Note: the hexagon is the main music room which holds all of the good instruments, and the portacabins are the extra music rooms without the good instruments.
12th October 2015
In the first rehearsal today, my group started off negotiating about
what songs we were going to perform. My group included Louis Smith, Amy
Brewerton, Jenna and Bryony. We also listened to the songs we were doing so
that we could examine the different parts of the songs. The songs we chose to
do were: 'Mr Writer – Stereophonics', 'Hallelujah', 'Somewhere only we know',
'I see Fire' and 'Iris'. By the end of this
project, I hope to achieve a really good, smooth, polished set that varies in
style and is well rehearsed. Hopefully we will achieve this by working hard and
not getting distracted. I want to practice one song at a time
and gradually starting to get an advanced drum beat for the songs that I will
be doing. I discovered the beat that was required for the songs that I needed
to do, and I practiced them. My target was to develop a more effective
drum beat for the songs and to make it more interesting with fills or a
different variation of beats every so often such as the open hi-hat or the
symbol.
13th October 2015
Today we finalised our decisions on what songs we were going to perform, and
what instruments we were going to be using in each song (which instruments
worked with the song). I aimed to get a good understanding of what I will be
performing in the future. We talked about whether I can play the drums to
“Hallelujah”, because the original song did not consist of any drums. Then we
went through a couple of songs and got to grips with them. My target for my
next rehearsal would be getting a good amount of time to play the drums
which can impact my skills in the drum beats that I will play.
20th October 2015
Today I played the drums to warm up, doing random beats. Today I
wanted to cover all the songs that needed a drum beat and go through them
thoroughly so we got a clear understanding of the songs. I completed the songs
that I needed to rehearse and I set myself a target to rehearse them more
throughout the week. For next rehearsal I want to get a clear
understanding of the drum beats in the songs. These include the quiet symbols
for example, or the small fills at the end of the bars. However, I could even
create my own fills and crashes of the symbols. This target may take longer
than 1 lesson or even 2-3 lessons
2nd November 2015
For prep, I went home and practiced all the beats in preparation for the
lesson. Today I aimed to achieve maximum understanding of the songs. During the
rehearsal, we went through the songs for the final time, and it went well.
However, to improve, I need to go into detail in some beats, such as the
stereophonics beat. In this beat, I need to apply two bass drum beats to make
it sound more interesting.
3rd November 2015
After already having an understanding of the beat for stereophonics, we decided
to move on to 'Somewhere only we know'. Louis (the guitarist) started playing
the song with Jenna, Amy and Bryony, and they wanted me to attempt to apply a
beat to suit the song. I found it fairly easy and I incorporated a fill and a
variation of kick beats with the hi-hat and the snare. However, to improve I
think I should've incorporated a more complex fill every so often. This lesson
went well; however, I believe that we needed some more time to look over at the
mistakes that we made in the song.
9th November 2015
In this rehearsal, we carried on with 'Somewhere only we know'. We went through
the song a couple of times and we highlighted the mistakes that we were making
or how we could've improved the way it sounded. Jenna, Amy and Bryony all
were working to incorporate a harmony into the song (around the end) to
make it sound better and more interesting. This lesson was quite successful,
despite us only just finalising the song.
16th November 2015
In this rehearsal, me and Louis looked over and recapped on 'Mr
Writer - Stereophonics'. We wanted to do this because we felt like our version
was too simple, and we needed to vary the different beats and rhythms
to make it sound better. Therefore, we talked about the things we needed
to improve and we did it. Overall this lesson was quite successful. In the next
lesson, we aim to look over the next song in detail, and reasonably
quick because of the fact that the performance of our 15-minute set (all of our
songs) for Miss Onacko is around the corner.
17th November 2015
In this rehearsal, we began to look over the song 'Iris'. In this rehearsal we
did not have a drum kit to use because we were in the porter cabins. This meant
that I had to use garage band in order to have a drum kit that we could
practice with to do Iris. As we looked over the song, it was exceptionally
difficult at first because of the fact that I was using Garage band on the iPad
and Louis wanted me to identify and create a beat which sounded good with the
guitar. Once we discovered a beat we went through the song, looking to identify
mistakes that we made. This rehearsal went well, however we did not finish the
song in time and we needed quite a bit longer to improve our performance of the
song.
23rd November 2015
In this rehearsal, we carried on with Iris. After looking over the things that
we wanted to improve, we kept on working on individual parts of the song to
improve. Me and Louis were fine, because Louis knew what he was playing on his
guitar and I had already established a drum beat; however, Jenna, Amy and
Bryony still needed to incorporate a harmony into the song at the end. Overall,
the lesson went quite well, however it could be improved by working faster to
get the song done.
30th November 2015
In this lesson, Jenna, Amy and Bryony practiced their harmony while me
and Louis started working on Mr Writer by Stereophonics. We did the same
method to form a song, which is when Louis plays his guitar and I try to
incorporate a beat to it which sounds good with it. This went fairly well however
the beat sounded a bit too simple and needed further development. Therefore,
for preparation for next lesson, I will look at how I can form a more complex
beat to go with Louis’ guitar on ‘Mr Writer’ by looking at drum covers and the
original song.
1st December 2015
In this lesson, all of us recapped on the set in which we are doing as the
final performance is getting closer. We went through it, however there were
some clear flaws in each song that we needed to correct. We did not have much
time to look into the songs in detail as we had to share the room with another
group.
8th December 2015
In this lesson, the other group had the room which had the drum kit. Therefore,
we had to go into a porter cabin to practice (without a drum kit). This meant
that I had to use Garage Band on the iPad which I found difficult because of
the screen being quite small and me not being used to the drum kit on it. We
went through Iris again and it went quite successfully.
14th December
Today was the final lesson that we had to rehearse before the performance to
the class. For the performance we had to play 2 songs. Therefore, we all agreed
on 2 songs to play. These songs were Mr Writer and I see fire. We
practiced them a couple of times and it didn't go very successfully because it
was rushed and we didn't have a lot of time.
15th December
Today we performed our 2 songs to the class. I have realised that we did not
practice I see fire enough. This is because I didn't incorporate any fills
or crashes because I didn't know what it would've sounded like. This
performance went okay; however, it could have been better.
5th January
During the Christmas break, I got a drum kit so I can practice at home. This is
a very fundamental factor for my improvement in drumming. Also our teacher Miss
Onacko had left. This meant that our new teacher, Mr Fuller had an introduction
to his teaching and we talked about it. The whole lesson we had a discussion
about our own interests in music and what instruments we play. I told Mr Fuller
that my interests are Deep House and Techno.
11th January
After watching our performances before the Christmas holidays, Mr Fuller gave
us feedback on our overall performances. He also told us that our sets need
improving for another performance. This lesson we didn't have any time to
rehearse as we were still discussing what is happening in our groups and what
is happening in our whole class. However, at home I am still practicing the
songs in our set on my own so that I don't forget the elements of each song.
12th January
Today me, Louis, Jenna, Amy and Bryony started practicing again on our songs.
After listening to Mr Fuller's feedback, we knew we had to knuckle down and
change the different elements of the songs. We went through a couple of songs
just so we knew what we were doing again. We did not have enough time to finish
our whole set, however the lesson went well.
18th January
In this rehearsal, we practiced as normal. We went through 'Mr Writer' and
'Somewhere only we know'. We were almost entirely happy with how each song
sounded, however in my opinion I could make my drum beat to 'Mr Writer' more
effective by the use of a fill every so often. This was another rather
successful lesson, getting a couple of songs rehearsed.
25th January
Because of the fact that our group had used the main room with the drums quite
a lot of times, we thought it was fair to let the other group use it.
Therefore, we went in the porter cabins to practice, and I used the iPad to
play the drums. Jenna, Amy and Bryony all worked on their song (which is 'All
of Me’) for one of the first times. After this we all practiced 'Iris' and
it was a productive lesson especially with the practicing conditions that we
had.
26th January
Today we were in the music room with the drums, which meant we could get some
practicing done. Mr Fuller decided to spend the lesson working with us to help
us with our set, including every individual song. First of all, we played
'Somewhere only we know'; he was quite impressed however he wanted us to change
the volumes of each instrument: he wanted me to change the way I hit the snare
which was on the rim to make it quieter and to create more of an acoustic
sound. He also wanted the guitar and the singers to be louder. We did this and
it sounded a lot better. He did not change any of the other songs when we
played them to him. Overall this was a good lesson because we have improved one
of our songs for our set and it sounds a lot better.
2nd February
This rehearsal consisted of running through our set and me continuing to apply
the changes me and Mr Fuller made on 'Somewhere only we know'. I started to get
used to each element of the song when playing it including the lead up to the
chorus, applying a kick on every bar. This made it sound much more effective.
This lesson went well as we are continuing to progress as a group.
8th February
Today we were in the porter cabins again. We consistently practiced our set
once again and I played the drums on the iPad. For prep I have continued to
practice some songs on my drum kit at home and other songs too, to improve my
skills and maintain my practice on the kit.
9th February
In this rehearsal, we played on the stage (with no audience). I had a different
drum kit and it was significantly better to play with compared to the kit
in the music room. We went through our set again, and we got all of the songs
done. Jenna, Amy and Bryony started working on their song (All of me) in
another room, while me and Louis practiced Mr Writer. I wanted to improve it
even more by adding the ride in on the chorus.
23rd February
Today we were in the main music room, and Mr Fuller wanted Amy, Bryony and
Jenna to start practicing their song a lot more because it was nowhere
near finished. They were practicing in the same room as us, so we couldn't
necessarily practice while they were. This meant that we didn't really do
anything personally productive for me and Louis.
29th February
Today we went through our set again however we didn't do All of me because we
have doubts over the song. I feel like we should improve on using our time
wisely to get the maximum practice time in. The girls need to improve on their
song (All of me) - they haven't practiced it enough.
1st March
I prepared for today's lesson by creating a drum tab sheet for Mr Writer. This
allowed me to be able to read the music whilst playing the songs with my group.
This ensured that I didn't make too many mistakes and I was confident in what
I'd be playing. In the lesson today we went through the set and Mr Writer had
minimal mistakes because of my preparation. My target for my next
preparation is to create another drum tab for another song.
7th March
I prepared for today's lesson by making another drum tab for 'Somewhere
only we know'. This took me longer to complete compared to 'Mr Writer' because
of the fact that I am more familiar with each element of the song. However, in
today's lesson we focused on 'Iris', which I do not have a drum tab for yet. It
went well however if I have a drum tab for it I will be more comfortable
playing it; and so I will make one for the next lesson.
14th March
To prepare for this lesson I made a drum tab for Iris so I am comfortable with
the different elements of the song such as fills and the open hi-hat. Please
note, I made my own drum tab with my own parts of the song - I followed certain
parts of the song however I mixed it up every so often. Today me Louis, Jenna,
Amy and Bryony played on the stage (without an audience). We went through our
set, starting with 'Iris', then 'Somewhere only we know', then 'I see Fire',
'Mr Writer' and finally 'All of me' (which didn't include me). It went really
well because we got through all of the songs and we could really see how much
we are improving as a group. Overall, this has been our most successful lesson
so far; we got through all of the songs with ease. I will prepare for the next
lesson by practicing the drums at the weekend.
15th March
Today it was our group's turn to rehearse in the porter cabins, however today
the porter cabin with the drum kit was free and we used it. This then meant
that we could get a good rehearsal in. As a group we agreed that we should just
be going from the top of our set through to the end. So, we played our set,
which went really well. For my drum beat in some songs I started off quietly,
hitting the symbols when it started, then gradually going into the beats. I did
this for quite a lot of songs, however for Mr Writer and I see Fire I played a
louder beat and it sounded fantastic. We showed Mr Fuller and he said it was
really good. I think that as a band we are all improving and it is sounding
better and better.
22nd March
Today our whole class were informed that our music teacher, Mr Fuller was
leaving. This means that we discussed
what was happening so it took up around half the lesson, meaning that we didn't
have much time to rehearse. Despite this we still knuckled down and went
through our set, mainly going through Iris, Somewhere only we know, I see fire
and Mr Writer. Mr Fuller showed me ways in which I could improve, including having
a stronger stance when drumming and playing the hi-hat louder. We discussed
rehearsing the day after however it is not certain.
29th March
Today our group played in the porta cabin with the electric drum kit. It was
our last rehearsal with Mr Fuller before he leaves. Once again we went through
our set; we didn't have a performance in the end because of year 11 exams. We
noticed that Jenna, Amy and Bryony hadn't practiced on their song (All of Me)
much. However, after recording some of our songs we estimated the time it would
add up to with 4 songs, and it added up to around 15 minutes. This means that
we didn't have to play a 5th song. Today's lesson went well.
25th April
Today we met our new teacher called Mr McConnell. We were in a normal classroom
because other people were using our class. So we didn't get to rehearse.
However, we got to show each other our favourite genres and it was fun (my
favourite genre being Techno and Deep house).
26th April
Today's rehearsal consisted of going through our set again, however with our
new teacher; therefore, it was our first rehearsal with Mr McConnell. We played
the songs to Mr McConnell and he liked it, especially I see fire. I feel like I
should develop each of my pieces by looking at different covers of the songs
and applying the techniques used into my drum beats.
3rd May
9th May
For preparation for this lesson, I looked for drum tabs on the internet however I couldn't find any. Despite this, I went over the song once at home and I looked at a couple of drum covers to help me come up with an effective beat. Today we looked at Somewhere only we know for the first time in a while. We were quite rusty in our first play through and we discussed how we could make the song flow better. After this, we attempted the song again and it flowed well with very minor mistakes. This was a productive lesson as I actually added a small fill at the end of the chorus after our discussion, so we have made progression as a group in our 15 minute set.
10th May
To prepare for this lesson, I have been practicing fills in each song to help my beats flow more effectively. Adding a fill in Iris, for example, at the end of the chorus I am adding some fills in to help smoothen the transition between the chorus and the rest of the song. Today we were told that this lesson will be our final lesson before our final performance of year 10. This means that we knuckled down straight away and went through our whole set. After polishing up 'Somewhere only we know' yesterday, we went through the songs and 'Somewhere only we know' is now our strongest song in my opinion. All of our other songs were strong too and I believe we are ready for the final performance.
7th June
Today was our final performance. I believe it went well. We performed
our 15-minute set to around 30 people in the hall. With ‘Iris’ being the first
song that we played, I think that it was one of the best out of all of them. I
kept a steady beat and it flowed. ‘I see fire’ also went well; I played a bit
quieter than normal because the song is originally acoustic however I
progressively got louder. ‘Somewhere only we know’ was an effective song and
the audience enjoyed it. And ‘Mr Writer’ went extremely well, I played an
interesting beat and Louis played effectively too. The teacher that was
watching said that we played really well! Overall I feel like we got out what
we deserved with all our practices.
Reflection on Year 10 Project
- We were able to identify
elements of the songs that we chose to include in our 15-minute set and
copy it, whilst then adapting some elements and personalising them to make
our own versions of the songs.
- We performed our set in
front of around 30 people to a high standard.
- We managed to get lots of
practice sessions on our set done.
- We chose a balanced,
interesting 15-minute set with well-chosen songs to fill in the 15
minutes.
Improvements on Year 10 Project
- We could have handled our
time better - we could have used the time more productively to focus on
the songs we were doing.
- We could have been more
civil towards each other - towards the end of the year some people in our group
were not using our practice time appropriately and so some of us fell out.
However, if we were civil towards each other we could have had more
practice time.
Targets for Year 11
- Use each rehearsal session
as an opportunity to tweak and improve our new 15-minute set - even if we
believe we have finished each song.
- Try to get along with
everyone in my group
- Plan each song using drum
tabs and listen to each original song, so that we can create the best set
we can.
12th September 2016.
Today was the first practical lesson of year 11. After performing our set at
the end of the last academic year, me and my group had finished the performance
section for year 10. However other groups hadn't performed which meant that
they needed to rehearse, and me and Louis had nothing to do. We managed to find
a room with a drum kit which partially worked but me and Louis mainly discussed
what songs we would be doing. We particularly pointed out the fact that Mr
Flowers told us that for our main exam we would be required to play different
genres, such as Blues, Jazz etc. This made us think about what we could play.
Overall today wasn't too productive but we used the time to discuss things we
could play in the future.
26th September 2016.
At this moment in time, I still need to wait for the other group to
finish their set, so I will watch and maybe get a chance to play the drums with
the other group in the hexagon. Also I want to carry on discussing with my new
group the songs we want to do, whilst reviewing the important information for
the unit in my red folder. At the start of the lesson I was in the hexagon with
the other group, and I got the chance to play the drums. After this, myself,
James and Louis discussed the songs we would like to do this year. These song
ideas were:
- Eric Clapton - Sunshine of
your love
- Dire Straits - Sultans of
Swing
- John Mayer - Gravity
- Kings of Leon - Waste a
moment
3rd October 2016.
Today I and James had the whole lesson in the hexagon, however Louis was
absent; despite this me and James still practiced the songs we have planned to
do. With the song ‘sunshine of your love’, I have chosen to create my own style
of drum beat to go with it. This is because I believe it sounds better, and the
original doesn’t really consist of an interesting beat. We also looked at
Gravity and a Blues style of song by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Gravity seemed to have
a reasonably simple beat for the song, however the Blues-style song was
more complex and I looked at a drum cover for it – and ultimately I practiced
it myself afterwards. Overall this lesson was very productive; I have good
ideas for mine, James’ and Louis’ group for this year. For preparation for next
lesson I have decided that I will look at each of the songs on YouTube; I will
look at drum covers especially so that I can get a strong understanding of what
we will be creating as a group.
10th October 2016.
In this lesson, me, James and Louis were on the stage. We found a drum
kit and I set it up – I also found a hi-hat however it didn’t open and close
properly. We had a ride too which I used for a crash as well as a ride. Today
we mainly practiced ‘Gravity’ by John Mayer and I feel like we have basically
completed the song despite the fact that it just needs polishing and enhancing.
We went over the other songs too; however, we do not have a grip on them yet.
For preparation I will carry on watching videos on the songs to get ideas on
how to enhance my drumming.
17th October 2016
In this lesson, James had to practice with his old group, due to them
needing to record their set for year 10. This means that me and Louis were on
the stage again and we used the same drum kit. We went over Gravity a couple of
times, Sunshine of your love, and we played a 12-bar-blues riff. I was prepared
with a drum beat for the 12-bar-blues, and the other songs. I feel like I just
need to write drum tabs for each song so that I don’t forget the beat I am
playing. After the holidays, me. James and Louis will be able to practice in
the hexagon again with the good drum kit; I will practice over the holidays so
that we can get the best set we possibly can.
31st October 2016
In today’s lesson, me, James and Louis had the hexagon and we we’ll have
it next week too, meaning that I have a good drum kit (with a ride symbol and a
crash). In this lesson, we started to go through our set, first being ‘Gravity’
by John Mayer. We have decided to change the songs we are doing to:
7th November 2016
Today we were in the hexagon again. To prepare we figured out another
song that we will play, which is ‘Why Georgia’ by John Mayer. Before me even
hearing the original beat, I listened to Louis play and I improvised a little
bit, which in the end was really successful. Because the drums are introduced
later in the song, at the start I improvised by playing the toms to go with the
guitar. For preparation I will look at drum covers of the song. However, I
still want to implement the floor toms at the start because I believe it sounds
really effective.
11th November 2016
Today, it was the other group's turn to be in the hexagon. This meant that we
could either go on the stage which has an acoustic drum kit, or go in a porta
cabin / room. The stage in the hall was being used for PE so we couldn't use
the stage, meaning that we had to use a room without a drum kit. This meant
that I had to use a table top drum kit (which isn't the best to play with).
Despite this, we made an effort to go through our songs and get the maximum
amount of practice that we can. We went through all of the songs except for
'Sunshine of your love', because I am in progress of learning the beat for the
song in my instrumental lessons. Overall, this lesson was relatively productive
but if we had a relatively legitimate drum kit then it would have been more effective.
I will carry on learning the beat for Sunshine of your love.
21st November 2016
Today, it was our turn to be in the hexagon with the acoustic drum kit
and we went through our set. First we went through Gravity and I believe we
have mastered it – however to improve I believe I should go over to the ride on
the chorus to add emphasis on the chorus. Furthermore we decided we’d drop ‘Sunshine
of your love’ as it is a complex song with various guitar and drum solos, and it
would take too long. We looked at songs however we couldn’t find a good song to
do. To prepare for next lesson we will all look at songs to do instead. We considered playing Superstition by Stevie Wonder.
After having winter mocks for all of our subjects, many of us missed lessons and so we had a lesson on the 19th December.
19th December 2016
Today me and James mainly practiced Superstition, with Louis taking an exam during our lesson so he missed the rehearsal. James decided he'd play the bass for this song as the bass is an important part of the original song. From my drum lessons, I had already been practicing the drum groove for this song and some drum fills. After a short amount of time, James learned the general riff on the bass even though he doesn't usually play the bass which is really good. We kept on practicing the song, especially the chorus, which required a different drum fill and a change in the bass. Overall this lesson was very productive despite Louis not being there to rehearse. For next lesson in 2017, to prepare I will carry on practicing Superstition and most importantly, All along the watchtower.
9th January 2017
Today me, Louis and James were in a small practice room with an electric drum kit. We decided not to play All along the watchtower as our performance is coming up and we feel like we should play a different genre. This means that this lesson, we discussed a fourth song to play and we practiced Superstition. Overall, this was quite productive however a setback was that we were using an electric drum kit instead of an acoustic drum kit. An acoustic is better to practice with because it gets us used to playing with it and it sounds better.
16th January 2017
Today was a very good practice session. The music department purchased a new drum kit, with a high quality ride symbol and crash symbol. We played on the stage with the new drum kit and it felt as if the sound of our tracks were enhanced just because of the drum kit. In addition, I can now use a drum kit which sounds good and works well to allow me to perform my skills. We looked at 'Why Georgia' and 'Gravity', and we feel we have mastered 'Gravity', whereas 'Why Georgia' needs more practice. It was successful because we have more knowledge on the songs now.
After going through the 230 Performance module, we have now resumed our Rehearsal Skills project. We now need to carry on with our set and add another song in order to make the required 15 minutes.
6th March 2017
We have now finished our 230 module and are now going back to our 15 minute set. Today we weren't available to any musical equipment due to exams and we realised this will occur frequently during this exam period. This means that today we listened to different songs that we could possibly play - we only need one. Therefore, towards the end of the lesson we came to a conclusion on a song which met the guidelines of the brief. The song we chose is Eric Clapton - Wonderful tonight as it was a song which sounded good, with a relatively slow tempo to allow me (drummer) and the two guitarists to be able to adapt the beat and guitar riffs.
13th March 2017
Today we had the chance to use a music room with an instrument. We started off by listening to Wonderful Tonight a couple of times for us to identify the different elements of the song, such as the bridge or the chorus. This will allow us to easily play the same elements of the song but also adapt these elements in our own way to create the best set we can. Today we didn't play much but we observed the song closely so it was still a productive lesson. To prepare for my next lesson I will practice the main beat for the song so that I can get comfortable with playing it. This will allow me to adapt it in the future so it will sound even better.
27th March 2017
After missing last week due to exams, we looked at the song on youtube again because we hadn't heard it in quite a long time.
Note: the hexagon is the main music room which holds all of the good instruments, and the portacabins are the extra music rooms without the good instruments.
12th October 2015
12th October 2015
In the first rehearsal today, my group started off negotiating about what songs we were going to perform. My group included Louis Smith, Amy Brewerton, Jenna and Bryony. We also listened to the songs we were doing so that we could examine the different parts of the songs. The songs we chose to do were: 'Mr Writer – Stereophonics', 'Hallelujah', 'Somewhere only we know', 'I see Fire' and 'Iris'. By the end of this project, I hope to achieve a really good, smooth, polished set that varies in style and is well rehearsed. Hopefully we will achieve this by working hard and not getting distracted. I want to practice one song at a time and gradually starting to get an advanced drum beat for the songs that I will be doing. I discovered the beat that was required for the songs that I needed to do, and I practiced them. My target was to develop a more effective drum beat for the songs and to make it more interesting with fills or a different variation of beats every so often such as the open hi-hat or the symbol.
13th October 2015
Today we finalised our decisions on what songs we were going to perform, and what instruments we were going to be using in each song (which instruments worked with the song). I aimed to get a good understanding of what I will be performing in the future. We talked about whether I can play the drums to “Hallelujah”, because the original song did not consist of any drums. Then we went through a couple of songs and got to grips with them. My target for my next rehearsal would be getting a good amount of time to play the drums which can impact my skills in the drum beats that I will play.
20th October 2015
Today I played the drums to warm up, doing random beats. Today I wanted to cover all the songs that needed a drum beat and go through them thoroughly so we got a clear understanding of the songs. I completed the songs that I needed to rehearse and I set myself a target to rehearse them more throughout the week. For next rehearsal I want to get a clear understanding of the drum beats in the songs. These include the quiet symbols for example, or the small fills at the end of the bars. However, I could even create my own fills and crashes of the symbols. This target may take longer than 1 lesson or even 2-3 lessons
2nd November 2015
For prep, I went home and practiced all the beats in preparation for the lesson. Today I aimed to achieve maximum understanding of the songs. During the rehearsal, we went through the songs for the final time, and it went well. However, to improve, I need to go into detail in some beats, such as the stereophonics beat. In this beat, I need to apply two bass drum beats to make it sound more interesting.
3rd November 2015
After already having an understanding of the beat for stereophonics, we decided to move on to 'Somewhere only we know'. Louis (the guitarist) started playing the song with Jenna, Amy and Bryony, and they wanted me to attempt to apply a beat to suit the song. I found it fairly easy and I incorporated a fill and a variation of kick beats with the hi-hat and the snare. However, to improve I think I should've incorporated a more complex fill every so often. This lesson went well; however, I believe that we needed some more time to look over at the mistakes that we made in the song.
9th November 2015
In this rehearsal, we carried on with 'Somewhere only we know'. We went through the song a couple of times and we highlighted the mistakes that we were making or how we could've improved the way it sounded. Jenna, Amy and Bryony all were working to incorporate a harmony into the song (around the end) to make it sound better and more interesting. This lesson was quite successful, despite us only just finalising the song.
16th November 2015
In this rehearsal, me and Louis looked over and recapped on 'Mr Writer - Stereophonics'. We wanted to do this because we felt like our version was too simple, and we needed to vary the different beats and rhythms to make it sound better. Therefore, we talked about the things we needed to improve and we did it. Overall this lesson was quite successful. In the next lesson, we aim to look over the next song in detail, and reasonably quick because of the fact that the performance of our 15-minute set (all of our songs) for Miss Onacko is around the corner.
17th November 2015
In this rehearsal, we began to look over the song 'Iris'. In this rehearsal we did not have a drum kit to use because we were in the porter cabins. This meant that I had to use garage band in order to have a drum kit that we could practice with to do Iris. As we looked over the song, it was exceptionally difficult at first because of the fact that I was using Garage band on the iPad and Louis wanted me to identify and create a beat which sounded good with the guitar. Once we discovered a beat we went through the song, looking to identify mistakes that we made. This rehearsal went well, however we did not finish the song in time and we needed quite a bit longer to improve our performance of the song.
23rd November 2015
In this rehearsal, we carried on with Iris. After looking over the things that we wanted to improve, we kept on working on individual parts of the song to improve. Me and Louis were fine, because Louis knew what he was playing on his guitar and I had already established a drum beat; however, Jenna, Amy and Bryony still needed to incorporate a harmony into the song at the end. Overall, the lesson went quite well, however it could be improved by working faster to get the song done.
30th November 2015
In this lesson, Jenna, Amy and Bryony practiced their harmony while me
and Louis started working on Mr Writer by Stereophonics. We did the same
method to form a song, which is when Louis plays his guitar and I try to
incorporate a beat to it which sounds good with it. This went fairly well however
the beat sounded a bit too simple and needed further development. Therefore,
for preparation for next lesson, I will look at how I can form a more complex
beat to go with Louis’ guitar on ‘Mr Writer’ by looking at drum covers and the
original song.
1st December 2015
In this lesson, all of us recapped on the set in which we are doing as the final performance is getting closer. We went through it, however there were some clear flaws in each song that we needed to correct. We did not have much time to look into the songs in detail as we had to share the room with another group.
8th December 2015
In this lesson, the other group had the room which had the drum kit. Therefore, we had to go into a porter cabin to practice (without a drum kit). This meant that I had to use Garage Band on the iPad which I found difficult because of the screen being quite small and me not being used to the drum kit on it. We went through Iris again and it went quite successfully.
14th December
Today was the final lesson that we had to rehearse before the performance to the class. For the performance we had to play 2 songs. Therefore, we all agreed on 2 songs to play. These songs were Mr Writer and I see fire. We practiced them a couple of times and it didn't go very successfully because it was rushed and we didn't have a lot of time.
15th December
Today we performed our 2 songs to the class. I have realised that we did not practice I see fire enough. This is because I didn't incorporate any fills or crashes because I didn't know what it would've sounded like. This performance went okay; however, it could have been better.
5th January
During the Christmas break, I got a drum kit so I can practice at home. This is a very fundamental factor for my improvement in drumming. Also our teacher Miss Onacko had left. This meant that our new teacher, Mr Fuller had an introduction to his teaching and we talked about it. The whole lesson we had a discussion about our own interests in music and what instruments we play. I told Mr Fuller that my interests are Deep House and Techno.
11th January
After watching our performances before the Christmas holidays, Mr Fuller gave us feedback on our overall performances. He also told us that our sets need improving for another performance. This lesson we didn't have any time to rehearse as we were still discussing what is happening in our groups and what is happening in our whole class. However, at home I am still practicing the songs in our set on my own so that I don't forget the elements of each song.
12th January
Today me, Louis, Jenna, Amy and Bryony started practicing again on our songs. After listening to Mr Fuller's feedback, we knew we had to knuckle down and change the different elements of the songs. We went through a couple of songs just so we knew what we were doing again. We did not have enough time to finish our whole set, however the lesson went well.
18th January
In this rehearsal, we practiced as normal. We went through 'Mr Writer' and 'Somewhere only we know'. We were almost entirely happy with how each song sounded, however in my opinion I could make my drum beat to 'Mr Writer' more effective by the use of a fill every so often. This was another rather successful lesson, getting a couple of songs rehearsed.
25th January
Because of the fact that our group had used the main room with the drums quite a lot of times, we thought it was fair to let the other group use it. Therefore, we went in the porter cabins to practice, and I used the iPad to play the drums. Jenna, Amy and Bryony all worked on their song (which is 'All of Me’) for one of the first times. After this we all practiced 'Iris' and it was a productive lesson especially with the practicing conditions that we had.
26th January
Today we were in the music room with the drums, which meant we could get some practicing done. Mr Fuller decided to spend the lesson working with us to help us with our set, including every individual song. First of all, we played 'Somewhere only we know'; he was quite impressed however he wanted us to change the volumes of each instrument: he wanted me to change the way I hit the snare which was on the rim to make it quieter and to create more of an acoustic sound. He also wanted the guitar and the singers to be louder. We did this and it sounded a lot better. He did not change any of the other songs when we played them to him. Overall this was a good lesson because we have improved one of our songs for our set and it sounds a lot better.
2nd February
This rehearsal consisted of running through our set and me continuing to apply the changes me and Mr Fuller made on 'Somewhere only we know'. I started to get used to each element of the song when playing it including the lead up to the chorus, applying a kick on every bar. This made it sound much more effective. This lesson went well as we are continuing to progress as a group.
8th February
Today we were in the porter cabins again. We consistently practiced our set once again and I played the drums on the iPad. For prep I have continued to practice some songs on my drum kit at home and other songs too, to improve my skills and maintain my practice on the kit.
9th February
In this rehearsal, we played on the stage (with no audience). I had a different drum kit and it was significantly better to play with compared to the kit in the music room. We went through our set again, and we got all of the songs done. Jenna, Amy and Bryony started working on their song (All of me) in another room, while me and Louis practiced Mr Writer. I wanted to improve it even more by adding the ride in on the chorus.
23rd February
Today we were in the main music room, and Mr Fuller wanted Amy, Bryony and Jenna to start practicing their song a lot more because it was nowhere near finished. They were practicing in the same room as us, so we couldn't necessarily practice while they were. This meant that we didn't really do anything personally productive for me and Louis.
29th February
Today we went through our set again however we didn't do All of me because we have doubts over the song. I feel like we should improve on using our time wisely to get the maximum practice time in. The girls need to improve on their song (All of me) - they haven't practiced it enough.
1st March
I prepared for today's lesson by creating a drum tab sheet for Mr Writer. This allowed me to be able to read the music whilst playing the songs with my group. This ensured that I didn't make too many mistakes and I was confident in what I'd be playing. In the lesson today we went through the set and Mr Writer had minimal mistakes because of my preparation. My target for my next preparation is to create another drum tab for another song.
7th March
I prepared for today's lesson by making another drum tab for 'Somewhere
only we know'. This took me longer to complete compared to 'Mr Writer' because
of the fact that I am more familiar with each element of the song. However, in
today's lesson we focused on 'Iris', which I do not have a drum tab for yet. It
went well however if I have a drum tab for it I will be more comfortable
playing it; and so I will make one for the next lesson.
14th March
To prepare for this lesson I made a drum tab for Iris so I am comfortable with the different elements of the song such as fills and the open hi-hat. Please note, I made my own drum tab with my own parts of the song - I followed certain parts of the song however I mixed it up every so often. Today me Louis, Jenna, Amy and Bryony played on the stage (without an audience). We went through our set, starting with 'Iris', then 'Somewhere only we know', then 'I see Fire', 'Mr Writer' and finally 'All of me' (which didn't include me). It went really well because we got through all of the songs and we could really see how much we are improving as a group. Overall, this has been our most successful lesson so far; we got through all of the songs with ease. I will prepare for the next lesson by practicing the drums at the weekend.
15th March
Today it was our group's turn to rehearse in the porter cabins, however today the porter cabin with the drum kit was free and we used it. This then meant that we could get a good rehearsal in. As a group we agreed that we should just be going from the top of our set through to the end. So, we played our set, which went really well. For my drum beat in some songs I started off quietly, hitting the symbols when it started, then gradually going into the beats. I did this for quite a lot of songs, however for Mr Writer and I see Fire I played a louder beat and it sounded fantastic. We showed Mr Fuller and he said it was really good. I think that as a band we are all improving and it is sounding better and better.
22nd March
Today our whole class were informed that our music teacher, Mr Fuller was leaving. This means that we discussed what was happening so it took up around half the lesson, meaning that we didn't have much time to rehearse. Despite this we still knuckled down and went through our set, mainly going through Iris, Somewhere only we know, I see fire and Mr Writer. Mr Fuller showed me ways in which I could improve, including having a stronger stance when drumming and playing the hi-hat louder. We discussed rehearsing the day after however it is not certain.
29th March
Today our group played in the porta cabin with the electric drum kit. It was our last rehearsal with Mr Fuller before he leaves. Once again we went through our set; we didn't have a performance in the end because of year 11 exams. We noticed that Jenna, Amy and Bryony hadn't practiced on their song (All of Me) much. However, after recording some of our songs we estimated the time it would add up to with 4 songs, and it added up to around 15 minutes. This means that we didn't have to play a 5th song. Today's lesson went well.
25th April
Today we met our new teacher called Mr McConnell. We were in a normal classroom because other people were using our class. So we didn't get to rehearse. However, we got to show each other our favourite genres and it was fun (my favourite genre being Techno and Deep house).
26th April
Today's rehearsal consisted of going through our set again, however with our new teacher; therefore, it was our first rehearsal with Mr McConnell. We played the songs to Mr McConnell and he liked it, especially I see fire. I feel like I should develop each of my pieces by looking at different covers of the songs and applying the techniques used into my drum beats.
3rd May
Today we were in the hexagon again; after having a lesson in the porta
cabin. I especially looked at Iris, as I felt as if the drum beat I was playing
didn't sound complex enough. I added some fills with open hi-hats. I took some
time to adapt to this because I wasn't used to it, so we went through the song
a couple of times. Overall this lesson went well - for preparation for next
lesson I will carry on looking at videos such as drum covers.
9th May
10th May
To prepare for this lesson, I have been practicing fills in each song to help my beats flow more effectively. Adding a fill in Iris, for example, at the end of the chorus I am adding some fills in to help smoothen the transition between the chorus and the rest of the song. Today we were told that this lesson will be our final lesson before our final performance of year 10. This means that we knuckled down straight away and went through our whole set. After polishing up 'Somewhere only we know' yesterday, we went through the songs and 'Somewhere only we know' is now our strongest song in my opinion. All of our other songs were strong too and I believe we are ready for the final performance.
7th June
Today was our final performance. I believe it went well. We performed
our 15-minute set to around 30 people in the hall. With ‘Iris’ being the first
song that we played, I think that it was one of the best out of all of them. I
kept a steady beat and it flowed. ‘I see fire’ also went well; I played a bit
quieter than normal because the song is originally acoustic however I
progressively got louder. ‘Somewhere only we know’ was an effective song and
the audience enjoyed it. And ‘Mr Writer’ went extremely well, I played an
interesting beat and Louis played effectively too. The teacher that was
watching said that we played really well! Overall I feel like we got out what
we deserved with all our practices.
Reflection on Year 10 Project
Overall, the rehearsal aspect of Year 10 went rather well. As a group we
faced problems and disagreements, however in the end we completed our 15-minute
set to a high standard. It went well because:
- We were able to identify
elements of the songs that we chose to include in our 15-minute set and
copy it, whilst then adapting some elements and personalising them to make
our own versions of the songs.
- We performed our set in
front of around 30 people to a high standard.
- We managed to get lots of
practice sessions on our set done.
- We chose a balanced,
interesting 15-minute set with well-chosen songs to fill in the 15
minutes.
Improvements on Year 10 Project
Despite having some good attributes during the course, there are some
things we could have improved as a group:
- We could have handled our
time better - we could have used the time more productively to focus on
the songs we were doing.
- We could have been more
civil towards each other - towards the end of the year some people in our group
were not using our practice time appropriately and so some of us fell out.
However, if we were civil towards each other we could have had more
practice time.
Targets for Year 11
Forming a new group in year 11, to achieve a high, well-earned grade at
the end of the year, I have set myself some targets:
- Use each rehearsal session
as an opportunity to tweak and improve our new 15-minute set - even if we
believe we have finished each song.
- Try to get along with
everyone in my group
- Plan each song using drum
tabs and listen to each original song, so that we can create the best set
we can.
12th September 2016.
Today was the first practical lesson of year 11. After performing our set at the end of the last academic year, me and my group had finished the performance section for year 10. However other groups hadn't performed which meant that they needed to rehearse, and me and Louis had nothing to do. We managed to find a room with a drum kit which partially worked but me and Louis mainly discussed what songs we would be doing. We particularly pointed out the fact that Mr Flowers told us that for our main exam we would be required to play different genres, such as Blues, Jazz etc. This made us think about what we could play. Overall today wasn't too productive but we used the time to discuss things we could play in the future.
26th September 2016.
At this moment in time, I still need to wait for the other group to
finish their set, so I will watch and maybe get a chance to play the drums with
the other group in the hexagon. Also I want to carry on discussing with my new
group the songs we want to do, whilst reviewing the important information for
the unit in my red folder. At the start of the lesson I was in the hexagon with
the other group, and I got the chance to play the drums. After this, myself,
James and Louis discussed the songs we would like to do this year. These song
ideas were:
- Eric Clapton - Sunshine of
your love
- Dire Straits - Sultans of
Swing
- John Mayer - Gravity
- Kings of Leon - Waste a
moment
3rd October 2016.
Today I and James had the whole lesson in the hexagon, however Louis was
absent; despite this me and James still practiced the songs we have planned to
do. With the song ‘sunshine of your love’, I have chosen to create my own style
of drum beat to go with it. This is because I believe it sounds better, and the
original doesn’t really consist of an interesting beat. We also looked at
Gravity and a Blues style of song by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Gravity seemed to have
a reasonably simple beat for the song, however the Blues-style song was
more complex and I looked at a drum cover for it – and ultimately I practiced
it myself afterwards. Overall this lesson was very productive; I have good
ideas for mine, James’ and Louis’ group for this year. For preparation for next
lesson I have decided that I will look at each of the songs on YouTube; I will
look at drum covers especially so that I can get a strong understanding of what
we will be creating as a group.
10th October 2016.
In this lesson, me, James and Louis were on the stage. We found a drum
kit and I set it up – I also found a hi-hat however it didn’t open and close
properly. We had a ride too which I used for a crash as well as a ride. Today
we mainly practiced ‘Gravity’ by John Mayer and I feel like we have basically
completed the song despite the fact that it just needs polishing and enhancing.
We went over the other songs too; however, we do not have a grip on them yet.
For preparation I will carry on watching videos on the songs to get ideas on
how to enhance my drumming.
17th October 2016
In this lesson, James had to practice with his old group, due to them
needing to record their set for year 10. This means that me and Louis were on
the stage again and we used the same drum kit. We went over Gravity a couple of
times, Sunshine of your love, and we played a 12-bar-blues riff. I was prepared
with a drum beat for the 12-bar-blues, and the other songs. I feel like I just
need to write drum tabs for each song so that I don’t forget the beat I am
playing. After the holidays, me. James and Louis will be able to practice in
the hexagon again with the good drum kit; I will practice over the holidays so
that we can get the best set we possibly can.
31st October 2016
In today’s lesson, me, James and Louis had the hexagon and we we’ll have
it next week too, meaning that I have a good drum kit (with a ride symbol and a
crash). In this lesson, we started to go through our set, first being ‘Gravity’
by John Mayer. We have decided to change the songs we are doing to:
· ‘Gravity’ – John
Mayer
· ‘All along the
watchtower’ – Jimi Hendrix
· ‘Sunshine of your
love’ – Cream
but for next lesson we need to think of a different song to play. In
this lesson we learned that ‘Gravity’ is relatively easy for me to play, as the
beat is very slow (around 40 BPM). I have already accomplished the original
beat, but I would like it to sound more effective so I will look for more areas
to improve on the beat and the fills, without making it overpowering on the
song. This means that for next lesson I will look at drum covers to guide me in
developing the drum beat and fills.
7th November 2016
Today we were in the hexagon again. To prepare we figured out another
song that we will play, which is ‘Why Georgia’ by John Mayer. Before me even
hearing the original beat, I listened to Louis play and I improvised a little
bit, which in the end was really successful. Because the drums are introduced
later in the song, at the start I improvised by playing the toms to go with the
guitar. For preparation I will look at drum covers of the song. However, I
still want to implement the floor toms at the start because I believe it sounds
really effective.
11th November 2016
Today, it was the other group's turn to be in the hexagon. This meant that we could either go on the stage which has an acoustic drum kit, or go in a porta cabin / room. The stage in the hall was being used for PE so we couldn't use the stage, meaning that we had to use a room without a drum kit. This meant that I had to use a table top drum kit (which isn't the best to play with). Despite this, we made an effort to go through our songs and get the maximum amount of practice that we can. We went through all of the songs except for 'Sunshine of your love', because I am in progress of learning the beat for the song in my instrumental lessons. Overall, this lesson was relatively productive but if we had a relatively legitimate drum kit then it would have been more effective. I will carry on learning the beat for Sunshine of your love.
21st November 2016
Today, it was our turn to be in the hexagon with the acoustic drum kit
and we went through our set. First we went through Gravity and I believe we
have mastered it – however to improve I believe I should go over to the ride on
the chorus to add emphasis on the chorus. Furthermore we decided we’d drop ‘Sunshine
of your love’ as it is a complex song with various guitar and drum solos, and it
would take too long. We looked at songs however we couldn’t find a good song to
do. To prepare for next lesson we will all look at songs to do instead. We considered playing Superstition by Stevie Wonder.
After having winter mocks for all of our subjects, many of us missed lessons and so we had a lesson on the 19th December.
19th December 2016
Today me and James mainly practiced Superstition, with Louis taking an exam during our lesson so he missed the rehearsal. James decided he'd play the bass for this song as the bass is an important part of the original song. From my drum lessons, I had already been practicing the drum groove for this song and some drum fills. After a short amount of time, James learned the general riff on the bass even though he doesn't usually play the bass which is really good. We kept on practicing the song, especially the chorus, which required a different drum fill and a change in the bass. Overall this lesson was very productive despite Louis not being there to rehearse. For next lesson in 2017, to prepare I will carry on practicing Superstition and most importantly, All along the watchtower.
9th January 2017
Today me, Louis and James were in a small practice room with an electric drum kit. We decided not to play All along the watchtower as our performance is coming up and we feel like we should play a different genre. This means that this lesson, we discussed a fourth song to play and we practiced Superstition. Overall, this was quite productive however a setback was that we were using an electric drum kit instead of an acoustic drum kit. An acoustic is better to practice with because it gets us used to playing with it and it sounds better.
16th January 2017
Today was a very good practice session. The music department purchased a new drum kit, with a high quality ride symbol and crash symbol. We played on the stage with the new drum kit and it felt as if the sound of our tracks were enhanced just because of the drum kit. In addition, I can now use a drum kit which sounds good and works well to allow me to perform my skills. We looked at 'Why Georgia' and 'Gravity', and we feel we have mastered 'Gravity', whereas 'Why Georgia' needs more practice. It was successful because we have more knowledge on the songs now.
After going through the 230 Performance module, we have now resumed our Rehearsal Skills project. We now need to carry on with our set and add another song in order to make the required 15 minutes.
6th March 2017
13th March 2017
Today we had the chance to use a music room with an instrument. We started off by listening to Wonderful Tonight a couple of times for us to identify the different elements of the song, such as the bridge or the chorus. This will allow us to easily play the same elements of the song but also adapt these elements in our own way to create the best set we can. Today we didn't play much but we observed the song closely so it was still a productive lesson. To prepare for my next lesson I will practice the main beat for the song so that I can get comfortable with playing it. This will allow me to adapt it in the future so it will sound even better.
27th March 2017
After missing last week due to exams, we looked at the song on youtube again because we hadn't heard it in quite a long time.
Ollie, your blog contains a lot of great information. Please fill in what you did from the 9th of February to the 14th of March. Try to be more descriptive in your blog entries. What parts of your songs did you work on? How did you improve them? Are you playing together better? Are you making it sound more like the recording?
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