End of Act I

The last week of college before the Christian holidays and I plan to depart with a feeling of relief and relaxation as I hope to have completed the first semester with a reasonable amount of success. Despite the major issues that students and tutors have been facing lately I found it surprising how most people coped and delivered most of their work on time and think the positive efforts in achieving status quo should not go unrecognised.
The start of the week was a genuine nightmare if I am to be honest and at one point I felt that I would not be able to submit all my work on time which would have led to the need for a re-submission which is capped at 40% and not at all to my liking. After weeks of various PC problems I have been trying to be more careful regarding backing up information and as fate always allows I was being too clinical and instead of backing up my old information with the new I replaced the new with the old. In I.T. terms this is called deleting and if it wasn’t for my constant use of Blackboard and GroupWise I would have lost all trace of all the work I have done this year.
Thankfully I managed to gather most of my projects and was left with only my 3000 word ensemble research and my multimedia proposal to start from scratch. Unfortunately I had a multitude of tasks this week and was faced with the daunting mission of completing my ensemble research paper in between the Blues Brother’s performance and rehearsals before attempting to continue afterwards to meet the 4pm deadline. To be honest the mission failed and due to poor planning and technical errors I submitted a 2700 word paper that I was not proud of at all.
The Blues Brother’s performance itself was pleasing and although it felt quite formal performing to a handful of students and a tutor I was pleased at how much enthusiasm everyone put into the performance. I thought the show was impressive and afterwards we received praise from the tutor and other students who were kind enough to comment on the authenticity and showmanship within the performance which was pleasing and probably the motivational foundation of my 2700 word research attempt.
I also managed to submit my production project on time and after a few nights of hard work and tiresome audio mastering, I finally settled on my tracks and began correlating all the segments of the projects. After burning these tracks to audio CD at the correct rate I began preparing my CD cover and supporting research and text which looked quite professional despite the last minute tattered edges.
I also managed to submit my literature review in a timely fashion and can go on holiday for nearly 6 weeks now knowing that unless I have failed any of these projects I do not have to worry about a re-submission for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy the holidays and remember to drop in again to find out if the New Year starts as it should!

Out Of My Hands!

Despite my genuine hopes that I would get back to college this week the weather had other ideas as it played a cruel trick on the commuters of Scotland during rush hour on Monday morning. It has been a big concern all week as there was severely limited public travel available from Dundee to Perth resulting in another missed week of the wonderful college facilities. Fortunately the majority of my projects have been completed at home and in my own project studio however I have missed the benefit of the usual tutor feedback and student collaboration which I feel helps keep me motivated throughout. This aside I have found comfort in knowing that we have been given extensions in all of our projects excluding the ensemble performance.
I have managed to finish the main body of my research literature review and my problems with when to reference have continued. I did find a number of documents online regarding the footnotes referencing system however I find it more logical to study a system then review an outputted source so that I can reverse engineer the system operations and find confidence in my ability to use the system. A huge benefit of this literature review is that it has allowed me to review my research material and measure its value with regard to my argument before I begin the production and structure of the argument itself. Out with these issues I have been able to grasp the nature of my argument better and believe that I have all the information I need to go forward and strengthen my research.
The biggest concern of not being able to attend college has been the lack of band meetings and practice. It has been almost 3 weeks since the band last practised together and I believe that we have only had 2 full practices with the semi-completed line-up. The performance is due to be delivered on the 17th December and so far there looks to be no provisions for the lost time that we have already experienced. It should not be a great concern however I have little faith in the positivity, motivation and reliability of most musicians and hope that the band I am working with can pull a satisfactory performance together for next Friday.
There is little to report with regard to the digital audio project other than the final draft stage of the project proposal being completed. I am feeling very comfortable with this project and have prepared most of the content already leaving me only the final design of the website to consider along with the editing of the video documentary I plan to include.
The progress of my portfolio project has been hindered due to lack of meetings with my designated designer. We are due to make a presentation of our work so far and although we have completed most of this work I am unsure how it is to be presented and what supporting materials are needed for this presentation. I am confident however that if I get into college on Monday then I can correct any issues by the Tuesday deadline.
The specialist production project has entered its final stages and I am still dealing with the frustrating task of mastering and post production. I was advised by student sound engineers to not master too much at once and take regular breaks from the monitoring process which I have found to be very helpful during these processes. I now have to provide an evaluation of the outcome of the project and finalise my product in a presentable manner with supporting information.
A disappointing 14 days at home which has only been improved by my progress which I feel has come from total submersion in the projects I am involved with. Usually I only attend college a few days a week but the recent closure and transport problems has left me stranded at home with only the project deadlines to think about. Hopefully this progress will be valuable in the next week as I look to meet all the deadlines before the Christmas break.

Snowed Under!

A remarkable turn of events this week as the whole nation is subject to the untimely effects of nature changing. Almost a full week of snow has brought Scotland to a standstill with colleges and schools closed up and down the country, a constant reminder that full control of our lives is never in our own hands. Despite the lack of control it has been comforting to spend more time at home and have found inspiration from the peaceful organising I have been able to do. It has been a week of re-prioritising with the closure of the facilities normally available to me hindering my progress with each of my projects.
Although I have had a lot of time at home with IT and internet access I have found the daily involvement with my PC to be tedious and laborious whilst offering the new challenge of finding motivation and productivity amongst extreme boredom. I am fighting through this menial limitation and have made some solid progress with my dissertation and the literature review which is to be submitted in 2 weeks time. The compilation of this literature review has helped me better understand the resources themselves and I feel this will hold me in good stead for the main research paper.
There was no band practice for the Blues Brothers this week as college was closed and despite the luxury of a week off I do hope that college resumes next week as the final performance is due to be delivered on the 17th December and we are far from being ready to deliver an impressive performance although if needs must I would confidently rely on my personality and stagecraft to create such a show.
No time in digital multimedia this week however I have all the facilities I need at home for this project and have made the final adjustments to my project proposal and hope to submit this for review as soon as classes commence again. I have been using the web design software Serif, which I use on my own computer more and might use this for the final production in place of iWeb on the iMacs in college.
Next week is deadline day for my portfolio project as I am required to submit a personal logo, CD/DVD cover and facial portraits which are part of the completed project. I have not met with my designated designer recently but plan to e-mail him to discuss the progress he has made with these items. The items themselves are not too difficult to produce and I am confident that if needed I can help my designer make them during class time on deadline day itself.
The specialist production project has had more of my time than any other this week as I look to finalise the mastering of each track and ready for compilation on the EP I intend to submit as my tangible product. I am very happy with the recordings so far and despite recent regrets I am confident that my product could be competitive in the market of solo singer/songwriters.
A quite week spent mostly at home and the snow continues as I type causing concern over the possible closure of college next week. I also had a performance cancelled last Sunday due to the adverse weather conditions and will just have to progress with all the work I can do at home which will leave me in a stronger position when college resumes.

Almost Half Way!

I am approaching the last few weeks of the first semester and with deadlines drawing near I am feeling a little anxious and pressured with the different aspects of each project I am undertaking. Looking back on proceedings so far I have realised that the efforts have put in so far will have to be doubled to ensure that I progress satisfactorily in the next semester. Despite these anxieties and my ever present forward thinking I also realise that it is very important to focus on the here and now to ensure that each little step I take is pivotal in the outcome of my academic year.
I am currently preparing a literature review for my dissertation research which is due to for submission in little over 2 weeks. The reviewing process has been simple, however I am still finding it difficult to reference material effectively and recognise that I need to research this process quickly and adjust my written work accordingly. I am confident that I will correct this sooner than later but am slightly concerned as I have already stated this in last week’s blog.
Recent progress with the Blues Brothers ensemble project has been impressive although I still have a few concerns regarding stage direction of the band and also the participation of the brass section which has been very limited so far. We again managed to work our way through 7 of the 10 songs on our set list without too much error and have also made plans to finish off the other 3 songs in the next 3 weeks. Next week I will raise my concern about the performance and hope that we can resolve any issues that may hinder our final performance.
The digital multimedia project has been slow recently with my time spent fine tuning my project proposal although in my own time I have been building the content required for the production of my intended website. I only have some video content to produce and I am then ready to start building the website which I know will not take too long as I have previous experience using web design software.
My portfolio project has also been moving slowly as I have not met up with my designer for a while and certain deadlines are drawing near. I hope to have a meeting with my designated designer to discuss the content that needs to be ready for the 7th December. This content includes a personal logo, CD/DVD cover and facial portrait which I also intend to use for other projects so it is important the finalisation of these items happens soon.
The specialist production project is a choice module which last only 1 semester and has recently became an urgent priority as I edit my project proposal whilst working on the 5 tracks that I need to submit an EP that is 20 minutes minimum in length. I am almost finished with the project proposal and I am in the final stages of mastering each track required for the EP I intent to produce. The content itself has been pleasing to produce however I still have a few regrets regarding the way I have recorded each track but feel that this has been a great learning curve in improving my recording and production techniques.
Overall it has been another satisfying week of progress which I feel will continue as long as I manage to prioritise my workload and concerns to allow me to effectively and efficiently manage my time and the resources involved in each project.

Back On Track.

Another week of progress as I reap the benefits of feeling like myself again and continue with the recent advances I have been making within each project. Although I have set up a schedule to manage my time I am still guilty of shifting deadlines to suit myself and need to find more discipline in this area. I am finding that this weakness is my main obstacle as I try to finish of certain stages of each project in time to meet the different deadlines I have been given. Identifying a weakness is often the first stage in managing or eradicating it and I feel that a strength I have is to realise weakness early but I feel I need to improve drastically in dealing with the weakness itself.
With the aim of honest reporting I must admit that I have done very little work towards my dissertation lately and have been finding it difficult to maintain the referencing I need in my work. In the past I have relied on my excellent memory storage and tend to free flow information when I am writing or typing which has been stalled due to the referencing that is required for different opinions and statements. I am confident that I will overcome this soon and apply any conditioning to other projects that have suffered a similar fate.
A busy time with my digital multimedia project as I received feedback on the newest draft of my project proposal and also benefited from a tutorial session on using video editing software Final Cut HD. This tutorial has completed the initial knowledge I need to produce all the content for my personal website and I am now very confident that I have all I need to go forward and deliver a professional and creative product to enhance my career opportunities.
The Blues Brothers ensemble project has improved vastly in a week with regards to both the performance and research aspects of the project. We have managed to draft a structure of how our research will be delivered and after a successful practice we have managed to learn and perform 7 of the 10 songs we intend to play on our set list. This practice alone has given me great confidence in our performance and I believe that if we continue this weekly progress then our final performance will be well researched, memorable and professional.
I did not meet with my designated designer this week but have made contact regarding upcoming deadlines for certain stages of the project. I need to arrange another photo shoot to allow my designer to take a facial portrait of myself and use across different aspects of my portfolio. There is no class for the next 3 weeks as we organise ourselves to present a logo, printed t-shirt and portraits which should be problem to deliver as I already have this material ready to review and deliver.
I am entering the final weeks of my specialist production project and with all recordings complete I am now concentrating on the mastering and overall production of each track. I intend to use 5 tracks to compile an EP that is at least 20 minutes in duration and can be presented as a professional product ready for public release. Due to third party participation failure I have resorted to completing this project at home and have found this to be a positive as I am now more efficient with my home project studio.
Winter draws near so more motivation will be needed to keep consistency with the recent progress I have made and I know that adherence to my schedule a drop more of discipline will help me through the darker days that feel so long.

Fighting Fit!

After a great deal of annoyance regarding health issues I am now feeling better and a lot more positive towards the different tasks I have for my degree course and personal projects. Despite the fact I managed to maintain a satisfactory level of output during illness I now feel that this new lease of energy will help me push ahead and keep my head above the water, where I like to be.
The Beatles research topic I am using for my dissertation has proved its worth as my search for new and relevant information has not been useless. I have found a variety of new sources and also realise that my dependence on books has been an obstacle in my search for specific information sources. Small essays and journal articles have been my saviour this week as I managed to find a few on the website rocks back pages which investigate the activities of the Beatles in a more constructive manner, leaving out general aesthetics. I am now concentrating on my literature review which is due to be submitted in December and since beginning this I have found that I am finding clearer direction with the whole project.
For the digital audio multimedia project I have completed a second draft of my project proposal and am currently awaiting feedback whilst I continue with the design of my personal website and also the content to be included within. Due to multiple tasking across projects the content needed for this project will be drawn from the content needed for other projects.
Our Blues Brothers band was back on schedule this week and with a few tweaks to our set list we are now almost half complete with the rendition of the full set. We plan to practice 3 new songs next week which will hopefully leave 2 more to practice to fulfil the needs of the full set. We are also hoping to finish these tasks quickly so that we can then concentrate on other aspects of our performance such as stagecraft and stage direction.
I have also managed another meeting with my designated designer who has produced some impressive cover designs for the EP I am producing. From a recent photo shoot I managed to capture some nice images of a vintage guitar and guitar amp which have been filtered through photo editing software to create a late sixties/early seventies type CD cover. I also presented my case study on the Beatles and submitted the written research and hopefully I can now concentrate on the different content required to complete my portfolio.
The specialist production project has also moved on a stage as I have finally completed all recording required for the EP I intend to self produce. I now have to re-draft my project proposal then concentrate on the slow and frustrating task of music production. I also took some time to help a fellow student with the recording of lead vocals on a few cover songs for his own project.
Probably the best week of study so far and hopefully as I improve my attendance I can push on and improve the quality and content of each of my projects. I have found this blog and my time management schedule to be very important tools with regards to my progress and hope to improve these features ongoing to help me manage the work needed to complete my degree course. Until next time its back to work!

Stall, Stop & Start.

Another week of illness has dampened my spirits but not hindered my progress with all my projects as much as my previous bout did. I have learnt from the previous absences I have had and managed to utilise my time at home to further the progress I am making within each project. The schedule I have put in place is already a benefit in that I feel I am more mentally prepared for each task I have and also that I am giving myself more time to do each one.
The dissertation I am preparing on the Beatles has been steadily improving although I have now arrived at a stage that brings about a lot of self debate as I look to strengthen my argument regarding the changes in the compositional and recording techniques deployed by the Beatles after their decision to stop playing live. Contrasting views and a lack of evidence found so far has left a hole that I need to fill with new resourced information to show diversity and investigation within my research techniques. Having already completed a first draft proposal, introduction and beginnings of my literature review I am confident that I can go forward now and make the same weekly progress to complete this project.
The website I am looking to create has gone past the template stage and I have also been concentrating on the production of the audio and video content I hope to use within my website design. This project brings a new challenge in that I need to make use of video editing software which I have very little experience with and although I have a lot of experience in sound production I am sure that this new venture will bring around many obstacles which I hope to overcome quickly.
My absence has led to missing band practice for the Blues Brothers ensemble project however my resources have helped me stay familiar as I have a copy of all the music we are using and I am aware of the research required for completion of this project. With the performance scheduled for the 17th December we are entering into the last 5 weeks of practice which means that commitment and effort will need to be increased by all.
Again absence has hindered progress with the portfolio I am looking to create with my designated designer however good communication has kept me informed and I am confident that all the tools needed for this project have been delivered to the designer. I also managed to complete and e-mail my case study this week which sees another part of the project complete. Next week I will catch up with my designer and utilise the time I have to ensure that the project is still running as smoothly as it began.
The specialist production project has moved on also as I managed to complete 4 of the 5 songs that will be included in the EP I intend to use for project submission. After organising recording sessions with other musicians I have managed to record all the parts I need so far and I am now left with the frustrating task of production and mastering. I have all the facilities I need at home so I am confident that with tutor advice I can complete all tasks on time.
Next week I intend to attend each class in full to ensure that I have not fell too far behind in each of the projects I have and hope to deliver some more positive news regarding the progress of my degree course.

Step It Up.

For the first time since the start of my academic year I feel that I am heading in the right direction and with the needed tempo of progress. All proposals for all projects have been completed and I am now concentrating solely on the content and contribution needed for each one. The implementation of a schedule to manage my time and other management resources has begun and simple tasks like getting out of bed at a set time each morning for 6 days of the week are already helping me achieve weekly deadlines I am setting for myself. I feel I need to follow a disciplined routine to compensate for the stuttering start I have made to my course.
The dissertation I am working on has started to take shape as my output levels have increased resulting in the weekly maintaining of this blog as well as beginning my literature review and completing a first draft of a possible introduction. Already I am feeling more confident with my ability to effectively manage this research project and have also found that a consistent awareness of new information sources that may help with my particular topic has become a more efficient way of uncovering more specific data on how the Beatles compositional and recording techniques where changed after they decided to stop playing live and on tour.
The blues brother’s project has progressed further this week as we all had our first meeting on the research part of the project and also managed to have a very productive practice despite having a few members of the band missing in action. We also have a new addition with an HNC bass player named Bob Hollis stepping in to help us as our original bassist has taken ill and been hospitalised recently. His enthusiasm for the project itself seemed to lift our spirits and he managed to quickly learn 4 songs which were sounding quite tight towards the end of the practice. This progress has been a huge positive and is one I recommend we continue until show time.
The digital multimedia project has also taken a few steps forward as I managed to create a workable template for my own website which gives me a closer look at how I will integrate the content I wish to include. I am also working on my proposal/contract as I look to develop it according to the changes that may take place within my original idea.
For the portfolio project I have organised another photo shoot to mimic some real life images of sketches made by my designated designer. I was very pleased with the outcome as I had made a rough sketch from the designer’s sketch and communicated this to a photographer who managed to capture a number of images that were very similar. Next week I will submit my case study and presentation on the Beatles promotional image use which will leave me the remainder of the module to work with my designer on the various aspects of a professional press pack.
Recording of the EP is progressing well and I plan to use one final recording session at home to capture the 3 vocal/acoustic guitar tracks I intend to include. Once completed I will then be free for about 3 weeks to work on the production and mastering of each track to hopefully create an impressive and professional product.
Overall the best week to report so far and on reflection I feel silly for not initiating the same enthusiasm and energy that I have applied this week. With and effective schedule in hand I hope to progress each week from now on as I have done this week.

Nose To The Grind!

After 6 weeks of study I am realising quickly that I really to need to make more effort towards implementing the various ideas and proposals that I have for the different projects I need to complete in order to achieve my degree. Looking back on recent times I have already identified that my lack of motivation is severely damaging my chances of completing the degree with a respectable grade and I intend to put a strategy into motion now to overcome the difficulties I have faced with my own progress.
First of all I have decided to plan a schedule for my various responsibilities to ensure that I am balancing my time against the individual demands of each project. I feel I need this discipline at the moment as I seem to have lost faith in what I am doing and am in real need of corrective motivation. This schedule basically spreads my week across attending college and receiving updates, reacting to current progress and also practical measures for each project.
The Beatles research project has moved on with my proposal having been submitted and the beginnings of what I hope will be my introduction has helped me find a starting point and direction. I have also started looking at my literature review and will be submitting both introduction and literature review next week for my tutor to review and give feedback for improvement.
The Blues Brother’s ensemble project has lacked commitment recently and I have compensated by learning more of our performance material at home which will hopefully put me on a good steadying for next week’s practice. I am confident that we can manage the final performance however lack of attention to detail at this stage will prove to be costly in the end so any outstanding issues regarding band commitment will have to be addressed soon.
I have slowed my input towards my digital media project as I have been working under the impression that the project was to be completed by December however it turns out that the module runs all through the academic year which helps me re-plan the content of the website I intend to design. Next week I hope to start experimenting with a basic template of how the overall website will look with space for all the relevant content considered.
I also met with my graphic designer Leighton this week to further the progress in my portfolio project which looks to be heading in the right direction as I ended the meeting pleased with the ideas of logo design and EP artwork which Leighton had created. I also have a pending 2000 word case study and presentation to prepare for this class so I have decided to leave the designer to it for 2 weeks until I complete these tasks.
The EP I intend to produce for my specialist production project has taken shape and I have recently added upgrades to my home studio that will greatly assist me with this project. I recently purchased an audio interface which gives me high end professional sound recording abilities and with the studio monitors and display device I have moved to I am finally feeling confident in my ability to handle professional recording and production.
All seems to be heading in the right direction however my stalled start has left me concerned in a positive manner as I remain on guard for any future absence of commitment, discipline and motivation. Next week I will hopefully be reporting on the consistent progress I am making throughout all my academic and personal projects.

Holiday Log

The October break is almost over and despite the lack of physical and academic output I have managed to compensate with an abundance of mental input that will help me progress forward with the many tasks in hand. Unfortunately I must admit that I did not make the most of my time off and am still struggling with the lingering flu bug that has become an expert at removing any motivation I can find which has resulted in the reappearance of earlier anxieties regarding the various projects I must complete across my degree course.
The main benefactor of my mental input was my research project as I have managed to read through 7 books on my research topic and also identify more online resources which will provide me with some professional opinions on why there may have been changes in the Beatles song writing and recording techniques during the years they did not play to a live audience. Next week I begin tutorial appointments on this project and hope to use each week as a stepping stone towards the final outcome by giving regular input and receiving critical feedback.
I have begun working on the content that will be included in my personal website and also continue to improve my project proposal document which I hope to return to my tutor after the break for further scrutiny. I am confident with this project as I have a good level of experience with digital audio workstations and also the various types of design software I will need to use to complete the website and its content.
With regards to the ensemble project I have made little progress but am confident that when rehearsals resume I will catch up with my band mates and quickly fulfil the role I have undertaken.
Another bonus of the week was that I managed to complete a small photo shoot which I had organised and now have a pleasing variety of images to share with my graphic designer, who intends to use them in a mosaic type collage depicting the many faces of Daniel Dundee. I also managed to secure the services of the photographer for future projects which has made project planning in the future a lot simpler.
Through the specialist production project I intend to record an E.P. and this has eventually began life as I am currently working on the details of each track as well as getting to grips with the different variables I need to consider when using my recordings across different software platforms. Details such as tempo, BPM and sample rate are all essential when using audio wave recordings across different software engines like Pro Tools and Cubase. My recent work will provide me with good steadying as I go forward and plan recording sessions to successfully multi-track each song.
Although not a wasted break I remain disappointed with my current progress and understand that when the break is over I must ensure a disciplined routine is carried out each week and is documented to assist me with the individual and collective demands of the projects I am currently trying to manage. Next week I hope to provide better news of my progress.

Time For A Break?

It's the last week of college before the October break and my ailments continue as I struggle to make headway with my workload and how I am feeling. Although I am confident in my own abilities and the recent progress I have made I remain anxious about my weekly progress and how this will impact the overall result of my course. I have managed to control these mood swings with reassurance that soon I will overcome this flu bug and will steadily pull myself back in line.
My research project has taken better shape recently with the realisation of exactly how much I need to do having helped me plan ahead better. The dissertation, presentation, literature review and proposal are the main ingredients of this project and having been briefed on all of these I am finding it easier to manage each section whilst maintaining relevance throughout. I have recently requested some literature support from my college and will also search the college library for relevant resources which should add to my own and that of what I found in Dundee Central library. Maintaining this log has also proved to be beneficial as I now have a regular logbook to cross reference with my project aims and goals and also to keep a consistent level of relevance with my project proposal.
Having received plenty of feedback regarding my digital audio project proposal I have began editing the document to provide more information on why I am attempting this particular project and why it will be of a benefit to my career needs. On the practical side I have began designing the various layouts for each page that I hope to feature within my personal website.
Again I have missed another ensemble project rehearsal but have assured the other members of the band that I will progress at home with the project research and maintain good communication regarding the material that need to be researched and delivered.
In the portfolio project this week we spent the time discussing various graphic designs within music industry promotion and how we plan to use similar techniques to produce our own portfolio. Next week I will take part in a small photo shoot at my home recording studio which I hope will provide my graphic designer with a healthy amount of images to begin working with. After the break we are to review the recent logo design our designated designers have created for us which I am really looking forward to as I this is the first opportunity to review the designers perception of me as an artist.
I had very little to do in the specialist production class but did manage to submit a first draft of my proposal for my tutor to review and give me feedback on. Although most of my plans for this project are home-based it is important for me to keep in check with my tutor and also the studio engineer, who will assist me with this project, to ensure that I keep to deadlines and deliver the necessary requirements of the assessment.
Although the October break was a welcomed surprise for me I feel that I was beginning to gain momentum and am worried that this break will tamper with my recent progress. If I manage to shift this flu bug then I will hopefully make the most of it otherwise I will remain on catch up. Find out next week which way it went.

On And Up!

After 4 weeks of my course I am finally starting to settle down with all the projects in hand and eventually feel that despite my concerns I have now started progress within each of the projects I need to manage and deliver throughout the academic year. I have been suffering with some type of flu bug which has really drained my energy and motivation and I have been anxious regarding the progress of my study and workload. These anxieties have also led to irregular sleeping patterns which are not helpful as I hope to keep on top of all the work I need to do for each individual project.
Although these ailments have held me back I have been mentally preparing myself for the work that lies ahead by reading available research resources and also thinking about my current approach to each project. This time to digest all this information has allowed me to spot a few weaknesses in my preparation for each project and also to recognise that my initial ideas where not detailed enough in proposal.
With my dissertation I am more confident that I am heading in the right direction and have already began working my way through a variety of resources to critically identify the information I need to support my argument. Having scoured Dundee Central library for all relevant Beatles resources I have managed to find 3 relevant books which will provide me with much to talk about. I have also identified a number of websites and digital media sources which will also be helpful in my research of how the Beatles song writing and recording techniques changed after they stopped performing in a live capacity to an audience. This particular angle has given me scope to avoid the generalised information that is available on the Beatles.
With my digital audio multimedia project I have completed the first draft of my proposal and now have it ready for tutor feedback which hopefully will help me improve its detail and direction regarding the design of my own website with a variety of multimedia content.
The ensemble project has been going slow lately due to my illness and also briefings from tutors which will add more pressure to our performance as the weeks go by. We are also preparing a proposal for this project and must also carry out a research based case study of the particular topic we are covering. As a group we have recently defined a topic which sees us researching released popular music's role in films released after the music.
My portfolio project has also suffered due to my illness but thankfully I have taken steps to ensure that I do not fall behind schedule. I have arranged a photo shoot during the October break that will provide me with most of the images I need for the graphic design of posters, flyers and E.P. covers.
The specialist production project has also suffered a similar fate however my proposal is to do most of the work in my home built studio which has allowed me to complete certain tasks ahead of schedule.
Despite how I have been feeling lately I have found that good communication and making use of the online facilities available to me has been essential as I look to keep on track with my projects and also rid myself of the hindrance that is illness.
Next week I hope to have made more progress with all these tasks and will report accordingly.

Starting To Groove!

It is week 3 of my BA course and at last I am feeling like I am gaining some control over the various projects I must submit in order to successfully achieve my degree. This blog itself shall primarily serve the requirements of a logbook for my dissertation which has various deadlines across each semester. I also intend to note other points of interest regarding other modules on the course along with details of any relevant projects I undertake out with my academic studies.
The dissertation itself has got off to a slow start for myself as I took a few weeks debating my choices of topic, which I have finally managed to narrow down to 3 Beatles related subjects from which I can find a satisfactory research topic to set a question too. The title is to be the foundation of my research so I must choose a title carefully in order to set myself an attainable task from which I can deliver a presentation and research paper. Of these 3 ideas I am more swayed towards a topic on how The Beatles sound changed from the time they stopped performing live in the mid sixties. I see opportunities in doing this as I can research opinion from audio engineer student’s as well as other music students and hopefully add it to the research and argument I propose. I am now working on a proposal for this idea and if I manage to persuade my tutor that I can deliver then I think that this topic will be my final choice enabling me to get to work before time takes its toll.
I had picked up what seemed to be a flu bug and was unwell towards the end of the weekend which forced me to miss Monday in college. Despite this absence I did manage to e-mail my tutor the requested work for my dissertation and also accessed Blackboard to download the PowerPoint presentation given in the class I missed. As I am only in college 2 days per week it is important for me to get use to these electronic facilities for communicating with my tutors and peers as I attempt to complete my projects across the year. Although I missed 3 classes in all I did manage to catch up with other students and found that I wasn't far behind and should easily catch up next week.
For 3 of my other projects I have managed to link all of them so that I can enhance the content of each one and also manage my time and resources better. The digital audio multimedia, presenting a portfolio and specialist production projects all have a common theme in that I am required to create and oversee the production of various media that I would need to use in the music industry as a professional. Across these 3 modules I aim to create an E.P. of my original material which I can feature in my solo project along with other material I have written myself and regularly perform as solo act "Daniel Dundee". I will also be creating a small documentary on how I write, record and produce a song as well as various promotional and marketing materials for the different products which are also to be featured within my own website.
Next week I should have more details regarding the progress of my dissertation, so until then, I am Daniel.

Start Now!

After coming to terms with the amount of written work that is required of me this year I have slowly started to accept the challenge ahead and have been working on all the decisions I have to make regarding various projects for each degree module. Every module is some form of project that needs to be backed up by research and a written log which gives justification to any project subject chosen.

I still haven't decided the subject or angle to work from for my dissertation and after some more brainstorming in the form of peer opinion I feel I am no better off with regards to deciding and have began improving my search for a suitable angle to research The Beatles. I am not worried about the size of this project however I realise that if I don't start soon then I will be creating bigger workloads for myself further down the line.
With my digital audio multimedia project I have began working on a proposal to create a website for Daniel Dundee and also create a short 6 part documentary showing the creative and technical processes I use to writer, record and perform a song. I also intend to feature the E.P. I will be releasing along with performance details and a photo gallery.
In the ensemble project I spent most of my time practising 3 of the 4 agreed songs with the band and despite it being our fist practice session I was quite happy with the effort by everyone in the band as we mastered the basics of all 3 songs. For next week we have agreed to work on another 3 songs and also need to discuss the specific topic of the Blues Brothers we are going to research.
Tuesday will be the shorter day of the week for me at college at the moment which gives me time to use the library facilities as well as network with other students which often brings creative influence. For my portfolio class I was teamed up with a graphic design student named Leighton Wolfe who will assist me with the design tools I need to create different artwork and promotional material to support my solo act Daniel Dundee and also to feature the release of my E.P. which will be featured within my solo project performance. After a half hour discussion with Leighton I familiarised myself with his strengths and and also set up communication to enable us to easily exchange ideas. I will use this project to enhance certain aspects of my digital audio multimedia and specialist production projects.
I finished off the day in college with my first official specialist production class which involved our tutor discussing the requirements of the module and advising us on how best to go about it. I have already decided to record and produce my E.P. and feature it within this project which will also be supported through 2 other projects involving the same product and act.
As I start each project with a proposal I must also keep track of my development within each one with a logbook to detail the objectives and tasks involved in achieving my overall aims which I find is an effective tool to maintain consistency within any project I undertake. Over the coming weeks I hope to begin a more detailed documentation of my progress and ideas within each project.

The Reality Of It All

This week was the first week of my BA Popular Music Performance course and after 8 weeks break from academic studies I have quickly been reminded of the commitment and discipline that is required to fulfil assessment criteria. This final year of the degree is quite different from the previous 2 years study in that responsibility for the deliverance of projects lies in my own hands with less week to week guidance from tutors. I feel that the last few months of my HND year I took my foot off the gas a little and didn't remain fully committed to the end which resulted in a lower grade than I had shown potential for. This year however I intend to get off to the same start and maintain constant progress until all tasks required of me are complete and hopefully I will finish the year off with the prize of a degree in popular music performance.
The first day of college brought a quick introduction to the course that lay ahead and it was immediately down to business as we discussed different possibilities for the dissertation and ensemble/solo projects. The dissertation is a research project on a specific music related topic and will be assessed over a 5000 word research paper supported by an oral presentation. Despite drawing mind maps and discussing previous topics I am still undecided on what topic I will choose for my own research and have settled on trying to find a suitable angle to research a particular aspect of the career or effect of The Beatles, my favourite band. I understand the large scale of this project and must decide soon which area I will research so that I can begin soon. The ensemble project will be assessed in December this year so it takes slight priority in class over the solo project which has to be delivered in May 2011. I have already decided to team up with some familiar faces and present a Blues Brothers project and although we have selected some big hits to practice for next week’s session we are still undecided as to how to approach the research for this.
The other class of the day was digital audio production multi-media that requires the student to research the current digital multimedia used within the music industry and use this research to create our own multimedia product. I shall propose to design a website that promotes myself as solo artist "Daniel Dundee" and can feature the E.P. I intend to produce and release before performing as part of my solo project.
Tuesday was a shorter day which helped absorb the abundance of information available in the first week of term. After a short student advisor meeting I was off to my first class, presenting a personal portfolio, which gives me the opportunity to have artwork produced to promote myself as a musical performer and already I have started working on the ideas for this project. I hope to have a logo designed and also produce the artwork for the E.P. I intend to release along with any other relevant promotional material. The other class of the day was an option class where I have selected specialist production to assist me with the recoding and production of the E.P. I plan on releasing.
Already I can foresee a busy year ahead however I know that if I do a little every week then I will keep on top of it all and also be ready for an unplanned obstacles along the way. I have toiled with the idea of bringing some of my projects together and can see an opportunity to get the best out of my college experience to promote myself as a singer, songwriter and producer. Next week I will have more details of what lies ahead for me on my new year of education and development.