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I am planning to perform 3 songs by myself. I will be performing a song by each of these artists: T-Rex, Roxy Music and David Bowie.
My setlist:
1) T-Rex - Get It On
2) Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
3) David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

For 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust' I will play drums along to a backing track.
For 'Virginia Plain' I will sing and play the keyboard.

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I chose to perform rather than produce because I can drum, play keyboard and sing which is part of performing and I haven't done much producing related work.

I chose to drum instead of play keyboard for 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust' because I think those songs are more suitable for playing guitar.

I am good at drumming because it is the instrument I have played more and this is also why I am playing drums on 2 out of 3 songs. I wouldn't feel confident to play guitar as I have only done it a few times.

I chose Glam rock over other genres because I listen to it more often and out of most of the other rock genres it is one of my favourites.

I chose 'Get It On' because it is one of the very first glam rock songs.
I chose 'Virginia Plain' because I thought it would be the glam rock song I could play on the keyboard and there is piano in the original song so it will be easier to learn.
I chose 'Ziggy Stardust' because I think the artist of the song, David Bowie, is the most well known artist of glam rock and I wouldn't do this theme without doing one of his songs.

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Organisation skills/Time management:
To write my journal and action plan I need to have organisation skills. For the performance day, I need to remember to bring my drumsticks.
Planning/Scheduling skills:
To rehearse my songs I need to plan when and where I will practice them.
Technical skills:
To research I need to have IT and technical skills, critical thinking and the ability to read all the details carefully. I need to find a backing track for each of my songs from the internet.
Communication/Collaboration/
Interviewing skills:
I need communication and collaboration skills while practising my songs
Data collection/Analysing & Evaluation skills:
I need to collect data when asking questions when doing my interview with my music teacher and I need to analyse the answers afterwards.
I need evaluation skills when there is a video of my performance that I need to review.
Performance skills:
When performing on stage, the first thing I should do is introduce myself and the songs I am going to perform. I should also warm up before performing. While performing, the skills I need are counting in to start playing, good timing, knowing my part, eye contact, use of dynamics and reflecting the mood of a song.
When playing the keyboard and drums it requires me to play at the right tempo and volume as well as having good rhythm, hand coordination and concentration.

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Choosing the songs for my performance as I wanted to pick a theme but I couldn't decide on one and then I thought of my interest of the music genre glam rock and came up with a few artists I liked of that genre.

Writing my journal because I find it hard to think of what I found easy to do, what needs improving and what I thought was difficult. To overcome the challenge I discussed the task with my music teacher and I write my journal near the end of each practice session because I would forget what I did if I did it another way for instance, once a week.

Working on my final project padlet because I find it hard to think about what skills I need to develop especially the organisation skills and communication skills. I find the communication skills hard because I get shy, worried and nervous when talking to people so I practise more and more to talk to the person and eventually I will get used to talking to that person. To help me with my organisation skills I have a folder containing all the notes, a diary where I write all my reminders, homework tasks and preparation for the project by printing the project brief.

I find it difficult to face the audience; to overcome this I could face the back of the room.

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Secondary sources:
Study of glam rock genre
allmusic
(https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/glam-rock-ma0000002619), (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glam_rock)

Study of songs/artists:
Wikipedia
(www.wikipedia.org)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxy_Music)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Rex_(band))
Note discover
(www.notediscover.com)
Ultimate guitar
(www.ultimateguitar.com)

Types of microphones
(http://www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/what-is-a-condenser-microphone)
(http://www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/what-is-a-dynamic-microphone)

Drumsticks
(https://takelessons.com/blog/2012/05/drumstick-sizes-and-types-and-why-it-matters/)
(https://takelessons.com/blog/types-of-drum-sticks-z07)

Primary sources:
Listening to songs for performance:
Get It On, Virginia Plain, Ziggy Stardust (My IPod).
Virginia Plain
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BonWfTW7jKc)

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie:(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1j1_aeK6WA)
Derek Roddy's Double Bass Technique - Drum Lesson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsFTMolfoNo)

Vocals Staccato, Legato and Vibrato (https://acm.instructure.com/courses/492/pages/vocal-research-starter?module_item_id=42724)

Keyboard Independence & Inversions (https://acm.instructure.com/courses/492/pages/keys-research-starter?module_item_id=42732)

Drumming techniques
(http://drummagazine.com/10-things-every-beginner-should-learn/)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fill_(music))

Lyrics for 'Virginia Plain'
(http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/roxy+music/virginia+plain_20118965.html)

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Daniel Richardson Project 4, Task 1 - Action Plan Template.docx

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My questionnaire is linked to drummers.

Simon M:

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Ben R:

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Research Questionnaire Template [Ben R] (1).docx.pdf

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In my research, I have discovered that it is advisable to use 5B sticks for rock music because it needs more power and a thicker stick like a 5B is the best option. A 5A drumstick can be used to play rock but is more useful to people who play styles of pop music as the genre is more softer than rock and a 5A stick is lighter and thinner than a 5B. However I have found out from the 2 people I asked: one plays rock music with 5A sticks and the other plays pop music with 5B sticks. But in fact, everyone plays with the sticks they feel most comfortable with.

Anyone can either say fills add character to the music or show when the music changes section because everyone has a different feel for music.

It is important to wear ear protection when drumming as it sounds very loud; the person I asked who plays rock music with 5A sticks never wears ear protection while the other that plays pop music with 5B sticks does. In reality, rock drummers should definitely wear ear protection because the genre is more powerful.

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What I have learnt from my questionnaire that will help for my performance

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What I have learnt from my questionnaire that will help for my performance

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I am using 5B drumsticks instead of 5A sticks because 5Bs are thicker and more powerful which is what playing rock music requires.

I will be wearing ear protection when playing the drums because the instrument is very loud and there is a chance that I might damage my ears if I don't wear some.

Playing fills will make my drumming more interesting because it will add character to it and for the most part show when I change section.

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I wanted to choose a theme but I found it difficult to find one; I also found it difficult to think about what instrument I would play for each song because I wanted my music teacher to see if some of my song choices are hard to play or not and I often find it very hard to make a decision.
I finally managed to pick 3 out of 11 songs which matched my chosen theme which is Glam rock. I have found drumless backing tracks for ‘Get It On’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’ to drum along to. Me and my music teacher talked about the way to interpret 'Virginia Plain'.

Target: To start practising 'Virginia Plain'

15th May: Today I listened to all the songs and learnt some of ‘Virginia Plain’ on the keyboard. I found it easy to work out the chords of ‘Virginia Plain’. So far I haven’t found anything difficult as I have only just begun working on the songs.
I need to improve on the chord changes at the end of the verses of ‘Virginia Plain’.
Target: Try to start singing 'Virginia Plain' while playing the keyboard part. Start playing 'Get It On' on drums.

17th May: I started playing 'Get It On' on drums. I found it easy to play along with the backing track at the right tempo. I practised singing 'Virginia Plain' and I remembered almost all the words and I sung at the right pitch.

Week 2 - 21/05/18
21st May: I continued working on parts of 'Virginia Plain' on the keyboard & vocals. I found it difficult trying to play the solo and bass part sections with the verses all together because I found it hard to position my fingers in the right place and play from those two sections into the next verse.
Targets: Practising the solo section and bass part of 'Virginia Plain' with the verses all together.

24th May: I continued playing all 3 songs. I found it easy to keep in time throughout playing 'Get It On' as I am confident to know the structure of the song. I found it difficult trying make my drumming for 'Ziggy Stardust' more unique.
Target: Try to improve on playing 'Ziggy Stardust'

Week 3 - 04/06/18
4th June: I continued playing 'Ziggy Stardust' on drums. I found it easy to remember the structure of the song as I now feel more use to it. I found it difficult trying to play fills and both chorus sections.
Targets: For 'ZIggy Stardust', work on making the choruses louder than the verse sections and improve rhythmic timing so I don't play too fast or slow.

5th June: I continued playing 'Virginia Plain' on keyboard & vocals. I found it easy to play all the verses because I feel more confident with playing them. I found it difficult playing the first solo section because I couldn't remember how it goes.
Targets: For 'Virginia Plain' work on going into the next verse from the solo section.

8th June: I played 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust' on drums to show my lecturer.
Targets: Make my timing between playing the bass drum, snare drum and hi hat more even when playing 'Get It On'.
Try to relax and breathe in to help with tension when playing 'Ziggy Stardust'.

Week 4 - 11/06/18
I continued playing 'Virginia Plain' on keyboard & vocals and concentrated on playing the solo section and going from one section to the next. I found it easy to play the verses and the second solo section so I am confident with playing them. I found it difficult to keep the energy of 'Virginia Plain' going when playing the first solo section and trying to sing it properly as I let out a slightly lower voice when I sung it.
Target: For 'Virginia Plain', try to work on making the first solo section more energetic.
Work on singing 'Virginia Plain' properly.

Week 5 - 18/06/18
I continued playing 'Get It On' & 'Ziggy Stardust' on drums and my music teacher recorded video clips of me practising both songs. I found it easy to remember the structure, rhythm and fills when playing 'Get It On' & 'Ziggy Stardust'. I found it difficult to play the fills going into and between the chorus of 'Ziggy Stardust'.
Target: To improve on playing the fills going into and between the chorus of 'Ziggy Stardust'.

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18 06 2018 practising 'get it on' clip 2

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20th June: I continued playing 'Virginia Plain' on the keyboard & vocals while my music teacher recorded video clips of me playing it. I also worked on my target from last time, to make the first solo section more energetic which I managed to do this session. I found it difficult to sing higher as I used a lower voice throughout playing.
Target: Work on singing higher when playing 'Virginia Plain'.

Week 6 - 26/06/18
I practised all songs in the order I will play them at the performance. I have perfected the structures of every song and worked on perfecting the fills going into and between the chorus of 'Ziggy Stardust'. I found it difficult to play the chorus part of 'Ziggy Stardust' as I played the hi hat with tightness in my right arm. Another thing I found difficult was trying to sing the right first line going into the 3rd verse of 'Virginia Plain' as I confuse it with the last verse.
Targets: Perfect the chorus of 'Ziggy Stardust' by relaxing my right arm when playing the hi hat.
Concentrate on accuracy when playing 'Virginia Plain'.

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1) What was the idea behind your project?
My idea behind the project was to play 3 songs from the glam rock genre. I chose glam rock as my theme because it is one of my favourite genres and I wanted to see if I could play it. The songs I chose were 'Get It On' by T-Rex, 'Virginia Plain' by Roxy Music and 'Ziggy Stardust' by David Bowie. I played drums on 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust' and keyboard + singing on 'Virginia Plain'. The main instrument I play is drums but I also have a bit of skill on the keyboard and singing and I wanted to practice more of those skills to improve them.

2) Did you manage your time effectively? (Did you stick to your action plan? Did you meet all deadlines?)
Week 14th May: I sticked to everything I planned to do (decide on songs, listen to them on iPod, write 1 reflective journal, practice 'Virginia Plain', starting pre production task). I was able to do to extra work in which I started playing 'Get It On'.

Week 21st May: I sticked to everything I planned to do (finish off pre production task, start practising 'Ziggy Stardust', write 2 reflective journals, start task 2 research)

Week 28th May: I didn't stick to my plan as I was on holiday that week.

Week 4th June: I sticked to everything I planned to do (finish off my task 2 research, practise my 3 songs, write 2 reflective journals). I was able to to write an extra journal as well.

Week 11th June: I didn't stick to my plan as I planned to practise all 3 of my songs but only practised 'Virginia Plain' because I needed more work on playing it. I also planned to write 2 reflective journals but I only managed to do 1.

Week 18th June: I sticked to everything I planned to do (practise my 3 songs, write 2 reflective journals).

Week 25th June: I didn't stick to my plan as I planned to write 2 reflective journals but only managed to do 1. However I did manage to practise my 3 songs as planned.

In total, I wrote 12 journals from 14th May to 25th June; I was expected to have done at least 10 so I have wrote more than enough journals.

3) Looking back, what were the main challenges in this project?
I struggled to choose my songs for the performance because I had a big list of song ideas and I wanted 3 to match a specific theme so it was difficult to pick 3.
I found it hard to think of questions to ask people for my drumming questionnaire.
I struggled to think of the skills I needed to develop because I find it difficult to be critical about myself and think about my strengths and my weaknesses.
I thought I would struggle to face the audience but I managed to in the final performance by facing the back of the room.

4) Identify 3 things you have learned about yourself or your music from this project.
I have played songs I didn't know I would be able to play because I had never played them before.
I have learnt to stick to a practice timetable.
I could play an instrument that I play less often which was the keyboard in front of an audience without making any mistake.
I managed to perform without feeling nervous on stage.

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5) How successful do you feel that your performance was?
I felt that I was successful with my performance because:
- I introduced all my songs before I played them.
- I did a count in with my drumsticks to know when to start playing 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust'.
- I kept in time with the backing track for 'Get It On' and 'Ziggy Stardust'
- I played fills while playing 'Get It On' and most of 'Ziggy Stardust' with accurate timing to make my drumming more interesting.
- I used good dynamics showing when to play softer in the verses & breaks of 'Get It On' and in the verses of 'Ziggy Stardust'; I also showed when to play louder in the choruses of 'Get It On' and the fills going into the choruses and verses of 'Ziggy Stardust'.
- I played a big finish at the end of 'Ziggy Stardust' like the original song and added a bit more to it to make a better ending to my performance.
- I remembered all the lyrics to 'Virginia Plain' and they were in time with my keyboard playing.
- I carried on playing 'Virginia Plain' after hitting a wrong note at the end of 2 bits: one going into the 2nd solo section, and the other at the beginning of the last verse.
- I got my hands in starting position before playing 'Virginia Plain'.
- I did a count in with one finger tapping a keyboard note to know when to start playing 'Virginia Plain'.
- I played the chord progression of 'Virginia Plain' on the keyboard in time with my singing.
- I kept the mood of 'Virginia Plain' by giving it a catchy sound and an early rock and roll vibe.

What I could improve on:
- I still need to practise on making good eye contact with the audience.
- I didn't do any warm ups before singing. Next time I should so my prevent my vocal chord from being damaged and make my voice more clearer.

6) How will what you have learned and the skills you have developed help you with future work?

1. Organisation/Time management skills: Creating an action plan will help me with tasks to do every week. Keeping record of assignments and tasks in a diary will help me to track everything I need to do. Printing the assignment sheets/briefs will help me with completing them.

2. Planning/Scheduling skills: Planning and scheduling my rehearsal sessions will help me with getting ready for my performance.

3. Performance skills: Performance skills such as warming up, counting in, eye contact with the audience, timing and knowing my part will help me with putting on a good performance.

All of these skills I have learnt this year will be helpful for next year when I will be doing Level 3 Music and Music Tech course at Farnborugh College.

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- Holly was reading the lyrics from a laptop when performing 'Love The Way You Lie' and from a piece of paper placed on a stand when performing 'Nothing On You' so she didn't know her lyrics. She should practise more on remembering the lyrics so she is ready to perform them on the day of the performance.
- Holly didn't do any vocal warm ups before singing. She should do some so she doesn't damage her vocal chord.
- Holly reflected the mood of singing 'Nothing On You' which is positive and sweet.
- Holly made no mistakes throughout her performance.
- Hannah faced the audience more often compared to Holly who was looking more at her lyric sheets.