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week one of my time at waterbear required me to learn the song "go your own way" by Fleetwood Mac and play guitar on this song with a full band, consisting of a drummer, a vocalist, a bassist, and two guitarists (including me), we were expected to learn this song in 2 days and then perform it on the 3rd day (Wednesday). my initial feelings about the time limit to learn, rehearse and play the song was somewhat daunting to me as I felt although I would be slightly unprepared as I felt like I should have learned the song earlier in order to be a lot more prepared. i also felt that I would not have enough time to practice as a band to gauge timings in the song, understand other member's playing styles, abilities of the song, confidence in a band environment and other very important factors needed to be understood before playing with other musicians. After playing the first verse and choruses a few times with the other musicians I felt less alone in the insecurity of confidence in the song as the others were almost just as unsure as I was which in a sense was a positive thing as it gave me more support as everyone was in the same position as me. we played the song a few times we didn't quite get the structure completely down from start to finish in the rehearsal rooms but I think we had the confidence to play the song live although it wouldn't be my proudest work. when eventually we were ready to perform the song live in front of our class i feel like it went some what well as i found myself messing up a few times and in the heat of the moment i attempted to take a lead line but i ended up just building up a noisy build up to a solo that i didn't play and then just playing the rhythm lines which i felt confused the audience a lot. despite my faults i feel like the whole band played very well and i feel like they were way more ready than me when it came to playing the song live despite my lack of ability to play the song confidently live i feel like seeing lot of other people in my band playing a lot more confidently inspired me to play other songs a lot better and to push myself a lot more

i think altogether this week i have learned that i need to spend a lot more time working on the songs that i am required to learn if i do want to get better at performing them live with a band i have never played with before. I think that spending more time to work on the songs will give me a really big advantage to playing the songs so they will give me a better understanding of the structure and ways that i can add my own twist to the song

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bruno mars// Stage Performance Week

This week, I worked on "Treasure" by Bruno Mars. Learning and rehearsing the song went smoothly, although we lacked the bassist for rehearsals. Despite this, our rehearsal was thorough, but performing alongside the bassist for the first time added unforeseen challenges. Still, we delivered a solid performance.

I felt confident initially, though worried about the missing bassist since the bassline is vital to the song's energy. During the performance, I experienced both nerves and excitement about adapting to the bassist. Afterward, I felt proud of our cohesive delivery despite limited preparation.

Rehearsals had strengths and weaknesses. The band collaborated well on dynamics and timing, boosting our confidence. However, the bassist’s absence hindered our ability to lock in the groove before the performance, which affected synchronization at times. Ultimately, we adapted well, maintaining energy and flow.

This experience underscored the importance of adaptability and preparation in live music. While the bassist's absence posed challenges, our thorough rehearsal kept us grounded. It emphasized the necessity of communication and listening when integrating new elements and highlighted the significance of maintaining stage presence despite minor flaws.

The rehearsal and performance of "Treasure" were challenging yet valuable learning experiences. The lack of bassist rehearsals taught me the importance of adaptability and focusing on core elements. In the future, I’ll prioritize including all members earlier in the process for tighter cohesion.

To enhance future rehearsals and performances, I will:

- Advocate for full band rehearsals with all members.

- Improve adaptability through improvisation and listening exercises.

- Foster better communication for role clarity, even when members are absent.

- Record rehearsals for review and improvement.

By implementing these strategies, I aim to improve both rehearsal processes and performance quality.

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Crosstown Traffic - Jimi Hendrix (Expression Week)

This week was successful as I showcased my expressive side through distortion and fuzz pedals, enhancing my connection to the music. Collaborating with compatible musicians enriched our practice environment, and I creatively incorporated a Sonic Youth-inspired noise drone into my solo during the live performance. However, the guitar volume could have been more prominent in the mix.

I felt confident and enjoyed using my favorite tones, but I experienced slight frustration due to the guitar volume not meeting my expectations post-performance.

Positives included feeling comfortable with familiar tones and benefiting from collaboration, which enhanced both practice and performance. The creative freedom I embraced during the solo added originality, but the volume issue slightly diminished my impact, highlighting the need for a clear sound balance in live settings.

This experience emphasized the balance between personal expression and technical execution. Familiar tones helped me emotionally connect to the music, boosting my confidence, while collaboration made rehearsal smoother. However, I need to ensure my guitar cuts through the mix to convey my expressive playing fully.

In conclusion, this week was a valuable chance to refine my live performance approach, revealing the need for better sound management to ensure my playing stands out.

To improve future performances, I plan to:

1. Adjust sound levels with sound engineers or EQ pedals to enhance guitar clarity.

2. Rehearse at live volume to fine-tune the mix.

3. Continue exploring improvisation and unique elements in my playing.

4. Maintain collaborations with compatible musicians for a comfortable practice environment.

These steps aim to enhance both the technical and expressive facets of my performances.

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Son Of A Preacher Man - Aretha Franklin (Improv Week)

This week, I explored a song called "Son Of A Preacher Man" by "Aretha Franklin". This is a song from an unfamiliar genre and enjoyed the creative freedom to personalize it. I made slight adjustments to the arrangement to reflect my style while keeping it accessible for the audience, which allowed me to focus on my strengths for an effective performance.

Initially hesitant, I found excitement in experimenting with the arrangement. This empowerment led to confidence and satisfaction during the performance, as I infused my touch into the music.

The positive aspects included the joy of adaptability and the opportunity to connect with a genre outside my comfort zone. This flexibility also enhanced my confidence by allowing me to emphasize my strengths. However, strict adherence to the original arrangement could pose challenges in the future, necessitating a balance between creativity and fidelity to the piece.

This experience underscored the value of adaptability and creative expression in music. By making thoughtful adjustments, I maintained the integrity of the song while enhancing my enjoyment and pride in the performance. It highlighted the need to consider audience expectations and the original intent of the music.

Overall, I learned that creativity and adaptability can turn a daunting task into a fulfilling experience. While I balanced personal expression with accessibility, I must be cautious about overstepping boundaries where strict adherence is expected.

To further build on this, I plan to:

1. Explore unfamiliar genres to enhance my versatility.

2. Experiment with subtle adjustments to arrangements for personalization.

3. Communicate with bandmates to align my changes with performance goals.

4. Practice unfamiliar genres more faithfully to improve adaptability without relying solely on modifications.

Implementing these strategies will help me refine my approach to creative freedom while remaining adaptable to performance requirements.

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blondie// shuffle, triplets week

I utilized a stutter/tremolo pedal to recreate the synthesizer tone from the original track, ensuring clarity in a crowded sound with three guitarists. This approach improved the mix and contributed to a successful live performance, earning positive feedback on my distinct guitar tone.

I felt excited and inspired by the innovative guitar tone. During rehearsals, I was confident it would enhance clarity, and live, I was energized and proud of the audience's positive response, validating my creative risk.

The week showcased strengths, particularly my use of the pedal, which clarified the mix and elevated the performance. However, the reliance on the pedal posed a risk if it malfunctioned, highlighting the need for backup plans in live settings.

Using the pedal illustrated the importance of creativity and adapting to group dynamics. It filled a sonic gap, enriching the arrangement and proving that innovative risks can yield positive outcomes, though the reliance on equipment necessitates preparedness for technical issues.

This week reinforced the importance of innovation and adaptability in performance. My guitar tone emulated the synthesizer, enhancing clarity and earning commendations, while also emphasizing preparation for potential equipment failures.

To build on this success, I will:

- Develop backup plans for live performances.

- Explore new effects pedal applications.

- Collaborate closely with fellow guitarists.

- Practice alternative techniques for sound reproduction.

These strategies will help balance creativity and preparedness in future performances.

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What is the biggest reason you want to work in the music industry?

The music industry is a vast community of people with all kinds of different skills ranging from building instruments, recording bands, marketing and advertising artists, to even music communication, meaning that there is alot of different types of job opportunities. my main interests in the industry is in different places I would love to be a successful musician, by this I mean creating and releasing music that I enjoy making to an audience that is supportive and will be able to financially support me enough so music is my main job. i also find a great interest in making guitar pedals and repairing my instrumentswhich I feel will make me a very needed asset in a community that mainly relies on instruments and other gear that has the ability to break

What skills do you want to learn or hone in order to become even better in your desired area of the music industry?

i feel like I need to be a better musician in terms of knowlege of theory, scales which will help me become more versitile and useful to others as it will make me become better at improvisation when jamming and playing live with other musicians. I also think that I should try and be less exclusive to my own tastes of 'avant garde' mentalities of music in terms of branding myself to have one style and running with it I feel I should try branch out and find other things that I could be interested in and not close myself off to one genre.

What skills do you already bring to your desired area of the music industry?

i think I bring an interesting view to music in terms of pushing the limits of genres, sounds an instrument can make, aswell as a very DIY method of creating sounds and ideas that sound beautiful and give a track a certain atmosphere that is somewhat unconventional. i love to give music a raw, unpolished, real sound to it while also giving it a beautiful, disasociated, etherial feel to it depending on the context and I feel being able to think outside of the box is a relay important trait to have in an artistic industry as it will open up you and other peoples minds around you to different soundscapes and creative choices of music.

What motivates you in your career?

in my career having the creative freedom to make whatever I want in context of music and sounds really motivates me because it is a way that I can artistically express myself in the world of sound, I can write the words that I feel resonate most with the music and craft the most emotive guitar tone that I feel matches the songs vibe and feeling.

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SMART TARGET//

Record a live performance and a rough demo using Ableton Live 11 as part of a small band for an original shoegaze, no wave, alternative style song inspired by the likes of Julie, Sonic Youth, and Everyone Asked About You. i will gauge the successablitiy of my work by how confident I am in the song and how collaborators and peers react to the song as i would want the most critical feedback. I plan to finish this work by November 1st in its earliest so I know i will have plenty of time to work on other assignments as well as to make mild changes to the mix, structure, lyrics (if needed) or the texture of the music.

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From Eden - Hozier (Time Signature Week)

This week, I explored a song from an unfamiliar genre and enjoyed the creative freedom to personalize it. I made slight adjustments to the arrangement to reflect my style while keeping it accessible for the audience, which allowed me to focus on my strengths for an effective performance.

Initially hesitant, I found excitement in experimenting with the arrangement. This empowerment led to confidence and satisfaction during the performance, as I infused my touch into the music.

The positive aspects included the joy of adaptability and the opportunity to connect with a genre outside my comfort zone. This flexibility also enhanced my confidence by allowing me to emphasize my strengths. However, strict adherence to the original arrangement could pose challenges in the future, necessitating a balance between creativity and fidelity to the piece.

This experience underscored the value of adaptability and creative expression in music. By making thoughtful adjustments, I maintained the integrity of the song while enhancing my enjoyment and pride in the performance. It highlighted the need to consider audience expectations and the original intent of the music.

Overall, I learned that creativity and adaptability can turn a daunting task into a fulfilling experience. While I balanced personal expression with accessibility, I must be cautious about overstepping boundaries where strict adherence is expected.

To further build on this, I plan to:

1. Explore unfamiliar genres to enhance my versatility.

2. Experiment with subtle adjustments to arrangements for personalization.

3. Communicate with bandmates to align my changes with performance goals.

4. Practice unfamiliar genres more faithfully to improve adaptability without relying solely on modifications.

Implementing these strategies will help me refine my approach to creative freedom while remaining adaptable to performance requirements.

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Cochise - Audioslave (Groove Week)

This week, I performed "Cochise" by Audioslave, which suited my style perfectly. The song showcased my preferred noisy performance techniques and allowed me to channel my admiration for Tom Morello's inventive use of pedals. Collaborating with a drummer who shares similar musical tastes made the experience enjoyable, and rehearsing the heavier track helped me express myself more fully.

I experimented with an unconventional technique using the neck pickup of my guitar to hit the highest note, which was well-received and added a unique twist to the performance.

Throughout this process, I felt excited and inspired, especially with the song's heavier tone aligning with my interests. Working with a like-minded drummer boosted my confidence and created a dynamic band environment. The positive feedback for my creative addition validated my approach.

The performance highlighted my technical and creative skills, benefiting from collaboration with the drummer. My experimental technique stood out and showed the value of creative risk-taking. For improvement, I could refine these techniques during rehearsals for flawless live execution.

This experience taught me the importance of blending technical skill with creative expression. The camaraderie with my drummer greatly enhanced my confidence on stage. Overall, this rewarding performance affirmed my growth and the benefits of collaborating with like-minded musicians.

Moving forward, I plan to:

1. Experiment with unique techniques for memorable performances.

2. Dedicate more rehearsal time to perfecting experimental elements.

3. Collaborate with musicians who share my inspirations.

4. Explore advanced pedal techniques and soundscapes.

By focusing on these areas, I aim to enhance my performance quality and push creative boundaries.

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Ain't It Fun - Paramore (Put It All Week)

this week started off pretty well for me as I was quite comfortable with the song and spent some time learning it although it would have been great for me to spend more time on it as I wasn't the most comfortable in playing all of the parts and knowing everything in the whole song.

after my rehearsal, I was somewhat confident in the performance of the song

This week we had to perform "Aint it fun" by "Paramore" I started off this week by practicing the songs and finding ways that I could make the songs more accessible to me by plying in my own kind of way such as using my own chord inversions as it would allow me to become more expressionate on stage and present myself the way I would want to. this week I ended up being late to the lesson so I had to work with a group of individuals I had not worked with previously which was quite a different experience for me

What were your thoughts and feelings during and after the experience? while initially rehearsing the song the musicians we didnt not have a bassist. and musicians I was working with were not very professional and didn't understand my creative view as I was playing the song in E standard tuning (the recommended tuning for this song). Two of the other collaborators would complain that it was me despite me understanding that the lack of rich ness in the sound was all down to the low end not being filled with bass. although I did also adapt my sound by turning the low end up and increasing the mid frequencies to fill as much un used space as I could

the performance of the song went terribly as I did not make it in intime as I was late and my group chose to play the long first knowing that I was on my way and was going to be late. despite me not playing the group performance wasn't desirable as the other guitarist in the group didn't get to play lead lines while i played the rhythm parts.

Despite me not being able to make it in this lesson on time it has made me understand that tardiness is important when it comes to getting to performances and rehearsals on time as it effects others and it is important in future to reach out to the university team to help me when it comes to my work load

The outcome turned out its way as I was not ready to come in on this lesson as I was exhausted from my poor time management of work and unprofessional sleep pattern causing me to wake up late and not get to my, practice, or performance lessons on time wasting my time as well as my peers time

What have you learned from the experienceThis experience has taught me that my actions have consequences aswell as my lack of actions. Such as, if I have issues with my academic work I should, request extensions and apply for 1 to 1s as well and go to study groups

Next time I feel although I should definitely try and organise myself better and get to bed at a reasonable time aswell as getting up at a reasonable time to ensure that I am ready for the day ahead of me.

in future my aims are next time I attend a practice or performance lesson I will be on time I will ensure I do by attending my 1 to 1 meetings and study groups to ensure this does not happen again

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Songs

Obstructed View,,,, Stargazer,,,,

who i am working with (Performed by)

Drew Vickerstaff

Jamie Gunn-Rustman

Equipment needed

2 Pedalboards

Collaborations

Jamie Gunn-Rustman's Summative Assessment

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Tempo starts at 151bpm// modulates to 92bpm during outro

Key signature: A

Time signature: 4/4

Chords: A 7 // F Maj11 // F# m7

key technical/ performance techniques

The song's "solo" consists of the unconventional use of a delay pedal that has a high feedback rate to the point where it is self oscillating and then the delay time is turned down or up causing a glide in the oscillation pitch and it is used during the "stop start" chorus where the use of the glide up and down pitch really stands out.

key production techniques in this recording include the use of distortion, modulation delay and reverb pedals to change the sonic texture throughout the song to give the song a lot more depth. Throughout the chorus the guitar parts "stop and start" this was my idea to make the song heavier in the sense of a "quiet before the storm" style of dynamic change.

The recording of the song was extremely interesting as it showed that we could make a lot of experimental things as a band with affordable resources. for example, i do not have a synthesizer to do the intro instead I have a children's keyboard that I obtained from a car boot sale and modded a 1/4 output so I could run it through guitar pedals in order to get a desirable tone out of it.

Overall the whole experience of creating this song was a great experience as it really helped me meet likeminded people who always strive to make similar music to me. i think this experience will drive me to work with more people in future

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Find the skills audit template on chapter 1 Your Music Performance - fill it in and upload here

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strength

successfully have my own take on music and give a song a lot of emotion

weaknesses

stage presence

opportunities

I can use open mic nights, jam weeks to get used to performing and showing my own ways to express my music physically. I can also meet like minded people who are willing to play similar music to me

threats

I may play in bands that play music that isn't very expressive with the music that I want to make and want to have a lot of stage presence to

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DOWNLOAD FROM CHAPTER 3 AND FILL IN

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For my formative assessment i aim to rework an original song that i have released titled Obstructed View I aim to get a cleaner more listenable recording of this song and potentially other tracks from my 'demos and early tracks' ep as I am proud of the idea of theses songs but its only the execution of the songs that i am not necessarily proud of

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Julie Live

Julie at Ace Of Cups 11/5/23 - YouTube

I usually use Julies live shows as a basis for how I strive for my stage presence to be as it is extremely similar to my music I draw heavy inspiration from this band as they encapsulate a "beautifully ruined" grunge adjacent aesthetic.

Julies live shows consist of a group of three quiet, reserved, and shy-looking individuals who play deafeningly loud energy-filled music. Despite the loud sonic warfare they unleash onto the crowd their harmonising emotive lyrics and vocals gliding upon the soundscape.

the stage presence of the band is very emotive such as their movements by use of swaying down and their lack of audience participation and their "pay attention if you want" attitude which I feel is more powerful than an "audience enticement show" as it makes the jaded feel of the set similar to watching an expressive art show. My favourite aspect of Julies live performances is the unconventionality of them as they will start off their set with a "noise section" consisting of eerie samples and noise loops which create an atmosphere and aesthetic straight as their set starts

I feel like I could learn a lot of these aspects by learning a lot of Julies techniques such as the disassociated nature of their apathy and letting the music express their emotions rather than the more extroverted nature of "Rock Music".

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Songs

Laika

who i am working with (Performed by)

Fred Ford (Drums)

Tom Crockett (Bass)

Josh Gardner (Guitar)

Harvey Maik-Lahmadi (Guitar)

Equipment needed

2 Pedalboards

Collaborations

Jamie Gunn-Rustman's Summative Assessment

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We developed the outro verse synth sound my using the limited pre sets don't his chad valley synthesizer with a modded output jack and volume drain knob (which simulates a dying battery and slightly detunes the notes played by a few cents). We layered the synth tracks and when layering tracks we manually used the detuner knob to create a chorus effect that we could also pan in the DAW creating a lush stereo chorus sound scape.

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We Helped josh imagine this guitar solo he played live by developing the finished product in the DAW and we were able to splice, cut and fade out different takes to get the best possible sound of this progressive sound, due to there being different takes I ended up panning them slightly differently as it felt more genuine that you could tell that they were not the same take and it also gave the solo a beautiful stereo spread that captivates the listener.