Performance Learning Aim A

Wednesday 18th September 2013,

P5 music lesson, Kiera Smith, Kiara Mackay & I deicided to choose the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, we learnt verse 1 together, vocally and instrumentally, on the drums and piano. Kiera Smith is very good at the drums so she learnt the techinque rhythm and timing very quickly with great accuracy. Kiara Mackay, who is vocally performing has great accuracy of her pitch / intonation when performing and has great range and breath control in her voice.
I also believe that I have confidence with my instrument (the piano) and had great musical interaction with my instrument and my peers.  

Please Note:
*We also learnt that Kiera, (Smith), is very good at the drums, especially at playing the song "La La La" by Naughty Boy and Sam Smith.*


Wednesday 25th September 2013

P5 music lesson,
Kiera Smith & I worked out our bass line to Radioactive using the drums and piano, with the help of Miss Harris. We are trying to syncronise the drums and piano with accuracy but having some difficulty at the moment as they are very abstract to each other, but I'm sure we will figure it out! Kiara Mackay, is doing fine with her singing, she is still using gret breath control and still has a good range.  


Monday 7th October 2013

On Wednesday 2nd October 2013, I was unable to attend school / our music lesson due to the fact that I was ill with flu. (And there was a strike on Tuesday) Me and Kiera Smith are still trying to figure out how the drum beat for Radioactive, will fit in with the piano's tune, as they are slightly out of sync with each other, even when played correctly. The aim of our next music lesson is for Kiera Smith and I to try to sync our rhythm and timing so that our rhythm sounds amazing! Kiara Mackay is doing absolutely fine with her singing,  she is in time, and has a good range, she just may need to work on being a tiny bit louder. (No offence Kiara)

Tuesday 15th - Wednesday 16th October 2013

On Tuesday 15th we worked in our usual Porta Kabin, with an aim to finish composing the rhythm and timing to are piece "Radioactive" This is proving particularly difficult as this piece is very unique therefore we are having to do an acoustic version of this song. Kiera Smith, who plays the drums, is having to slow her tempo down to fit in to the piano piece, for the acoustic version. Kiara Mackay is using slight improvisation to fit into the new acoustic version as she is doing the vocal part to this piece. We aim to record soon, maybe this week, before half term.

On Wednesday we had cover teachers so we were not able to rehearse or perform. we were all strongly disappointed. But we worked on our BTEC Booklets and I was rewarded with a commendation for my hard work.

Tuesday 5th - Wednesday 6th November 2013

On Tuesday 5th November, I was absent from the music lesson due to the fact I was at the dentist, having a check up.

On Wednesday 6th November 2013, Kiera Smith, Kiara Mackay and I started to record our piece 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons. We decieded to record our instruments seperatly instead of trying to piece them together, as we had extreme technical difficulties with Kiera Smith's electric drum kit. We recorded the piano piece for 'radioactive' and the drum piece also, (even though we had GREAT technical difficulties) Sorting the drum kit out took 45 mins out of our 1 hour session, so we was not able to record Kiara Mackay's vocal part of the piece but we are hoping to record her piece next lesson.

Thursday 7th November 2013

On Thursday 7th November, I was due a session with Suzie Bowden, my piano and singing teacher. Unfortunatly, for some unknown reason, this music session was cancelled, so I look forward to seeing her next week.

Tuesday 12th - Wednesday 13th 2013

On Tuesday 12th November we recorded Kiara Mackays vocals for the piece radioactive. We also had great technical difficulties with this as we attempted to record Kiara in the soundproof room, so the recording would be of a high quality. But, due to the fact that the room is sound proof, the ipads we were recording off of, was not able to connect to any form of wifi. So we had to record her inside the soundproof room but then upload the recording to sound cloud outside the soundproof room. Kiara Vocals were on que and very clear expressing a great range and good breath control with accuracy in her timimg.

On Wednesday 13th November Kiera Smith an I, for the final time, had to try and compose together the piano and drum pieces for the song radioactive! We think we are nearly there. By slowing down the tempo of Kiera drum beat it can start to slot into the piano piece. Kiara Mackay was absent to this lesson. Year 9's also tried to through us out of our soundproof room as well.

Jessica Mclean's Piano recording of Radioactive:
https://soundcloud.com/jess-mclean-2/jess-radioactive-piano

Kiera Smith's Drum recording of Radioactive:
https://soundcloud.com/jess-mclean-2/sounds-from-wednesday

Kiara Mackay's Vocal recording of Radioactive:
https://soundcloud.com/jess-mclean-2/kiaras-radioactive-vocal-piece


Tuesday 19th - Wednesday 20th Novemeber 2013 

On Tuesday 19th November we are nearly done putting the piano and drum pieces together. Pretty much same issue as before with the tempo and ryhthm. Everyone is now getting really fed up of the song radioactive now, so we plan to be do done by Wednesday 29th November. Nothing more to report
On Wednesday 20th Novemeber I was absent.

Tuesday 3rd December 2013

On Tuesday 3rd Decmember we started learning one of our new song Broken String On the Piano, Just learning the chords at the moment with the tempo. nothing else to report.

Wednesday 4th December 2013

We have started to sort out who is singing which part of the song Broken String and are continuing to rerhearse the drum & piano componants, e.g the tempo rythmn and timimg. All good so far.

Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th December 2013

I was absent from both of this lessons as I had to have root canal done, and had to be under sedation, so therefore I had to have 24 hours off. 

Tuesday 17th December 2013

On Tuesday 17th December Kiera, Kiara and I were in the sound proof room. we were negotiating on whether to do the song broken strings or not due to the lengthy period of time it would take us to find the melody, chords and other requirements that we would need to be able to perform this song. We decided that it would be a wise decision NOT to perform this song and we chose the song "Highway To Hell" by "ACDC." We will start rehearsing this song in January. 

Wednesday 18th December 2013

On Wednesday 18th December 2013, we had to chose the second song that we need to perform. Using Miss Harris's computer, I showed Kiera and kiara the song "Happy" by "Pharrell." We all realized that this would be an appropriate and fun song to perform, so we chose this as our second song. We will start rehearsing this song in January.

Tuesday 7th - Wednesday 8th January 2014

On Tuesday 7th & Wednesday 8th January me and my classmates spent those 2 lessons completing our checklist for our BTEC course work.

Tuesday 14th - Wednesday 15th January 2014

On Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th January me and my classmates spent those 2 lessons completing our checklist for our BTEC course work.

Music Abilities Before BTEC Music Course

 

In this recording 'Jess radioactive piano' I think I had a good rhythm and tempo but I think the timing was slightly out of sync and if I was to record this piece again, I would work on my timing, to make this piece more perfected.