The Last Day.

Today is the last day of the academic year and I have successfully submitted all my works for all modules across the year at the first attempt. I am particularly pleased with this as I can be comforted by the fact that if there were any issues with any of my work I would have the opportunity to resubmit my work for a capped evaluation. Although I am confident that I have done enough in each area of my study I always like to be ready to prepare for the worst and look forward to finding out my marks in the coming months.
I took all week to complete these last 3 assignments focusing on the equality and from this have learnt how to manage my time and productivity better regardless of my current physical or emotional state.
The session reflections gained most of my time this week as I sought to present my thoughts and feelings in a professional evaluation which I feel I adapted well to as expression of thought is a personal strength. It was difficult to choose only 3 sessions to reflect upon and I feel I had the time and motivation to evaluate all of the sessions I took part in which has shown me the importance of a simple mental evaluation of all my projects and the processes involved in and honest appraisal.
The individual performance evaluation itself was very straight forward and was made easier in that my plans were executed quite well and any constructive criticism was aimed at the overall standard of the performance on the day.
The individual research was a little more difficult however the personal content of this project has made it easier for me to evaluate and research all aspects of the project. My intention was to present research that reviewed the level of influence from the 1960s songwriters who have inspired me as a writer and composer. The largest of the remaining assignments which was simplified by the work I had done earlier on structure and content.
Alas I sign off with the thought that I will more than likely be back on here in September producing some reflective writings on how my first week of the BA honours course was. In an attempt to please fate and not appear too arrogant I hope to be back again and if not I will certainly be around.

Loads Down, 3 To Go!

A great relief felt this week as my 5000 word dissertation was submitted with attachments and no extenuating issues. I now have only 3 assignments left on my degree course and am already looking forward to next year's study on the BA Honours programme which has been reviewed and renewed due to the changing nature of education and also the recent status change of my institution UHI.
Today I submitted my digital multimedia project which included a DVD with cover, Audio CD with cover and supporting documents. The DVD contained the data files for the website I have created along with the master files for all the audio and visual content that was produced to be included in the website whilst the Audio CD was a copy of the EP I produced to feature within the website. I was very pleased with the website which was produces from scratch using Dreamweaver and also with all the content which was all original and planned and produced by myself. The supporting documentation was also well presented and detailed which I feel should give me a decent mark across all aspects of this module.
I now have 1 week remaining on this degree course and have 3 assignments to submit which include my session reflections, individual project research and my individual performance evaluation which all must be submitted by 5pm next Friday. Although these are not greatly challenging I do feel I will be challenged in maintaining the motivation required to see it all through.

Dissertation Week!

This week was the last week of college before my dissertation is due to be submitted and in all honesty I have not used my time as wisely as I should have and am now faced with the lonely task of compiling my dissertation and required attachments over the weekend before submission on Monday which is perhaps not as daunting and lonely as I would like to portray.
Despite the fact that I have maintained a good level of weekly work with my research I feel that I have lost direction and focus within my argument and should have spent more time researching and debating argument before committing ideas to paper. I also feel that I better from well researched notes from which I can compile a greater argument and recognise that in future research I will used my preferred system which offers the continuity I would want featured in any research I have presented. Although I am lacking confidence in the content of my research I can take comfort in the fact that I have also spent a lot of time ensuring that my grammar, spelling and referencing are all accurate and that all the required attachments and bibliography are also in good order which will contribute to my overall mark.
The digital multimedia project is due for submission a week today and I have all I need to prepare this project which will start next Tuesday after the submission of my dissertation. I am very pleased with the independent approach I took with this project and with very little guidance I have managed to produce a website and multimedia content using some professional hardware and software that is featured across many areas of digital media industries.
Again no session class this week and I believe that we are to be left now to complete our 3 session evaluations which are to submitted by the last day of the course.
Overall a quiet week of college which was dominated by the sound of keyboard tapping and mouse clicking as music students across all courses hurry to finish of their assignments.

The Big Show!

This week saw the main event of my degree programme which is my individual performance and although every little unit is important in my overall achievement I have chosen this as my personal favourite and a great opportunity to showcase the different talents I have been developing over the past few years.

The show itself took place yesterday and although the overall standard should have been higher I was very pleased that all I planned was directed positively and executed well. I do feel that I should have improved my practice schedule and involved the participants more and will consider these failings in future projects. Due to an over run sound check I decided to move the set list around at the last minute to accommodate some of the participants who had their own shows to perform in later. Although I made a minor change it did not affect the overall aura of the performance and amidst a strange atmosphere and test conditions I feel that everyone involved did very well and I hope that my own contribution was rated highly enough to pass the module. I now have to prepare an evaluation along with a relevant research paper to complete all the attached modules for this part of the degree.
The focus from the end of my show was turned to my dissertation which is due for submission in 10 days!!! Although I have worked fortnightly on this I feel I have over developed my evidence and create a conflict of interest in my findings. I am finding it very difficult to include my evidence in a structured way that accommodates the set word count for this assignment but know I will progress and prioritise as required and submit a satisfactory piece of work.
I have readied all the materials for my digital multimedia project and once I have submitted my dissertation I can then focus on preparing this project for submission. The proposal itself is finished and the template for the website is ready for the content to be included leaving only this and a small project evaluation report to complete in order to finish the module.
There was no session class again this week due to the individual performances from all the music students and in that there is only some written work to be completed for the conclusion of this module. Despite this small amount of written work I have thoroughly enjoyed this practical module and feel that I have learnt a lot from the different tutors and students involved which at times derived from simple discussions in the control room regarding everyone’s differing experiences.
Another good week of college which was routinely different from my usual week and with only 3 weeks left of the course I must prepare myself and my action plan to ensure I complete all remaining tasks on time.

On Until The End.

I arrived back at college this week after the spring break faced with a meeting to discuss the terms and conditions proposed for the next instalment of study on the BA Honours final year. I found the meeting very interesting although it was a huge distraction from current goings on but one must learn in life to look ahead as well as look around, and I am learning!
I used most of the holiday to plan the final execution of tasks in relation to my degree modules and bearing in mind the different deadlines for each assignment I have devised a structured plan to deal with the different responsibilities I have across performing, recording and written work.
My first concern is my individual performance project which takes place next week in the form of a 45 minute performance that will then be followed by a written evaluation to finish the module. I have done well in the ensemble session in this module and hope to elevate this success by achieving a higher mark. Due to the nature of my performance the next week will be filled with individual practice with the different acts before a final run thorough of the show early next week.
Although I have another deadline before this I have already submitted all the work for this and have been checking weekly for any changes to the requirements from the tutor and have ensured that if any I respond in an according and timely fashion. I am confident that all of the works I have submitted for the presenting a portfolio module is satisfactory whilst creating a great foundation for me to progress on with this type of relevant graphic design work in my professional music career.
I continue to work on my dissertation and have found it very difficult in recent weeks to maintain focus and structure within my argument which I feel has been over developed to a point that it can almost be viewed as contradictory. Although I have this new difficulty to manage I know I must push forward and find a good structure to present my work whilst maintaining relevancy in my argument.
The digital multimedia project has been outlined and template with all the content ready for embedding and I am confident that the proposal and subsequent practicalities are well researched and deployed with regard to music industry standards. Rather than depend on tutor experience and college facilities I have independently researched my topic thoroughly and used all my own home facilities to produce a website rich in multimedia content which has given me great confidence for future projects.
Overall I feel it has been a productive start to the last session of study on the course although I am left with concerns regarding the ever decreasing time left for all of these projects and can see how the past 2 years study experience will now help me finish off the year.

Last Break Before I Break!

Another productive week of endeavours has allowed me to look forward to the Spring break with some enthusiasm and enough confidence to see the finishing line. As always when one finds oneself in this position it is wise and logical to proceed with the same caution that has brought one this far. Although I have left myself with little work to complete in the coming weeks it is imperative that I adhere to my planned schedule that will ensure that I have more than enough time to review and edit any of my submissions as required.
I have continued with my dissertation and a review of recent research has brought the addition of 5 new articles to my bibliography. Having shaped my research in a topical structure I have realised that there are one or two holes in my argument and the research I have compiled has become stretched thus resulting in the need for some fresh and specific research. These new articles are from a range of popular music magazines and contain information not readily found in the generic Beatle’s publications available. With most of the research structured I have now only to shape and connect my argument with satisfactory consistency.
My individual performance has been working to plan so far and hopefully this continues throughout the holidays. I have finalised the set list and personnel as well as communicating the date and time of the show and preceding rehearsals. Upon return to college I intend to finalise the last few rehearsals with the different acts which will see me practising in Perth and Dundee to ensure comfort for the participants.
The digital multimedia project I have been working on is in its final stages as I look to complete my proposal after tutor appraisal and also finish the video content which is to be featured within the website. This project has been stagnant of late although a recent resurgence into it has brought back the desire to complete it soon. Once I have completed the video content I am confident that across 2 Monday classes I can complete this project which is ample as I have 5 Monday classes left in the course.
I have heard no further news on the portfolio class but have noted in my diary to meet with the tutor to ensure that this project is complete and I have passed satisfactorily. I intend to do this upon return to college and will report back on my findings.
The final class of the week was the session environment module which I am really enjoying at the moment despite the hindrance of weakening the high range of my voice. I had been rehearsing all day with different acts including a blues project which needs some vocal grit and power to express the songs. Without an effective warm up I allowed myself to loss this feature of my voice by overdoing my initial efforts and damaging my vocal chords. It is very important that I maintain good health with regards to my breathing and vocal chords as well as being aware that I always need an effective warm up before commencing any vocal work. I have suffered with this naivety in the past and have taken steps to ensure I always include a vocal warm up in the organising of any vocal work I have scheduled.
A good week to finish of this part of semester 2 and when I return to college on the 25th April 2011 I have 5 weeks remaining to finish off the 5 assignments I have left. Wish me luck!

I Had The Time Of My Life!

Another FUN week at college and as I push myself past the doubt, disappointment and loss of faith I regain the focus needed to continue with the tasks I have scheduled to successfully complete my degree. I have become very confused regarding the requirements of the degree and after being warned twice regarding my attendance I feel I must clarify the boundaries of each module which were initially communicated as self-driven projects. Hopefully I will clear up this bureaucratic problem and gain enough motivation to complete the course with this particular institution.
I have progressed well again this week and have begun completing a first draft of my dissertation which I hope to present to my tutor before the holidays commence for feedback when I return. I have made plans to complete my assignments which include consideration towards tutor’s available time and although I could have made better use of their time in the early stages of the course I am confident enough in my own abilities to work from module descriptors which eliminates any perceived harshness from my critical character.
Having completed most of the work for my digital multimedia project I am still waiting on feedback from my tutor regarding my project proposal and now I am planning to design the website at home on my own computer system rather than use the college facilities which are extremely flawed and unstable. I have suspended all practical work on this project in the meantime as I dedicate all my time to the development of my dissertation with plans to complete this project across the up and coming holidays.
The individual performance I am planning has began to take shape and with individual rehearsals taking place each week I am confident that I will be more than ready to deliver this performance as planned. Along with my solo act I have 3 other acts involved with my show and have had to coordinate different rehearsals for each act rather than have one weekly practice that has a lot of people waiting to be involved in activities. This method has proven to give more interest in the project from these other acts and has also allowed me the time to focus solely on the act’s individual involvement in the overall performance. The next 3 weeks will continue in this way before I spend the last 2 weeks before the show implementing the order of the performance.
As far as I know I have completed all the parts of my portfolio project however I have remained in contact with the tutor until I have official confirmation that all parts of the module are complete satisfactorily. The last 3 weeks have been taken up by presentations and as I went first I have had a lot of spare time during this class to work on other projects which I planned and successfully executed.
The first time I have had 2 session classes in a row which helped bring a bit of consistency within the performance of the students as we worked on an unknown song with no briefing on the client’s requirements. Although this song was unknown the music was very simple and as an experienced songwriter I assumed that the lyricist perhaps felt uncomfortable expressing themselves through words in music. I did feel that with dynamic tempo modulation throughout the song that the lyrical content may have been expressed with more sincerity. Next week our original tutor Pete Honeyman returns and I have also some session reflection to complete in the form of written evaluations.

Looking Good!

The weekend is here and I have had the pleasure of a relaxing Friday without the dread that I need to prepare so much work for college next week. This is not a fortunate set of circumstances but more a well planned break that comes after 2 weeks of increased productivity across all my projects which has left me in a good position to finish the year off on a high. After being concerned with my progress I decided to maintain a good level of work at least 5 days of each week and also use a structured plan that was relevant to the number of deadlines that are approaching.
In my Beatles research I had to deliver a presentation at a research conference reviewing my topic and some of the research I have completed to date regarding the topic. Although it was equally important to present my research creatively I decided to push on and work solely on my research content and dissertation and the day before the conference I could take some notes from my work to include in my presentation. I felt that this was more beneficial for me as I have now completed more of my research rather than focus solely on a presentation which was to be made up from said research. The presentation went well and although I feel I stretched my time a little I do think that the content of the presentation was relevant to my topic and despite my research involving generic matter like the Beatles I managed to specify the topic and justify my research.
I have gathered all the content to be included in the website design for the digital multimedia project and will now begin the design of the website itself from next week in class time. I have estimated that I can finish this design and run tests over the next 2 weeks which will hopefully leave me the task of evaluating the project and its success.
My individual performance has also moved forward as I have confirmed the final set list and line up to appear in my show titled Daniel Dundee: Storyteller which takes place on the 5th May 2011 at 12.30 pm at the Goodlyburn Theatre in Perth College. I must now use the next 2 weeks and the holidays to arrange and complete the final rehearsals for the show before planning the final practice schedule which will lead up to the show after the Easter holidays.
This week I also managed to submit the final section of my portfolio project and although I have not yet confirmed if my work is complete I am very happy that this particular project is finished. Although I have enjoyed this project it has been time consuming at times so to have it complete with a lot of time to spare is ideal for me as I look to complete more pressing projects.
I finished off this week at college with a Session Environment class which was led by Lorenz Cairns due to the absence of regular tutor Pete Honeyman. Although the class had been diminished due to the ongoing research conference we did manage to progress with the session where we were to learn and record the popular song Just the Two of Us which was made famous by Grover Washington Jr. I felt that I managed to focus well in this session and quickly learnt the song alone in the piano room before recording with another vocalist. The session went well and despite the other vocalist making lyrical mistakes throughout I managed to produce 4 clean takes, each an improvement on the one before.
Next week will be a more settled fact finding mission from which I can hopefully produce my final action plan to finish off this degree and claim my prize!

Bring It All Home

This weeks has been the most productive week of this semester as I managed to maintain a full attendance and focus across all projects which has left me feeling very confident about finishing the years on a high. Deciding to attend college last Friday was pinnacle in this progress as I managed to make contact with all of my tutors and discuss where I should be in terms of each project. Once I had all this information I found it very easy to review my work and make a consistent and equal progress in each segment of each module.
The Beatles research I am conducting has had the focus moved to next week’s presentation conference where I am required to prepare a 5 to 10 minute visual presentation on a segment of my research so far. I have began work on this and have selected a few small topics from within my research which describe the events leading up to the Beatles’ decision to stop playing live and also their first endeavours in the studio based career that was to follow.
For my solo project I now have all the acts in place and have successfully arranged rehearsal schedule with all the acts for the remainder of the time before the show. The show itself will be on the 5th May 2011 at 12.30pm in the Goodlyburn Theatre at Perth College. I will post on the progress of this in the coming weeks.
With regards to the ensemble research from semester 1 I have a feeling I have failed this due to the word count in my submission and have began preparing my work for re-submission. I am glad I submitted this research on time despite my concern over the standards presented as I now have more time to prepare a re-submission than I would have had if I was still on my first submission which has a deadline of next week.
All the content has been prepared for my website design and as I have mentioned I was to return to working on the proposal/contract part of this project which was finally completed during class this week and I now await the new tutor’s feedback. In the meantime I can now return to working on the layout and design of the website itself which I have some paper based sketches for to help start the design process. I am hoping that I can finish this project before the Easter holidays to free up some more time to dedicate to my dissertation and solo performance. If after the holidays I am left with only a project evaluation for my website design then I will be more than happy with the progress I have made in such a short time.
The portfolio project has also drawn to an end as we all enter the presentation of our final designs with our designated designers. The presentations started this week and I decided to go first and with the help of my designer we managed to describe the journey we have taken and how each design had progressed across different discussions. I was pleased with the presentation we made as with very little preparation we managed to describe most of the work we had completed and justify the correlation of designs we had presented. Having completed my proposal and brief I have only now to complete the evaluation of the project and submit with all my final designs in a presentation portfolio.
There was no session environment class this week so I ended the week on a high and with some free time to spare which I have now spent reporting this! Next week I hope to have more information regarding the details of my dissertation and solo performance.

Not To Worry.

After a couple of weeks of mixed absence I have been concerned recently about the progress I have made progress with my projects and decided to come into college today to ensure that I had all the information I needed for the up and coming submissions across each different project. Although my time was spent travelling mostly I didn't manage to leave with peace of mind and the confidence to push forward and deliver satisfactorily and on time.
The focus of my dissertation in the next week will be the final preparations of my PowerPoint presentation which is due to be presented at a conference in college around the 21st March. I have structured 10 topical points for my dissertation and each point is divided into 3 categories of argument that will all contribute towards the main question in my research. Although I waited long enough to compile this structure I am glad that I have now as it has proven to be a useful tool which allows me to research individual topics within the argument with ease.
The website that I am designing for my solo act Daniel Dundee has become a focus again and I have gathered all the content I need to display in the website leaving only the website structure itself to design and I now am confident that I can complete this project in the coming weeks which will hopefully give me some free time to dedicate to other projects like my solo performance. It is also disappointing looking back at the first semester as I know I could have finished this project completely in one semester which would have given me all the time I needed in semester 2 to improve the quality of other projects.
My solo performance has taken its final shape recently and with all the players in place I am now looking to rehearse the set in segments before practising all those segments in order. The intention is that I begin the show on acoustic guitar and sing a few songs before introducing other musicians one by one and song by song to built up to a full band for the last few songs of the show. I also hope to incorporate different acts into my show whilst narrating the story of my own musical evolution through short stories and my own songs, which is all that will be performed.
The main focus of my visit to college today was to catch up with my designated designer and portfolio class tutor and after doing so I was very pleased at the position I am in before the class presentation this coming Tuesday. I was slightly concerned about the presentation but after meeting with Leighton and seeing all the magnificent work he has done I was impressed and left the meeting motivated enough to finish off my press release and biography text for the design brief.
A shameful week regarding effort and attendance and I must make it my main focus to attend every class and college in general every week and maintain a good level of communication with my tutors and peers. I do feel I have suffered due to this and with a lack of progress in my academic work and a worrying decline in character and morals I know I am at a stage where I must commit 100% between now and the end of the academic year.

Here Comes The Sun!

The end of this year's course is almost in sight now as I push on to finish up each project I have in semester 2 which has appeared to be slightly easier than semester 1, however that may turn out to be a single perception I hold myself and I must be aware that I am not leaving out any important details at these stages.
Out of all my projects I feel that my research dissertation on the Beatles has been progressing the best without hindrance and I am comfortable that I have all I need to finish off the presentation and the 5000 word research paper that are required for this important module. I have a planned structure in place and have finalised my resources and bibliography which leaves only the main body of content to be published electronically.
The other project which has had centre stage has been my solo performance project where I intend to perform my own material with a variety of friends and musical acts. I have finalised the personnel for my show and also the set list which has all been created with the difficulties I see each year in mind. Given that most degree students are planning their own degree shows and using other students to complete their ensemble, I realised early that it would be better for me to rely mainly on external musicians and limit my use of student musicians on my course. With this in mind I have planned a set list that requires everyone to participate in no more that 2 or 3 of the songs.
My digital multimedia project has been moving along slowly and although my proposal and media content are all prepared I really must push on with the website and video editing to incorporate all my media content. It is important for me to complete this well before the deadline so that I can manage a suitable road test of the website and its contents.
The portfolio project has also suffered lately and I have realised that both modules have been neglected of late due to the comfort I gained from part completing these projects in the early stages. I should have developed a structured productivity plan in the first few weeks and managed this accordingly to college requirements and as I failed to do this I now face the task of completing my portfolio project in over a week for the deadline on March 15th 2011.
On a positive note I am finding the new session module very pleasing and I feel I respond very well in a creative role within the recording studio. When I was around 5 years old my mother would take me to the community church and I recall my first impressions of the inside of the church and the atmosphere during the service and now that I spend a lot of time in the studio environment I recall a similar sense which is very comforting. In this module we are currently working on a song This Masquerade which is intended to be a promotion jingle for an online dating site. Although I was uncomfortable with the set up and the methodology I grew stronger in my performance and towards the end of the session I found my way with the band and feel more than prepared for next week’s recording schedule.
Overall a better week with regard to progress and I intend to push this progress more each week until the end of the academic year.

Picking Me Up!

As deadlines start to appear on the horizon I find that although I have done quite a bit of work regarding the contents of my various projects, I have yet to start organising a prioritised schedule for the final delivery of each project. I feel that this task has become urgent and I must plan to start work on this next week by firstly contacting each tutor and refreshing my memory on different requirements and deadlines and then organising my workload into a manageable chunk for the remaining 12 weeks of the course.
The Beatles research project I am working on has been difficult of late as I struggle to find relevant and unique evidence to strengthen the argument that the band’s refusal to play live and subsequent studio committal was a catalyst in the development within each individual’s compositional and recording techniques. Trying to find a new angle to research the Beatles is difficult enough and although I thought I had found such an angle I am realising that the material available does not cover the many topics that one can research about the Beatles. I do prevail and with the research presentation looming I have structured a headlined research format that will assist me with my research.
I have begun further development of my solo performance and have settled on a set list of 12 original songs although 10 songs will probably be adequate for the available timeslot. I will also need to find a topic of research in relation to my solo performance to complete a 3000 word research paper which is then followed by a 1000 word evaluation of the performance. With most of my ideas in place I now need to contact all the musicians who have agreed to help and plan a rehearsal schedule to work from.
I recently finished the video editing for the content for my website design and am more than confident I have all I need to push on and complete this project. With all the multimedia content now ready to be included within the website I will now focus on the details of proposal/contract before returning to design the website itself. My experience with design software makes me think that I can easily complete these tasks over 2 weeks of classes but have enough time to allow myself 4 weeks to create, produce and test the website.
Despite not meeting with my designer in person of late I have maintained good communication via mobile phone, e-mail and social network sites. This form of contact has allowed me space and time to complete the press release and biography text needed for parts of the portfolio. I will need to contact the tutor soon and arrange to get a new proposal and contract before any deadlines appear leaving me under pressure.
There was a session class this week and we worked on a new song due to the absence of a sound engineer who was meant to assist with the recording of Caledonia. The new song was This Masquerade, made famous by George Benson, and the overall majority quietly agreed that we would record this song with the intention that it was for promoting an online dating service. I felt the session went well enough however I do not believe we would have lasted very long in a professional studio under paid working conditions.
Next week I hope to have a better grasp of this class and also hope to find a general level of progress across all current projects.

Head Down & Straight Ahead

This week has been the most productive of the year so far as I feel more confident with the progress and plans I have made for the development of each of my projects within my degree programme.
The Beatles research I am working on has been helped with the creation of a structured plan that will assist me with the development of each section within my argument. I returned to good old fashioned pen and paper due to the absence of my ever faulting computer and surrounded by my research resources I began constructing a 10 point plan of argument progression with each point having 3 topical divisions of discussion. I intend to work each point around 450 words which will give me a total of 4500 words for the main argument which will be included after the 500 word introduction I have already completed. This will then leave a 500 word conclusion to complete the 5000 word minimum word count set for this assignment. I have also finalised a list of sources of information and my bibliography which will now give me a solid foundation to progress from. Amidst all this preparation I did miss a meeting with my research supervisor and although I am making personal progress I must remember to the report this to the relevant people otherwise my progress is worthless.
I have finalised the set list and structure of my solo performance show and now must communicate with the relevant people who are involved with the production and performance of the show. I intend to perform 10 original songs that I have written or co-written with my brother over the years and have produced a suitable set list that will begin with me playing acoustic guitar and singing solo before adding a musician as each song progresses to finish with a full band performance. I also plan to use these musicians to form different support acts throughout the show and will also be using a narrative to explain to the audience the ongoing changes.
I have only the video content to finalise for my digital multimedia project and then I can return to the proposal and contract before starting to design the website itself. The video documentary I am producing is a set of 6 x 1 minute videos documenting the processes involved with song writing and recording within my home studio. The idea behind this is to demonstrate in small doses the ability of any artist to achieve high quality results within their own home studio. The reasoning behind the short video clips is to ensure focus of the online video generation who are a lot more adapt at fast searching and browsing online meaning the appeal has to be correct in order to catch attention.
There was no portfolio class this week and for the next 3 weeks we are required to meet with our designers in order to finalise the final designs of our portfolio for a final presentation on the 15th March 2011. I have been pleased with the work I have done in this project with my designer so far and I see no reason why this work can’t be finalised in time and with a high standard of professionalism.
Frustratingly enough there was no session class again this week and the most annoying factor was that the students were not informed until 30 minutes after the class began. I dare not complain as I myself have done similar things this year and don’t think it is appropriate to comment and criticise others for the failings you exhibit also.
On the plus side I did find out that I was awarded a B for last semester’s specialist production module which was very pleasing as I did not use a sound engineer and completed the project myself. Next week I hope to make similar progress as I look to finalising the final finale.

Deadlines Down!

After the second week of college since the winter break it is business as usual as most of the deadlines are in place to finish off the year, hopefully with a good level of success. Last week we had a series of small meeting to determine the basic outline of this semester and this week was about returning to a one to one meeting basis with various supervisors across different projects. I did manage to see all my tutors this week and have taken a lot from the meetings I attended with each one.
Having submitted my literature review for my Beatles research I have now time to push forward with collecting the research and trying to structure it within a tangible argument for which I am hoping to produce a topical plan that will lead me through the main focus of my argument. There will be a small presentation due in the coming weeks for this module also but I am not concerned about this as I have a lot of experience with public speaking and presentations.
I have been given most of the details regarding my solo performance project and using my initial proposal I have now began structuring the show and its contents for third party referral before finalising important details such as date, time and venue.
Unfortunately the final hard copy of my proposal for the digital multimedia project has vanished with the previous tutor so I must return to the last saved document I have and attempt to edit in a similar way to the one previous. Although it was disappointing losing most of my work before the holidays it has given me the opportunity to review the work I was doing and make suitable and relevant changes to accommodate the changes that have occurred since completing these documents. I intend to work on the media content for my website at the moment and return to the proposal in the coming weeks.
For the portfolio project I have started to write the biography and press release required for inclusion in the portfolio. Researching notable artists like Sir Paul McCartney for biography layout suggestions has helped me get started with my own biography and although I feel it sounds quite dramatic at times I am beginning to understand how to produce and effective and interesting biography without twisting the truth. The press release itself is quite simple as it is focused on the E.P. release and forthcoming activities of my solo act Daniel Dundee.
There was no session class again this week and we have been given some sheet music to learn and informed that next week there will be a class at the usual time. I am looking forward to getting started in this class and although it was disappointing not working in the studio we did benefit from getting a head start with the sheet music. We will be working on the popular folk song Caledonia which was written by Dougie McLean and we are to perform and record this within a session for a malt whisky commercial. This type of project is very interesting for me as I feel that it is something I hope to do myself professionally in the coming years.
Next week I hope to make some more headway with each of my projects although I can’t guarantee that all will progress equally!

Semester II

Back to college after an extended break and the week started with a series of meetings to brief the students on the requirements set out in semester 2. Despite the long holiday there was a sense of seriousness and I decided to stay sharp and push on in a similar manner to what I ended semester 1 on. Within these meetings I was given a new timetable as well as the opportunity to select a new option module which would replace the specialist production module I completed last semester.
There was also the added focus of our attention being brought to the importance of our solo performances and also the research dissertation we are all working on. These 2 projects are probably the 2 biggest events of the coming semester and will be time consuming for most. I felt it was appropriate that we were reminded of this and have responded by arranging my work on these 2 projects to match the new deadlines in semester 2.
I was planning to complete a rough copy of my dissertation for review but unfortunately I did not find the time to work on it directly as most of my productivity was used trying to find some research material that was relevant to my specific research topic. I am finding that this type of material is rare and that I need to rely on the cross referencing of small amounts of text from a big variety of sources. I am trying to be more specific with my argument but find the lack of specific research material frustrating. I do soldier on with these tasks and have begun working on a research structure that will cover all aspects of the research project.
The digital multimedia project has a new tutor leading the way as previous tutor Pete Nixon decided to move on to pastures new. The replacement tutor is Mike Brown whom I have known for a few years from my time as a student at Dundee College and his presence gives me confidence that I will have some solid experience to rely on as I attempt to complete this project and fulfil my proposed website design.
I met with my design Leighton this week in the art studio and we managed to catch up on the status of the portfolio design which was motivating as the development with the designs has moved on significantly. I was very pleased with the conceptual art that was being used to promote myself as an artist and have also recognised that this project has brought an awareness that I could easily compete professionally within the music industry. I have yet to finish the press release and biography satisfactorily and have been unhappy with the poor attempts I have made with these items. Although they are simple tasks and I enjoy creative writing I find it difficult to write about my life and music in a direct manner which is often required for these types of media releases.
An information crammed week and with the absence of some classes I have plenty free time between this week and next to make progress across all my projects.