# data[].attributes.body
The duet that me and Lydia performed together, Earth and Mars, was one of the most enjoyable performances I was a part of. I thought a strength was how the ukulele gave a very relaxed vibe to the song, as if you were singing to the person you loved whilst you were spending a slow afternoon together. On the other hand, the ukulele may have been too simple. I think that it would sound better if the chords were changed, or varied strumming patterns were used, as I played the same way throughout. The song was written in the key of G major. A major key further pushed the feeling of happiness in the song, with reflected our stimulus and the ideas we had, which is another strength. My favourite thing, and the biggest strength in the performance, was the vocals. We blended them together well, and our use of vocal polyrhythms and call and response. These are interesting features in our piece and are most apparent in our middle eight. Call and response actually links our music to Blues, as it is a feature commonly used in that genre. Layering our vocals in the middle eight was supposed to represent a kind of collision in space, and in the song it was the collision of two girls who love each other. A weakness in our performance is that I think there is an off-note in our chorus when we sing it together. On the word 'Earth' the note transcends from a C to a G which is quite a big jump, and since the tempo is relatively fast it is hard to do. Amplifying our vocals and using an electric ukulele would battle the weakness of a quiet performance also.

# data[].attributes.body
This performance has a full structure of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Because of this the song sounds complete, and you are able to predict what is coming next in the song which helps make it memorable. During the build up of structure, there are different dynamics and textures, such as how in the beginning only Tom is playing guitar along with Pixie's vocals, and then after a few bars I join in on keyboard. These features all contribute to the song's strengths and make it enjoyable to listen to, and make it sound professional. Another strength includes the way there is a childish twist on the lyrical content, which perfectly reflects the stimulus. Also all of us played in time together, played the same notes and chords - no wrong notes or mistakes were played, which shows our professionalism and that we practiced the song enough. On the other hand, I think that sound levels do not sound balanced in our recording. This was a surprise when listening back to the song because in person everything sounded well balanced, and we were all aware of the volumes we were playing at. If we were to perform this song again we could work on sound levels further, or ask for advice from somebody outside of our group, to get somebody else's input. The biggest issue is that you cannot hear the electric bass or Pixie's vocals very well, but the performance was recorded next to the drum kit so this blocked a lot of the sound. When I scrutinized the performance further I realised that we may have been playing too fast for Pixie to keep up with whilst singing, as at some points it sounds like she is struggling for breath or cannot keep signing at the same volume. Working further together would ensure we are working at the right tempo for her and we weren't too fast.

# data[].attributes.headline
The notes in the chorus of 'Earth and Mars'

# data[].attributes.subject
The notes in the chorus of 'Earth and Mars'

# data[].attributes.body
An audio clip of the notes we were supposed to hit in the chorus of the song.

# data[].attributes.headline
Piano melody for 'I Don't Want You To Know'

# data[].attributes.subject
Piano melody for 'I Don't Want You To Know'

# data[].attributes.body
The repeated melody phrase played throughout the song.

# data[].attributes.body
Both in terms of response to stimuli and enjoyment, Earth and Mars was my favourite performance overall. It features me and Lydia singing, with call and response and polyrhythmic features, whilst I also play ukulele. Alike to I Don't Want You To Know, it's lyrical content is what mostly represents the stimulus, as there is no link between the ukulele (instrumentation) and our theme of space. It's a heartwarming duet which makes the listener smile, and it a piece that I would like to work on further.

# data[].attributes.body
The performance I did of I Don't Want You To Know features a full band with vocals, an electric guitar and an electric bass, a drum kit and a keyboard. The main way it reflects the stimulus is in it's lyrical content and contrasting elements between it's instrumentation. Just like my performance of Earth and Mars, the song I Don't Want You To Know is upbeat with a happy sound, that makes it incredibly catchy and memorable.

# data[].attributes.headline
Review of my Live Music Workshop Journals ♬

# data[].attributes.subject
Review of my Live Music Workshop Journals ♬

# data[].attributes.body
In total, I have six musical performances, three which were inspired by stimuli given to me, and three inspired by stimuli I chose myself. Planting Flowers, Holding On and Earth and Mars were all derived from the stimuli I chose myself or chose within a group. They each were image stimuli - Planting Flowers was inspired by a drawing of a ribcage blocked by flowers, Holding On was a song created from a collage of street signs, and Earth and Mars was a duet written to reflect some embroidery with the theme of space. The songs that were influenced by stimuli given to me by my tutor were Creatures, I Don't Want You To Know and Coming Home. Each stimuli was in a different format. A storyboard image of a crying woman being followed inspired Creatures. An article written by a Syrian girl who lost her father inspired Coming Home, whilst I Don't Want You To Know was written from a video of an old children's cartoon. I am required to pick two of the songs I have been working on that I have performed. One must be from a stimulus given to me, one must be one I have chosen. From all of my six performances I think that I Don't Want You To Know and Earth and Mars were the most successful. This decision has came from the resulting video recording and how well they represent their stimuli. Below I am going to further explain and evaluate each performance, with a focus on their strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully this will allow me to explain exactly why I think each one is my best performance.

# data[].attributes.body
Our song 'Creatures' would probably not be suitable to perform at a live gig or an on-stage performance as it does not have instruments. We would have to find a place to perform such as a spoken word event, or a venue that specifically only featured acapella artists. I do think that our lyrics and other musical elements in the song reflect the stimulus well though.

# data[].attributes.body
Both our tutor and peers thought that adding instruments is what would make our song better. This is not something we agree with because we chose to do acapella for a reason. It was thought we needed instruments to keep time, so if we had to perform this song again we would practice more beforehand so our tempo issues could be resolved and worked on.

# data[].attributes.body
A weakness that was noticed by ourselves and our peers is that our timing was off at different points. This is a difficulty with most acapella because since there is no instrument to give a solid, steady beat such as a drum. We could only go off of eachother's vocals and when we thought we were supposed to come in. More practice could fix this. So could adding an instrument but this would mean that our acapella and main idea would no longer be a part of the song. Another is that sometimes we are singing off-key and not everybody has learned the notes. This would be solved with more practice and more time to work on the song, as we could all ensure we are singing the same notes. A strength is that since our piece is acapella, it is unique and rememberable. Nobody else has chosen to do acapella in any of our live music sessions. Another strength is the fact that we were able to incorporate five different vocals which each expressed a different feeling to the song. We worked out a lot of harmonies also which I think were very effective in creating the feel that the woman in the storyboard image was left alone with her thoughts. Because of these strengths I think we did represent our stimulus well.

# data[].attributes.body
C C C C G
E E D E D C A
C D D D D C D C
C C D D D E C D

# data[].attributes.body
C       C   C        C  G
She's so down to Earth
E      E   D  E    D C   A
And I'm all up in the stars
C D      D     D          D     C   D C
I hope she shows me the oceans
C          C  D     D   D      E    C   D
'Cause I'd love to take her to mars

# data[].attributes.body
Although our song did not feel complete, as our instrumentation was not very complex and was only made up of one type of sound, which was the ukulele. Although more texture was created by our voices, as they provided two different sounds. An electric ukulele that could be amplified may have been a better instrument choice so that the music could further express our song and have more of a fierce electric sound. Nonetheless, I do think that it was a successful response to the stimulus given as we developed our idea of incorporating the article into lyrics. We also had the idea of the mother and daughter singing together (they were characters in the song's story) was very effective. This was something that was most apparent when we sang different lines together, such as when I sang as the daughter, 'mother says she'll never forgive herself' and Lydia sang on top of the lyrics as the mother, 'I'll never forgive myself'. When Lydia starts singing over the top it is unexpected and heart warming as it shows the bond between the mother and daughter, and reflects the touching article.

# data[].attributes.body
I can imagine this song being performed again if we worked more on our lyrics and staying in key and projecting our vocals, as well as the instrumentation in the song. Adding others to the performance to increase texture and timbre quality is something I think is a good idea. This could be performed at a museum or charity event that supports aid in Syria, or at a small event that could increase awareness on the kind of things that do happen in Syria. I would like to work on this song further as I think that it has a lot of potential. Although it reflects the stimulus well there is a lot missing when it comes to it's musical elements and sound.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that strengths in the piece mostly relate to the lyrical content. This is because I really think the way we sang from the mother and daughter's perspective was effective. The words are also taken directly article which really puts across the feelings and emotions of the daughter, Dima. I like the seventh chord plays on ukulele, as the sound of it is different to all the other chords and it adds tension. A weakness was how we were not very confident when we performed. We did not project out vocals properly and there was a lot of wobbly notes which, if we felt more comfortable singing what we were, I don't think would have been there.

# data[].attributes.body
It was said by our tutor that the way we blended our vocals was very effective, and he liked the way that the vocal ideas we had were arranged. He noted that we had used call and response features to help push the feeling of the song further, which we agreed was effective. When we showed the recording to our peers we were complimented on how we took direct phrases from the article and made them part of out lyrical content. The way we sang as mother and daughter was also efficacious as it told the story of the girl in Syria, named Dima, who the song was written about.

# data[].attributes.body
As already discussed our main idea was to represent the little girl and her mother in our song, and their story is what fuels the article and is what the stimulus is. The line, 'I recognized him from his boots,' was written in our lyrics as 'I recognized your boots, the ones you wore, when you walked me to school' as I was singing this as the little girl. There was also the line 'my heart was beating faster than ever' in the article which was in every pre-chorus as 'and now my heart is beating faster than ever'. Another idea that we developed was how frantic and at loss the mother and daughter are. We tried to use dynamics to reflect this, by singing louder and the song was played and having emphasis on the chorus.

# data[].attributes.body
I am incredibly happy with how this song turned out. It is really uplifting and happy and it was a performance I was not very nervous to sing in front of the group. I was able to feel confident about it, because I knew that it reflected our stimulus, that we had worked out some very interesting features and musical elements, and that me and Lydia had balanced our vocal levels nicely. I can imagine performing this again, in front of a bigger audience, possibly amplified with an electric ukulele and microphones. Since it is written about two girls being in love, I could be sang at an event such as Gay Pride or used to start up a conversation about sexuality.

# data[].attributes.body
As already mentioned a strength is our lyrical content. It is upbeat and catchy, and reflects our stimulus well. The theme of space is very interesting and apparent in our performance and I think that you would be able to get what our stimulus was just by listening to the song. We had complex features, such as our middle eight, and we used elements that could relate to world music, such as how call and response is used in Blues. A weakness in our performance is that I think there is an off-note in our chorus when we sing it together. On the word 'Earth' the note transcends from a C to a G which is quite a big jump, and since the tempo is relatively fast it is hard to do. If we had more time to practice and warmed up for longer I think this would be fixed. Another weakness is that our instrumentation was very simple, so could be developed with modulation or varied strumming patterns.

# data[].attributes.body
It was said by our peers that the lyrics were nice and represented colourful themes, which went well with our stimulus. Another comment was that it was a heart-warming song which is difficult for people to dislike because of it's cheery sound. In particular our verse where we overlap our vocals was liked, as our different voices sounded good together and it added a lot of interest to our performance. The fact we had different melodies also made our piece more interesting. A negative is that our tempo did not stay the same the entire way through. This was noticed by myself and Lydia also and we think that it was due to nerves. Our tutor agreed that we blended our vocals together nicely, and that our stimulus was reflected well.

# data[].attributes.body
This was one of my favourite performances. It was so fun working with Lydia, and combing our different vocal styles and ideas. The song and it's lyrics were based around our theme of space and our stimulus, which is obvious due to it's references to rockets, galaxies, shooting stars and planets. It is the kind of song I would listen to at home, and am very proud of it. I can imagine it being played at a small indie gig, or just something that is sang with friends at a party or close event.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnoSO0C60zs&feature=youtu.be

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OMAw5kDsZw&feature=youtu.be

# data[].attributes.body
G, A, F#, G, E, D

# data[].attributes.body
This song was one of my most successful performances that I am going to evaluate further. It is made up of a full band, there are different textures and intensities in the music to give it interest, the lyrics reflect the stimulus incredibly well and it is something that I can imagine being performed at something such as a live charity gig or a small local live performance. It will make people laugh with it's childish references and Pixie's vocals perfectly express the feeling of the song. I can not think of anything I would like to change apart from sound levels further being balanced, but I do think that not hearing some instruments is to do with the recording. Pixie was not always loud enough in the recording but I think it was due to it not being a professional microphone used to record the group.

# data[].attributes.body
Verse: G, D, C, D Pre-Chorus: G, D, C
Chorus: G Em C G D Outtro: Ends on G

# data[].attributes.body
Obvious strengths are the full structure of the song and the organisation between all of us in the group. Since we worked so well together, we were able to create something that had a great sound. I feel that the lyrics represents our video stimulus very well, and I personally felt very proud to be involved in what Pixie had written. All of us played in time together, played the same notes and chords - no wrong notes or mistakes were played. There's different textures in the piece, as well as varied dynamics, both of which add interest to the song. I think that sound levels do not sound balanced in our recording, but in person things did sound like they were at the correct volume. If we were to do this again, I would try to develop a more complicated melody on the piano. I repeated the same melody throughout as well as playing the chords, which is quite a simple and typical thing to do. On the other hand, the simplicity could reflect our childish influences.

# data[].attributes.body
The first feedback received from our peers is how impressive Pixie's vocals were. Our chord progression was also complimented, and was actually recognized by somebody in our class. It was also noted that our piece reflected the stimulus very well. A negative was that Curtis' guitar was not turned up as loud as it should be. On the other hand Tom's guitar was balanced well, and he brought an effects pedal with him to the performance which showed that he was prepared. Our tutor agreed it was a nice performance which felt happy and upbeat, and liked the way that we twisted the lyrical content so it matched the stimulus, i.e, turning a cuss word into 'fudge'. He thought it was an appropriate response to our particular stimulus.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZF_o2BQ7-4

# data[].attributes.body
Pre-Chorus:
Oh, oh, oh, oh, I’ll  find this treasure all alone
Oh, oh, oh, oh and build my treehouse on my own
Oh, oh, oh, oh, 'cause I don’t want you to know

Repeat chorus

Verse:
I’m pretty sure that we’ve talked this through before
We know the score but we’re both sore
Does it even matter anymore? I’m scared of what we shared
Overwhelmed and unprepared to face the blow that I know
Is gonna hit me if I let my feelings show

Final chorus:
Oh, oh, oh, oh, I’ll find this treasure all alone
Oh, oh, oh, oh and build my treehouse on my own
Oh, oh, oh, oh, I won’t let my feelings show
Oh, oh, oh, oh, I'll flip you off and off I go
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ‘cause I don’t want you to know

Outtro:
'Cause I don't want you to know-oh

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
I’m all but certain that we both agree it’s curtains
For this stress and this mess
I no longer feel you need to be impressed by me
Get the fudge out of my climbing tree
I’ll find a place to build a treehouse on my own
And I don’t want you to know

Pre-Chorus:
Oh, oh, oh, oh, I’ll build my treehouse on my own
Oh, oh, oh, oh, 'cause I don’t want you to know

Chorus:
I don’t want you knowing where it is I’m going in my dreams
Or what the changes in the colours of my eyes mean
I don’t want to tell about my ideas of hell and heaven
Or all the things I want to see with all the time I have for living

Verse:
I don’t need your hassle step away from my sandcastle
Hope you fall in my moat and you’re not borrowing my boat
Don’t tell me I’m mean for kicking sand in your ice cream
And give me back my bucket 'cause I know it’s you who took it
I’ll have to go and find this treasure all alone
'Cause I don’t want you to know

# data[].attributes.body
As already discussed the main thing we tried to accomplish in this performance was to reflect the stimulus by making elements of the song childish. We tried to keep an upbeat, moderately fast tempo to the piece, to create a child-friendly sound. I think our response was effective as our aim was to explore the futility and childish nature of arguments in relationships, and I think that is has been achieved as written about the development of our ideas. The fact that we reflected the stimulus and our ideas in every aspect of our music is very impressive and this has been my best performance that was inspired by a given stimulus.

# data[].attributes.body
As mentioned above I do think that our response to the stimulus was effective. We incorporated a lot of vocal techniques and wrote lyrics that linked directly to the storyboard imagine. Such as 'left me wishing that I was dead' that reflected the sadness seen in the woman, and 'I can feel you sneak up behind me' which relates to the red van following the woman's car. There was two more verses that we wanted to incorportae, but in the time limit that we had which was a mere two hours, we were unable to work out harmonies and who would sing what in these verses. I have provided the unused lyrics to the left.

# data[].attributes.body
Verse: Am, D, E7, Am
Pre Chorus: Am, D, E7, Am
Chorus: Am, D, E7, Am

The chords are kept the same throughout the entire piece, but the way they are played - strummed - differs and it is this that gives the performance it's interest regarding instrumentation. In more intense parts of the song, such as the chorus where me and Lydia are trying to get across all of our emotion, the chords are strummed much more vigorously with added power. We think that this is a good way to express more fierce emotions in a performance. The song itself was played on a ukulele, which doesn't have a typically harsh or deep sound. A ukulele has a traditional, authentic Island sound, but we thought the challenge of incorporating it into a dramatic and sad song would be fulfilling. I do think that despite the fact the song is played on only one instrument, it gives the type of song we're singing a unique sound.

# data[].attributes.body
Verses: C, Am, F, G
Chorus: C, Am, F, G
Outtro: C, Am, F, G

# data[].attributes.body
The middle eight idea I had was for me and Lydia to both sing the phrase 'I'd love to take her' as a round. But as I worked on this, I found that it wasn't very interested and got very boring towards the end of it. To make it more interesting, I added more lyrics and changed it so me and Lydia were singing different melodies on top of each other. This made it sound almost like a vocal polyrhythm. When it came to instrumentation, we wanted to same, authentic Island ukulele sound the whole way through to song. I played around with some different chords that matched previous melodies I'd come up with, and found some that fit. The song itself is in the key of G. There are no changes in the chord pattern in the song, which it something I would want to possibly develop further. Modulation in our middle eight that features the polyrhythm could sound really good as it's the point that the song builds up to. The strumming also stays very similar. For the most part we wanted to have simple instrumentation so that the main focus was on our lyrical content, which is what we spent most of our time on. Harmonies and blending together our voices is what allows the listener to know the feeling of our song. We feel our vocals are what express our stimulus over the instrument. We wanted call and response in our song, to show that we are singing to each other about our feelings, to try and represent the lyrics about two girls who are in love with each other. We did this in the chorus, when Lydia sings 'because I'd love to take her to Mars' and I sing back to her 'I'd love her to take me to Mars'.

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
I'm trying to forget
But I can't
And now I always
See your face

Verse:
I recognized your boots
The ones you'd wear
When you walked me
To school

Pre-Chorus:
And now my heart
It's beating faster then ever
And all I can remember
Is the way you'd smile from ear to ear

Chorus:
When are you coming home
When will you be coming home
I miss you and I don't know
Where to go x 2

Verse:
All that we had
Is the clothes on our backs
Just trying to hold
Ourselves together
(ourselves together)

Verse:
Mother says she'll never forgive herself (I'll never forgive myself)
She should have been clever
Should have been somewhere else

Repeat pre-chorus

Repeat chorus

Outtro:
Come home
Come home
Won't you come home
Please Daddy just come home

# data[].attributes.body
There was a stimulus given to the entire class whilst I was not yet in it, and this was an article written by a little girl who lives her Syria. Her father was killed in a bombing attack, and article informs the reader of how she felt and what has been going through her mind. It is quite a thought provoking thing to read because the girl herself is only ten years old. This was a stimulus that had also been missed by Lydia, so we decided to perform a duet together so we have another given stimulus in our musical arsenal. I had the idea to incorporate words of the written article in our song lyrics, to fully express and credit the little girl's feelings and emotions.

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
She sleeps under a blanket
Made from stars in the sky
And her head is full of dreams
And galaxies and shooting stars
But nobody listens to her 'cause
She doesn't have a pretty face
To match her pretty mind
But I, myself, I find

Chorus:
She's so down to Earth
And I'm all up in the stars
I hope she shows me the oceans
Because I'd love to take her to Mars
(I'd love her to take me to Mars)

Verse:
I wish I could take a rocket
To her brain just for the day
There's always light in her eyes
An electric soul she cannot hide
And I think her face is a flower
Blossoming and beautiful
Like a meadow in the Summer
Always getting warmer

Repeat chorus

I'd love to take her (the rain reminds me of you)
I'd love to take her (because it's falling hard and I am too)
I'd love to take her (the rain reminds me of you)
I'd love to take her (because it's falling hard and I am too)
I'd love to take her (she says she wants to take me to mars)
I'd love to take her (show me the galaxy in her arms)
I'd love to take her (but she's already my star)
I'd love to take her (and I hope I'm inside her heart)

Repeat chorus

Lydia's words = regular
Beth's words = italicized

# data[].attributes.body
Below is the video which we were given as a stimulus for this session. In it was what seemed to be clips from a very old children's TV show. There are many features that would appeal to children, such as the bright colours, animals, rainbows and the use of magic. From this we thought that it was be appropriate to write a song featuring childish elements that would give a different, innocent outlook on a serious topic. Pixie had the idea to write a song about a difficult relationship, and it's purpose was to sing about how relationships shouldn't always be taken seriously and to the heart - simply that they shouldn't have to be so difficult. The lyrics that she wrote reflected our stimulus very well. Childish words are used to replace swearing, such as 'fudge' instead of the cuss word. Things sang about include sandcastles and treehouses, places children want to build, and keeping secrets that she doesn't want known. To me this reflects a child wanting to build a secret, special safe place. There are also references to childish behavior in the song, such as 'kicking sand in your ice cream' and immature insults and directions such as 'hope you fall in my moat' and 'step away from my sandcastle'. I think that the piano melody (G, A, F#, G, E, D) also sounds childlike as it is almost twinkly sounding and is played delicately. I first planned to just play chords alongside Tom on guitar, but developed a melody made up of notes from the chords to add something different to the piece. Another idea that we had is to build up the intensities of our different instruments to represent a child getting upset and having a tantrum. This is mostly done with the drums, where more boisterous, loud rhythms are played at certain parts of the song such as the chorus. Contrast between different sounds created in our piece was effective also. For example, the drum playing vs. the twinkling piano. One expressed the childishness whilst the other showed the intensity of what the lyrics were about.

# data[].attributes.headline
'I Don't Want you to Know' ♬ Given Stimulus

# data[].attributes.subject
'I Don't Want you to Know' ♬ Given Stimulus

# data[].attributes.body
There has been one stimulus given to us by our tutor in video format. We were organised into groups for this session. I was with Pixie who sang, Jared who played the drums, Tom, on electric guitar and Curtis who played electric bass. I was on the keyboard. Prior to our session, Pixie had written a song inspired by the stimulus given which we all worked on together and wrote melodies and riffs for. She also had chords prepared, so Tom worked out a strumming pattern and I played along on the keyboard. The drum beat was improvised by Jared, and Curtis took notes out of the chords to play on the bass. I had never worked with anybody in this group before, but, despite this, I enjoyed putting forward ideas and if something in the song didn't sound right I wasn't scared to say so. As well as getting work done and being professional we were able to incorporate fun elements into our time together.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCzc75xKN1c&feature=youtu.be

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
Even though I tried to say
Please will you leave
Unlike my heart
I didn't wear my words on my sleeve

Verse:
Every shadow has your face
I can't find the strength to get away
Every corner leads to you
And I'm trying to pull through
But no matter how I try I lose

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
You're like a creature in the night
I can feel you sneak up behind me
With your hand on my throat
And your voice in my ear
You always told me what I wanted to hear

Chorus:
You put a poison in my mind
And a spell on my heart
Now I can't seem to shake you off
You tore me down from the start

Verse:
I always felt in my chest
That you were suffocating me
You kicked me down to the floor
Ripped my dreams from my head
Left me wishing that I was dead

Chorus:
You put a poison in my mind
And a spell on my heart
Now I can't seem to shake you off
You tore me down from the start

Outtro:
I have no patience for you
I'm not slowing down
So settle down (settle down)
I said settle down (settle down)
Settle down

# data[].attributes.body
A stimulus of a storyboard image was given to us to inspire another performance. I attempted this stimulus with Simran, Lydia, Yvie and Matt. The first idea that we had was that since in the storyboard the woman looks alone, we should perform acapella. Acapella is when there is no instruments in a piece of music, only vocals. We thought that this would reflect the loneliness of the woman and how she is left with only her thoughts. There is five singers in the group including myself, so the different lines that we sing are different mixed thoughts of the woman which are all in her head at the same time. This was our initial idea, and what we chose to developed further as a group.

# data[].attributes.body
Both our tutor and our group commented on our performance, and told us what was good about it and what we should aim to improve. Feedback received from the group is that the instrumentation sounded great with the vocals we had on top, and it had been developed from the last time the group heard a draft of this performance before I was a part of it. Another comment was that it needed a beat to add to the rock vibe and to help keep time, something we as a group decided also. Negative feedback was that you couldn't hear me sing very well, and the balance of vocals was the best. Our tutor commented on the balance between our vocals also, and said that the enjoyed the riffs that were played. He also thought the piece was missing a drum kit.

# data[].attributes.body
If we further balanced my vocals with Lydia's, so that I was quieter and she was louder, I think that our song would be able to be performed again. Other factors that I have already mentioned, such as developing the song's structure, adding a percussion instrument and writing more lyrics would also help to make it so this song could be performed again. This could be at a live event or a small rock gig, due to the song's sound.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that the song that we created was very good response to the stimulus. It reflected the idea of getting lost, being in an unfamiliar place and trying to find your way around. The meaning behind the song reflected our stimulus of 'street names' and it's rock vibe matched the idea of being in a busy city as there was a lot of texture to our piece of music.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNOW01p9w1I&feature=youtu.be

# data[].attributes.body
As with all performances, there was good and bad things about our piece of music. A personal weakness is that I was not able to project my voice loudly enough to be heard as well as Lydia, and that my soft voice was not as suited to heavy rock music as hers. We tried turning up the volume on my microphone but this created a lot of feedback through the speakers. On the other hand, I think that the way I fit Lydia's lyrics to the instrumentation was good, and that it fit the song's genre. Singing together meant that there was no interesting features such as harmonies or solos, but it did reflect the idea of getting lost together. Before this week, the group did not have me in it, so having two vocalists was a strength as we felt more confident and comfortable singing together. It also meant more ideas were being brought to the group. A strength of the instrumentation is that is was incredibly well rehearsed and no mistakes were made, and it had a solid structure. It was always clear which part of the song was playing, and there was lots of exciting parts to the music which stopped the song from sounding the same all the way through. An example of this is the bridge before the chorus. The bridge also allowed me and Lydia to take a breath after singing. A weakness of the instrumentation is that it was missing percussion - we thought the song could have benefited from a drum kit - to keep a beat and help us all stay in time. It would have also added to our rock genre. Another weakness was the length of the song, it only had a verse, bridge and chorus. More verses and possibly adding lyrics to the outtro would complete the song and make it so it could be performed live again,.

# data[].attributes.body
As previously mentioned, we had a lot of ideas which we wanted to incorporate through our song's instrumentation and lyrics. From our street sign stimulus, we wanted to keep the idea of being lost in an unfamiliar place. The first time we practiced singing the lyrics with the instruments, some words didn't fit and we had some timing issues. Modifying the lyrics and changing a few phrases fixed this. To develop the themes behind the instrumentation, we adjusted volume levels so all instruments were balanced, and built up the texture in the introduction so one instrument began to playing two bars after the other. This was supposed to represent an unfamiliar city getting busier and busier, and being more difficult to find your way around.

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
Crawling in the dirt to you
Blood in my mouth, mud in my eyes
My vision is blurry and now I know why
My demons pull me further down

Chorus:
Reaching for you in my darkest hour
Trying to find my way outside
Looking for the light that's in my dreams
Now I can see
That I can't keep holding on to you

# data[].attributes.body
After developing a variety of different ideas of the weeks, I realised that there was quite a few performances I was missing due to absence. The situation I was in was the shared by another in my class, Lydia. So to fix this we decided that we should perform a duet together. This would ensure that we had another performance that was influenced by a personal stimulus. Between us me and Lydia chose the theme of the galaxy and space, and I found a photograph of some sewing with the words 'you are my universe' embroidered onto it. Multiple stars and planets have also been sewn onto the fabric. This was an image which I thought was very influential as the embroidery itself looks very delicate and personal. It lead me to the idea that we should develop a very personal love song with the theme of space. Lydia had already written part of a song with this influence before, so this was the basis for our duet together. Unfortunately, when the date came that we were going to record this performance, I was absent again, so I worked further on the melody at home. I think this was actually a positive because I came up with an idea for a middle eight after the second chorus.

# data[].attributes.body
For this performance I was singing with Lydia, whilst Callum played lead guitar, Josh played rhythm guitar and Adam was on the bass. The stimulus which was chosen was street names. Since me and Lydia were the vocalists our role also included writing the lyrics. Lydia had brought some from the lesson which were inspired by our stimulus. They included references to trying to find your way, looking for certain places, and trying to get around in a difficult time period. I thought that this was incredibly appropriate as street names inform you of where you're going, and are there to make sure you know where you are. Lydia's song represented our stimulus very well. Callum, Josh and Adam had already prepared instrumentation to our piece, which had a major tonality, a fast tempo, and slight distortion on the electric instruments. This gave it a very punk/rock vibe. Regarding structure, the song had a long introduction, instrumental bridges and some tempo changes throughout. I think that the long introduction could suggest the idea of finding your way around a city with unfamiliar street names and spending a long amount of time lost. The tempo changes could reflect slowing down your walking place and trying to figure out where you are. After listening to the instrumentation a few times, I came up with a melody for Lydia's lyrics, and we decided to sing in unison to show that we were getting lost together. These were all of the group's initial ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBsn476bhOw&feature=youtu.be

# data[].attributes.body
This song has a very uplifting message to it that I think would be even more meaningful if we developed it further. Perfecting the chorus, adding further verses, more lyrics and harmonies would add further structure to the song. This would be possible with more time to rehearse the song. Balancing vocal levels would also make it better as an audience would be able to hear the lyrics more clearly. I do not think that the instrumentation needs to be changed; the texture created from the piano and guitar sounds very pleasant and matches the mood of the lyrics. This song could be performed again at a small gig or event because it has an indie-pop feel that people could connect with. I don't think that it would work for a commercial purpose like a song for a TV advertisement, as it doesn't have a jingly tune and the lyrics wouldn't be appropriate. The song also mostly has a minor tonality to it.

# data[].attributes.body
Personal weaknesses I felt were my lack of projection compared to the other three singers. I struggle to sing loudly and project my voice, so I am often the quietest. Another weakness is that during the performance I forgot the melody of the chorus due to nervousness. There was also confusion between the singers as others knew the melody to the chorus but their timing was off. This meant that we all started to sign different things at different times, and eventually stopped singing altogether meaning we did not perform our chorus. The fact that we didn't is an obvious weakness as it showed that we did not manage our rehearsal time very well. On the other hand, I did remember to timing and I was aware of where I needed to come in - I just did not grasp the melody in time. I do think that my voice (since it is softer) was suited to this song and the harmonies we developed as it reflected the delicacy of the relationship written of. As previously mentioned I think that the instrumentation was successfully as they both kept in time and sounded very good together. Another strength was the rapping which added an edge to the song and made it put across the viewpoint of the other person in the relationship.

# data[].attributes.body
After performing in front of our tutor and our peers, we were given feedback about how we did. The comment from our tutor was that the song had potential but that it was poorly executed, and that we needed to manage our time better. It was also noted that there was a lack of communication between instrumentalists, which prevented the song from finishing smoothly and the instruments from staying in time with each other. Another thought was that the mood from the piece did match the stimulus, but more structure and lyrics were needed to make it a complete, perform able song. Group comments were a little bit more positive. Our song was enjoyed by those who were asked to give feedback, the volume levels were said to be good (minus some singing being a little quiet) and the feel of the song was very appealing. It was also said that minus the mistake in the chorus it was very nice to listen to. The rapping was also complimented due to the edge it gave to the song. All of this feedback that we received gave us a lot of insight on how to improve our next performance. A lot of the points I already thought myself, especially regarding the fact we were unable to sing the chorus of the song. The structure needs to be perfected before working on harmonies and trying to write more lyrics and riffs for the song. I was very pleased with the advice given to us.

# data[].attributes.body
The performance itself was not very successful. The song was incomplete, myself and the singers made mistakes in the chorus, there was not a complete ending and there was minor timing issues between Otis and John. These imperfections in the performance are what have made our response to the stimulus unsuccessful; we were unable to get across the feeling and meaning of the song due to the issues. To prevent this from happening if we were to perform again, we would have to rehearse a lot more. Spending another Live Music session on this project would be enough I personally think. Then we could re-record and hopefully showcase our response to the stimulus successfully.

# data[].attributes.body
The stimulus (as pictured to the right) lead to writing lyrics about a relationship that was very unhealthy even though it looked positive from the outside. Initially ideas the group shared related to nature, the Earth, growth and staying optimistic. These thoughts are what lead to the development of the idea regarding the toxic relationship. The lyrics for the verse and chorus were written by me, Lydia and Yvie. I was the one who came up with the melody, and myself and Rueben decided on a chord sequence that fit the sound that we were trying to create. We first played the chords on the piano whilst singing along, to determine a tempo that was right for the song that everybody felt comfortable playing it. Then John started playing the chords on his electro-acoustic guitar. He picked the strings instead of strumming, which meant he was playing the single notes of each chord. This gave a very delicate, pretty sound, which we feel reflected our stimulus and the ideas we had. We all first thought that it would be best to pick the entire song, but then decided it would be more interesting to add more texture to the music by incorporating parts where it was strumming also. This was supposed to reflect the relationship getting more intense. Piano and guitar worked together to stay at the same tempo, as this was an issue to begin with. Rueben and John who were playing the instruments started to communicate more positively so this helped when they came to playing together. Otis was wring a verse of lyrics to rap after the first chorus whilst instrumentation was being arranged. He used the same ideas the girls and me did regarding nature and relationships, but expanded on this and added his own twist on what he thought the stimulus was. After we had some lyrics organised as well as the instrumentation we played through the song a couple of times, the singers performing in unison. Singing the same melodies and notes together did not add a lot of variation to the piece, so we developed two separate harmonies to sing the verse in. Rueben and Lydia sang a low-octave harmony together, whilst me and Yvie sang one at a higher range. Combined this sounded good together, and represented the two people in the relationship. Once we reached this point we only had half an hour of the session left, so kept practicing. Since there was four singers it was difficult for us all to remember the same melodies. We tried to add in more verses and a final chorus but we were pushed for time and did not manage to. Overall, I think that we did a good job of developing most of our initial ideas into our rehearsal. Next time we would like to progress lyrically and finish writing the song.

# data[].attributes.body
Verses: Bm, G, D, A
Bridge: Bm, G, D
Chorus: Bm, G/F#, D, A

# data[].attributes.body
Verse:
When you planted flowers in me
I thought you'd water them so I'd grow
As tall as a tree
Breathe in new air
And breathe out the dust
We'll say goodbye to the souls that we trust

Chorus:
I need to forget the past
Plant a new flower or two
Say goodbye to all the old
And welcome in the new

# data[].attributes.body
This week I was working with Yvie, Lydia, Otis, Rueben and John. Before the session, myself, Yvie and Lydia prepared a visual stimulus for the group to use. It was a drawing of a set of ribs with flowers growing from the inside of the rib cage. It is quite a thought provoking image as you can see below. The group mostly shared the same ideas from this stimulus. My personal take on what the image meant is that something that looks beautiful can actually be quite dangerous. The bright colours of the flowers and the pretty design distracts you from the fact that there isn't any rib cage, which you can't breathe without. This was the basis for a song.