Tis the season for jolliness

Well that’s it, the years college work is at an end and now its back home to Kintyre to warm my feet by the fire and take time off from all the calamities from college…if only.
The end of college has revealed to me how much work there is ahead in terms of essays, presentations and portfolios that if I don’t start soon will give me a hectic start to 2010.
The last few weeks have been incredibly fun with gigs inside and outside of college and merry times. My last piano lesson was very productive and all my Grade 4 exam pieces are coming along nicely. I now have all the pieces well under way with my scales and sight-reading following up the rear. I never actually appreciated how much scales actually benefit my playing in general as in these past few weeks I already notice a vast change in the accuracy of my playing. I was also introduced to a new jazz piece called I wish I Knew How (it would feel to be free). This is one of my all time favourite songs that I first heard sung by Nina Simone. The harmonies are fantastic and there are also sections open for improvisation. I look forward to experimenting with this over the holidays. I have set myself a target in this spell of holiday to be completely ready for my exam. Since I now have access to a piano I feel my motivation will be lifted for it is much more of an instrument than the forty bits of midi plastic I press back at the flat.
The planning stages are now at an end in graded unit and my third and final draft has been handed in for marking. I really do hope I obtain a decent mark for I have spent countless hours trying to find strengths in my many weaknesses so that I could fill the page. Now I have to begin looking at gathering evidence for my portfolio and preparing a presentation for my interview if I am to receive a B and carry on to the degree. Speaking of graded unit our class was given a talk from ex pupil Laura Karse last week. I have worked with Laura in the past with a reggae band by the name of Aye n Aye and already knew I was in for a treat. Laura really helped to show the opportunities that a degree in music can open up for its beholders and how we should cherish and get involved in as much as possible, for when we reach the big bad world the more contacts that you have in the industry the better your chances of work.
Session skills were a lot more fun than usual with Gavin throwing Sir Duke on the stand. For a mediocre trombone player of my standard this is not an average day. I didn’t miserably fail however I decided to take the music away with me for it is one horn line I would lover to challenge myself to learn.
In the last few days of college we finally had the Beatle gigs that took place in the Goodlyburn theatre. The night was a lot more varied than I had first excpected that made for a more interesting, diverse night. Our set seemed to go well and I am pretty confident that we all passed.
The day after my out of college band Feelfree Conspiracy played its first gig in Glasgow. This was our first gig away from Perth and so we aimed to impress. The venue was Maggie Mays and the event was a charity gig for Glasgow university students to raise money for their trip to Bosnia in 2010 and due to this we managed to play to a large audience. We played well however people came up to us afterwards asking were to find our material and sadly we have none recorded yet. It really showed me that we are going to have to get a move in the studio. Although it was not paid we were given a crate as a thanks and won a pineapple in the raffle! Well that’s about it for the time being, have a jolly holiday and see you after the break!

Composing, Criticism and Criteria

Hello and welcome back.

These past few weeks have been full of gigs and excitement and now its back to college work, piano practice and composing!

My piano lesson this week was very helpful as I learned about the approach and method that should be applied when leering a new piece. My teacher noticed how I try to rush through a piece with mistakes flying form left and right and so if I just slowed down, analysed and picked out the difficult sections I would gain a better understanding of the piece and over time would learn it quicker. Already I have noticed a difference however I am still miles away from my target of passing Grade 4 but with steady progress I should reach my it by June next year.

Rhythm Wave rehearsals took place in the evening. This week was mainly a maintenance session were I learned about tuning Timbales and how to the get the best sound out of them. As well as playing through the usual set Ronnie did a run through of his up and coming lecture where my trombone makes an entrance playing some Brazilian melodies over the top of the rhythms. The melody itself is very straightforward however playing it and parading at the same time is a skill in itself. My first few attempts were futile but as we practiced a gradually picked up the pace and kept up with the fast percussive patterns.

On Wednesday instead of my usual drum lesson in the morning there was a maintenance lecture in the theatre about tuning drums and care for equipment. For me it was almost demoralising seeing rows upon rows of beautiful cymbals and drums as I carried around what can also be described as a bag of tin. I feel that I need to invest soon in some decent equipment.
Apart from this the lecture was very interesting and now I can’t wait to get back home and sort out my mess of a kit. Its a pity I cant practice up in my flat...electric kits just haven't advanced enough yet and its just not the same with a piece of rubber.

Later in the day in composition class our year was told each person would have the opportunity to write a song that members of the class would perform. I haven't really done this before in a popular music concept but I look forward to the challenge. Not only will the opportunity help to hone my skills of other instruments but also will help with my leadership skills as I interpret to others how I want the song to be played.

Speaking of composition, the day finally came on Saturday-after 8 weeks of stressing over three minutes worth of notation- as my finished piece was played at Glasgow University...relief. The venue was very intimate with around 40 people attending to hear the programme of ten pieces. I was very honoured to have been guided and taught by John Maxwell Geddes and to have all the advice from the three Paragon musicians who performed it. I have learned so much from the course and have taken a great deal away from it. Now I just have to wait for the recording of my piece to be processed and I shall have a hard copy of "Swallowed by the Trees" by "Mark MacSporran"... good times. This will act as good evidence in the development stage of my graded unit as I create my portfolio.

That’s about it for this week and as the term comes to an end it seems that so does the workload. Just one Beatles performance left. Lets hope we are ready.

6169 Words So Far!

Well fellow Bloggers I'm glad to say this week has been a lot more productive than the passing few were my head has been buried in college work and composing manuscript. Not only have I managed to finish most of my college assignments but I have also managed to complete my composition for the Paragon musicians and with a few tweaks it should at performance level.. This week however has not only been one of writing for it has been full of performance delight and dates for the diary as well.
Last Sunday was the turning on of the lights with Rhythm wave parading through the streets all afternoon for the occasion. It was the first time that I had played snare in the rain and paraded with the drum which revealed to me how much I have to work on my technique. Since the drum was so close to me I was acquired to play completely with my wrists, something I am not use to when I spend most of my drumming time on a kit swinging my arms around erratically. Its back to the practice pad with rudimental rituals until I can "work the wrist." Overall though it was a fun afternoon which I was pleased to be a part of.

On Monday I made arrangements to have a traditional jam for it had been a long time since we had come together. Although it had been a while I felt we sounded as good as ever and my fiddle playing was of a much higher standard. It made me realise that forcing practice was not always the best answers as if you're not having fun the chances are only half of what is studied shall be remembered. It was incredible how much bigger our sound was with a guitarist and so all we need to find is an accordion and whistle player. If you know anyone who is interested, get in touch.
Tuesday morning I walked to my piano lesson fighting through the horrible weather that came with it. I had been working on my Grade 4 pieces and had managed to learn one from the Baroque period to play. With a few tips for improvement I am well under way for my exam and have started looking at my second piece. This one is in the minor and with it my teacher has recommended I start practicing all my minor scales for it shall help me in tackling it.After a nice trim and refuelling of the car my band had a rehearsal for thre Eden Court on Thursday. The set had become really tight and it was just down to deciding what songs to play, which led to a small dispute. This has helped to build on my team working skills for the argument really helped on my approach to discussions and how to expand on my ideas to others.

After college on Wednesday I managed to find time to practice my trombone. It had been a while since I had played it and so I speant a good few hours playing pieces and using my new trombone book - Arbans Method For Trombone. I have started to rely on this book when practicing for it breaks up every possible scale and arpegio helping me to improve on intonation, range and tone.

Well the big day arrived and Thursday morning and the college bus set on its way to Eden Court. It was a gig I looked forward to however most of the morning and afternoon was taken up by sound checks. Although an amplified bass drum pounding my head for hours was an uncomfortable and monotonous experience it gave me time to analyse the set up and warm up properly. When it came to the night and it was our bands time to shine we kept the set tight and were well accepted by the crowd. It was the first real gig for our band and helped to boost morale between us.

The same night we were also asked by a few musicians to play in the Twa Tams the following night which we accepted greatfuly.

Although I wasn't feeling a hundred percent I turned up for sound check the next day ready to go. The drummer of the other band whose kit I was using was picky about what I use of his equipment. I was meant to be using my own snare drum but there was a dramatic twist when my snare skin broke at the sound check! What to do!
A few nice words to the other drummer and he finnaly gave into loaning me it for the gig. We were well received for our efforts and have been asked to come back again in the near future. This gig really showed me that I neeed to keep my gear in good quality and that its always good to communicate with the other musicians that are playing before hand in case there is a need of equipment loan.
Finnaly we have been asked by a music student to take part in a college roadshow around Perth schools which should be a good laugh and a learning curve.

Well this week has gone well for the band and has taught me some valuable lessons about practice and gigging. Lets hope the next few can live up to this!

Tick Tock!

The clock is ticking as deadlines draw ever so closer. From exams, compositions and graded unit deadlines it seems that the the workload just keeps rising. In contrary motion it seems that productivity and dedication (two of my good friends) are keeping their distance leaving my commitment levels at a low.

This week I have mainly concentrated on writing my piece for the composition course that I have been attending every second Saturday. It was a very important class this week as it was our last one before the final showing and so I had to give the performers as much detail (and bars) as possible. The title of my piece "Lost" portrays the different emotions that may be felt from being lost like shock, anger, fear and despair. It has been fascinating watching my stale 16 bar melody evolve into a creative music piece over the weeks and the amount of fun that I have had sitting at the piano attempting to express these emotions, has been memorable.

Yet again it was brilliant hearing my piece played by the professionals instead of the midi musicians on my computer and the feedback I received really helped to build my knowledge of how a composition should be laid out for the players. The other half of the lesson was filled with composition techniques, mainly based around The Overtone Series and Tertial Harmonies. It was remarkable learning these new skills and has enlightened me to how many composers - especially film composers - use these types of harmony in their pieces to convey or paint a picture.

This course has been a great new experience for me and although it has not been the most relevant of activities to my aims of becoming a session musician I find that all musical activities broadens your skills as a musician. I hope that the recording and score of my piece will be another thing to add to my graded unit showing how I have progressed from last year.

Yet again on Tuesday I had my piano lesson were I continued on my quest to grade four-assosciated board. I have already begun to make my way through the curriculum with my first piece "allegro assei" well under way and so far its steady progress. This cannot however be said about my sight-reading which is evidently devastating. As I began to play the never ending 8-bar etude my brain just could not function and my hands no matter how hard they tried could not find the correct notes. I was like a computer stopping at every single note, processing it and then finding it on the piano making for the longest 8 bars in history. “Andante grazioso in G major” soon mutated into a dissonant “largamente in Gb minor”. It is one area were there is vast room for improvement.

All and all though the lesson was productive and I know what to improve in for next week.
On Wednesday the Beatles project did not start the day with a bang as our practice became very unproductive. With the practice gig in a few weeks and minimal rehearsal time before this date I really am starting to worry about our potential to actually pull off this gig. It almost seems cliché now for me to say it but next week as a band we are really going to have to get our heads down and start producing the goods. The evening was to be far more creative with my band Feel Free Conspiracy recording in the studio. This week was quite fun as now we are experimenting with ideas of how to beef up the track from whispering to finger clicks. Its funny how such small changes can build up a track so to a large extent. Next week I am going to bring in my violin and I’ll see what damage I can do with it!

Thursday plodded along as usual with planning stage for graded unit coming to an end. I feel confident about my planning stage and hope to the high heavens that it passes to give me a better chance for the degree next year. Theory has gone downhill slightly though as these modes and 13ths are on the other side of the spectrum compared to my confidence of time signatures. For me to be in as good a position as possible for the test in two weeks I really will have to put my head down in the remaining time.

Session skills gave me the opportunity blow my trombone with an arrangement of David Bowie's classic “Let’s Dance." The arrangement had some nice brass lines and a wide range to cover. It really revealed to me how much I need to work on my high register however all the stress of screeching out these high notes was broken up by a recital of the famous Wallace and Gromit theme by Julian Nott.

Well the week has done its usual thing with me following behind it. The following week is going to be a busy one with parading through the street of Perth for the turning on of the lights and Eden Court!

The Burden grows

Yet again the week has trundled on with classes and activities and as we draw closer to Christmas and the end of Semester 1 terror strikes me with all the tasks and assignments that have to be accomplished in this small time period and all the ones that are yet to begin!. All this wasted time I’ve spent watching from the corner of my eye as the workload floods my room just goes to show me how I need to prioritise my work over leisure activities. Its that first initiative to get into gear that I lack and if I don’t start attempting to use it soon I will be drowning in a room of coursework.

But that’s enough negativity for one week. Its time to look at the “glass half full”.

Well the week started well on Monday as my band Feel Free Conspiracy were asked to represent the college with two other bands at the UHI Rock off in Inverness, Eden Court. This will be my second appearance at the showcase as last year I attended with my old band Kaboom with the night turning out to be exceedingly eventful. Lets this year lives up to it. The gig really works in well with our agenda for we are halfway through the process of releasing an album that we hope to bring to a “store near you” by the Christmas break. This vast opportunity will really help to promote us and help to spur us on as we look for gigs and prospects for the band. The big challenge now is to choose our set list and get it as tight as a drum!

With spirits at a high I skipped to my piano lesson Tuesday morning. I had been given I few grade three pieces to work on from the previous week consisting of Merry Peasant by Robert Schumann to Barrelhouse Blues by Tim Richards. I managed to scrape through both with a few hiccups ranging from some Schoenberg inspired clashes and atonality to hesitant silences simulating John Cage’s “4’33”.
Well in my opinion I felt I did these 20th century composers proud that morning.

Apart from these controversial events my teacher felt I had made good progress since our last encounter and so advised me to go for my grade 4 for next year. This is a great assesment for me and now that I have obtained the book and delved into the repertoire I can truly see the scale of the challenge I have set myself. It’s going be a few months of G.Benda’s Allegro assai to Schwertberger’s Honky Tonk Piano Rag with a double helping of scales, arpeggios and the dreaded pressures of sight-reading.

Already struggling under the weight of work Wednesday did not help to ease the burden. At the end of band rehearsals it was clear that playtime had come to an end as we scrappily played through our half finished set. Now with only 6 weeks left we all have went away to learn the other half of the set so that its only a matter of coming in next week and getting the job done.
If that wasn’t enough in composition class we have to write a proposal for the structure of our presentations for next week. With my chosen subject being Indian Influences on Western culture I am struggling slightly with the task. I feel it was a choice that at first seemed to have a vast amount of resources however at this early stage I am finding it a little hard to find relevance in websites and articles. Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places and just have to delve a little deeper.

A little light was seen at the end of the tunnel that evening as my band had a very eventful recording session. We now have nine drum tracks down and I already feel a lot more comfortable when it comes to playing along to a click helping me to keep my playing to a high standard on record. Vocals and lead guitar were also put down and now we are hoping to experiment I little bit with different instruments to see how they blend together. I have suggested putting in some violin to outline the chords and harmony as this will help build my confidence when it comes to the “four stringed minefield” of an instrument as I am greatly lacking the assurance to perform with it.

In terms of my composition for the Paragon musicians I am at a roadblock at the moment in deciding how to develop the piece causing me to panic as I watch the days fly by on the calendar. The challenge is not in the idea but occurs in the putting together process and the developing of the idea. It is a difficulty I am going to have to overcome if I am to produce a three-minute piece for next week. It looks like I may have bitten off more than I can chew!

Does that glass still look half full? I’m not so sure, but for the moment I am just going to have to spur on and work to the best of my capabilities.

New beginnings and new tasks.

Well on Tuesday this week I received my first piano lesson with a local teacher and already I have learnt so much from the half hour session. Not only do I look forward to building up my piano abilities but I am also receiving help on music theory for my up and coming grade 5 exam in March 2010.
Later in the day I attended samba band Rhythm Wave at the college in which I carried on my snare and trombone duties. I was put on the spot half way through the rehearsal when Ronnie began asking me to play popular themes and songs of which I don’t really have the ear to just play one the spot. I suppose in developing my ear to hear the difference between pitches and intervals will help speed up the learning process of new songs and help me with improvisation and solo opportunities. Also because it is trombone and violin that are my main pitched instruments and both are fretless a good ear for tuning could become most helpful with my intonation.
On Wednesday my college band began to take initiative on our Beatles project and have chosen our set list for the December show. Whether this is due to the nearing pressures of the gig or the fact we have a new lecturer pushing us on I’m not sure, I would guess a bit of both really. In my drum class I began to move away from my sixteenth note variations and have started on the samba groove. I have always loved the style however my right foot is in desperate need for improvement if I am to be capable of playing the style with confident feel. I hope to pick up the basics in the next few weeks and hopefully will soon be capable of adding versatility to my playing to make me more employable.
Later on in the afternoon I set out with a colleague to have a traditional music rehearsal with my fiddle. The practice was very productive as our sight reading is improving and our sets of both reels and jigs are gradually becoming more in tune and unison. Although I love to play and sight read new pieces I find myself getting extremely frustrated when I make mistakes, almost to the point of stopping and starting the piece again. Controlling my temper is a major issue I need to work on as not only is this frustration affecting my performance but also my confidence to perform live. Playing to an audience with a minefield of an instrument will be one leap I will find hard to take.
On Thursday I found out my results to the previous weeks time signatures test and am glad to say I passed! Lets hope I can keep up this pass rate for the next few weeks in terms of scales and chords.
Also this week in graded unit class we were visited by head of music at Perth College Lorenz Cairns. Lorenz told a very compelling story of his life as a session musician and the diversities that came with it in terms of both his bass playing and singing. I found it incredibly interesting to hear about his step into the session world for as someone who considers the same career path its fascinating to hear about that “first break” that set the ball running and how it turned his life round. As there is no real step to step method that can be taken to becoming a session musician it is interesting to hear how others have accomplished doing this and Lorenz really helped to show that you have to jump at every possible opportunity you can get your hands on. He gave us a different aspect on becoming a session musician and talked about key abilities being good communication skills and the ability to forget about mistakes. I really took the ability to put mistakes over my head aboard for I remember countless times were I have beaten myself over small mistakes that has ended in a chain reaction. I am just going to have to change the mental aspect of how I look upon it.
In session skills this week we were a given a new track to try out which turned out to be quite straightforward for my band to play. Although it did not have any dynamic markings it gave me the opportunity to use, as I felt fit. I also got the opportunity to play the trombone part that turned out to be very difficult with countless high phrases. Gavin helped to show me that in a real show no trombonist would play all these phrases for it would just exhaust their lips in a three hour shows and so I would just play the important ones.
Well on Saturday I attended the second of four workshops into “making your on kind of music” lead by John Maxwell Geddes. This week we lectured upon the methods of programme music and harmony and how such small change can take piece to places you never considered possible and in the afternoon the Paragon musicians who had come to play the first sketches of our pieces so far joined us. It was an amazing experience hearing your piece played by the professionals and getting advice on arrangement and development by them and from an accomplished composer as well. This week we discovered the good news that our pieces would be played in front of an audience in the Glasgow university concert hall to help produce a fuller acoustic tone. Now I just hope that I can produce the goods!

New Opportunities and Embarrassments.

Well this weekly I sadly missed out on Wednesdays lessons due to a check up at Glasgow however this did not mean that I didn’t manage to keep up with musical activities the rest of the week. On Monday I helped out an HNC student with his band by playing trombone in two covers and one original for there up and coming show. I had been given the time to practice the tracks before hand however I had not anticipated playing them in a different key than the original to the singers vocal range and found it exceedingly difficult to transpose to the new key. It was a harsh lesson into the realms of transposition for I find it extremely difficult to figure out keys and transpose on the spot without major problems and so I learned the hard that it was an area that needed a great deal of improvement. Another embarrassing trombone related incident this week took place in session skills in which I was to find out that all the trombone parts were written in treble clef of which I cannot read a single note! In the end I had to attempt to play by ear, which proved to be a disaster.
Although trombone is not my main instrument I hope to succeed in it. Its still one that I aspire to be capable of playing at a high standard and so have found out embarrassingly some major issues missing from my trombone vocabulary that will need to be looked upon in the following weeks if I am to succeed with this task.
On Tuesday I returned to the samba band Rhythm Wave to carry on my position as a snare drummer. Last year I learned a great deal from my experience with the band in terms of technique and time playing and had the added bonus of going to Glastonbury at the end of the college year. I expect to gain as much enjoyment and knowledge as I did last year and who knows, I may end up at Glastonbury again. This year in samba I have also been asked by Ronnie to play trombone in some of the arrangements, which will be a fun new opportunity for me.
Also this week I took a step towards learning the piano as I booked my first piano lesson for the following week. Although it is not really a step towards becoming a session drummer I don’t really look upon a session artist as a solid and efficient job. All musicians I know do not sustain themselves solely on performing and recording as being a musician is a very independent and competitive job that sometimes needs more than one income. I hope to be able get a lot of work in this field however I feel that to sustain myself I will need to be a teacher and instructor whenever I get the chance. I think to succeed in this piano could be a vital instrument in terms of achieving this goal and could also help me with my up and coming theory exam in March next year. I am jumping at every opportunity I can, as it is the things we don’t do in life that we regret most so I might as well try every resource that I can get my hands on if it will benefit me in my career.
Although I wasn’t in college much this week I am still learning a great deal to help me with my ambitions of becoming an established musician but for now, I just have to take it one small step at a time.

The eventful return to Perth

Well it’s back to college after a pleasant break at the home on the west coast and already the first week has been both exhausting and eventful. College continued as usual on Wednesday with both first study and band rehearsals taking place in the morning and composition skills in the afternoon. My drum lesson went well howeve I feel that in my band situation there is not enough progress being made as in the last 6 or 7 weeks we haven’t really got one cover or an original fully completed yet. It’s amazing how two hours fly by every week in the rehearsals and it just goes to show that you have to use your practice time wisely.
After college on Wednesday I got a call from local saxophonist Felix asking if I could lay down a trombone line for a Dixieland song at Clearwater studios. I had no idea really what to expect for I had never played Dixieland before let alone recorded anything however agreed to do it as the experience alone would be rewarding. On arrival I was shown the track and straightaway began to experiment with ideas but it didn’t matter what I felt was right, as it was what the band wanted. In the end I got an idea of what the band were looking for however there was a section they wanted that was out of my range, which I couldn’t reach comfortably. In the end though I managed to get the trombone line down with a great deal of strain on my lips. It was a great experience for me for I have never been under so much pressure in a studio before and also was a awake up call to my need of range extension. The band however seemed happy with what I played and said if anything else popped up, they would give me a call.
In session skills this week we carried on learning “The Broken Hearted” and also learned the cheerful song “Your love lifts me higher and higher.” So far I am not struggling with the reading material but yet again I am coming to terms with the fact I have to start to using dynamics to a larger extent, especially on the quieter side.
Friday morning was full of nerves for it was the debut performance of my new band “Feel Free Conspiracy” at the midday show in the Goodlyburn theatre inside the college. I always enjoy playing in the theatre for the sound engineers are so easy to communicate with and always get a good sound out of the bands. The whole band including myself were anxious about an audience appearing let alone entertaining them with our music however in the end a good crowd appeared and we were well accepted and received good feedback from the gig. This has helped to spur us on and we soon hope to be gigging locally and further a field with a few recordings under our belt as well.
The other half of the day was spent with a fiddle and bow in hand with a fellow classmate and banjo playing over some Irish reels and jigs. Playing traditional music is brilliant for not only does it help with improving my technical ability playing with another musician but also is quite relaxing for there are no pressures to it. It is also great in terms of building on sight-reading as we have both started purchasing books and books of tunes and started trying to play them on sight. Already we are both capable of playing on sight at a slow pace and its just down to tempo and articulation before we will be stacking up the Scottish/Irish sets for public ears.
Saturday turned out to be very intriguing day as it was the first of a four session course into composing with Scottish composer John Maxwell Geddes (legend). Not only is he demonstrating famous composers methods like Bach Tchaikovsky and Beethoven but is also given the students advice on melody, motifs, harmony, development and instrument ability, (to say a few). At the end of the course I hope to have a three-minute piece written and recorded for cello, flute and marimba with the guidance of John Geddes. The three musicians that will be playing my piece are all from the Paragon ensemble and it will to get professional feedback for wrting for all three of them. In the past I have written for classical instruments with both my higher and advanced higher music but never with a guided hand and in such professional conditions. I look forward to the following weeks and watching how my piece expands with help from the professionals. Well this week has been very demanding and has showed me that I need to begin organising and keeping tracks of gigs more often as it is only going to become busier as the academic year continues …I think my next step shall be to buy a diary lol. I feel that my un prepared time in the studio with trombone has helped me with one of my biggest flaws of coping under pressure and the fact that my band Feel Free Conspiracy is on the uprising live experience will greatly increase with every live show. Although the composition course I am under taken is not a big step towards becoming a session player it will help my musical knowledge and hopefully open many doors to becoming a professional musician for you sometimes find what you ‘re looking for in a place didn’t expect.

Holidays

The end of the weeks lessons are over and the holidays are now upon Perth and its time to head back home for some rest. Again the week has continued as per usual with Wednesday and Thursdays lessons and lectures further educating me in my chosen career path.
I have already seen improvements in my Jazz playing having a stronger feeling of confidence when it comes to approaching the style. Its always great when a development in technique is noticeable in my playing as it shows me that I am progressing as a player, helping me to keep the commitment and passion needed to become a session player. I just wish I could say the same about my trombone and fiddle playing but I assume its all about perseverance.
This week was the Dundee folk festival and so I thought it could be rather interesting to go and see a show or two. In conclusion we ended up going to see a double billed show at the Dundee Rep which consisted of a pair from Orkney playing traditional tunes with their fiddle and mandolin and a solo folk singer. Both acts were absolutely fantastic and the intimate atmosphere and venue really added to the show, however it was the Orkney pair “saltfishforty” that really made the night and inspired me in my fiddle playing with there perfect blend of traditional, blues and jazz pieces. It is little things like this that really helps to spur me on and clearly show me why I am studying music.
In session skills this week Gavin separated us into our bands to start our Motown sessions. It was great to play with new musicians that I was un-familiar with as I approached the situation in a more professional manner and managed to stay a lot more focused. The song we were given was ”What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” and the score itself was easy enough to follow however there are a lot of areas that needed improvement on such as playing for the song, dynamic variation and solid time keeping. I’m hoping that with these weekly sessions I will soon see improvement in such essential abilities as communicating, chart reading and probably my main flaw- playing under pressure, but we will just have to see what the next few weeks bring.

Looking further a field

This week has continued with its usual regime both inside and outside of college. My jazz studies came to an end this week in first study class as now that I have gathered the basics of the style my tutor told me that I can develop my technique in my own time. Already though I can see that my jazz playing has became more confident and independent however with my only source of playing in a band situation beingthrough electronic resources I do feel quite limited.
Through the last few weeks looking into jazz I have began to look further a field into such genres as big band. In the past I have played in relatively similar situations such as concert bands and it has always been one genre which I found to be most fascinating just in terms of the incredible acoustic sound and tone that is produced and the complete different approach that a drummer has to take for they are no longer driving the tempo as the conductor is.
I have managed to get a hold of a book called “chart reading for drummers” which explains the techniques needed for following charts, supporting figures and keeping time as well in a big band situation. Although I can read music to a fairly good standard I find chart reading a different kettle of fish altogether for there is a lot more independence needed and creativity compared to reading what is just written. It is skill that I find to be vital in becoming a session musician, especially if I want to further my career as a musician on the cruise ships with bigger bands.
Session skills this week consisted of a detailed look at contracts that are set up between the producer and musician in a session and the going rates that should be paid per 3-hour session. Although this is a long way away for me its good to see specific details of the contract and how as a musician I can come across in as professional manner as possible when it comes to payment. This week we were also put into our session bands for the up and coming motown theme. As my band has two drummers I hope to get my trombone out to add some brass to the tracks we are given and also to actually brush up on my playing as in the last year I haven’t been practiced enough to make any steady progress. I also hope that since Gavin is our tutor for this class he could give me a few tips on my playing and help me conquer some bad habits.
Also this week I was back in the studio to lay down the drum track to some new material that my band is putting together. In the past I have recorded to click with a live band however this time I tried recording with the click on its own and the result was a much tighter drum track. I felt this was due to the fact that I didn’t have as much distraction through the headphones and could focus on keeping it at a solid tempo. In terms of playing along to a click though I feel that it still is a slight weakness so it definitely one thing to look into.
This week yet again has inspired me significantly and showed me what I need to look into for improvement. I look forward to what the future brings with exploring new styles and seeing how I develop as a musician.

Back to Basics

So far this week has thankfully been a little easier going with rehearsals being the main act of activity, giving me time to get back home and grab a few essentials for the up and coming weeks in college. The fact that I’m back home has also given me the time and space I need to catch up on my practice and seeing as I have full access to an acoustic drum kit (compared to the un-inspiring electric kit in the flat) time is not being wasted.
Talks with a fellow student at college really opened up my thoughts on the whole practicing regime and how time spent should be more disciplined. I remember countless times when I’ve sat down for a few hours of practice and its been wasted by bad habits of playing along to my favourite songs and soloing with my preferred grooves which is great, but doesn’t help in the making of an all round better musician.
With this in mind I have composed an 80-minute regime that covers all the areas that I need to work on such as chart reading, time keeping, jazz and co-ordination. I hope that running through this regime every morning will soon see improvement in my playing and strengthen me on my weaknesses.
In these up and coming weeks I am also thinking about going back to basics on both my trombone and violin playing for these last two years without an instrumental instructor has taking its toll on my technique. Over this time period habits like bad posture, intonation and articulation have crept in and so I feel that going back to scales, arpeggios and positioning in both bowing and slide will gradually make me a stronger player.
College this week has went as usual with jazz studies continuing in first study class and band work consisting of rehearsals through our chosen Beatle covers.
In graded unit this week our guest speaker was lecturer and session musician Pete Honeymoon who talked about his career in Scotland, leaving us with some great advice in terms of working in the studio with a producer and with Musical Directors. Key points of the talk were features that Pete recognised to be the most important in becoming established as a session artist such as stylistic versatility, confidence, mental strength and situational awareness. The talk also made me think about the professionalism and quality of my instrument (or should I say the lack of) and so, next on the list for investment is a new drum kit.
I have also been lucky enough this week to be asked to play on a degree project for 3rd year bassist Jamie Rosie. I have played with Jamie many a time and feel that the project would be a good challenge. The repertoire that he is hoping to perform is very complex and rhythmically challenging with songs from such artists as Rush, Victor Wooten and Stanton Moore.

Although the week has been quiet there is never enough time in the world for practice or catching up on college work and so with that in mind it’s back to studies in an attempt to expand my practical musicianship and musical knowledge.

Busy Busy

Second week back in Perth and already I’m beginning to feel the strain as the workload begins to pile up. It has been hard to find a balance between my academic studies and instrumentation practice however, I have been able to regime myself between the two.
A new world was opened up to me this week in drum class as my tutor began teaching me the basics of Jazz drumming. I have always been passionate about the style but have never known were to start in terms of playing it or its history and so an introduction showed me the many ways I could explore and develop the style on my own. It is a shame that the college does not delve into the realms of jazz as part of the course as people who consider becoming session players like myself could extremely benefit from it. For the time being however I believe that listening and playing the style as much as possible is the best way for me to learn the concept.
Other highlights this week in college took place in graded unit class, which consisted of a talk from Musical Director Fiona McKenzie given her story and experience from working in the music business.
She was very passionate about music and her career and talked about the highs and lows she went through to be “living the dream” in her ideal profession.
The talk really helped to inspire me to my aspirations of becoming a session musician and always to keep passionate and to aim high, for as the businessman W. Clement Stone once said, “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”
In other news this week recording began on my band from outside of college with the main objective being 3 drum tracks solidly put down onto the mix. With a full day of college however and an empty stomach this was to prove a little more exhausting and challenging than I had first thought it to be. It also made me notice a few bad habits I had picked up over the summer holidays such as not paying attention to the click track and “less is more” sometimes. In the end I managed to get all three tracks down in the time we had with a slight drawback in the period I hoped it would take. It taught me a valuable lesson that you should always be at the top of your game before going into a session and that its better to play less and asked to play more than to be told to take it down a level due to overplaying.
This Thursday gone I did my first slot in “That Bar” as an improviser of both trombone and drum over a DJ with Felix the saxophone player. This was a paid gig and had potential of becoming a regular slot so I did not want to disappoint when it came to playing. Throughout the night I swapped from drums and trombone but by the end it was mainly trombone orientated, as that was what Felix preferred. Improvisation has never been my strong point and so I did struggle a little, but there was only one way for me to learn and that’s to keep it going and with a little help from Felix I learned how to approach it better as the night went on.
By the end of the evening I would like to think that I had made some progress as I was asked back for the following and so I look forward to playing again in the same venue next week.
This week has been a lot more eventful and tiresome than I had first anticipated however, with all this comes recognition – a key factor that I have to work on all year if I am to reach my goal as a session musician.

First Week back in Perth

The new term year has begun and so far settling back into Perth and college life has been easy and untroublesome. It has been great to get back into contact with the many musicians and friends I met from last year and already a great deal of potential in terms of gigs, shows, bands and projects have sprouted from the ground.
One of the first calls to come my way came from a local saxophonist called Felix "The Sax Cat" who last year had been ever so helpful in getting me into perth's music scene with offers of many a gig for both my trombone and Kit playing. He asked if I could possibly do an up and coming show that was to be held in the AK Bell Library on Saturday night which I gladly accepted and so after one rehearsal on the Wednesday night I was told to meet with him at the Library for six o'clock .
The show was for an up and coming singer/songwriter "Don Nicolson" who was promoting his album and had asked a few local bands to help him out.
The venue itself was very intimate, in a sort of mini cinema setting which seemed to have been chosen well for the showcase. I knew straight away that I would have be aware of my dynamics for in such a small venue a trombone could be a very overpowering instrument, and a duff note would stick out a mile.
The three songs we played however went down well and seeing as I had never played with the full band I felt I managed to play my part well and keep in sync with the band. The only letdown of the night though was the number of people that turned up. Whether this was due to high priced ticket sales or lack of advertising, I’m not sure but everyone still seemed to have a good night with all the bands and artists praised significantly.
After the show Felix talked to me about joining a possible regular slot playing with him at Perth's local club “That Bar” which would consist of me improvising over the top of a DJ on drums and trombone for a few hours every Thursday night. He filled me in on the details and mentioned how next week would be a trial to see if I was capable of the slot. I decided to accept his offer and although I feel that improvisation is not my strongest point as a musician, the experience I will receive from doing such a gig will greatly help in my aim to become an all round better player, even if I don’t get asked to come back. At the moment however I’m just trying to keep positive and prepare myself to what extent I can.
This week I have also been in talks with a friend from college to start up a weekly Scottish/Irish traditional session. This is one project that I’m really looking forward to as over the last few years my fiddle has been neglected due to my busy schedule with drums and trombone. It also seems a genre that the college and Perth’s local music scene is lacking and so a traditional band could be a potentially good move towards gigging or even busking in the city centre. It however is still in the early stages and will be a while before a decent repertoire will be ready for the public’s ears.
Even in the first week back in Perth I already feel that I have managed to get myself back into the music scene and am hoping with this year that I will be able to keep busy with all three instruments, making me as diverse a musician as possible for hiring, however I will have to make sure not to over do it so that I can keep up with the ever stacking up college work that is coming my way.