Week 1: 04/11/24

 

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I continued to prepare for my essay, by answering detailed questions related to my work: ‘Where did video game music originate?’ ‘How has it evolved?’ ‘How has music improved since it began being developed?’ ‘Which games inspired the development of video game music?’ To finish the lesson, I updated my Annotated Bibliography, adding further information to my work, giving them a rating of how relevant each source is.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I continued to research more sources for my Annotated Bibliography, completing two more sections. I then updated my research notes, as proof of completing more work for my project. After class, I continued to rehearse “Spirit of Radio,” by Rush to prepare for my University audition. Ultimately, this was somewhat successful, as I continue to struggle with sections of the song. I will aim to work on this with my instrumental teacher to become more comfortable, and confident with the song.

 

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the class covered two genres, Metal and Punk. The first song that was introduced was, “My Heart will go on,” by Céline Dion. However, we were not told the title of the song, until we were introduced to the vocals. Firstly, I began on the drums, creating a beat that would suit the Metal style. Then, the rhythm guitarist and bassist rehearsed their sections, with the other guitarists joining soon after. However, the guitarists struggled with their sections, as they had relatively complex sections to learn. After rehearsing the instrumental sections, and correcting mistakes, the vocalists joined. The fast tempo of this version of the song, made it difficult for the vocalists to keep on track with the song. Finally, after multiple rehearsals, the song became increasingly better, but still had the potential to be better. Overall, this was a relatively successful piece, but I know that if the class had more time, it could have improved greatly. After the break, the class then covered the song, “Hot to Go,” by Chappell Roan. This began by the other drummer creating a beat within the Punk style. Further instrumentalists such as: the bassist, rhythm guitarist, and the other guitarists. Like the previous song, the instrumentalists rehearsed the song multiple times, becoming increasingly more successful with every rehearsal. Finally, the vocalists began to learn their sections, improving with each practise. After multiple rehearsals, the song began to sound significantly better, ultimately becoming a success. Overall, this session was successful, as it helped the class gain a further understanding of changing genres into a unique piece, within a different genre.

 

On Friday’s session in the performance room, me and the band continued to rehearse songs for the ‘Genres’ project. First, we decided to rehearse, “By the Way,” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. After multiple rehearsals, we realised that we required much more practise, in order to complete it. For example, the lyrics require more practise, so the vocalists remember each word, especially in the rap sections, as it is faster, and appears to confuse the vocalists slightly. I need to rehearse my sections more, to perfect it, as I am unsure in various areas of the song, such as the intro, where I struggle to remember when I should begin. We continued to rehearse this for a lot of the session, until moving onto the next song, “Tornado of Souls,” by Megadeth. The guitarists, and bassist rehearsed this song for a small period of time, to become familiar with the song. Although I am familiar with the song, I do not know my sections as much, as I have never played the drums to the song. After the break, we continued to rehearse, “Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas. The band are very familiar with this song, as we have rehearsed it a variety of times within the past few weeks. This was a successful rehearsal, with minimal mistakes made. To finish this session, we rehearsed, “Easier,” as the vocalists have not rehearsed this within the recent weeks and found it beneficial to run through the song. This was a mostly successful rehearsal, as a few mistakes were made, but we decided that we would cover this song in more detail next practical session. We recorded our last rehearsal of, “Easier,” which was mostly successful, but I made a mistake in the introduction, as my mind thought we were practising, “Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas for an unknown reason. I had to leave this session earlier, due to my sister’s Graduation, so I was not able to perform the bands’ progress in front of the class. However, I feel this session was beneficial to our current understanding of the songs, as we focused on improving the mistakes made, and continued to increase our confidence within each song.

 

Problems, Issues and solutions

​

One issue that appeared in Monday’s session in the classroom, was the lack of questions I managed to complete, as I was only able to complete four out of a potential five to ten questions. This would further prepare me for my essay, and by writing more, I could have felt more prepared with this section of my project.

To overcome this issue, I could research this in my own time and increase the amount of questions for my essay, preparing me further for my project. By doing this, I would have a stronger idea of what I am required to write in my essay, and I would overall struggle less.

 

One issue that appeared in Wednesday’s session in the performance room, was the rehearsal of the song, “My Heart will go on,” by Céline Dion. This is because the fast tempo of the song was difficult to keep up with for some, leading the song to appear muddled. I found this confusing, resulting in me potentially falling behind with the song.

To overcome this issue, it would be beneficial for the class to begin at a slower tempo and work the way up to the original tempo of the song. I feel by doing so, would allow the instrumentalists to become more familiar and confident with the song. This may result in a cleaner sound, which would be a massive improvement from that performed in class.

​

One issue that appeared in Friday’s session in the performance room was the final performance of, “Easier,” as in the beginning of the song, I began too early, thinking it was, “Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas. This could possibly be the result of rehearsing this song greatly within the session, so I automatically thought of that song as we began to rehearse.

To overcome this issue, I will communicate better in the band, as to which song is going to be rehearsed. I will also focus harder on the song that is going to be rehearsed, as to not make another mistake like this again. This will be easily avoided through much focus.

 

Reflection:

 

From Monday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to further prepare for my essay, by writing and answering relevant questions, which positively impacts my project, as it successfully organises my research. From Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to successfully contribute to the completion of my Annotated Bibliography, which positively impacts my project, as I am coming to the end of this section of work, allowing me to focus further on my essay, and preparing for my composition. From Wednesday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to transform a relatively slow song into a fast metal song. It has given me a clear insight of how a song can sound completely different if the genre is changed, helping me build my creativity towards the project. This has positively impacted my project, as it will prepare me and help me to change the genre of a chosen song for the ‘Genres’ performance. From Friday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to further focus on the songs for the project, as the rehearsal allowed me to become more confident amongst each song. This has positively impacted my project, as it further prepares me for the performance, by gaining more recognition with each individual song.

 

Targets for next week:

 

One target that I would like to achieve in the following week include the further completion of my Annotated Bibliography, as it will contribute to my knowledge and preparation for my essay, that I aim to start as soon as possible.

Another target that I would like to achieve in the following week include the successful rehearsal of each song for the performance in January, alongside the rehearsal of my audition piece for December in my own time. By doing so, it will help me to focus on my own sections for the performance, and prioritise the sections that I may struggle with, and may require longer to rehearse.

​

Week 2: 11/11/24

There was no session on Monday. However, I continued to rehearse the songs for the

performance in January. Overall, this was relatively successful, as it allowed me to focus

on my sections for the majority of the songs. I was unable to find, “Easier,” as I am unsure

on the artists who perform it, but the rest were mostly successful with minor mistake. I

feel I will need to rehearse, “Tornado of Souls,” by Megadeth the most, as this song

specifically confuses me further. This was a successful rehearsal, as I was able to focus on

my mistakes, rather than disregarding them.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I continued to update my Project Log and

Annotated Bibliography, which I feel was beneficial, as I was able to complete a relatively

good amount of work. I also continued to update practise worksheet for my Annotated

Bibliography. I feel that this was a successful session, as I was able to further complete

more aspects of my work.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the lesson began with another genre

change. The song for this session was, “Wannabe,” by the Spice Girls, transformed from a

pop song to a jazz song. The pianist began this song, learning the chords for the

introduction, before more instrumentalists began to learn their sections. After rehearsing

each section individually, the instrumentalists began to put each section together, to

create a whole song. After multiple rehearsals, the vocalists began to learn their sections.

This performance was ultimately successful, as each musician clearly understood their

role within the piece. This song also had a significantly slower tempo than that from last

week, appearing improved. After the break, each band separated into their designated

rooms. With the time we had, we decided to rehearse the songs for our performance in

January. In this session, I also realised that we might not be performing, “Tornado of

Souls,” by Megadeth, and that song may be for the Christmas gig in December. We

decided to focus our attention on, “Easier,” by Soft Launch, as the band are unsure of

some sections of the song, specifically towards the end of the song. After multiple mostly

successful rehearsals, we continued onto, “Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas. As we are

most familiar with this song as a band, we decided to only focus on this song briefly, with

a successful result. We decided that we will need more practise on, “Easier,” by Soft

Launch, as this is our least successful song to date. Before finishing, we decided to

rehearse, “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, which was relatively successful, we

will still need to rehearse the rap section, as it is still a general weakness of the song.

Overall, this session was successful, as I was able to further open my creativity when

transforming the genre of a song, alongside, gaining confidence with the songs for the

January performance.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, it was agreed that my band would be in the

main space, as there were people absent from the other band. This allowed me to

rehearse on an acoustic kit, becoming easier to perform. We decided to focus our

attention on, “Easier,” by Soft Launch. After listening to a live version of the band

performing it, I realised that I was rehearsing the song incorrectly. After taking a while to

listen to this version of the songs with headphones, I was then able to recreate the song

better with the drums. I feel that discovering this version was helpful to me, as it gave me

a clearer insight into the song. As a band, we decided to further rehearse this song with

this improvement, and it was clear that this increased the success of the song. We then

decided to rehearse, “Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas to take a break from the

previous song. Each rehearsal of this song was a success as we became more familiar and

confident with the song every time. After the break, continued to rehearse, “Easier,” by

Soft Launch again, as we felt like we needed more practise with this song before we

performed it to the class at the end of the session. We continued to successfully rehearse

the first sections of the song multiple times. To finish the session, we performed our progress of, “Easier,” by Soft Launch. This was ultimately a successful performance, with a clear improvement from the previous week. We recorded our progress of this song, and improvement is highlighted through our dedication towards the performance.​

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared in Tuesday’s

session in the classroom was that I feel I

could have completed more work in my

Annotated Bibliography, as I still need to

complete my essay alongside this. I also

need to spend more time working on my

essay, as I have only touched on it.

To overcome this issue, I will complete my Annotated Bibliography in my spare time, so I have more time to work on my essay in college. I will also structure out my essay, to make it significantly easier for me to complete, as it will help me with each required section.

​

One issue that appeared in Wednesday’s

session in the performance room, was the

rehearsal of, “Easier,” by Soft Launch. I feel

this requires more rehearsing, as the band

is relatively unsure of the second half of the

song, as we have not practised this half as

much as the other.

To overcome this issue, I will continue to rehearse the song in my own time, to become more familiar with it, allowing me to recognise mistakes I make and improve on them for sessions with the band. I feel this will allow me to help others with the song, and potentially complete the song for the next practical session.

​

One issue that appeared on Friday’s session

in the performance room was the

realisation that I was performing, “Easier,”

by Soft Launch incorrectly. This led me to

listening to the song in further detail, as I

was not completely familiar with these

sections of the song. The band decided to

help me with this issue, allowing me to

improve.

To overcome this issue, I will continue to rehearse the song in more detail and focus my attention on this in practical sessions with the band. Focusing on this song specifically will allow me to recognise the details of the song, eventually becoming successful. I aim for this in the next session.

​

Reflection:

​

From Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to further organise my work

within my Annotated Bibliography and my Project Log. This has positively impacted my

work, as I have further completed my project, allowing me to focus on further aspects,

such as my essay.

​

From Wednesday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to become more

successful with the songs for the Genres performance, recognising my mistakes, and

thriving to improve them, so I am able to perform them to the best of my ability. I was

also able to build my creativity with the genre swap of the song, “Wannabe,” by the Spice

Girls. This will further contribute to completion of the Genres performance, allowing the

band to prepare thoroughly.

​

From Friday’s session in the performance room, me and the band were able to rehearse

each song for the Genres performance thoroughly in the main space. This allowed me to

rehearse on an acoustic kit, preparing me for the performance at the end of the session. It continued to me gaining confidence with the songs, as I was able to highlight my full potential with each song. I feel the band as a whole benefitted from this, as we were able to get experience performing this on a stage.

​

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve for next week is, that I would like to begin my

composition, as I feel this would benefit me massively. I have a variety of ideas that I

would like to introduce into my project. I am looking to use BandLab for my composition,

as I feel this would be suitable for the style of my choice.

​

 

Another target that I would like to achieve for next week, is the development of the next

song for the Genres performance. This would benefit the band, as it would allow more

time for rehearsals, and to develop on mistakes throughout our time in class.

​

Week 3: 18/11/24

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I decided that I would continue to update my

Project Log, as I find that I ultimately enjoy documenting my work. This is because it

allows me to organise my research and progress within theory and practical lessons. After

completing this for the majority of the lesson with no struggle, I decided to begin a new

section of the Annotated Bibliography. I was unable to finish this work in the time of the

lesson, so I aim to finish this in the classroom, or in the LRC. I feel that this session was

ultimately successful, as I was able to complete my Project Log from the previous week,

and complete further sections of my Annotated Bibliography.

​

There was no lesson on Tuesday, so I decided to take it upon myself to rehearse for the

solo performance in December. After much consideration, I decided that I will alter the

song in which I was originally going to perform, “Spirit of Radio,” by Rush, as I continue to

struggle with sections, and stress that I will not be able to finish this in time. The song that

I finally chose to learn for the performance is, “Toxicity,” by System of a Down. I am

already very familiar with the song, so it was not difficult to rehearse. I continued to

watch multiple videos of people playing the song to get rough ideas of how to play the

chorus. After a while of unsuccessful attempts, I finally was able to perform this section

correctly. After a few hours of rehearsing this song, with breaks in between, I was able to

play the song to the best of my ability. This will require more practise, but I find will be

less stressful than the previous song. Ultimately, this was a successful rehearsal, as I feel I

made great progress, and will continue to build my skills within the song.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the band decided to rehearse songs

for the Genres performance in January. The class did not change the genre of a song, as it

was agreed that the performance should take priority. Firstly, we decided to practise,

“Easier,” by Soft Launch, as it is a work in progress. We decided to dedicate the majority

of the session rehearsing this song, as the last half of the song was not to the same quality

as the first half. I feel this was an overall success, as the band has noticed the significant

improvement, as we have each developed our skills within the song. We then decided to

touch upon, “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. After only a few rehearsals of

this song, we recognised the overall success within rehearsing the song. After the break,

we discussed which song we should alter for the genre change for the performance in

January. After an unsuccessful discussion, realising we could not decide on a suitable

song, we chose to draw our attention to the Christmas Gig in December, at the Studio. I

will not be present at the Gig, as I am attending another concert. However, I helped the

band rehearse, “Still into You,” by Paramore. We rehearsed this multiple times and

decided to dedicate next session to this song. This session was ultimately successful, as

we further developed the songs, “Easier,” by Soft Launch and, “Still into You,” by

Paramore. We also completed, “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, the band continued to rehearse, “Still into

You,” by Paramore, as decided in the previous session, for the Christmas gig in the Studio.

The vocalists required more rehearsals, due to the complexity of the vocals within the

song. This further allowed the instrumentalists to become familiar with the song, resulting

in improved rehearsals. After dedicating well – spent time to this song, we decided to

continue, “Easier,” by Soft Launch, as we felt this would be beneficial to improve, as we

were going to perform our progress in front of the class at the end of the session. I feel

these rehearsals were useful for the band, as it allowed us to improve our mistakes, while

helping each other. After the break, we continued to discuss more songs that could be

performed for the genre change. After a decent discussion, we did not discover a song

that we could perform for the Genres performance. This will need to be arranged as soon

as possible, as we do not have too much longer, before the performance. We then

continued to rehearse the songs for the performance at the end of the session. The set we agreed on were: “Easier,” by Soft Launch, “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, finishing with, “Still into You,” by Paramore. The first two songs resulted successfully, as they were each to strong accuracy. However, the final song was not successful, as I was unable to perform the drum fill to the best of my ability. This appeared throughout the song, becoming unsuccessful. Altogether, this session was mostly a success, due to the development of the previous songs, as they have thoroughly improved since the beginning of the project.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared on Monday’s

session in the classroom was that I have

struggled with keeping everything up to

date. I feel my Annotated Bibliography is

taking a while to complete, and I may be

falling behind on my work.

To overcome this issue, I will work on completing more research at home. I will research my sources for my Annotated Bibliography, so I am able to complete my work for the deadlines and complete the rest of my research in further detail.

​

One issue that appeared on Wednesday’s

session in the performance room was that

the last half of the song, “Easier,” by Soft

Launch as we struggle with this half more

than the first. I feel this section is not as

good when performing on stage in front of

the class, which may be obvious to those in

the audience.

To overcome this issue, I will discuss to focus on the last half of this song with the band in future sessions. I feel by doing so, it would improve the confidence within the band and have a cleaner result when performing in front of others.

​

One issue that appeared on Friday’s session

in the performance room was the final

performance of, “Still into You,” by

Paramore, as the drum fill in this song was

unsuccessful. I am relatively familiar with

this song; However, I have always struggled

with fills performed Paramore.

To overcome this issue, I will use my spare time to focus on this song, specifically on the fills that I struggled with. I aim to learn this for future sessions, as to help the band with the Christmas gig that I am unable to attend

​

Reflection:

​

From Monday’s session in the classroom, I have learned more ways in which I can spend

my time while working. For example, I will complete the Project Log from the previous

week while I still remember the information. I will also complete more of the Annotated

Bibliography in class, while touching upon my essay and composition. This will positively

impact my work, as it allows me to further organise my research.

​

From Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the band learned how to overall

improve the song, “Easier,” by Soft Launch, and build on sections that we are not

particularly successful with. This has positively impacted my work, as it has increased

mine and the bands’ confidence while performing this song.

​

From Friday’s session in the performance room, I have learned how to become more

patient when learning a complex song, as the band helped each other to understand the

song, “Still into You,” by Paramore. This will mean that we will become comfortable with the song for them to perform at the Christmas performance.

​

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve for next week is the completion of my essay for,

“Music in Video Games.” I feel this would be beneficial for me, as it would allow me to

complete another aspect of my research, allowing me to further focus on other sections

of the project. I aim to complete it, if not, complete the majority of it.

​

 

Another target that I would like to achieve for next week is the completion of the song,

“Still into You,” by Paramore. This is because I would like to know the song, to not let

those in my band down for the final performance. I would like to be able to help those

who need it and prepare them for the gig.

​

Week 4: 25/11/24

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I continued to contribute to my Project Log, so I

am able to keep track of mine and the bands’ progress throughout the project. After

completing the previous weeks’ work, I decided to start on my essay called, “The History

and Development of Video Game Music.” I feel this title implies the overall aspects that I

will be covering within the essay. In this session, I was able to complete the Introduction

section of my research, with a word count of 133. I feel to improve and cover the 1500-

word limit, I may need to update this section to have a successful essay.

​

On Tuesday’s session, I decided to fully dedicate my focus on the essay, spending multiple

hours researching and writing up more sections. In this session as a whole, I was able to

complete a further 836 words for a variety of sections, including: Origin of video game

music, Key characteristics, Development of Video game music and Key composers. I aim

to add more to these sections, as I feel they require more detail within them.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the class decided to split off into

bands and continue to rehearse songs for the Christmas gig that takes place in the next

few weeks. After a while of successfully rehearsing songs such as, “By the Way,” by The

Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Still into You,” by Paramore, the replacement drummer took

over until the break. In this time, they decided to continuously rehearse these songs.

After a confusing discussion, it was brought to my attention that The Red Hot Chili

Peppers song was for the Christmas Gig and not the Genres performance in January, like I

originally thought. After the break, I continued to rehearse on the drums, performing,

“Easier,” by Soft Launch with the band. After a variety of successful attempts at the song,

we continued to discuss more songs that could be potentially performed in the January

Genres performance. This discussion was overall unsuccessful, as we were unable to

identify more songs to perform at this performance. To finish the session, we just decided

to rehearse our progress with the previously mentioned songs, to improve them for the

upcoming gigs. This session was relatively successful, as we were able to learn the songs

more confidently, however, we have not made much progress in finding more songs to

rehearse for the performances.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, it was agreed amongst the class that my

band would be in the main space, while the other band was in the practise room. This was

not ideal due to my increasingly painful earache. However, I did not want to let the band

down, so I decided to put headphones on to drown out some noise due to the sensitivity

of my ears. I struggled for the majority of this session, making me realise I may have to

postpone my solo performance on the following Friday. For most of this session, we

decided to rehearse the songs from the previous session, as we were unable to agree on a

song that would be suitable for the performances. This included the rehearsal of the

songs: “Easier,” by Soft Launch, “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and, “Still into

You,” by Paramore. I feel we could have done more rehearsals by the end of the session

and did not get too far with improvements. This was a relatively successful session, but I

feel we could have done more. We finished this session by performing our progress on

stage at the end of the session, which was ultimately successful.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared on Tuesday’s session in the classroom was that I feel I was capable of completing more of my essay in further detail. I need to add more sections, alongside improving my work so far.

To overcome this issue, I aim to complete more of this in future sessions, and in my own time, finding suitable resources to help me with my work. I aim to finish this by the following week.

​

One issue that appeared in Wednesday’s

session in the performance room was the

lack of ideas the band were able to come

up with, to find a song for the genre switch.

I find this will be an issue as the January

performances becomes closer, as we will

not have much time to prepare the songs,

and they may not be as good quality as we

would like it to be.

To overcome this issue, I aim to research a suitable genre for a selection of songs that may work well with the band. This may include a variety of genres such as Jazz, Blues or Rock. I aim to discuss this with the band, so we are able to find a song within the next few sessions.

​

One issue that appeared in Friday’s session

in the performance room was the lack of

improvement amongst the band. We were

unable to find another song to perform,

which is becoming an issue as there is less

time before both the Christmas gig and the

January performance.

To overcome this issue, I aim to have further discussions with the band about the other songs for each performance, as well as practising the chosen songs in my own time so I can feel more confident with the songs and so I can help the band if they need it. It will also prepare us for a better performance for each gig.

​

Reflection:

​

From Monday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to successfully begin my essay

through the introduction. I was able to discuss my reason for choosing this genre,

alongside the topics featured within my essay. This has positively impacted my work, due

to the ultimate success of this section, which will allow me focus on other parts of the

essay.

​

From Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to successfully build my essay by

producing further sections, such as: Origin of video game music, Key characteristics,

Development of Video game music and Key composers. I feel by completing significantly

more than the previous session, I am on track to complete this by the following week. This

has positively impacted my work, as I am halfway finished with m essay, which will allow

me to focus more on my Annotated Bibliography.

​

From Wednesday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to become

increasingly more confident with the songs for the performances. Even though I am

unable to attend the Christmas performance, I am able to successfully help the band

when they need help. This has positively impacted my work, as the mistakes within the

songs are decreasing to very little, mostly none. I am also able to help other build on their

mistakes.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to further improve the songs

from the previous sessions. I began struggling with my hearing in this session, which I

found difficult to perform with. The lack of rehearsal was partially due to this as I found it

painful to perform. However, we were still able to practise, which positively impacted my

work, as it helped me build my overall stage presence while performing.

​

 

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve by next week is the completion of my essay. I feel

like I will be able to complete it due to the current success of my work. I would like to

improve the current sections to ensure my work is to the best of my ability.

​

Another target that I would like to achieve by next week is finding a suitable song for the

Genres performance in January. I feel this would benefit our rehearsal time, as we would

have more to practise in each session. Me and the band will research more genres and

songs in our spare time to achieve this.

​

Week 5: 02/12/24

I was unable to attend college for Monday’s session in the classroom, due to an ear

infection that I have been struggling with recently. I noticed it get significantly worse and

was unable to focus, so I was recommended to take the day off.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I decided I would like to continue my essay, in

which I was able to complete a slight bit more but was unable to complete much due the

pain in my ear. I attended the whole session but was incapable of working to the best of

my ability. I feel I could have done more in this session, as I have been pushing myself to

complete my essay by the end of the week. This session was ultimately unsuccessful, as I

did not complete more than 100 words for my essay due to the increasingly more painful

ear infection.

​

On Wednesday, I attended college for the first half of the day, further completing more

work for my essay. After a while of researching, I also began updating my practise

Annotated Bibliography worksheet. I find this was relatively successful, as I was able to

finish more than I did in the previous session. However, I was sick, making me unable to

attend the following class. I find this made me put my work to a stop while I found ways

to try to improve my ear pain and sickness.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, me and the band continued to rehearse

songs from the previous sessions, which included: “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili

Peppers and, “Still into You,” by Paramore. These rehearsals were relatively successful,

although, they require a slight bit more practise. Halfway through the lesson, the other

drummer came in to fill in for their sections of the songs for the Christmas performance,

further rehearsing, a new song, “Wish you were here,” by Pink Floyd. After multiple

rehearsals of this song, it became recognised that they were becoming confident with the

song. However, this was only temporary, as they had to leave, allowing me to continue

rehearsing with the band. We decided to further focus on these songs, as it would be

beneficial for the band, as the performance is coming increasingly closer. This session was

ultimately successful, due to the current improvements that the band are working

towards.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared overall, was that I

fell behind with my work, as I missed two

sessions, one theory and one practical. I

feel this has impacted my work negatively,

as I will not be up to date with my work,

and may miss deadlines.

To overcome this issue, I will complete more research at home, so I am able to catch up on work that I may have missed while I was not in college. It will also allow me to complete my work for the upcoming deadlines.

​

One issue that appeared on Tuesday’s

session in the classroom, was the lack of

work I was able to complete when writing

my essay. I was only able to complete a

small amount of work, which negatively

impacted my work.

To overcome this issue, I may still have to complete further aspects of my work before sessions, or spend practical lessons updating my essay. This will help me catch up, allowing me to complete this for the deadline on the 16th December.

​

One issue that appeared on Friday’s session in the performance room, were the continuous mistakes that the band, as a whole were making. I feel that, as the performance is so close, it is important to focus and learn from mistakes. To overcome this issue, I will discuss this issue to ensure no mistakes, so the performance in the following weeks is successful. I think this will improve our skills as a band, and will prepare us further.

​

Reflection:

From Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to mostly overcome my illness to

continue producing a successful essay. Regardless of the lack of work I was able to

complete, I feel like I still successfully contributed to my work, as I was able to update and

improve various sections.

​

From Friday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to observe the band, by

listening and watching them perform. By doing so, I feel I was able to truly view the

success of the songs chosen for the Christmas performance, and how the band has

improved overall.

​

 

Targets for next week:

​

One target I would like to achieve in the following week is the full completion of my essay.

Although this has been a target in previous weeks, I think my infection will clear enough

for me to focus and complete my work. By doing so, I will allow myself more time on

further aspects of the project.

​

 

Another target that I would like to achieve in the following week is the completion of my

composition. In my free time, I will research aspects that I would like to include into my

composition, such as the Key, the key change, tempo and a rough melody. By doing this, I

feel I will be able to prepare myself for the upcoming task, which may decrease stress, as

the end pf this project nears.

​

Week 6: 09/12/24

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I decided to focus on my essay, and the

completion of it. I spent the whole session updating sections, specifically the final

sections: Key Composers and My Composition. In this session, I was able to complete the

majority of my essay, but had I been able to attend the previous sessions, I feel I would

have been able to finish it, but due to circumstances, I have been unable too. I decided

that I would be able to update, improve, and overall finish this in the following class, on

Tuesday. This session in the classroom was ultimately successful, as I was able to

complete a large portion of my essay, which I aim to complete in the following session, as

it would be helpful within my project.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I decided to complete more of my Annotated

Bibliography, watching a video and describing it’s use within my project. After completing

one source for this, I continued with my essay, completing it at 1520 words. I may still add

more detail in the time before it is due. For the final part of the session, I decided to

continue with my Project Log, updating it, as I fell behind slightly due to the previous

illness. Overall, this session was successful, as I managed to further complete my

Annotated Bibliography and fully finish my essay.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the band decided to fully focus on the

songs for the Christmas gig, specifically, “Wish you were here,” by Pink Floyd, as this song

is relatively new to the band and are not familiar with this as much as the others. After

dedicating the majority of this session to this song, and practising with the other

drummer, the band decided to continue rehearsing the songs from the previous sessions,

including: “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and, “Still into You,” by Paramore.

Towards the end of the session, it was agreed that the band would rehearse in the main

space, giving the other drummer experience on a stage with their new band. This session

was successful due to the lack of mistakes with and without the replacement drummer.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, it was agreed that we would spend this final

session working and improving on the songs for the Christmas Gig for the following week.

This was the final practical session before the performance, so it was important we

rehearse this, and perfect it to the best of our abilities. We began running through the

chosen set list in the order: “By the Way,” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Still into You,”

by Paramore, finishing with, “Wish you were here,” by Pink Floyd. I think the band are

prepared for the performance, as, for each practise, there were no mistakes. We decided

it would be beneficial for the band to focus on the set, to become familiar with the order

and each individual section of each song, to ensure the highest quality performance

possible. I feel these rehearsals further prepared the band for the performance, as each

individual has greatly understood their role, foreshadowing the ultimate success of the

performance. This session was successful, due to the amount of preparation we were able

to undertake for the upcoming gig.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared on Monday /

Tuesday’s session in the classroom, was

that I was still unable to complete my

essay. I feel this is an issue, as the due date.

To overcome this issue, I will work on finishing this on Monday, or earlier if possible. This will allow me to work on my is becoming increasingly near, which may hold me back with further aspects of the project. composition, and the improvement of practical work.

​

Another issue that appeared on Monday /

Tuesday’s session in the classroom was that

my Annotated Bibliography remains

incomplete, similar to that of the essay. It is

possible that I may struggle to return this

on the due date,

To overcome this issue, I will research the required videos or websites at home, so I am able to complete this for the upcoming deadline. I will ensure that any last minute details will be covered in the following Monday’s session.

​

One issue that appeared on Wednesday’s

session in the performance room was the

lack of preparation within the song, “Wish

you were here,” by Pink Floyd. I feel this

song could have had a higher quality if we

had longer to rehearse it. It was also only

decided more recently to perform this

song, becoming a slight issue in itself.

To overcome this issue, I think it would be beneficial to rehearse outside from sessions, as a band. I feel this would allow for a more relaxed atmosphere, helping the confidence with those within the band. The rehearsal of the specific song, “Wish you were here,” by Pink Floyd would allow the performers to further prepare.

​

Reflection:

​

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to fully focus my attention on the

final sections of the essay, improving my work as a whole. I feel this has positively

impacted my project, as I have been finally able to fully focus on my essay, completing a

larger portion than I was able too in the previous week.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I learned how to complete a further section of my

Annotated Bibliography, becoming very close to finishing this aspect within the project. I

was also able to update some sections of my essay, reaching the minimum word count.

This positively impacted my project, due to the successful turn my work has recently

taken. I was able to update further aspects within the project, very nearly completing two

sections, which I aim to complete by Monday.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to further help the band

with the songs for the upcoming performance, specifically, “Still into You,” by Paramore.

Becoming an audience member allowed me to see clear strengths, and success within the

band, which positively impacted the project, due to the strong teamwork.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, I learned how to improve my overall stage

presence, as this is an important aspect that I feel should be looked at as a performer.

This will help me grow as a musician, through gigs with a band to solo performances. This

will positively impact my project, as it will help me through the ‘Genres’ performance in

January, increasing the quality of the gig.

​

 

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve in the following week is the improvement of the

final section of the essay, as I feel this, specifically, could obtain more detail, before I hand

this section of my project in. I aim to do this by the following Monday, for the due date.

​

Another target that I would like to achieve in the following week is the continuation of rehearsals for the performance in January. I feel this gig should be a priority, due to the lack of time me and the band have to prepare for this. I aim to rehearse the chosen songs at home to build my confidence, as it has been some time since we practised these songs in a college session.

​

Week 7: 16/12/24

A brief outline of what happened in the session this week, remember to give examples

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I decided to dedicate my time into completing my

Annotated Bibliography, and with any remaining time, I aimed to add further details to

my essay. With only one remaining section for my Annotated Bibliography, I put my full

focus towards this, watching and taking notes for the final video. After a detailed and

successful section, I decided to continue to update my essay, increasing the word count to

1572. I feel this extra detail will help improve my essay, building a stronger, more

powerful description of my chosen topic. This was ultimately a successful session, as I was

able to fully complete both my essay and my Annotated Bibliography, allowing me to

focus on the beginning of my composition.

​

On Tuesday’s session, it was agreed that the class would be in the performance room, as

this lesson fell on the same day as the performance. For the first half of the session, the

band decided to have a final few rehearsals for each song for the following performance.

All of these rehearsals were successful, ultimately preparing each musician for the

upcoming gig. For the final section of this lesson, I decided it would be beneficial to catch

up on my Project Log, as I have been falling behind, due to my focus on the Annotated

Bibliography and my essay, alongside the ear infection I suffered in the previous weeks.

This session was overall successful, due to the success of each song for the performance,

which helped the musicians become increasingly more confident.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the classroom, I decided to completely focus on my Project

Log, as college closes for Christmas the following day, meaning there is no session on

Friday. As I have finished two other aspects of the Genres Project to complete, I decided I

will catch up with my Project Log for this session, and begin my composition after the

Christmas break, as it will allow me to focus my full attention on this. I fell behind slightly

with this, due to the ear infection that only recently healed.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared on Monday /

Tuesday’s session in the classroom was that

I have not been able to catch up on my

Project Log, which will become a big issue

in the long run.

To overcome this issue, I will work on this at home, in my spare time, so I do not fall behind, and so I have this finished for the due date.

​

One issue that appeared generally was that

I have not been able to rehearse for my

practise audition which I should have

participated in, in the previous weeks.

To overcome this issue, I will practise my chosen piece on my electric kit at home, switched off, to not further damage my ears with the tune playing relatively quietly in the background.

​

Another general issue that has appeared is

the lack of preparation for the genres gig in

January. I feel this should have taken

priority instead of the other performance,

as it was not graded, whereas this one is.

To overcome this issue, I will discuss the songs, to rehearse them myself over the Christmas period. I will fully prepare myself for this, so when we come back in January, I am ready for the performance.

​

Reflection:

​

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I was able to complete my essay and Annotated

Bibliography, in which I learned how to manage my time correctly throughout this project.

This positively impacted my work, as it allowed me to successfully highlight my research

through various aspects within the project.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the performance room, I was able to see a successful preparation

for the gig, which positively impacted my project, as it highlights the bands’ strong work

ethic, and how we / they work well together as a whole.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the classroom, I further caught up on my Project Log, which

positively impacted my project, as it ensures that I am on track to complete this for the

upcoming due date in January.

​

 

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve in the following week, would be catching up with

my Project Log, as this, more than anything at the moment, is an issue. I aim to do this in

sessions in college and at home.

​

Another target that I would like to achieve in the following week, would be to know all

songs for the Genres performance, as this will help for sessions after Christmas.

​

Week 8: 06/01/25

A brief outline of what happened in the session this week, remember to give examples

On Monday’s session in the classroom, I decided to begin my composition on BandLab. I

overall decided to complete this in the key of C major. When composing music in previous

years, I ultimately found it useful to experiment with rhythms and melodies to discover

the suitable ones to use within my composition. After a while, I found a melody, which I

enjoyed and fit the genre I chose. I decided to make slight changes to the second bar to

not sound completely repetitive, as music in video games feature a very repetitive

melody. I also decided to end the fourth bar with a lower octave, finishing at C5, whereas

the others finish at C6. I feel this appears to sound more finished. This session was

ultimately successful, as I began to start writing a successful piece, that fits the chosen

theme.

​

On Tuesday’s session in the classroom, I decided I would continue with my composition,

while I still have good ideas as to where I would like the piece to go. I decided to repeat

the four bars I originally created, as my piece has to be relatively repetitive. I also changed

the rhythm in the next bars to appear faster, with more notes to connote energy within

the piece. I added more instruments, such as a marimba, flute and drums in this section

to further build the composition. This session was ultimately successful, as I was able to

add more aspects to my piece, with alterations for further interest.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, the band thought it was important to

arrange the other songs to perform for the Genres gig. It was agreed that we would still

be performing, “Easier,” by Soft Launch, however, we know this song relatively well, so

we thought we should focus on other songs, such as, “Bubbles,” by System of a Down.

This rehearsal was mostly successful, as the instrumentalists were familiar with their

sections, which was an ideal foundation for the song. This will require more practise in the

following sessions, but due to the lack of time we have until the performance, we decided

to further focus on songs, such as, “Reptilia,” by the Strokes. As it was the first time I

heard this piece, I decided to take some time away and listen to this. After some time of

becoming familiar with this song, we decided to rehearse it, which was relatively

successful. We decided to look over the mistakes made in each practise, improving each

time. By the end of the session, the band appeared to feel quite confident within this

song, allowing us to further focus on other songs in the next session. We will continue to

build these pieces, to ensure they are perfect for the upcoming performance. This session

was successful, as we were able to start and almost finish a new song, alongside building

another. We will work on other songs, such as the genre switch in next session, which is a

psychedelic version of, “Therefore I am,” by Billie Eilish.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, the band decided to begin the session with,

“Reptilia,” by the Strokes, to remind ourselves of the song, which was relatively

successful, as we became familiar with this in the previous session. After touching upon

this song, we decided to work on the song for the genre switch. We found a YouTube

video with a band performing, “Therefore I am,” by Billie Eilish, in the style of a Pink Floyd

song. We thought this would fit well with our current songs, as we have not covered this

genre, so we decided this would be suitable for the project. We attempted this a few

times, with various mistakes made throughout. We then decided to improve our

mistakes, and rehearse the song in further detail, which eventually resulted successfully.

Towards the end of the session, we found it would be a good idea to start another song.

After a small discussion we agreed on the song, “Hysteria,” by Muse, which we began to

rehearse shortly after. We were only able to practise this for a short amount of time, due

to the lesson coming to an end. This session was ultimately successful due to the amount

of work we managed too mostly complete. The setlist is now arranged, making rehearsals

easier.

​

Problems and issues that appeared:

​

One issue that appeared on Monday’s

session in the classroom, was that I

struggled to find a suitable melody /

rhythm for my composition. Specifically,

one that did not clash with the other.

To overcome this issue, I will use advice from others, such as teachers or peers, and see if they think that the rhythm / melody is suitable.

​

One issue that appeared on Tuesday’s

session in the classroom, was that I did not

know where to take my composition, as I

feel a key modulation may not be

necessary, but I might have to input a

change. I also struggled with further

sections within my piece.

To overcome this issue, I will use advice, as previously mentioned, to see how my piece can sound to the best of my ability. I feel a key change may not be needed to make my piece suitable within the project.

​

One issue that appeared on Wednesday /

Friday’s session in the performance room

was the mistakes made when rehearsing,

throughout a number of songs. I feel this

may continue through to the upcoming

performance.

To overcome this issue, I feel like the band need to rehearse this in thorough detail, in and outside from sessions, as it will help each individual to focus on their own sections. It will also build confidence and familiarity with each song.

​

Reflection:

​

On Monday’s session I learnt how to successfully start a composition, with the correct

requirements for the chosen theme. This has positively impacted my project, as it further

compliments my essay and Annotated Bibliography, as it maintains the same theme

throughout.

​

On Tuesday’s session, I learnt how to build my composition, by using more instruments,

and continuing to improve sections. This positively impacted my work, as I am on track to

further complete another section of my project.

​

On Wednesday’s session in the performance room, I learnt how to gain confidence with

the songs for the upcoming performance in the Studio, which positively impacted my

work, as I am now able to focus on adding fills into sections of each song.

​

On Friday’s session in the performance room, I learnt how to successfully flip a genre

from a pop song to psychedelic. This positively impacted my work, as I was able to

understand more about each genre, alongside gaining another song for the performance.

​

 

Targets for next week:

​

One target that I would like to achieve in the following week would be the completion of my composition. I feel this will be possible if I work both in and outside from college session. I will also use advice from those around me to help me to improve sections.

​

Another target that I would like to achieve in the following week would be the completion

of the songs for the genres project. I feel this will benefit the band, as a whole, and it will

ensure a high-quality performance. I will also work on this at home to help me gain

confidence and familiarity with the songs.

​

​