• Having a focus and being driven to achieve

• Your effort is worth while - high work rate = more success

• Being organised - compartmentalise work and areas of career/skill sets (income, work, life)

• Being balanced to be able to multi-task

• Manifesting the future

• Inspiring others to success like you

  
  

I also want to improve on my drumming skills, as mentioned in the previous term because I feel drums are so significant like a heartbeat, I want the drums I create to be rhythmic and interesting. So I will practice making a drum pattern in a DAW regularly, to understand how I like my drums to sound and play. I will also watch drumming videos/listen to music that I like to inspire my drumming.

• Make more engaging songs that have clear hooks and motifs with clever lyrics, By the end of this assignment I will have included clear motifs in both tracks.

So I listened to the track and opened up Logic to create a cliche song. I began with basic chords of C, F, Em, F recorded with a MIDI keyboard and added the root notes of the chords to be the bass. Then I took a lyrical phrase from the board to be my inspiration of the track - I chose 'Fire and Desire', and wrote "there's a fire inside, where all my desires hide." but I was stuck because it sounded to monotone and had no feeling, it was like the opposite of my music. So then my teacher said to try change the track from something that is so cliche to something unique.

I did this by changing the rhythm of the chords with inversions and was told that the chords included a motif with its rhythm, which relates to last weeks topic and I decided to take my knowledge of motifs and include it

Limited company (Hayes, 2022)

Partnerships - when two sole traders from this, e.g if you get into a band with another sole trader however this makes you share responsibility with the partner - any losses or anything you buy from the business - you are personally liable for your personal assets.

Limited Liability partnership (LLP)-  is a company can protect you if anything goes wrong, protects your personal assets. so if in debt then only can take from the company. Business and personal expenses.

To develop the bass I begun with transposing the chords to root notes on the bass, as I originally play with a capo on the 2nd fret on the guitar, ensuring all the notes and all in the same key. I wanted it to be interesting so I tried to add a passing note with the use of the C# note (9th fret on the bass) throughout the song. I also played it out on my own bass to get a feel for how it would be played and making sure it is actually possible because we learned about humanising DAW sounds in the Production Tool lesson, to make it more natural and playing it through was quite fun. Especially at the bridge at the start I was struggling, beginning with trying to do a small scale or arpeggio to make it more intense and dramatic but as I'm still working on my music theory (as mention in my 1 week development plan) I was stuck. However I played around with octaves and was very happy with result and when the bridge develops I doubled the rhythm making it feel more fast paced.

For the drums, I'm not the most confident so I used the drummer track to get a feel for what I might want. I also listened to songs that could potentially be reference tracks for the House band that has the feel and sound I am going for.

I am happy with my progress and am looking forward to performing it for Kaya on Wednesday.

I also am in the process of EQing especially the vocals but I am not to sure. I'm trying to make the high part, like in the bridge to not be too overwhelming. I'll continue to work on it till it sounds better.

In my opinion, what I find challenging is my breath control. I really like the ethereal sound in my music but this calls for a lot of control and making sure I don't waste breath so i can smoothly get into the next section. I also feel like my stage presence could be better as multi-tasking with playing and singing, I sometime focus too much on that - instead of engaging with the audience. So I think this gets in the way of my optimum performance potential.

From my feedback I was recommended vowel changes. For example for the 'u' in hungry can be switched to an 'a' sound to make it more clear and easier to sing. When I tried it and I could hear the difference it made to the sound of the line.

So I will be re-recording the verses to make them end on the 4th beat ensuring theres a break until the pre chorus

Also making the drum beat more driving in the verses so it can enhance the rhythm of the vocals.

I really liked this task because I'm more a visual learner so having a more visual plan can help me be more organised and get a better result from my effort as I planned out what need to be done and for a deadline making sure by the time the formative assignment is due I can have everything ready to go. I think I will keep on track using this plan.

This task lets me go into more detail about my plan and what I want to have and develop as a successful outcome. It made me think about what sounds I want and made me reflect on myself and what areas I need to develop in order to have a strong project.

On the other hand, focusing on quality helps develop a single idea and make it more polished and to the standard you want. But it can be time-consuming but it's worth it if you love your idea.

• Stripping down basic rock you can still hear the sound that the music is trying to express - Foo Fighters E.g Best of You (Foo Fighters, 2005)

• Pop and folk are usually made to be sung and played, so will have the same effect as the recording.

• Acoustic songs - singer songwriters

• Certain punk songs have a simple chord progression and structure.

  
  

Are there any musical styles that can't be condensed into a simple arrangement?

• More electronic and production based songs, can't make it sound like the original due to the fact the electronic part is to significant in the track.

• Alt, indie, progressive rock

• Some may seem unable to play but the song Take a Hit by Regressive Left (Regressive Left, 2021) - used a drum pad during their set and had bass and drums and singer all ready so it live version made sound exactly like the recording and the drummer sung and played, making the sound identical to the recording.

How the main vocalists, Mia Berrin, engages with the audience and puts her all into the performance is something i'll never forget.

For example the band performing their song "Cake" (Pom Pom Squad, 2021)at Strange Brew in Bristol was phenomenal (I have linked the video) She really gets into the music as if it takes over her body, it expresses the song more and its sound.

Curtis, J.M. (2003). Rock eras : interpretations of music and society, 1954-1984. Bowling Green University Popular Press, Us: Distributor] Eurospan Group Ltd.

Ede, A. (2024). Corp Feedback. [Face To Face] ‘the bridge is really emotional’ .

Foo Fighters (2005). Best of You. [Streamed] RCA Record Label. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/5UWwZ5lm5PKu6eKsHAGxOk?si=2af02e55916d4c6d.

Free Online Guitar Tabs Editor. (2021). Free Online Guitar Tabs Editor | tabinator.com. [online] Available at: https://www.tabinator.com/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Hayes, A. (2022). How Limited Companies (LCs) Work. [online] Investopedia. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/limited_company.asp.

Heart (1987). Alone. [Streamed] Goodnight L.A. Studios. Available at: https://youtu.be/1Cw1ng75KP0?si=ZANZWWpb1KFIgdxA [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Marsden, S. (2024). Demo Feedback. [Face to face] ‘the end of the verse can leave the listener feeling rushed and not having enough time to appreciate’ .

META CHART (2019). Create a Pie Chart, Free . Customize, download and easily share. Just enter the amounts, pick some colors/fonts, and we’ll take it from there! [online] Meta-chart.com. Available at: https://www.meta-chart.com/pie.

Musicians' Union (2023). Find Rates & Fees That Musicians Should Be Paid for Their Work. [online] musiciansunion.org.uk. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/rates [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Pom Pom Squad (2021a). Cake. [Streamed] City Slang. Available at: https://youtu.be/B1P_s_j6z7k?si=cOyl8WWh640k1ucy.

Pom Pom Squad (2021b). Crying. City Slang Records. Available at: https://youtu.be/pN-O-z4wpVI?si=Yelo6usS4huGfuIe [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

Regressive Left (2021). Take the hit. [Streamed] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/2jD6DX4lx56OzleC0lzTwX?si=e90dfc9c30ea44e8.

Stereophonics (1997). A Thousand Trees. [Streamed] V2 Records. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/1db3SIEE43i16Vb17JpoMh?si=4655cff797c34617.

The Neighbourhood (2020). Pretty Boy. Columbia Records. Available at: https://youtu.be/9MZQA1YxsDU?si=z3xxmw2QNVCgM8pa [Accessed 26 Feb. 2024].

UK Government (2022). Set up as a Sole Trader. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader.

Walter, E. (1995). Success. In: Cambridge Dictionary. [online] Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/success.

Wheatus (2000). Teenage Dirtbag. [Streamed] Columbia. Available at: https://youtu.be/FC3y9llDXuM?si=9gEJYoxrVR1Eb3TD.

Winters of Blue (2019a). Broken Dreams. [streamed] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/1RVH47fz8TX73ilZp1rL2M?si=42120d78d1b74d19.

Winters of Blue (2019b). Insight. [Streamed] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/3ix2aN3yaANVlCdHCbCX1b?si=edb61a1c6cdf4697.

Winters of Blue and Valenzuela, C.A. (2021). Emotional Glitch. [Streamed] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/14GWhPYtBiyBTiUevcs7U8?si=1bd13f62fc79483f.

I got the first quiz down straight away, but the second quiz - which included a citation with multiple authors which stumped me because it needed the 'Et al.' with the full stop I firstly didn't put full stop and replaced it for a comma.

Then I begun adding what I have made/wrote already and started subheading I haven't started - Case Studies

I use Mybib to put all my references in an organised space so I can see and refer back to the sources I found in the future. I am confident i my research skills and ability to find and make sure sources are reliable and non-biased - so i can have trust-worthy research in my work.

For feedback Alice said "the bridge is really emotional" (Ede, 2024) This was my aim and was something out of my comfort zone because I always stuck to what I am comfortable singing but this bridge is very impactful and intense.

Next time I will practice more to a metronome because I feel some time I was out of time and it felt off.

It can be described as "A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships" (Curtis, 2003)

It also "generally melodic enough to get the listener's attention." (Ibid.)

We were influenced by a friend of kid's as we watched their music video and they have a massive campfire.

Then 10 mins later this song was complete.

• Heart (Rock)

• Pom Pom Squad (Alternative/Indie)

• The Neighbourhood (Alternative/Indie)

A specific song from each artist

• Alone (Heart, 1987)

• Crying (Pom Pom Squad, 2021)

• Pretty Boy (The Neighbourhood, 2020)

Identifying characteristics from each song:

• Piano, Mysterious vocal sound, intense build, Emotive, Melody writing, harmony, slight reverb, dynamic, synth stings adding atmosphere, impactful drums, guitar solo.

• Guitar, soft vocals, storytelling, layers, driving drums, violin, bass follows drums, guitar motifs, emotional bridge, impacting the listener, piano, harmony in the instruments, texture develops.

• Harmony, production made drums, lots of interesting sounds that build the atmosphere, prominent bass, soft melodic vocals that build in the chorus, lyric writing, guitar sounds to fill empty space, simple drums, harmony, backing vocals, dreamy tone.

Songwriting 

Bare bones

Lyrics

Language 

Idea

Poetry

Chords

Melody

Arrangement 

Layers texture

Drums

Harmony

Impactful

Instrumental 

Structure

How the instruments interact 

Percussion

Other

Effects

Motifs

Cliche

Samples

Dynamic 

Vocals can be main focus

Keep diffierciating sections 

Similar but subtle changes to keep attention 

Add dynamics to make it seem softer

Noodles 

Change chords 

Change/add harmonies

Looping to keep foundation 

Soft vocals, lyric writing, harmony, arrangement, story telling, dreamy atmosphere, soft guitar tone, sounds filling the atmosphere (synths/backing vocals), strings, emotive, key change.

• Listening to music

• Collaborating

• Having fun with music

• Museums

• Nature

• Movies

• Entertainment

• Documentary

• Delay time

• Avoidance

• Excuses

• Distractions with other tasks

• Doing what isn't important

• Unwillingness

Motivation:

• Organised

• Reward when task completed

• Determination

• Able to get straight into a task

• Resilience to not get distracted

Here are the Lyrics:

Steve said "you're melody is very nice it begins on a C and ascends in a scale at the beginning" then is disjunct and "returns to the starting note".

I am constantly progressing towards my summative, completing a task each day. This relates to my SMART target of being more organised and being better with my time management. So this led me to have more time to develop my work because I'm not delaying tasks.

In class I'm motivated to add to my multi-media diary to keep it up to date and I enjoy using the skills and techniques I learn in my lessons to elevate my own music and demos.

Communication

Passion

Determination

Motivation

Similar Goals/Shared Ideas

Teamwork/support

A Leader (Depends)

Active listening

Fairness

Healthy competition

What is the benefit of working within a team?

Different perspectives

Workload spread evenly

Diversity in skills

Skills & Opinion

Motivations

Organisation

Problem Solving

I love music (listening to music and creating music - writing and playing) I love the artist process of creating something, whether it is drawing or music wise. I like how what I do is unique to me no one can exactly replicate my ideas/the outcome of my work because in a way my personal experiences and life can inspire and influence my creative mind.

What am I good at (Profession)?

I'm good at adapting and problem solving. I find that some things may not go my way and thats okay - I overcome them and not give up to make things better.

What does the world need (Mission)?

I believe the world needs a more safe space for musicians and all people in the music industry. Especially new artists beginning because they have less experience with noticing traps and bad situations.

What can I be compensated for (Vocation)?

My time and effort - Work Ethic

What do I dislike?

Controlling people as this can decrease moral. Not having my voice heard, I feel this can lead to being stepped on.

What am I bad at?

I tend to procrastinate slightly when it come to getting started but as soon as I begin it is smooth sailing.

Publisher

Promoter

Record Label

Plugger/Pr/Social

Producer

Booking agent

Tour manager

I like how the melody is steady but builds in certain sections. Also the lyrics are sung so softly and are calming. Has a distinct Ukulele playing with impactful drums and bass.

DR.SMITH

D - Dynamics -  The Dynamics are most notable in the break before the refrain as it's just silent until the vocals come back with the bass and drums. 

R - Rhythm - The Ukulele hold the rhythm down along with the simple bass and drums that don't really change

S - Structure - Intro A Refrain B Refrain A Refrain B 

M - Melody - Repetitive, Simple, Builds to intense moments

I - Instrumentation - Ukulele, Vocals, Harmony, Bass, Drums

T - Texture - At the beginning of the track it is just Billie's Vocals which is pitched up with a ukulele playing. In the second verse a kick of a drum is added and a break happens after the section, this makes the listener wonder what will happen next. After this Billies voice returns to normal. This song plays with each vocal type.

H - Harmony - Harmony on the post chorus and certain phrases but it is in the pitched up vocals giving it an interesting sound. Chord Progression - Key, Eb major

My goals was to develop my songwriting skills, expand my knowledge about the music industry and do more gigs.

Have you met these goals?

Yes, I feel I have been very productive and wrote many more songs and developed myself as an artist. I've done 2 gigs that went really well and learned about the industry and how to make an income.

Have these goals changed?

No, however I would like to go to more open mics to build my confidence and share my original music.

I added harmonies and took the drums out as I feel it didn't suit the song in my opinion. But I finished the final touches and am proud of my track.

I was on vocals and percussion, it was nice to jam out.