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The plan should consist of:

1.     A statement specifying the role chosen and what you hope to achieve through creating the portfolio.
2.     A further detailed description of the role of the chosen specialism including information gathered from research.
3.     Identification of the intended artefacts for inclusion (e.g. videos, written work, recordings, and any other evidence), justifying why they have been selected with reference to the chosen role and how knowledge and skills from the mandatory units of the group award (performance, music business, theory and first study) will be reflected.
4.     Details of how you will produce each artefact which includes identification of the resources you will require.
5.     Identification of timescales for the creation of the portfolio and the artefacts within it.

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I will have finished the planning stage by the 28th of February 2024.
I plan to have finished the development stage by the 29th of May 2024.
I also plan to have finished the evaluation stage by the 29th of May 2024.

I will have uploaded the videos of me performing in high school (wind band, samba band and NLC Jazz Orchestra) by the end of March 2024.
I aim to have uploaded the video of me playing piano in the college cafeteria by the end of March 2024.
I will have uploaded my music theory test results by the 20th of March 2024.
I aim to have uploaded by Trinity Grade 5 Exam results by the 25th of May 2024.
I will have uploaded my copyright assignment from music business by the 20th of March 2024.
I will have uploaded my CV by the 20th of March 2024.

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The role I have chosen is that of a Performer because I am aiming to perform music as a career in the future. Through creating this portfolio, I hope to create an online hub of work to potentially be used in future academic study in performing, such as for university.
As a performing musician, I will be able to earn money from a variety of different places, not just performances; “Musicians who focus on performance earn money from advances, merchandise, royalties, licensing fees and playing live music.” - (Indeed Editorial Team/4th February 2023)

Alongside performing being my passion, it is also a good way to make money as a musician; “…there is nothing like the energy of a proper live concert. Generating gig ticket sales and performing live music is how to make money with music in a tried and tested way.” - (Damian Keyes/19th January 2022)

Qualities such as confidence are essential for a performing musician so that they can express themselves freely through music in front of an audience; “The more confident you are on stage, the more your performance will improve.” - (Skills You Need)
A skill like teamwork is also very important for a performer, as they will often have to work with ensembles or other musicians during performances and it is vital that this goes well so that the performance will run smoothly. “Teamwork is essential for any artist looking to succeed in the music industry. You need to be able to collaborate and work with other musicians, producers, engineers, and other industry professionals.” - (Skills You Need)
Being a performing musician will require good communication and interpersonal skills, which can be gained in and are useful for playing in ensembles or with other musicians. “In addition to common interpersonal interactions such as speaking and listening, musical interpersonal interactions can occur through music by sharing the very act of music making with others.” (University of Tasmania)

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Artefacts I will include are;

1. A video of me performing in the North Lanarkshire Jazz Orchestra, attached by a link to YouTube, where the video was uploaded - 31st March 2024

2. A video of me performing in my high school wind band, attached by a link to the video which was taken by a teacher during the show - 31st March 2024

3. A video of me playing the college cafeteria’s acoustic piano during lunch break, attached by a link to the video, taken by a friend on their phone - 31st March 2024

4. A video of me performing in my high school samba band, attached by a link to the video which was taken by a teacher - 31st March 2024

Further theory-related artefacts I will include;

1. My music theory test results on Clefs and Intervals - 20th March 2024

2. My music theory test results on Scales and Keys - 20th March 2024

3. My music theory test results on Chords and Chord Progressions  - 20th March 2024

4. My Trinity Grade 5 theory exam results - 25th May 2024

I will also add;

1. My contract and copyright work done for music business  - 20th March 2024

2. My CV - 20th March 2024

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I have decided to include the video of me performing in Jazz Orchestra because it showcases me being able to play a variety of different styles of music; as a classical musician, I feel that this experience pushed me out my comfort zone. This is important for a performer as diversity of style ensures flexibility when it comes to picking up new music, leading to easier understanding of the way pieces are meant to be performed.
I will include the video of me playing in my high school wind band because I am playing my second study instrument, clarinet, and this further expands on variety and learning to play and perform various kinds of music. Moreover, playing in lots of ensembles means working with different kinds of people, bettering interpersonal skills and teamwork. This is very important for a performer, in case of ensemble work during the course of their career.
I will include the video of me playing the college’s piano as it displays me performing in a different setting; solo piano, which is my main performance goal, rather than other instruments in ensembles. While ensemble work helps a performer enormously in learning how to perform, a display of solo work is also important as it helps to strengthen confidence in performing, showing that I can perform in many different settings, independently or in an ensemble.
I will include the video of me performing in my high school’s samba band as it shows me playing a different instrument altogether, with another different style of music and another ensemble. I think it is very important to work in as many ensembles as possible, as the more styles and people you will work with, the better you will become as a performer. Learning to work in different ensembles has helped my growth as a solo performer; being on stage in any form helps to increase self-confidence and self-worth in the performing field.

I will include my music theory test results and my Trinity Grade 5 Exam results as evidence of my ability to understand music theory well; it is important for a performer to have a good understanding of music theory as this solidifies their ability to do live performance-related things like improvisation.

I will include my copyright and contract work from music business as it is the best piece of evidence that can be used to show my understanding of these topics; a performing musician needs to have a good insight into how these things work, given that they will have to deal with contracts and copyright throughout their career.

I will include my CV for universities to see where I am employability-wise.

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Editorial Team, Indeed (04/02/23) Indeed Career Advice. Link -  https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-musicians-make-money#:~:text=Musicians%20who%20focus%20on%20performance,PR%20teams%20and%20sound%20engineers. Accessed - 27/02/24

Keyes, Damien (19/01/22) DK Music Business Academy. Link - https://www.dk-mba.com/blog/how-to-make-money-with-music#:~:text=Play%20Live%20Shows%20%26%20Gigs,of%20a%20proper%20live%20concert.    Accessed - 27/02/24

Skills You Need. Link -  https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/start-music-career.html Accessed - 27/02/24

University Of Tasmania. Link - https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project/teamwork#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20common%20interpersonal,respond%20to%20and%20with%20others. Accessed - 27/02/24

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I played piano with the NLC Jazz Orchestra, an example of teamwork within different styles of music that I was used to.

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In the first act of this video, I play clarinet in my high school wind band; we are performing an adaptation of Katy Perry's 'Firework'.

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My test results for the first music theory assessment; Clefs and Intervals.

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My test results from the second music theory assessment; Scales and Keys.

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My test results from the third music theory assessment; Chords.

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My test results from the fourth music theory assessment; Rhythm.

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I have included my work from Music Business class, which is a copyright contract. Upon learning about the laws of copyright within the music industry, our task was to write up a contract as if for a client, enabling us to understand more about the rules and regulations to do with being a musician with a contract.

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My CV, added as an example of resources of employability both within and outwith the music industry.

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My assignment for keyboard class; 'McKennie's Farewell'.

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In my high school's clarinet ensemble, I played first clarinet in our performance of an arrangement for the 'Up' theme.

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I played keyboard in my high school's funk band; we are performing a mix of songs beginning with 'Let's Dance'.

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I took part in North Lanarkshire's Young Solo Performer of the Year 2023 competition, playing Hoffman's 'Minnelied' on piano.

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North Lanarkshire Young Solo Performer of the Year Competition - Arista Ghai

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In preparation for my recital, I attended a performance rehearsal; among my pieces, I played Bach's Aria from his 'Goldberg Variations'.

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Edinburgh College Performance Rehearsal - Arista Ghai

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The footage of my recital, taken on my phone. I play three grade 7 pieces; Bach's 'Aria' from his 'Goldberg Variations', Paula Szalit's 'Rêverie', and Haydn's 'Finale' from his 'Sonata in D major'.

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Arista Ghai - Edinburgh College HND 1 Piano Recital

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During the first semester of this academic year in Music History, we looked at Beethoven and his musical characteristics. Studying and writing about music from the past deeply influences the way I perform and think about music today.

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During this academic year's second semester in Music History, we looked at symphonies in the 19th century; namely, the Romantic period, focusing on the works of Tchaikovsky and Mahler. Looking at a different period within music further deepened my understanding of Classical music as a whole.

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Overall, I feel that putting together this portfolio has been successful. However, there are some things that I intended to add, written during the planning stage, that I was not able to; in theory-related artefacts, I planned to include my Trinity Grade 5 theory exam results. I ended up not taking the exam due to illness and subsequently was not able to add in the results. Furthermore, I planned to add a video of me performing in my high school's samba band, but I was unable to obtain any footage. I could not film myself playing the college cafeteria's piano because the days I was at college were very busy and I was not able to find time to record. In future portfolios such as this, I will make sure that I am fully able to record or add in footage and artefacts that I have planned to include, to ensure that the development does not go too far off-track.

I am pleased that I was able to find more footage to include than originally planned in the development section's performance videos. With this addition, I am able to showcase my development as a performer across all genres.

I am also happy with the development of the process of adding the theory artefacts; I was able to convert every document into a PDF in order for them to be more accessible. Theory is crucial to the development of a performer, as learning about things on paper aids the understanding of the field of music performance.