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.