Today we performed our compositions, and we also critiqued each others songs. This was really helpful to see what others had to say about it. We got generally positive feedback, such as:
- Fantastic melody
- Lovely harmonies
- Great use of dynamics.
- Good improvisation techniques.
- Haunting but in a good way.
- Well structured and put together.
The only negative feedback we received was that our lyrics were unclear when we sang. This was useful to hear as we hadn't noticed! Hopefully our song structure and writing style helped everyone to understand what the song was about, and I will definitely work on my clarity of words in future performances. Because of this, I want to force myself to improve on this, so I have decided to perform my solo live rather than record the vocals. This means that I will have to focus a lot on singing clearly, and I have plenty of time to work on that.
I was happy to receive the feedback that our song was haunting, as that was one of our aims. The lyric 'I know I am a passing image, caught in an immortal circle' gave us the idea to make the song slow and minor, creating this 'haunting' effect. This encouraged me to continue working on my solo piece, as it is also in a minor key, and has a quite dramatic and tragic story to it. This song has some relevance to me, so I will be able to feel the lyrics as I am performing it, but the dramatic writing style also will help me to connect to the piece.
One thing I wish we had included was more sound and effects. We had decided to record it in one take rather than record it in bits and pieces, as I feel that I perform better when I am playing the piano at the same time. Another group included a twinkly sound which was relevant to their song, as it was whimsical. That sound would not fit into our song, however, we could have added some strings using my keyboard, or a flute, as these instruments would have added depth and interest. Having said this, one piece of feedback we received said 'simple but beautiful', so perhaps it was a good thing that we kept it simple! For my solo piece, I would like to make my own backing track using Sibelius, and then I can add effects and emotive sounds.
It's never nice to receive negative feedback, but we received constructive advice, and the positive feedback made us feel quite proud of our work.
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Jane.
I have written my song! I went with the idea of composing using quotes and ideas from Jane Eyre. I really found the idea of gender equality to be so important, even nowadays. It is such a huge issue that even in this day and age still affects all women and their rights. Although we have significantly more rights now than women did when the novel was written, I feel that the world still has such a long way to go before equality is achieved, especially in other countries. In the novel, Jane demands to be treated as equal to Mr Rochester, as she says
"I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh - it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave and we stood at God's feet, equal - as we are!"
I love this about Jane's character, but not all characters are like this. I wanted to explore a character who was not able to stand up to this mistreatment.
I found that a lot of the novel was not entirely relevant to modern times, so I was faced with the decision of writing based in the 1700-1800's or to bring it up to date. I decided to make it modern by adding a sub story to the 'plot' of the song. I used the idea of equality presented in Jane Eyre, and used quotes from the novel to create a story about a girl who is being mistreated by a male in her life. The reason I felt that a sub story was needed is because the story of a girl not marrying someone of higher importance despite her love for him is not completely relevant to modern times.
The idea for my sub plot came from the earlier parts of the novel, where Jane is treated like a burden by her aunt. She is sent off to school where she isn't treated much better, and then is surrounded by death when a typhus epidemic strikes. Despite all of this, Jane goes on to have a successful career, and eventually is reunited with her love. I decided to explore a darker ending to my character's story, as Jane's story could have easily ended in a totally different way. Seashore also said 'A musician not only hears the music but often lives it out so realistically in his imagination'. I had to imagine this story before I could write about it. I also believe that the listener benefits from having a story to relate and react to. ‘Lyric analysis also tends to valorise certain forms of popular music, most notably blues, soul, country, and some varieties of rock and pop, notably those featuring singer-songwriters, such as Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, and Tracey Chapman. These are seen as ‘the authentic expression of popular experiences and needs’, whereas mainstream popular music song lyrics are largely seen in terms of mass culture arguments, and criticised for their banality and lack of depth.’ (Shuker 2001).
I wrote this in two sittings, one sitting where I wrote the musical lines and a second sitting where I completed the lyrics. I am what Seashore (1938) would call the 'Impulsive Type' of musician 'in which the drive or urge of emotion flares up'. This is because I will either write nothing, or write an entire song in one go.
I know what my flaws are by now, and there are a few thing I really need to focus on for this and my group performance. Firstly, I have been informed a few times that my words are not particularly clear when singing ballads, rock or pop. I have done a lot of Musical Theatre, and within that genre it is extremely important to make your words clear to tell the story. In pop music, this isn't always the case, and I am forever searching song lyrics online to see what the singers are saying. I think this part of pop music must have made an impact on me, as I don't focus on making the lyrics clear at all. I need to work on this as my song contains really strong, emotive lyrics, and the story must be heard to be understood.
Another flaw with my performance is communication. When I sing musical theatre I am great at portraying a story and communicating a message to the audience, but when I sing anything else, I really struggle, Especially when I play piano and sing, i'm scared of losing my place so I tend to focus on the music in front of me, rather than the audience. This is why I have chosen to create my own backing track, and sing with that. This way I can work on my communication, as well as spending time developing my backing music.‘The search for fidelity in sound recording reprised the concerns expressed during the development of formats, especially in debates over whether the authenticity, or sound ‘aura’, of the recording was comparable to hearing the piece in live performance’ (Shuker 2001). I agree that it would be more authentic to perform live, but because of the song's need for communication, my music will be recorded.
"I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh - it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave and we stood at God's feet, equal - as we are!"
I love this about Jane's character, but not all characters are like this. I wanted to explore a character who was not able to stand up to this mistreatment.
I found that a lot of the novel was not entirely relevant to modern times, so I was faced with the decision of writing based in the 1700-1800's or to bring it up to date. I decided to make it modern by adding a sub story to the 'plot' of the song. I used the idea of equality presented in Jane Eyre, and used quotes from the novel to create a story about a girl who is being mistreated by a male in her life. The reason I felt that a sub story was needed is because the story of a girl not marrying someone of higher importance despite her love for him is not completely relevant to modern times.
The idea for my sub plot came from the earlier parts of the novel, where Jane is treated like a burden by her aunt. She is sent off to school where she isn't treated much better, and then is surrounded by death when a typhus epidemic strikes. Despite all of this, Jane goes on to have a successful career, and eventually is reunited with her love. I decided to explore a darker ending to my character's story, as Jane's story could have easily ended in a totally different way. Seashore also said 'A musician not only hears the music but often lives it out so realistically in his imagination'. I had to imagine this story before I could write about it. I also believe that the listener benefits from having a story to relate and react to. ‘Lyric analysis also tends to valorise certain forms of popular music, most notably blues, soul, country, and some varieties of rock and pop, notably those featuring singer-songwriters, such as Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, and Tracey Chapman. These are seen as ‘the authentic expression of popular experiences and needs’, whereas mainstream popular music song lyrics are largely seen in terms of mass culture arguments, and criticised for their banality and lack of depth.’ (Shuker 2001).
I wrote this in two sittings, one sitting where I wrote the musical lines and a second sitting where I completed the lyrics. I am what Seashore (1938) would call the 'Impulsive Type' of musician 'in which the drive or urge of emotion flares up'. This is because I will either write nothing, or write an entire song in one go.
I know what my flaws are by now, and there are a few thing I really need to focus on for this and my group performance. Firstly, I have been informed a few times that my words are not particularly clear when singing ballads, rock or pop. I have done a lot of Musical Theatre, and within that genre it is extremely important to make your words clear to tell the story. In pop music, this isn't always the case, and I am forever searching song lyrics online to see what the singers are saying. I think this part of pop music must have made an impact on me, as I don't focus on making the lyrics clear at all. I need to work on this as my song contains really strong, emotive lyrics, and the story must be heard to be understood.
Another flaw with my performance is communication. When I sing musical theatre I am great at portraying a story and communicating a message to the audience, but when I sing anything else, I really struggle, Especially when I play piano and sing, i'm scared of losing my place so I tend to focus on the music in front of me, rather than the audience. This is why I have chosen to create my own backing track, and sing with that. This way I can work on my communication, as well as spending time developing my backing music.‘The search for fidelity in sound recording reprised the concerns expressed during the development of formats, especially in debates over whether the authenticity, or sound ‘aura’, of the recording was comparable to hearing the piece in live performance’ (Shuker 2001). I agree that it would be more authentic to perform live, but because of the song's need for communication, my music will be recorded.
I'm really happy that our solo performance must be a composition, as I rarely get a chance to show my own written work. 'In comparison with the writing on other roles in the music
industry, and the nature of the creative process in popular music, the role of
the songwriter has received only limited attention.’ I do enjoy writing songs but don't always feel confident showcasing them, so i'm really happy that the composition is important within our module.
Making Music
Today we did some improvisation as a big group. We all picked up instruments we may not have played before, such as drums and tambourines. We based it on the idea of a storm, so we used the sound of the rain gently starting, then building up to become thunderous. Then we stopped all the instruments suddenly, to show how the rain can simply stop.
I found it interesting to interpret things this way, and use instruments to create real life sounds.
I think improvisation is hard, because you need to have confidence in yourself, and the ability to rectify mistakes and make them sound like you meant them.
I found it interesting to interpret things this way, and use instruments to create real life sounds.
I think improvisation is hard, because you need to have confidence in yourself, and the ability to rectify mistakes and make them sound like you meant them.
Because we all played percussion instruments, we didn't necessarily have to learn to play them. We simply had a chance to try them out and make sounds that we thought were interesting. Anyone who had a sense of rhythm could have participated. Seashore (1938) describes how 'a person who has only an average sense of pitch can never become a good violinist or a great singer; but, with the other three skills well developed, he may become a pianist or a composer of great distinction'. The other three skills being dynamic, temporal and qualitative. With just one of these skills, any person can make music somehow. I think this is really interesting to say that a person with only one of those skills can become a musician somehow.
I did find this exercise useful, however, I am aware of my skills and flaws when it comes to song writing, and I would like to spend some time working on them.
I watch a show called Whose Line Is It Anyway? where they improvise skits and scenes on the spot. They regularly improvise a song within the show, and I love to watch how they are given different genres and can sing something that fits the music. This is an example of a song the actors have improvised on the show. They must improvise lyrics and melody within a given song style. I find it very interesting to watch the actors come up with these songs and I think they are very clever and thoughtful. I don't think I am particularly good at improvisation to this level but it is something I would love to be able to do.
I watch a show called Whose Line Is It Anyway? where they improvise skits and scenes on the spot. They regularly improvise a song within the show, and I love to watch how they are given different genres and can sing something that fits the music. This is an example of a song the actors have improvised on the show. They must improvise lyrics and melody within a given song style. I find it very interesting to watch the actors come up with these songs and I think they are very clever and thoughtful. I don't think I am particularly good at improvisation to this level but it is something I would love to be able to do.
When I'm at home I like to play the ukulele, but as I can't play a lot of chords I am limited for songs to play. I like to do 'The Four Chord Song' which contains popular songs all written using the same chord progression. This is easy to play and covers lots of different ranges and styles of singing.I decided that I haven't practiced improvisation enough to do it well, so I decided to use the Four Chord song as a way of using quick thought and not planning. I had a good look through the list of applicable songs and then put the list away and spent a while just playing the chords and singing some of the songs. After a while I had worked out a good order to sing them in so it became practiced. This song was also helpful for me to practice playing the ukulele, which is a skill I am new to and would like to improve. Because I am not good at or used to improvising, this is a good way of improvising to my ability.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Wuthering Heights
Today I was having a little think about how I will write my solo composition. I know myself that I write better in a minor key, as every song I have done in major has ended up sounding like something from a musical. I would love to base my song upon a favourite book or poem of mine, so I have been considering perhaps using ‘Jane Eyre’ or ‘Wuthering Heights’ (although I am quite aware of another song based on the latter!) I would like to focus on the deep and tragic side of these books, perhaps zoning in on one particular chapter or phase in a character’s life. I would love to write from Jane Eyre’s perspective after she flees and finds out about the fire. I would use quotes from the novel I choose, mainly because my lyric writing is not great, but also because it would give me a great deal of research to do, and give the song more meaning.
In a module last year, I wrote a song about Alice in Wonderland. I set this in a minor key having been inspired by the Tim Burton film, and I used quotes from the novel to create my lyrics. I found the creative process so much easier when I didn’t have to worry about coming up with original lyrics. Here is a recording of me singing ‘The Conflict’.
I wrote a song not long ago for a friend of mine who writes lyrics and poetry, but not music. He asked me to put the music to his lyrics, which was different to anything I had done before. I wanted to keep the tempo slow but since the lyrics were positive I used the key of C Major. This is not my best work but I am proud of it, as I normally struggle to write in major.
Having managed to write a major song, I still felt that my composition should be in a minor key because of the inspiration around it. I was singing through some of my favourite songs to get some inspiriation, and I recorded myself singing Atticus by The Noisettes. I love the music in this as it’s so dark and simplistic. The singer shows a lot of range in her singing, from the lower bits in the verses to the higher bits in the bridges. Although this song is originally performed with a guitar, I think I would rather use the piano to perform my composition, as I find it gives a deeper sound and is more dynamic. I tend to use my Ukulele to play lighter songs.
I find it very interesting how using major or minor keys in a song can change it so drastically. This is a video of a guy who changed Star Spangled Banner from a major key to a minor. This gives the song a whole different feel and gives me goose bumps to listen to. I feel that I can do more interesting things with a minor key, especially after listening to the chilling notes on this video.
I feel that the tone of my voice suits minor songs better than major ones. I can't pinpoint why, perhaps this is something I should research and improve on, However, I would like to use this to my advantage and will therefore write my song in a minor key.
In a module last year, I wrote a song about Alice in Wonderland. I set this in a minor key having been inspired by the Tim Burton film, and I used quotes from the novel to create my lyrics. I found the creative process so much easier when I didn’t have to worry about coming up with original lyrics. Here is a recording of me singing ‘The Conflict’.
I wrote a song not long ago for a friend of mine who writes lyrics and poetry, but not music. He asked me to put the music to his lyrics, which was different to anything I had done before. I wanted to keep the tempo slow but since the lyrics were positive I used the key of C Major. This is not my best work but I am proud of it, as I normally struggle to write in major.
Having managed to write a major song, I still felt that my composition should be in a minor key because of the inspiration around it. I was singing through some of my favourite songs to get some inspiriation, and I recorded myself singing Atticus by The Noisettes. I love the music in this as it’s so dark and simplistic. The singer shows a lot of range in her singing, from the lower bits in the verses to the higher bits in the bridges. Although this song is originally performed with a guitar, I think I would rather use the piano to perform my composition, as I find it gives a deeper sound and is more dynamic. I tend to use my Ukulele to play lighter songs.
I find it very interesting how using major or minor keys in a song can change it so drastically. This is a video of a guy who changed Star Spangled Banner from a major key to a minor. This gives the song a whole different feel and gives me goose bumps to listen to. I feel that I can do more interesting things with a minor key, especially after listening to the chilling notes on this video.
I feel that the tone of my voice suits minor songs better than major ones. I can't pinpoint why, perhaps this is something I should research and improve on, However, I would like to use this to my advantage and will therefore write my song in a minor key.
English Rose
I find the use of accents in songs to be quite interesting. I am used to performing Musical Theatre material, so it tends to be a specific accent, usually American or sometimes Cockney. However, in pop and rock music the accents are very diverse. One example is The 1975, who are from Manchester, and the lead singer, Matt Healy sings with a very noticeable accent.
I find his accent to be extremely endearing, and interesting to listen to. I think within my solo performance I will spend some time considering my accent. I think accents play a really important role, and different accents are more popular sometimes. For example, Ellie Goulding sang 'Starry Eyed' and around that time (and now still), people were copying her accent in their songs. It became popular for people to sing 'cute' songs perhaps with a guitar. This was clearly shown on 'The X Factor' as many singers who auditioned sang in a very similar style with this accent. I have always tried to sing with a neutral accent as much as possible having worked a lot in choirs and in musical theatre, but my speaking accent is a little muddled, as it isn't entirely made up of just one accent. This is something I need to be extremely careful with when I sing in choirs, but as a solo singer it may come across as quirky.
I find his accent to be extremely endearing, and interesting to listen to. I think within my solo performance I will spend some time considering my accent. I think accents play a really important role, and different accents are more popular sometimes. For example, Ellie Goulding sang 'Starry Eyed' and around that time (and now still), people were copying her accent in their songs. It became popular for people to sing 'cute' songs perhaps with a guitar. This was clearly shown on 'The X Factor' as many singers who auditioned sang in a very similar style with this accent. I have always tried to sing with a neutral accent as much as possible having worked a lot in choirs and in musical theatre, but my speaking accent is a little muddled, as it isn't entirely made up of just one accent. This is something I need to be extremely careful with when I sing in choirs, but as a solo singer it may come across as quirky.
Friday, 3 October 2014
Opposites
For this weeks mini composition piece based on a poem, Sophie and I have taken the poem and decided to use all of the words the way they are written, and add ‘ooh’ harmonies. We began by creating a chord sequence in a minor key, and then improvised on top of that. We recorded all of our improvisation and used the best bits to create our song. This method of writing is fun and experimental, and I like to be creative with it. We also improvised not just with our voices, but on the piano, with one of us playing the chords and the other improvising on top. This was helpful to establish a main theme and tune.
Me and Sophie are both a part of Dodici Voce, a small female chamber vocal group, and we have been learning Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ for an upcoming gig. I think this song has influenced our writing, even if we didn’t intend on that happening. The harmonies are very close knit and choral, and I think we subconsciously used that to create our song.
This is the same version of Ave Verum Corpus, but sung by a different choir, to show the type of choral harmony music we sing at Dodici Voce.
Of course we didn’t copy off this once piece. Sophie and I sing a lot together for fun, so we added a few touches of personal style. We sing a lot of harmonies and slow, dramatic songs together. Sophie is classically trained, so she adds a lot of higher notes and vibrato, where I am more musical theatre and pop trained, so I added some trills and resolves.
Although our voices are not similar, I feel that we make an interesting sound together and we work very well as a team.
Me and Sophie are both a part of Dodici Voce, a small female chamber vocal group, and we have been learning Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ for an upcoming gig. I think this song has influenced our writing, even if we didn’t intend on that happening. The harmonies are very close knit and choral, and I think we subconsciously used that to create our song.
This is the same version of Ave Verum Corpus, but sung by a different choir, to show the type of choral harmony music we sing at Dodici Voce.
Of course we didn’t copy off this once piece. Sophie and I sing a lot together for fun, so we added a few touches of personal style. We sing a lot of harmonies and slow, dramatic songs together. Sophie is classically trained, so she adds a lot of higher notes and vibrato, where I am more musical theatre and pop trained, so I added some trills and resolves.
Although our voices are not similar, I feel that we make an interesting sound together and we work very well as a team.
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