What I Have Developed This Year
Since the start of the academic year it's been a challenging and confusing year, however i haven't let the challenges stop me from developing in both performance and production. At the start of the year i didn't have a clue how to use logic, i still can't say i am pro at using it i still have big gaps in my Knowledge that i need to filled, however i have definitely come a long way since September. I would never of thought that i would be able to remix a professionally made song by a famous artist for unit 5 & 6 using logic which is a side of music that i don't enjoy as much as writing music and performing, i have definitely started to enjoy logic a little more now i have developed and expanded my skills in production.
After the winter warmer i have definitely found that my confidence has gown with writing lyrics and having the confidence to sing/perform for an audience. At the start of the year i had only previously done one performance i was terrified to perform for another audience incase i made a mistake but i had a very supporting group of people behind me. I have also developed my guitar skills , over the christmas break i played my guitar a lot trying to improve my knowledge i now feel a lot more confidence playing, so confident that i am planning on performing a solo at the summer performance this year, i am not a pro i still get this buzzing noise a lot but i have defiantly developed my guitar skills
Final Major Project
I am using the final performance as a way to gain confidence and experience with performing original material. I have written 4 songs that i am going to perform along with potentially one that i had written last year ,i have also decided that i am going to perform one cover to break up all the originals. The main purpose for this performance is too showcase all my skills to an audience. Each time i engage in rehearsals i will log what i have rehearsed to keep track of my process.
For my final performance i have decided that i am going to use some original material that i have written. Many pop artists have inspired me when writing my lyrics i found that pop artists write about there feelings and what major events happened in there life, i decided that i would write about my previous relation ship with my ex, a boy that i had a crush who i see every morning and my current relationship:
Set list order:
So Good Without You: The first song i am planning on performing for the final project is one I created last year after listening to a song that i was obsessed with at the time 'so good without' by mimi Webb i listened to Mimi's song when it first hit the charts.
Midnight: Since 'so good without you' my writing skills have improved massively. I decided to write this song after my first heart break about how my Ex still messages me asking to get back together but i have already moved on. i feel writing this heart break into a song is a nice way to get over a nasty heart break.
Something About You: My inspiration behind this was to write about this guy that i liked on the train, i also decided to choose this song as my first ever guitar solo to perform which is a huge step because i am still a beginner to playing guitar. i used 'Dance with somebody' by Conor Maynard i used the melody to help me write the lyrics.
So In To You: The last song on my set list is about my current relationship with the boy on the train. This song is really special and close to my heart one that i am very proud of which is why i wanted to have last on my set list to close my performance. For inspiration i used 'I Guess I'm In Love' by Clinton Kane i liked the idea of using this song because the mood and the melody even some of the lyrics fitted in with the story i am trying to get across.
Control (by Zoe Wees): I chose to cover this because it felt close to me and just had so much to how i am feeling. i also enjoy listening to this song. when i rehearsed this song i found that some parts was too low to we decided that we would bring the whole song up a key but it did't sound right so we stuck with the original.
She is all i wanna be ( by Tate McRae) : For this song i was asked by two boys on Level 2 if i could do the vocals, which i immediately said yes too! so we have added our own drum beat to it and kept the guitar the same however we have added a little bit more of a calmer ending as the original version ended quite quickly we just felt a more clam ended would sound better.
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Why I Picked Pop Music
Pop music is the only type of music i enjoy listening too and enjoy writing. I feel pop music is the best way to express feelings, for example, many pop artists write about relationships and health conditions because it's the most relatable topic for the younger generation of people that the artist is aiming to entertain with modern pop.
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I find myself listening to more live recordings, acoustic versions and covers of pop songs rather than studio/original recordings, i do enjoy listening to the original recordings i just find that covers made by other people more interesting because they put different spin on it, that could be putting in a guitar if there wasn't one already or completely changing the tempo and key making it sound more exciting and original
Live recordings wether thats live studio recording , acoustic version or stage/tv recordings of pop songs i like the sound better than studio recordings because it sounds more genuine and less artificial with reverb and on vocals autotune.
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This version of HRVY's song i think is better than the original because its more calming and less full on not so much is happening so you can just focus on the lyrics and the story behind the lyrics. i also enjoy this version because its acoustic i like sound of acoustic instruments more than software instruments.
This cover of easy on me is a lot better than the original for many different reasons. In the original its just piano and lead vocals which is not very exciting where as in this cover they added kick drum and 90s style guitar solo as well as changing the tempo to fit the vocals but keeping the piano keys the same.
I really enjoy this acoustic version of the song, it's a lot slower and easer to sing along too. It's a lot more emotional which is how i like most pop songs. I find that most of the songs i listen to are about relationships i think its because its the most relatable
Problem Solving
Some problems i might encounter is getting everyone i need to make my performance happen. For some of my songs i need a drummer, pianist and guitarist which i cant do alone so i have to ask some of my class mates to help me which i will be a challenge to get them all in one room and teaching them the chords of each song and the tempo it needs to be in.
How I Will Evaluate
Through out the whole unit i will be keeping track of my progress of what i have been doing to prepare for the final project in my rehearsal log i will also add any feed back from pears and lecturers from my rehearsals as well as adding any problems i have come across.
Successful Collaboration
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For my final project i am collaborating with Rob for my set because he plays piano. I did start with the idea of asking some of the boys in my class to help however they are so unreliable and it has been getting closer and closer to the dead line of the performance that i had to think of another alternative. I have also been asked to collaborate with Alex and Will in level two for a song on there set list which i was very happy to do.
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To make a successful collaboration there needs to be punctuality with each artist. The reason why this is so important because you don't want to be waiting for others especially when its someone who is the main artist like a vocalist and lead guitarist and also having the skills to take time and learn the song that you are performing and not change last minute because that creates tension and stress with each artist.
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