and focus on that when writing my song.

My first few ideas were to write a song from the point of view of the father who had died and try to write what he would say to his child and wife after he was gone. I composed my song using a minor chord to start, as well as soft, slow melodies to allow the lyrics to pass on a heartbreaking message from father to child. The song had a very ballad-y feel to it, telling the story of the father's death and the way the people around him cope - or fail to cope - with it.

I added harmonies to the song to make it sound fuller as the only instrument that my first draft featured was my ukulele and voice. Layering harmonies gave it the feel of there being more there even though the instrumentation was incredibly simple. I wanted it this way as I wanted the lyrics to do most of the talking instead of fancy guitar parts and drums pulling focus.

*************************************************************************

In the session, we brainstormed ideas and agreed that having the lyrics be written directly from the stimulus rather than looking for a different meaning was the most respectful way to tell Dima's story.

We started by improvising a chord structure on the guitar and then slowly began adding instruments, like the drums, then the bass, and then the keyboard. This allowed Louis time to begin writing some lyrics and melodies while the rest of got set to work on creating an overall structure for our song and any solos that we were going to give out. We decided on a keyboard solo at the end because it allowed for the rest of the instruments to immediately drop out, leaving the isolated keyboard chords alone to finish the song. I wanted this to have the effect of leaving the listener in the dark; everything that they were used to in the song immediately disappears and leaves them wondering how the song will end. This reflects the stimulus because the keyboard is symbolic of Dima and the rest of the instruments play the part of Dima's father and the sense of security that she felt with him before he died. It also shows the way that Dima's father was the foundation that Dima and her family built their lives upon; her father played such a huge role in supporting his family so when he is gone, there is a huge difference in the dynamics of the piece.

The feedback we received included constructive criticism about volume levels to make sure that everything was balanced and that the vocals sat on top of everything else. There were issues about being able to hear Louis' vocals clearly which would have taken away a lot of the emotion and meaning of the piece as it relied heavily on the lyrics.

My keyboard and the way I ended the song was praised but personally, I would have liked to do it better. I wrote a very short melody lines to accompany the chords but under the pressure of the performance, I didn't use it. I played it safe instead of doing my absolute best which is something that I need to work on and plan to start doing as of next session.

The dynamics of the piece were also mentioned and praised, including the shifts between when the whole band was playing and just the keyboard and drum parts. However, our timing was also mentioned as an area to improve during these parts. This was due to little practice as it took us quite a long time to get our piece off the ground, meaning we had less time to fully run through it before the performance. With the syncopation of the keys, the drummer had to keep the time and sometimes it slipped.

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iITT9wfB_t4&feature=youtu.be)

This weeks stimulus was a storyboard that told the story of a woman trying to drive away from a large truck that appears to be following her. My first thought on this stimulus was that the truck could represent the woman's problems or mistakes and she just can't seem to get away from them. I like this idea because it has a depth that the original storyboard lacks.

In the session, after sharing ideas and brainstorming, we found that a lot of us tended to have the same idea of making the truck metaphorical and focusing on the 'being trapped and followed' element. Another idea that came up was that the truck driver could be the world's worst spy - following someone in a large vehicle is hardly the way to stay unseen. This then led us to being able to further develop our metaphor of the truck - her mistakes/problems are huge and unavoidable. They aren't just going to remain under the surface; they are going to crush her under their weight.

Joe came to the session with an almost complete song that captured all of our ideas perfectly. We spent some time learning the chords and the structure of the song which was:

Lyrics:

[VERSE#1]

Your mind's all funny and you've lost your way,

Second time out, there's no where to stay,

If you want to honey, you can come my way,

We'll find where you've been.

Your phone's all smashed and there's blood on the floor,

And you don't feel like doing drugs anymore.

You find your soul or find the door,

Come away with me.

[CHORUS#1]

Come away with me,

Come away with me,

Come away with me,

Come away with me.

[VERSE#2]

No matter how long how hard you try,

Oh no no, you can't find

A way for your problems to keep far behind.

They're always here with you.

Look in the mirror at the mess you've made,

Whoops, oh dear, you should have stayed.

Don't look back just stay and pray.

Pray you don't see the truth.

[CHORUS#2]

I'll go away with you,

I'll go away with you,

I'll go away with you,

I'll go away with you.

[BRIDGE]

So stare at the window and I'll see your face

See your face.

Come any nearer and you can stay

You can stay

Don't look back just stay and pray

Oh come away,

Come away with me.

[SOLO]

Come away with me,

Come away with me,

Come away with me,

Come away with me,

[SOLO CONTINUES]

Chord Structure:

Verse & Chorus:
Am, C, G, E x4
G, E

Bridge:
Am, C, E, G x4
E, G

Once each of us had learned the song, we set to work on creating individual parts that would work well together but at the same time, give the song a feeling of movement and variety within each part. Each of us had a slightly different way of playing the chords; mine, for example, focused heavily on syncopation. I did this to give the song movement and bring it away from what might be anticipated by the listener. I wanted each chord change to be slightly unexpected which would trigger a feeling of unease within the listener. This came from the way that the protagonist in the song could not get away from their problems and was always slightly on edge.

The ending of our piece relied on a solo from Dan on the guitar. Dan improvised for the first few run throughs and then began to work on something stronger that he could play every time. The ending worked really well; having a focal instrument to finish the song helped to differentiate between the different parts of the song and give the song more depth instead of just fading out or repeating what we'd done before.

We also had the idea of including call and response in the vocal parts. This had the effect of filling out the last verse and chorus as well as the adlibs at the end. This reflected nicely with the storyboard as it has the effect of the protagonist crying out for help and shows desperation with each repeated line.

Our performance went well and we received a lot of positive feedback. One bit of feedback picked up on the fact that each of our parts was slightly and that they all worked well when played together. The call and response was also picked up on and praised.

For areas of improvement, the volume of my keyboard was mentioned. Adjusting the volume would have made the piece better and allowed for all the instruments to really work well together because everything would be in balance. I would put this down to confidence and not wanting my instrument to be too loud. I know now though that this is not an issue and that I should always check volume levels before performing. My syncopation and ideas on the keyboard did not come through as clearly as I would have liked because of this simple issue.

In terms of what I think we could do to improve, I think that adding some harmony on the vocal lines would have added a lot to the song. Joe and Megan have two very different styles of voices which were evident in the song but this wasn't not a bad thing. Hearing these two voices come together would have created a really nice, eerie atmosphere.

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In this session, we were given a djembe as a musical stimulus. Once we were in groups we spent a few minutes brainstorming ideas together for lyrics and a good rhythmic starting point.

We knew that we wanted our lyrics to focus on the idea of 'roots' and paving the way to the modern era. This idea came from the fact that the old African drum had stood the tests of time for it to be sat in front of us. Once this idea had been cemented, we progressed by writing the beginning of some lyrics.

The lyric writing did not go too well. I think that this was down to it being our first session and everyone was still trying to suss the others out while being incredibly shy themselves. However, once we got some conversation going about the rhythm of the piece going, ideas seemed to flow a lot easier.

Since your group did not have a drummer, we decided to use the bass as a way of keeping the beat and thus, everyone in time. With a simple, steady bass line going, the guitarists could easily improvise some chords which had a reggae feel. We decided to do this because all of the group agreed that their first instinct upon seeing the djembe was that it was involved in the reggae genre. Even though this was wrong, it still allowed an idea to be had, an idea that was shared by the whole group, so the musical stimulus had effectively done its job.

The guitarists played nicely off of each other, agreeing on the chords: G, C, then back to G again. Each guitarist had the chance to improvise small sections of melody and riffs, but the session finished before any final decisions on melody or lyrics could be made.

Looking back at this session, it's clear that more time-effective work was needed to complete the task in time. Hopefully, this can be resolved by people sharing their ideas quicker instead of keeping them to themselves until too much time has passed. With time will come confidence within the group and around all of the members so I hope to be able to openly share ideas to a more effective standard.