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WB10 Blue
WB11 White

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References.docx

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Here is all screenshots of our social media platforms

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Evidence and Evaluation of professionalism

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Evidence and Evaluation of professionalism

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At the beginning of this project we set out to be as professional as possible trying to stick to a weekly regime of rehearsals at Brighton Electric seen above in the booking confirmation via the link to evidence, we had found this challenging at times due to the distance of some members in the band and trains not always being available due to strikes. We found a way of getting around this using the app called Bandlab which is an online DAW where we could all work from home uploading our own parts of the song onto the track.

In the folder above I have screenshots of Bandlab being used and screenshots of meeting notes talking about the use of Bandlab and talking about the structure of our single.

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Collaboration is an integral part of any successful creative endeavor, and it plays a significant role in both internal band dynamics and external interactions with other collaborators. In the context of this project, collaboration within the band and any external collaborations likely had a profound impact on the outcome and overall experience.

Internal Collaborations within the Band: Within the band, collaboration would have involved all members working together to contribute their unique talents, ideas, and perspectives to the project. This kind of collaboration is essential for several reasons:

1. Enhanced Creativity: When multiple band members come together to contribute their ideas and influences, it leads to a richer and more diverse creative pool. Each member brings their strengths and musical sensibilities, resulting in a unique and well-rounded sound.

2. Improved Songwriting: Collaborative songwriting allows the band to build on each other's ideas, helping to refine and expand the songs' structures and arrangements. This process often leads to more compelling and memorable compositions.

3. Stronger Team Cohesion: Collaborating on a project fosters a sense of unity and camaraderie within the band. It strengthens the bonds between members and helps build a shared vision and mission for the music.

4. Adaptability and Flexibility: Collaborating within the band encourages open communication and the ability to adapt to each other's suggestions and feedback. This adaptability is crucial in overcoming challenges and obstacles that may arise during the creative process.

External Collaborations: External collaborations can involve working with producers, engineers, session musicians, visual artists for album artwork, or even other bands for joint projects. These collaborations bring fresh perspectives and expertise to the table and can have several benefits:

1. Professional Guidance: Collaborating with experienced producers or engineers can elevate the quality of the recordings and help the band achieve a more polished and professional sound.

2. Expanded Network: Collaborating with other artists or bands allows for cross-promotion and exposure to each other's fan bases, helping to broaden the reach and potential audience for the music.

3. Inspiration and Learning: Working with external collaborators exposes the band to different approaches and techniques, inspiring growth and learning opportunities.

4. Creative Synergy: Collaboration with visual artists can enhance the overall aesthetic and branding of the project, creating a cohesive and visually appealing package for the music.

How Meaningful is Collaboration to the Band: The meaning and significance of collaboration to the band can be profound. Collaboration is not just a means to an end; it is a way for band members to connect on a deeper level, share their passion for music, and collectively create something greater than the sum of its parts. The sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that comes from working together to achieve a shared artistic vision can be incredibly meaningful to every band member.

Benefits for this Project: For this specific project, embracing collaboration likely resulted in numerous advantages:

1. Diverse Musical Influences: By combining the musical influences and talents of all band members, the single would have likely showcased a unique and eclectic sound that sets it apart from other releases.

2. Quality and Professionalism: Collaborating with skilled external partners, such as producers or engineers, may have elevated the overall production quality, ensuring the single met industry standards.

3. Collective Growth: The process of collaborating, both internally and externally, would have presented opportunities for individual and collective growth, helping the band refine their musical identity and craft.

4. Increased Exposure: Collaborations with external artists or bands could have expanded the project's reach, reaching new audiences and potentially attracting more followers.

5. Shared Experience: The journey of collaborating on a single and making decisions together likely strengthened the bond between band members and created a shared sense of accomplishment.

In conclusion, collaboration is an essential and meaningful aspect of the band's creative process. It allows the band to leverage each member's strengths, expand their musical horizons, and create a unique and engaging musical experience. Embracing collaboration in this project likely brought about a more refined and polished single, fostering growth, unity, and a strong foundation for future endeavors.

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For this final major project, my aim in this band is to have a song written and realised with the aims of projecting this band onto more and exciting projects and to be gigging around Brighton and places in Kent such as Tunbridge Wells.

From past projects, I have done I've always had the same conclusion that I can get the work done but, documenting and planning the journey and process has always been a struggle but I am hoping to change this for this project.

In order to change this from previous projects I am going to organise my time management better as I've come to the conclusion that I always end up doing a lot of different things at once which makes everything I do lack in certain departments.

Upon reflection on the last term of starting this band and project, we initially wanted to release an EP with a couple of our own songs and some reworked covers. Having sat back and looked at what we have done so far we as a group have decided that we aren't going to do this now and use the time we have left to work and release a single instead as we hadn't organised ourselves well enough to do the EP in the time we have.

Moving forward with this single will be good as we have already agreed on a sound that we want to work with, which is a mixture of Paramore and Dead Poet Society, which is two bands we are all big fans of and love the heavy sounding guitar and bass riffs from Dead Poet Society and the clean and powerful and unique vocals from Paramore.

Our band is currently called Forget Simplicity which we are all not set on as we are unsure of what our imagery and style are and we can't get a feel from what we are called now so we plan to have this changed so we can work on our imagery for when we start promoting our single.

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Upon looking back at the last term's module, there were indeed innovative concepts explored within my musicianship that can be transferred to this project. One of the notable tools I used in S1 feedback was BandLab, which served as an innovative collaborative platform for my band.

BandLab is a cloud-based music creation and collaboration platform that allows musicians to create, edit, and share music online. It offers a wide range of features, including a digital audio workstation (DAW), virtual instruments, pre-recorded loops, and real-time collaboration capabilities. Here's an analysis of the BandLab process and its effectiveness for my project:

Effectiveness of BandLab for Collaboration:

1. Real-Time Collaboration: BandLab's real-time collaboration feature allows band members to work together remotely, making it convenient for musicians who may not always be physically present in the same location. This facilitates seamless communication and simultaneous contributions, enhancing the efficiency of the collaborative process.

2. Version Control and Backup: BandLab automatically saves and stores different versions of a project, which is invaluable when experimenting with different ideas and arrangements. This version control ensures that no creative ideas are lost and allows the band to revert to previous versions if needed.

3. Accessibility and Flexibility: BandLab is accessible on various devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. This flexibility allows band members to work on the project from any location, fitting in with their individual schedules and commitments.

4. Virtual Instruments and Loops: The platform provides a library of virtual instruments and pre-recorded loops, giving band members access to a wide range of sounds and styles to experiment with in the project. This resource can be particularly helpful for adding depth and texture to the music.

5. Project Management and Communication: BandLab's interface includes project management tools and a chat feature, streamlining communication within the band. These tools help in setting deadlines, assigning tasks, and keeping everyone updated on the progress of the project.

Setbacks and Challenges:

1. Connectivity and Latency: Depending on the internet connection and device performance, there may be occasional latency issues during real-time collaboration. This can sometimes lead to minor timing discrepancies or delays when recording together.

2. Learning Curve: For musicians who are new to the platform, there might be a learning curve to become familiar with the interface and features. However, once everyone becomes proficient with the tool, the collaborative process becomes more efficient.

3. Bandwidth and File Size Limitations: BandLab, like any cloud-based platform, may have file size limitations, which could affect the quality and length of recordings. Band members may need to be mindful of file sizes and audio quality settings to ensure a smooth collaboration.

4. Offline Work Limitations: BandLab is primarily cloud-based, which means it requires an internet connection to function fully. Offline work is limited, which could be a concern in areas with unreliable internet access.

Mitigation Strategies:
To address these setbacks and challenges, effective communication among band members is crucial. It is essential to establish backup plans in case of connectivity issues and to agree on best practices for file management and audio quality. Utilizing offline work when possible, and having contingency plans for temporary internet disruptions can also be helpful.

In conclusion, BandLab proved to be an innovative and effective collaborative tool for my project. Its real-time collaboration features, accessibility, and flexibility provided significant advantages for remote collaboration among band members. By leveraging BandLab's capabilities, my band was able to streamline the creative process, manage the project effectively, and overcome geographical barriers, contributing to the success of the single's creation.

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Changing the project focus to working solely on a single instead of an EP was a collective decision that will undoubtedly benefit both the band's development and my personal growth. By narrowing the scope to one song, I can dedicate my time and energy to perfecting it without feeling overwhelmed by multiple tasks. This concentrated effort will allow me to delve deeper into the songwriting, arrangement, and recording process, resulting in a more polished and refined final product.

Managing my time efficiently during this project is a valuable skill that will serve me well in your musical journey and beyond. Focusing on one task at a time enables me to give my all to each aspect of the single's creation, avoiding distractions and maintaining a high level of creativity and dedication.

Additionally, the decision to change the band name shows a commitment to establishing a strong and authentic identity as a musical group. The name and image of a band play a significant role in shaping the audience's perception and connection with the music. Taking the time to explore and find a name that truly reflects my band's personality and musical style will help me resonate better with my target audience and create a more cohesive brand.

As I work on the single and explore potential band names and images in tandem, I have the opportunity to discover how each element complements the other. The creative process of songwriting and the search for a fitting band name can be mutually reinforcing, helping you shape a cohesive artistic identity that aligns with your music.

To meet my release deadline of April 14th, meticulous planning and execution will be essential. Having the song finished and recorded two weeks before the release date gives me ample time to handle any last-minute adjustments, mixing, mastering, and promotional activities. It's crucial to stay organized and maintain a clear timeline to ensure everything is on track and runs smoothly.

My personal goal of documenting the entire process is a fantastic initiative. Recording videos, and audio clips, or keeping a journal during the creative journey allows me to capture the essence of my work, the challenges I face, and the triumphs I achieve. This documentation serves multiple purposes:

1. Self-evaluation and improvement: By reviewing my recordings, I can identify areas for improvement, both in my bass playing and the overall band performance. It provides a valuable tool for self-critique and growth.

2. Archiving creative ideas: Often, musicians come up with brilliant ideas during the creative process that may get lost or forgotten. Documenting everything ensures that no exceptional moments are overlooked, and I can revisit and incorporate them into future projects.

3. Creating content for promotion: Behind-the-scenes content and documenting the creative process can be used to engage with my audience and build anticipation for the single release. It adds a personal touch to my promotion strategy.

4. Building a narrative: The journey from conceptualization to completion is a compelling story in itself. Sharing this narrative with my audience can foster a deeper connection and appreciation for your music.

In conclusion, focusing on a single, renaming the band, and documenting the entire creative process are strategic decisions that will strengthen my musical pursuits. By committing to this path, I set myself up for a more focused and authentic musical journey, providing the best chance for success and personal growth as individuals and as a band.

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The completion of this project has proven to be a pivotal moment for our band, as it has provided us with the perfect platform to move forward with confidence and professionalism. The way we handled the situation of postponing our single release due to the Queen opportunity demonstrated our ability to make sound decisions and prioritize the quality of our work. Instead of rushing to meet a deadline and potentially releasing a subpar product, we took the time to refine the song until it truly reflected our vision and musical style.
By seizing the Queen opportunity, we not only ensure that our followers wouldn't be left without any content during the postponement, but we also showcased our adaptability and willingness to take advantage of significant chances for exposure and growth. This willingness to embrace new opportunities will undoubtedly serve us well in the future, as we continue to pursue success in the music industry.
As we move forward, this project has allowed us to solidify our sound and identity as a band. The experience gained from organizing and executing this project has given us valuable insights into our strengths and areas for improvement. With this newfound knowledge, we can now start gigging confidently, backed by a powerful promotional opportunity.
As we prepare to perform live, we have the chance to craft a compelling setlist that showcases both our original songs and creatively reimagined covers. Our unique style and musical interpretation will set us apart from other bands, making our performances memorable and engaging for our audiences.
With a few more months of practice and preparation, we will be gig-ready just in time for the summer season, when live music events and festivals are in full swing. This strategic timing will maximize our chances of gaining a dedicated fan base and further increase our exposure.
Moreover, this project has brought us closer together as a band. The shared experiences, challenges, and successes have strengthened our camaraderie and fostered a deeper understanding of each other's musical sensibilities. As a result, we can now approach studio recording sessions with a heightened level of cohesion and creativity.
With our music well-rehearsed and our sound finely tuned, we can confidently step into the recording studio to create our original music. The momentum gained from successful live performances and the promotional boost from the Queen opportunity will serve as a strong foundation for our upcoming studio work.
In conclusion, this project has been a turning point for our band, providing us with a springboard for growth and success. By combining our newfound professionalism, gig-ready performances, and unique musical style, we are poised to make a significant impact in the music industry. With hard work, dedication, and a commitment to our artistic vision, we can take our music to new heights and achieve the recognition we deserve. The future looks bright, and we are excited to see where this journey takes us.

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This is my Musicians CV showcasing what I have done so far in my musical career and the abilities I have learnt along the way, giving the information needed to an employer looking to hire a bass player and someone with backing vocals ability.

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For the distribution of our track, I will be doing some research into what is the best way for us to do this. As we are on a tight budget I will look into what are the cheap and affordable options there are for this release.

- Bandcamp
One of the first options I am looking at is Bandcamp as they have a very good service that up and coming DIY bands and artists use as they have a special Bandcamp Friday which is the first Friday of every month where you can upload your music for free onto Bandcamps streaming service where audiences can buy your music and the revenue will go entirely to the artist, which is very good for bands and artist such as ours that are on a tight budget.(Diamond, 2022)

Bandcamp also on average pays out 82% of revenue to its artists, and to create an account, it is free and from there you can start uploading your music and place your merchandise up for your audiences or new fans who are browsing through Bandcamp to find and purchase anything they like. (Bandcamp, 2012)

-Distrokid
Distrokid is another distribution service and is the only distribution service that allows you to upload unlimited music to your artist page on different streaming platforms at a low cost of $22.99 or £18.26 per year. And the revenue the artists receive from the streams doesn't go to anyone else apart from yourself. (Distrokid, 2023)

If we are to use Distrokid we would need to make sure we are keeping up to date with the yearly payment on Distrokid as the moment something happens or you don't pay all your music will be taken down by Distrokid and you can no longer make anything from them until you pay again which has its disadvantages if you are not an artist that's regularly uploading music on your streaming platforms the revenue might not equal out. (Freccero Production Studio, 2022)

-Ditto
Ditto is as a distribution service is one I have used in the past and has worked well and I find is very efficient for what I would intend to use and they get your music up very quickly with it being cost efficient.

It has a yearly subscription of £19 a year for one artist and or band, and you can release unlimited music onto most streaming platforms and it shows a very good demographic of where your fans are streaming your music around the world. You keep 100% of your royalties and for as long as you have an account your music can remain on the streaming services but you won't make any money off of it if you choose to not keep up with the payment scheme which I think is better as it keeps your music up and out there for you fans to listen to and for you to get shared around. (Ditto Music, 2021)

Overall these are all good options to use but I believe what is best for us is to use Ditto for the release of our track not only because I have used it before but for getting music out quickly and keeping it out there for promotional reasons it is the best option.

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After a lot of consideration, we decided we wanted to move forward with a different name as we weren't happy with sticking with Forget Simplicity which we came up with at the begin with through a band name simulator as we wanted to rush things a long but have come to the conclusion that we didn't need to rush this aspect of our project.

For our rebrand, we created a mood board to give us a sense of what our name could be representative of and how it corresponded with the sound of our single. We started with what sort of colours which were dark with a bit of a purple and dark green theme which is where the crystals came from to show the colour. We added dark churches and themed style windows to for a dark atmosphere for our song.

After looking at dark sounding names from different centres we came across Apothecary which was a name for someone who practised medicine in the thirteenth century using different herbs and mixing them up in old style looking medicine bottles and sold them in dark middle ages style pharmacies which we thought looked good with the style we were looking for to match with our music.

Images - link to Images
since coming up with this new brand we have also created a logo and a band Instagram to start the promotion of our single which you can see in the link above along with promotional photos we took to upload to our socials.

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5 to 6 weeks before
In the 6 weeks of this plan, we shall be in the recording studio laying down the track and getting it ready to be mastered by us, which we will begin that process in the fifth week of our plan and hope to have it done by the end so we can start getting ready to promote it in the coming weeks.

Prior to us recording the song we will already have our social media outlets sorted as we want to be videoing and sharing our process of making that song in the rehearsal room.

Week 4
With the single ready and finished, and with our chosen distributor being ditto we have decided our promotion will lead up to the 14th of April which is what we have chosen as the release date for our debut single.

With Ditto when uploading a song it will take a minimum of two weeks to process and upload so we need to make sure we have it set up and ready to go on the 1st of April so on our release date it gets sent out to all streaming services.

Week 3
This week we are going to have a mini photoshoot in the rehearsal room, one reason to have it in the rehearsal room is it shows us in the making process of the song and where we wrote it but also as we are a DIY band it would give off that impression and keeping it to a cheap and affordable shoot with us simply doing it with a phone camera.

Images - You can see the mini photoshoot via this link with our social media screenshot there as well.

During this week we shall also upload our song to Ditto and pick the 14th of April for its upload giving us time to work on our social.

Week 2
With our song uploaded to Ditto and the release date fast approaching we plan to create a youtube channel to upload our song as well which means we will be making a banner for the head of the channel along with a logo of our name Apothecary. For this, we will need to make two banners one that says when our song is being released and then another that shouts out that the song is out and can be streamed on all available platforms from Ditto.

during this week we will also create and share our press release of our track and begin to create snippets of our track ready to post as teasers on our socials. With our track, we will start to look at different radio stations that we could send it out for them to play on the release day and after its release.

Day 3
With the final days and everything going to plan we will start releasing the artwork with a countdown for the last 48 hours until our release day. Along with this, we will send out a quick 15 to 20 second teaser of our track to captivate the listeners and prepare them for the release.

Day 2
With this final day, all we will hopefully need to do is check to make sure everything is finalised and all advertisements are ready to be put out on our socials and then wait for the big moment at midnight of our release.

Day 1
On the day of release provided it has been uploaded all correctly, we start changing everything on our socials from its release date to, out now, and share where our audience can go and stream our debut single and advise it all over each of our socials.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xDUWlErHKXZTuMfjkOeuSxdj6WbvLfzG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102154389935116502441&rtpof=true&sd=true

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Demos - Link to Demos
Here I have my evidence of different demos from our band's rehearsals where we tried making some different songs and then also some covers such as a Dead Poet Society, Been Here Before, which we had intended on adding in as an extra on the Ep but then also thought we could add as a B side to our single release but we decided against it due to copyright issues. We also have some other original song ideas on there that were gonna be a part of our Ep release but as I mentioned before we decided against it due to time restraints.

Runthroughs - Link to Runthroughs
This is the raw material of us coming up with different original ideas and trying to find the right sound for what we wanted our single to be with covers that we were working on at the same time so that we could fill out a set list of potential gigs where to come up and to add onto our socials to show our audience we have been up to and what we are working on.

Writing - Link to Writing
In this folder, we have collected some full length rehearsal videos and audio of our writing process showing the songs we have started and how we got and started them, and how our single slowly came together through each rehearsal to the point where was rehearsing for our recording day.

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At the beginning of this project, we set out to release Ep with originals and some re worked covers on it, part way through we came to the conclusion that we were best releasing a single due to time constraints we all faced. This change up worked really well for us as I meant we could focus more on one thing that we could work really hard on and be proud of making which I believe we have done very successfully.

Having said this, this project still came with its problems and difficulties. For a start our band was very separated out so we needed to find a way we could carry on with the song when we weren't all in a rehearsal room together which we then discovered Bandlab where we could all play from our homes and upload we had created onto this which worked really well on getting the song started and finished.

One of my personal goals was to get into the habit of documenting and recording everything I had done in rehearsals which I believe I have successfully done and started to get into the habit of for my own self evaluation as seen by the links I have posted sharing all the evidence and process of making our song and all the promotional photos we have taken as well.

When it came to the release of the song we had to push it back to a later date that is yet to be decided because of an opportunity that came up that none of us could pass up.

whilst we were in the midst of recording our song and getting it mastered we had an opportunity to play a cover of a Queen song Cool Cats and rework it into our own way and then create a music video to send off and get promoted by Queen themselves. For this we had to put on hold our single as for a band we thought would be a bigger and better opportunity than simply releasing our single and one that might not come back around again. We also thought it would be better to hold off with the single till after this promotional opportunity to make the single stand out more in the build up to its release.

Releases - link to Release of queen cover

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