Who you are and your interests and hobbies

• Do you play, sing or produce music?

• Favourite bands and artists

• Favourite songs - explain why you like them

• Have you been to any gigs? Who would you like to see perform live?

• What you did

• What you learnt

• What went well

• What you could improve on

• Include screenshots and videos from your own projects and performance sessions

TIP: You should make us of at least 2 research sources to help you gather your information (websites, articles, videos etc)

• What are your aspirations in music?

• What job in music would you like to have one day?

• Why do you want to achieve these things?

• How do you think you will achieve them (college study, making beats, university, playing in bands etc)?

• What it is you like about each song

• The types of sounds and instruments used

• What the lyrics, vibe or mood of the songs mean to you?

• Live performances

• Recording studios

• Theatres

• Music Festivals

• Spotify links

• YouTube links

https://www.canva.com/ 

My favourite artists include The Weeknd, The 1975, Chase Atlantic, Kanye West, Eminem, The Neighbourhood, Tory Lanez, Majid Jordan and probably dozens more.

My favourite songs include:

• Waves Of Blue by Majid Jordan. I love the vibe and the synths. The drums are perfect too, I like the layered clap. The drop into the chorus is awesome. I have streamed this song nearly 1,000 times since discovering it in June of 2025.

• Somebody Else by The 1975. Again the synthy style, punchy drums and relaxing vibe resonates with me.

• Never or Right Now by ELFL. This song is relatively underground with only 1 million streams, but it is really incredible and its the type of music I'd like to make. Again it uses synths, punchy drums, and is just the perfect synth pop song.

• About You by The 1975. This song resonates with me deeply. I think its very unique and it sounds perfect. Not entirely sure what instruments I'm hearing but the reverb and orchestral elements are pretty.

Sadly I have not been to any gigs. I'd like to see The 1975 or The Weeknd, who are both likely touring in 2026.

As a job, it could be doing gigs or teaching music all the way up to selling records and monetising what I make.

I want to achieve this as I think music is just incredible. How it works, how a song can come together and bring people together, and how it can really resonate and give you a unique feeling. I have never had such a hyper fixation sustained for so long so I want to pursue music professionally.

I will achieve this by

• Working very hard at college. Engaging as much as possible and showing genuine interest.

• Spending most of my free time working on music and learning.

• Working on music even when I don't really feel like doing it.

• Achieving a sound I want until I can make anything I think of.

• Putting myself out there in real life and on social media (promoting music and distributing it)

• Performing and doing gigs. Engaging with other artists, including bigger artists than me that i can collaborate with to gradually grow my name. Possibly being in a band temporarily.

• Overall, just putting so much effort into music that I can't fail.

Instruments I can hear include vocals, some sort of guitar. I can hear acoustic drums, a bass and possibly a string during the bridge?

The lyrics "staying high in low places" to me might possibly mean being happy even when things aren't going great.

Instruments I can hear include vocals, synths, a synth bass etc.

The lyrics aren't particularly appropriate but they're very confident. "Sun don't shine in the shade," "Bird can't fly in a cage." I believe it is saying that you need help to succeed. You can't succeed without help or without opportunities. Its overall positive, obviously waves being ocean waves. That amplifies the idea of it being summery and upbeat.

The most popular music producers nowadays include Mike Dean, Metro Boomin', Pharrell Williams.

Some music performers include Michael Jackson, Eminem, Mariah Carey.

First of all, music can be very loud. Our ears were only designed to take so much noise. Music being too loud can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, etc. Ensuring music volume is at an acceptable level is key.

Secondly, possibly an even more important issue, can be overheating. Poor ventilation alone is an issue, but combining that with a highly animated crowd makes it even worse. The crowd and audience may stand for a very long time, dancing and singing and possibly not drinking. It is key people have access to good ventilation and hydration so that they don't get exhausted and faint.

Thirdly, a large crowd of people coming together in a small place provides criminals or terrorists a hotspot for commiting their respective activity. Ensuring everyone in a concert is unarmed, safe and protected by security is absolutely vital. Notable terrorist attacks have taken place at music concerts.

However, it isn't only live performances that require health and safety. Producers, composers, and people working in studios in general will work with many electrical equipment. It is always important to be careful with electricity, as it can kill you.

Finally, sanitation is very key, Bathrooms are likely to be used at a concert, and making sure they're an acceptable level of cleanliness is important. It is good to make sure people who have serious communicable diseases do not attend the concert. This can spread rapidly among a crowd due to being close together. This issue is worsened by singing and dancing, which will increase breathing rate.

Mike Dean is a famous music producer. He is arguably one of the biggest producers globally right now.

He has worked with huge artists such as The Weeknd, Travis Scott etc. He is known for creating amazing synth sounds and outros/transitions.

-Creates and communicates the artistic vision of the performance.

-Interprets the script, music or movement to shape how the story is told on stage.

-Works with actors, dancers, designers, and technical staff to ensure all creative elements fit together harmoniously.

-Guides performers through rehearsals.

Famous Examples: Julie Taymor (directed Lion King on Broadway), Trevor Nunn (directed Les Miserables).

SOUND TECHNICIAN

-Sets up and operates all audio equipment for rehearsals and performances.

-Controls sound effects, background music, and amplification during the show.

-Ensures clear sound balance so dialogue, music, and effects are heard as intended.

-Fixes technical issues quickly and safely during performances.

Famous Example: Bobby Aitken (Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You.)

LIGHTING TECHNICIAN

-Designs and operates lighting that supports the mood, time of day, and emotion of each scene.

-Programs lighting cues that follow the director's artistic vision.

-Works closely with stage management to synchronize lighting with action or music.

-Handles setup, focusing, and maintenance of all lighting equipment.

Famous Example: Neil Austin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.)

STAGE MANAGER

-Acts as the organiser and communicator for the entire production team.

-Coordinates rehearsals, cues, props, and scene changes so the performance runs smoothly.

-Keeps a detailed prompt book or cue script with all lighting, sound and movement cues.

-Ensures everyone is on time and in place (performers, technicians, crew.)

-Maintains communication between the director, cast and technical teams during performances.

-Takes charge of the production once it opens, ensuring consistency across all shows.

Famous Examples: Lisa Dawn Cave (Broadway stage manager for The Lion King and Frozen.)

In music, this could be studying different styles of music, different artists, production techniques, audience trends.

This includes record labels, artists, producers, songwriters, streaming platforms, concert promoters and more.

Examples include Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio and Pro Tools. DAWs allow musicians to compose, layer instruments, edit vocals, and add effects all within a singular digital workspace.

I'd say I have developed some skills with guitar and bass, and have improved at communicating with bandmates. I have also made some friends and acquaintances. I performed bass despite never using one properly, and somewhat managed to stay in time. I also memorised the bass line as it was pretty simple.

What Would I Improve?

I will improve on investing time into playing guitar, improve my punctuality, and confidence while performing. I will also work on making sure all work is complete.

What Did You Learn?

I learnt many bass lines and how to play a bass. I also learnt some communication and production skills.

What Did You Enjoy?

I enjoyed the social aspects of the course. I enjoyed meeting new people and performing (when I felt confident enough to do so)

I have played a lot of guitar, at least 5 hours a day. I am rapidly improving.

I could keep improving on that, among my skill in other instruments, to ensure I am useful to a band.

I also performed the bass of Glory Box as part of an assessment, which was okay, but I was very out of time. Likely due to a lack of experience of co-ordinating my fingers at a decent pace. (this was on Monday, I have improved hugely since and can play it flawlesssly)