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.