Mark's musician blog

The end is near...(2 blogs)

2010-06-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yes...I know... extremely far behind on the blog.

With the end of the college coming to a finish the last few weeks have been busier than ever and so I apologize for the inconveniance! Since my last update *checks blog to see date of last entry* I have been gigging with Feel Free Conspiracy locally and in Dundee; in the studio recording trombone for session skills; writing thousands of words for essays, reports and portfolios; playing a few degree projects and many more activities. Rather than my usual style of chronologically updating I think that this blog should be updated in under sub headings of each activity.

So...

Degree projects

Well the last few weeks have been hectic for the degree students as they desperately scavenger hunted for musicians to play in their degree projects. Although I have not been hired out as much as some students (a number performing in over 7 projects) I did manage to get involved in three. The first of these was with a bassist whose complex line up of both complex rock and jazz/fusion tracks and “improvised jams” made for an interesting and unprepared night at the Tams. If I want to become a successful musician I will have to be prepared to play material that’s complex in structure even with minimal preparation. Both these skills were required and used on the night as organization seemed to be completely out the window when I arrived. I tried to keep composed and professional throughout even though some of the tracks lost all their feel with more mistakes than hairs on my head (probably true after the gig) Overall I feel that I did my drum part justice and overall performing these complex tracks have helped me to prepare myself better for gigs and made me technically a better drummer.

The second of these projects was a Led Zeppelin tribute filled with some tricky numbers. This project helped me to become more aware of my texture for when a drummer plays Zeppelin they have to simulate John Bonham’s solid, powerful and sometimes complex feel. Overall I committed to the job in and felt that we managed to pull off a respectful show apart from a few mix ups.

Rocky the musical project was probably the most beneficial to my job speculation and was the largest production the college has put on for a while. For the show I was asked to play my trombone as part of the brass section with all the music transcribed for my benefit. For most rehearsals I was sight reading the tracks which really helped me to enhance my reading skills and playing under pressure (sometimes more pressure than others!) I was also drafted into play drums on one of the tracks at the last minute before the final show which can sometimes be a reoccurring event as a session musician that I may have to get used to. Once the final day came the whole cast, production team and musicians were running all over with stress levels reaching breaking point at times. It all came together in the end and the show was a success. The whole experience taught me a great deal about working in musical theatre and has greatly helped me improve on my general reading, trombone skills and following of MD’s. I hope to carry on learning about this musical environment and would be glad to participate in something of the same calibre in next year’s degree projects.

Each project has taught me certain values on performing and although they haven’t all been positive outcomes they have still been beneficial.

Session Skills

As this whole unit is related to me becoming a session musician I feel that a little and last update on my blog is due. On the last few weeks that I have been in the class I have been recording both trombone and drums for our production track “grits ain’t groceries”. Being in the studio and playing for the track has really helped to boost my confidence in terms of recording, getting my opinion in the studio and playing under pressure to a click. I have learned a great deal about being as versatile as possible and that sometimes a great deal of pressure is needed and strong mind to cope with some of the shenanigans that prop up in the studio. To also have the chance to produce the track has been a fascinating and educational experience and I hope the opportunity will come my way again in the near future!

Feel Free Conspiracy

Recently the band has been playing a few gigs locally helping us to cope better with live performance and setting up which at times, can be awkward. As I always say every gig is different and I take something beneficial away from everyone whether it is areas that need improvement to stop reoccurring errors or enjoyment and buzz from pulling off a pleasing show. Since the semester is reaching an end the band will now slowly disperse and so my live performance kicks will have to be released by other means. It saddens me to see this band fade however with one project ending a new one begins and I look forward to returning and starting fresh. Being in the band has greatly helped me to become a better musician in far further afield than performance. I have become much more confident player in the studio, enhanced my communication and networking skills vastly, learned many valuable lessons about the music industry and many many more factors

Here today.

So this is what it feels like to be writing one last blog...hmmm. Well since all that writing I have almost finished second year of college with just a few assignments and grades to be dealt with. I feel that my portfolio and interview for graded unit went well and although I was slightly nervous and fluency lacked for the interview the presentation has helped to boost my confidence with public speaking; something that used to put chills down my spine before! In terms of my planning stage goals I feel that a great deal have been accomplished but that’s to be saved for the final chapter “evaluation”. So for the final time I’m going to wrap this up as time is of the essence.

Although writing a weekly blog has at times been a soul destroying chore I feel that it has done more than help to increase my overall grade. Writing my weekly thoughts and events has helped me to realise a great deal more about myself as a musician and helped me to focus on areas that have needed improvement and assisted me on preparation on the weeks that followed. So for the last time I say farewell and thank you to all you followers for putting up with my consisting ranting and whining.

Cya in a bit!

hmm....I just don't know anymore!

2010-05-09T08:20:00.001-07:00

This week strangely enough started Sunday night - due to the time span between blogs in which I pulled out my fiddle for a traditional rehearsal on our broadly chosen material. I feel we are coming along slowly but steadily and that the material will be ready for the first gig and that the material will be ready for the gig. However our progress I sadly cannot attend the gig as I feel I am going to have to give my fiddle playing a break as there just isn’t enough time in the closing weeks of term to keep up with practice. This is for the best as college work comes first and I would not be doing myself and the band any favours if I didn’t keep up with rehearsals. It seems that the lesson learned here is sometimes you have to make room for the things that are more important and make changes. As an aspiring session player this would be something I would frequently have to be used to coping with.

On Monday Feefree Conspiracy were up bright and early for a practice towards our up and coming gig supporting Eat Dr Ape at their album launch. Our new material is piecing together nicely and I feel that Saturdays gig will go well. I however am finding it hard to be enthusiastic when playing on my uncomfortable and mechanical electric drum kit as it is nowhere near the real deal. However with practice rooms fully booked and acoustic kits nowhere to be seen I just have to adapt. This is a skill that a musician has to be capable to do for it never go to plan!

The afternoon consisted of a degree practice for the Led Zeppelin dude which turned out to be quite enjoyable. Since we are all major Zeppelin fans all the tracks are being polished off in minimal time and I look forward to end product and gig.

Tuesday morning was hectic as I ran through the streets of Perth to turn up to my piano lesson late. If that wasn’t bad enough I made a complete fool of myself by destroying every piece that was put in front of me. I feel that the reason for this was I wasn’t composed and was still all flustered from the run which really emphasises on how being on time is of the utmost importance!

The afternoon was Rocky rehearsal which was a little more complex than usual with the parts testing me slightly in both range and intonation. Since a lot of the music is writing in the lower range I find it hard to control my air which leads to bad tuning and so with this new material pushing me I hope to get the problem sorted. Other than that the songs are coming forward nicely but whether it will come together nicely is another question!

Wednesday was slightly shorter than usual but even so, I felt like I had done a good days work after the morning. In our Band project we decided to change our chosen festival from Isle of White to the year 1973. It was mutually thought that there just wasn’t enough enthusiasm and varies of genre to tackle it and so now we are looking at the tracks Hotel California, Money and Dancing Queen! If I am to become a successful musician I will need to be able to change from genre to genre without hesitation and be capable of churning out the tracks without mistake. After a hectic drum lesson I was back in the practice room for 20 to 11 and pretty much stayed there until 4 o’clock playing for a Jazz funk degree project and my own band rehearsals. However long it was an exhausting I did enjoy playing for so long. If I want to become a session musician I will have to be able to play constantly for long hours without losing focus and so this is preparing me if such an occasion is ever to occur. Apart from composition class cancelled my day was its usual self. I spent the rest of my time catching up on the Everest of work that has been thrown at me with no mercy.

Thursday I had no graded unit but I used my time to piece together my portfolio which is ever so slowly coming together. History was yet again incredibly intellectual and I left feeling I knew less than I did when I entered the classroom. Clearly my mind is not made for this philosophical side of music. Session skills was spent in the studio mixing down the tracks and preparing for next week in which I will be coming into the studio to record the trombone part to grits ain’t groceries.

Digital audio went well and I spent the most part at the electric kit recording for outcome two for each student. It was all made up on the spot with our recordings ranging from funk to blues to country. It was a good little exercise for my playing and will help me in my climb to perfection as a player.

The night of Eat Dr Ape’s album launch at the Twa Tams came and due to the boys expertise in promotion the venue was more packed than I had ever seen it. When it was our turn to play I felt the sound we got was superb and with it came a good crowd. It was one of these gigs in which everything goes well. Overall I felt it was one of the best times I had ever played live. It really showed me how important a good sound and atmosphere where to performing to the best of my abilities and taught me to really attempt to get the best out of the equipment and be truly comfortable before a show, as it makes the world of difference to the product.

The End.

eltit a fo gnikiht rehtob t’ndluoC

2010-04-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

So we are gathered here again for the weekly informative and somewhat enlightening update on my musical path to a professional musician. This pathway I tread however fulfilling seems to be narrowing now as I struggle to find any time to rehearse with my instruments and outside of college band with the most part of my day spent on this laptop. Since time is a factor I shall briskly move forward to the events of my week and what stood out and benefited my aspirations.

Monday was a lazy start to the week however after some well needed piano practice I headed into to college for an afternoon of Led Zeppelin degree project. This project has been slightly unorganised with breakdowns in communication and a great deal of chasing up to find out potential set lists. In the end however we did manage stumble in to a room together –sadly without a basses- to start looking over the chosen material. The sound of course was slightly empty and the tracks were not up to scratch but I hope that with time and given my own space to look over them they will improve. I just hope that another practice is arranged shortly!

Like past projects this one has again emphasised on some of the important abilities and pressures to cope with in being a pro. There is always the chance that there will be a lack of communication and chasing up will have to be independently done. Playing under a great deal of pressure with minimal rehearsal time is yet again something that is propping up, especially at this time of year and something I am just going to have to get used to if I am to go anywhere with my playing.

Tuesday’s morning piano lesson went very well for a change with my pieces coming along nicely. With my teacher, I began to expand on my technique and attempted to find the best methods to go around practicing the difficult sections of my repertoire. Even with the flaws I felt slightly more confident and I now hope that over the next few weeks my progress with each shall be steady. My teacher has also given a more difficult Schuman piece called Erinnerung just to keep me on my toes and give me a little more diversity.

After the lesson I headed into college for a tasty practice with bass and guitar. It felt good to play with no pressure and just for leisure as it seems such a long time since I’ve been able to use the word fun to describe the practical side of the course. Halfway through our playing we were asked to come down to the studio and lay down a live recording of our jam. It was good to get back in the studio and to record as a live band. It was the first time that I had recorded without a click in a long time and was good to get this break from a robotic method of time-keeping and just use my ears to listen and keep the feel.

After the tracks was down it was Rocky degree practice with my trombone. It was the first time I had seen the pieces and so most of my playing was sight reading. Except for a few mistakes I held it together and to play with trumpet player Gavin is always good for small tips and helping hands with my technique. Overall the tracks are coming along nicely and I just hope that it all comes together in the end. Either way I am gaining a lot of experience with my trombone playing and feel that my reading is getting better with every rehearsal.

To round the day off I went to Rhythm Wave which was its usual hectic self.

Wednesday was the first real practice with our new HND band and to be honest the rehearsal could have gone better. The band was a bit disorientated and I just hope for next week that it will come together. In first study my tutor yet again addressed my texture and feel when playing different styles and although it is still a problem I am gradually overcoming the problem.

The morning also had me playing for a jazz – funk fusion project which for the first time in a while was quite enjoyable. I think the Easter break has been helpful in stopping a chain of monotonous rehearsals and now a little refreshed I feel a bit more enthusiastic about the task in hand.

The afternoon consisted of our compositions being played back to the composers to hear and sadly, wasn’t as successful as I had wished for. I hope next week with more parts my piece will sound slightly fuller and more like a piece and hopefully soon enough a song (if I can ever get my head around writing lyrics).

Thursday morning was portfolio check and mine seems to be coming along nicely. I just need to gather as much evidence I can in the weeks left so as to make my case for the “job” as strong as possible. Apart from that Thursday wasn’t the most eventful day a well, except for calamities in digital audio but there’s no need for details.

In the evening however I travelled through to Glasgow for a gig with Feel Free Conspiracy at the bar Box. The venue was surprisingly packed reasons probably due to it being a charity night. There was a lot of waiting around however as we were not on till 10.45. When it finally came to our turn we managed to clamber on stage and play a somewhat set but the quality of our playing and sound were far from being at its usual standard. I felt this was due to an exhausting wait and also that there wasn’t much enthusiasm between the group in which preparation time had been minimal. Well you win some and lose others and so I just hope are next local gig at the Tams will be up to scratch for the evening. An even bigger down on the late trip home was to find a parking ticket mocking and dancing in my face outside my window screen. A nice £30 pound fine to end the night!

That’s about it for this week as Friday’s articulation class was cancelled so until next week... Farewell!

The Last Few Leaps

2010-04-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Back at college now for what I have been informed is the last 9 weeks before all assignments are to be handed. So, writing a three minute piece, creating and finishing a portfolio showing all the “fantastic” experiences I have had in my musical career (which I feel really hasn’t even begun as of yet), a PowerPoint presentation and graded interview and countless essays are just a few things that have been placed on my to-do list. Of course this shall all have to begin promptly if I am to avoid losing sleep and what hair I have on my head however, for the time being this is getting slightly too negative for my liking and so I’ll just get onto the weekly events.

Technically Wednesday was the beginning of my week due to my late return on Tuesday evening and as I arrived in for 9.00a.m I was reformed with my Led Zeppelin band to discuss our next project which was agreed to be the 1970 Isle of White festival. I was happy with our choice of songs and am confident that this time we will be able to pull off a passable performance. This was soon followed by my drum lesson which turned out to be exceedingly beneficial to my texture playing of styles. The advice I received has given me more to think about when playing in different styles and so I hope overtime, with practice that my texture will improve leading to me becoming a more versatile and diverse drummer.

In afternoon composition class the group was given deadlines for our three minute pieces and how we should be structuring ourweeks. The second half consisted of the first of many talks on the instruments we would be using in our songs with the guitarists taking the limelight. The talk was somewhat helpful and I just hope that when I hand out my sheet music next week it will make sense and sound like I expected. This task will greatly help me on my aims as a musician for the more I understand about writing music the stronger and more confident my general understanding of reading it will become. I just hope I can finish it in time.

Thursday was as usual a stretched day starting with graded unit where the dates for our interviews were handed out. Four weeks from the day I will be suited out and hopefully proving why I am right for the job confidently, delivering my epic fifteen minute presentation on my incredible skills and talents...in a perfect world that is. More realistically I will be in my rags cowering in the corner panicking over my few slides of presentation that don’t seem to be working while rummaging for my misplaced portfolio. Just hope I can get somewhere between the two. The pressure of small deadlines will hopefully help me to be more organised and prepared for as a session musician this skill will have to be accomplished.

In history a date has been set for our Adorno essay and yet again it all seems a bit too close for comfort. I am in desperate need of some intellectuality before I can begin so if anyone knows where I could purchase some I would be most grateful if the known address could be sent to me.

Session skills was for the first time in weeks productive. The music for Grtis ain’t Groceries was handed to me and we were put in the studio and told to be ready in a couple of minutes to record with click. I really don’t have to go in into detail of how this benefited me on my aims as a session for musician for this was as real as its going to get in the college at this time - except of course the fact there was no money involved. I managed to nail it and was happy to sit back and watch as each musician went into to gradually layer the track. I hope that next week will be as eventful.

Digital audio seems to have never been mentioned in my weekly blogs for I felt the class did not go anywhere however this week after talking to the lecturer we are now back on track and at the moment I am currently creating a web page advertising myself as a musician. Although the page will not be published the task has given me ideas for when the time comes to advertise myself via the web as a working musician.

Friday’s articulation class was as interesting as ever as we delved into African music and the association it has with blues roots. Every week I find this class more fascinating and take away a great deal of artists to look into helping to expand my knowledge of music outside of popular music terms.

In terns of our transcription assignment I have finally chosen the piece for analysis however it sadly wasn’t my first choice. At first I wanted to tackle the opening of Elgar’s cello concerto in E minor, then I lowered my standard to attempt Eric Whitacre’s unaccompanied choral piece Sleep however, with both, there just wasn’t enough time to transcribe the scores accurately in the given time slot. So now I’m in the middle of writing out Regina Spektor’s “Us”. The song is a straightforward transcription however the words have an ambiguous and deeper meaning and so I hope to grab my 1000 words from a lyrical perspective.

Apart from college my only real out of hours event this week has been a traditional band practice. The band has now chosen a date for a half twelve concert sooner than I hoped for and so now we are choosing material for the up and coming gig. Although I am happy that we have a target to aim for and am sure that the gig will boost my confidence as a fiddle player I feel that this slight pressure will rip the fun out of coming together and playing the music. I surely hope that this doesn’t happen but as the date draws closer I am sure that tensions will rise.

So that’s that, next week is surely to be a hectic one as I begin to play for degree projects and my own HN2 performance. An update will follow one week from today on these activities!

The Holiday for Eggs

2010-04-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

So I felt to keep in the productive side of graded unit I would have an update on my holiday escapades and the and how this season has benefited and brought me closer to my aspirations as a musician...not too much in all honesty. Firstly a small update on the last week of college.

In the last week before breaking up there were a few lectures and speaker that were both interesting and educational. Firstly games composer Stuart (“I can’t quite remember”) came in and talked about his time at Perth and what the life of writing for video games was like. It was good to hear from someone who had successfully pulled together a career from their time at Perth College and also to hear about the methods and abilities that are needed to become a composer. The second fascinating talk also took place in the Brahan lecture theatre and consisted of a successful engineer referring to his career and how he had managed to climb up the employee ladder to become the boss of an established company. This talk really helped to motivate me for the gradual rise in jobs to become accomplished striked similarities to that of being a session musician.

Now however the holidays areover and have almost been too good and enjoyable to return for as I gradually drive up the treacherous A83 for my return Perth, all fun and motivation seems to drain. With 7-9 weeks till the end of college and now at the last hurdle I need to find all the enthusiasm and focus I can for the many hours of studying that lies ahead.

Having access to a piano over the holidays has given me a much better balanced practice schedule with the weighted keys and acoustic sound restoring some enthusiasm and fun into playing. At my last piano lesson before the holidays I sadly had to reschedule my associated board grade 4 exam for a later date. Recently I had begun to notice my practice schedule had been cut due to college assignments and so I feared that work may get in the way again as the exam date drew closer only leading to stress and lack of preparation. So now I set my target for November sadly making my planning stage goals one less completed.

Speaking of Associated board exams after what seems months of waiting I finally opened up my e-mails to find out that my exam results for my grade 5 theory had been published online. After finally finding the old e-mail with my password and account number on it I logged in and slowly watched the buffering page reveal that I had passed with distinction -93%! This result has given me a boost to look at the grade 6 paper and although I know it is rare seeing as grade 5 is the bench mark I feel that it would benefit me, obviously on an academic level but also force me to learn more about the classical side of music and the fundamentals that come with it. It is after all the foundations of popular music and to an extent helped to shape it to what we know it as.

I don’t know what it is about this course but it seems the more I study the popular side of music the greater my admiration to western arts music and orchestral music seems to grow. Whether this is because I have a natural reaction to rebel or because it is a genre I lack knowledge in it seems that more and more frequently my iPod is churning out Debussy over Dave Matthews band and Thomas Newman (film composer) over Tool. Whatever the reason it has caused me to look into this genre for choosing my transcription for articulation class. Over the holidays I have looked over countless contenders in terms of chamber music, overtures and symphonic poems however the position is still open and the quicker it is filled the better. I feel the next stop will be an analysis of film composer that could become a candidate for my complex analysis. Although this is an extreme challenge I believe that the amount I will learn from classical music and the orchestra in general will benefit me in later life.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that while at home I was strangely asked to be on the judging panel at a local music talent contest. This opportunity was both fun and difficulty as I had never before judged anyone’s talents in such a formal manner and had always been one to be judged and brought to criticism than bring it on others. The contestants were of all ages and talents with acts ranging from guitar, accordion and violin players to singers/songwriters and small choirs. The talents that some people showed were incredibly admirable for their age with posture, intonation, maturity and their general musical ability commendable. I almost felt that some of these young kids had a better knowledge of their instrument and music that they could replace many students here at Perth.

So that was another experience to add to my portfolio with it I also managed to get a picture in the local paper.

So that’s my thoughts on this ever so sunny day, back to college in a few days whether it be for better or for worse I don’t know.

....exhausted

2010-03-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

So this week has been a quietly stressful one as the due date for the Fabbri essay draws near. My progress has been steady with this assignment and I do hope that my many hours of writing and researching will pay off and get me that pass that I need… and maybe even deserve!

Sadly many of my weekly activities had to be re scheduled to make time for Fabbri such as Rhythm wave rehearsal and Tuesday morning piano class. Hopefully I shall get some free time next week to catch up.

Due to the degree presentations and HND performances in Glasgow all of my Wednesday classes except for drum tuition were cancelled. My technical ability is gradually on the up rise thanks to tips from my tutor and I hope over the next few weeks this progress will continue to grow on my kit playing.

So Wednesday afternoon “Stairway to Kevin” set off on an escapade to Glasgow’s Pivo Pivo’s for the HND performances. The venue was somewhat central and with a little help with directions we managed to locate it. To an extent it was crowded, making for a good atmosphere with the sound quality form each bands sound check coming out superb…the potential for a good performance was there. Of course when it was our turn to perform all that potential drained and dispersed. After all our hard work we managed to make a pig’s mess of the gig failing to keep anything together. This is one gig I won’t be looking back on with a smile however as an aspiring session musicians there’s good days and bad days. Just got to put it behind and carry on. Overall though the rest of the night was a success and the rest of the bands and the Guinness went down well!

On Thursday while nursing a slight hangover I was informed of my audition piece for the degree. Every drummer has been given “Funk Shuffle” from the Dave Hassel book two to prepare. Grade 8!…Hmmmmm, I’m not too sure it comes close. There are however sections for soloing and so it is these oarts that I will have to play to impress. I have started looking at a few potential second pieces which I will try to narrow down in the next few days.

Well that was pretty much it for Thursday as it seemed there was no classes taking place. This gave me a couple of hours to work on my piano playing (if it can really be referred to in this term) and time to hand in my completed essay.

On Friday articulation class was cancelled due to the degree presentations taking place in the Brahan theatre. I took a wander up and sat in on most of the afternoon presentations. Many of the proposals were interesting and gave me an insight into ideas for my own and what level I should be looking to achieve. Some students on other hand should have been caged, boxed up and sent on a one way rocket to Mars as soon as they concluded for the standard brought new levels to low.

So that was my eventful and diverse week. No cheesy endings, too much work and brain power needed elsewhere.

Writing, Writing and more Writing!

2010-03-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

With just over a week until the essay on Fabbri is due its hard get away from the many books and articles to find time for the rest of my assignment. Even writing my “weekly masterpiece” has taken a back seat! I’m making good progress though and so just hope that it will be done in time.

So this Monday was my groups turn to show the many applicant hopefuls around the college. Every instance is a fascinating and new experience and to extent rewarding to know that I am helping each person to be in as comfortable a set of mind for their audition and answering any queries they have on the college.

This is assisting me in my general confidence and communication, helping me to become a relatively better speaker. This boost in confidence will help towards my graded unit interview and generally with every musical escapade that comes my way.

After college I received a call to attend Clearwater studios to record trombone for a local band that were in need of a horn section. It was through saxophonist Felix that I was asked as he was putting down saxophone at the same time.

The piece was fast paced but only needed small sections for brass which were repeated throughout. It was a job to get in an out as quickly as possible and so In and out in 15 mins. Although it wasn’t paid I never complain as time in the studio is always an experience. If I asked for money I would never get the chance to meet new musicians and who knows, one day they might need me for a bigger event…maybe even paid!

Bright and early Tuesday morning I went to my piano lesson however my busy schedule sadly meant my playing did suffered. My teacher had sympathy for me and gave me advice about habits she had noticed over the past few weeks. She talked of how every week I would come in and play the piece up to a certain point before crumbling. It soon became clear to me that this was due to my regime of starting a piece at the beginning and running straight through to the end resulting in the complex sections not receiving the attention they needed. I started to realise that this was not only true for piano but for every other instrument I have taken on as well. Hopefully my improvement will be vaster weekly thanks to these critical pointers.

Rhythm wave went well this week and saw me coming off snare and onto rhapiki (god knows how it’s spelt!). This drum has no real rebound and so my wrist technique was in need of change before I did myself damage. On drum set I have also started to learn traditional grip, not because it looks so much cooler but because strain injury playing matched grip has started to get in the way of my playing.

While at the practice I sadly had to turn down a gig for the college open day due to its clashing with my classes. With the degrees competitive nature I really have to buckle down and attend every class again. You just can’t please everyone nowadays!

So Wednesday was a day of mixed production as yet again I seemed to turn up to my lesson to find no teacher to guide me through the 20 mins. That ofcourse didn’t stop me as I used my lesson time to look over my pieces probably gaining the same aount of productivity from it. I find that the colleges drum rooms are a much different kettle of fish to drum kits I am use to. Since the whole kit is as muffled and dampened to the level that even breathing is heard over it(slight exaggeration) I feel that I really need to rearrange my playing style to get the feel across. These kits will be used for my end of year assessment and my degree audition and so the more comfortable I am the better my chances are of entering into the degree. This drew to my attention that a lot of the time could be using someone else’s set up. If I want to make it as a session musician I think playing as many different set ups as possible could help strengthen my general co-ordination of the kit for who knows, I may once turn up to a gig and have to use a left handed drummers kit!

My Led Zeppelin cover band is at performance level now for our gig next week and as long as we keep it tight and together I think we can pull off a good show.

Later in the day in composition class we were put into our groups to begin looking at the best ways to compose for the Tom and Jerry track. In my group are people I have not worked with before and so this task shall be good experience for enhancing my communication in group situations.

Wednesday evening was occupied with final rehearsals for the concert hall show “Rock the Catwalk” taking place this Saturday. With a small problem only on intonation I feel the show will be good fun to be a part of and play in. Time management however was not in my side that night as I arrived slightly late for rehearsal and of course paid the pitiful consequences of shame. Just have to make sure it doesn’t happen again!

Thursday morning was graded unit portfolio check as I showed what potentially could be with my planning document. It seems I am on the right path and will now have to turn ll my thoughts into the physical thing!

Marlissa also informed me that Fiona from Kilmarnock Centrestage would expect to perform the musical “Songs for a New World” soon after the Easter holidays. I am keen to focus on my reading again and look forward being part of the show again.

Session skills saw me unexpectedly take my trombone out for a run through some of the tracks that are soon to be recorded. It just wasn’t my day for tuning or playing in general and so a few position techniques will be in order before I head back to studio.

After a hard at college on Thursday I packed my stuff and headed to Dundee union for a gig with my band Feel Free Conspiracey. The gig went well and we managed to pull a decent crowd however the sound was a different matter as we were far too loud throughout. At the end of the day I suppose a gig as a gig.

Friday’s Articulation class yet again turned out to be the fascination of the week as Pete Honeymoon brought analysis to a new level with the piece “My Song” by the American Jazz composer and pianist Keith Jarrett. The class was all in relevance to our assignment due after the Easter holiday in which each has to transcribe a piece and write about the image that it creates. I look forward to the challenge and hope to learn a great deal in terms of transcribing the piece by ear. These skills of transcribing will hopefully benefit me in the music world.

So Saturday came and finally “Rock the Catwalk” took place. Overall the whole experience was superb and really showed me the level I should be working towards as a musician. It was a long day of rehearsals starting at nine in the morning until ten at night showing me how as a musician the days can sometimes drag on. Even though I had been playing the same pieces over and over throughout the day I had to go out and play with forced enthusiasm not showing any of the exhaustion that lay behind my face. Overall however I have enjoyed my time there and have met many great people and musicians in general. With all the publicity it received and the full 1000 booked out show I hope to have managed to getmy face on the map slightly and hope to gather evidence from publicity and papers for my graded unit portfolio.

So that was my week.

168 hours into 1384 words.

Hope you "enjoyed" it as much as I did!

Tale as Old as Time

2010-03-08T13:46:00.001-08:00

It has been a week of theory exams, musicals, concert hall rehearsals and fun surprises of which I hope all has helped on my pursuit to a career in music.

With last weeks expenses knocking up to just under £300 I really had to cut back on leisure activities and so sadly had to spend more time using my eyes and ears taking a step back from the practical side of gigging and recording. With my associated theory exam this week I really had to bustle down and prepare so as not to let the £26 fee go to waste.

When it came to the day all went well and I have a feeling that my revision has paid off. For my aspirations as a session musicians this qualifications not only shows to an employer my knowledge of theory but also shows that I am dedicated and determined to succeed.

First of all college this week has been hectic with new deadlines of essays, portfolio checks and end of term gigs drawing close. Yet again I am finding that organising my tasks is the best remedy to getting them done efficiently, hopefully with time I will be able to use this to my advantage when session work comes my way.

Our Led Zeppelin band is now at the stage of polishing up the set for the Glasgow gig. Over the last two weeks there has been a great deal of conflict, with time wasted on resolving these situations. The fact some members were coming in late to practice meant we were loosing valuable time and so they had to be warned about the extent that they would be participating with the band for a crummy performance from one member would mean a lower grade. Arranging of songs has been another issue for there are sections that do not click well with the band and almost feel cheesy. In the end though the conflict was resolved thanks to discipline and compromise. These encounters are something I will have to deal with in the “real world” and so I feel that the experience will benefit me greatly for the future.

My drum lesson this week went well and my four assessment pieces are coming along nicely. My tutor has really helped me find the feel for each of the four styles and although he can’t read a note of the music, notation is not an area I need to focus on. Over the next few weeks I aim to have three ready, well…if time is on my side.

Composition class this week was remarkable as we discovered the art of writing for cartoon and the many techniques needed to do so. After being put into groups we were given the task of writing for a two minute long Tom and Jerry sketch. This will be a challenge for it seems instrumentation will be very large and varied and so each member will be playing for more than one instrument and possibly not even their own. The fact we only have two weeks till the performance or should I say two rehearsals means next week will be full on and fast paced. For a session musician complex tasks in a small period are frequent and so hopefully this eye opener will help my abilities to cope with short deadlines.

In graded unit this week I had prepared for my mock interview to be acted in front of the class. I felt the interview went well and the feedback I got back was both positive and constructive in criticism. Areas improvement consist of fidgeting, pace of speech and growing a beard! Well I don’t about the beard but I will work on the rest for the interview.

My academic writing an understanding of text has been pushed with music history as I start to write my essay on genre. I think my main flaw is referencing and structure and so this time hopefully with help from other students and lecturers I will grasp a strong foundation for the assignment.

Sadly I did not attend my last two classes as it overlapped with my Grade 5 theory but I have used my initiative and found what is due for next week.

On Friday we had articulation class, which is slowly becoming one of my favourite classes. Not only am I learning musical concepts and harmony but every week we get to listen to and discuss fantastic music that I never knew existed. For an aspiring session musician I feel a broad knowledge of genre will benefit and help me in communicating generally with other musicians and hopefully in my networking skills.

There was also a nice surprise brought to the class when each of us was given a hand out on what was acquired of us for our “degree interview” This consists of two grade 8 pieces one of which is chosen by the college, sight reading and theory tests and the interview itself…no one is safe! Well although this was a shock I am quite happy that they are challenging the class to a competitive nature for a place on the degree. I have not chosen my piece yet but really want to do something completely out of my league and different. I have a few ideas but whether I will be able to pull them off is another question.

So that was college this week but there has been a great deal going on outside as well. Earlier in my blog entries I mentioned that my trombone and I were participating in a charity gig at the concert hall accompanying a function band and Felix the Sax Cat on saxophone. This week saw us rehearsing the songs in Clearwater studio and later in the week at the concert hall. I gained a lot of experience doing both rehearsals and it was the first time I had played in the concert hall. This has been a great opportunity for me to network and work on my communication skills, as the band and all the staff were complete strangers to me. The tracks themselves range in complexity however learning the parts will not been as challenging as playing in tune and in time with all the rest of the band. I looked forward the gig a week on Saturday and hopefully will have videos and pictures to add and put towards my graded unit.

Sunday was exceptional good day as me and a few other students travelled to Kilmarnock to see the Centrestage’s production of Beauty and the Beast. I was completely blowing away by the performance with the incredible choreography, preparation, props and singers and actors. For any aspiring musician seeing the professionals in action and how dedicated every one was to the show was a real eye opener and helped me to find motivation and inspiration I thought I’d lost. Last year I was lucky enough to play drums for two of the shows and the experience I took away was priceless. After the show I was lucky enough to bump into Musical Director Fiona Mckenzie who talked of performing “Songs For a New World” again this year and that she would be in touch with me when the time drew near. I look forward to returning to the pit and becoming a part of the musical magic again and hopefully now with a little more experience to my belt will play my part to a more accurate and higher standard

So with inspiration restored I look forward to the up and coming weeks and preparing for my degree year. Now though…its back to writing this darn essay!

Demo is done!

2010-02-22T12:14:00.001-08:00

So its seems the challenge of enrolling for the degree has yet again risen as it was revealed Monday morning that no more than 28 students would be accepted for the degree course. Seeing that at the moment there are around 80 applicants inside and outside of the college the competitive nature will be fierce for receiving a place. It all really goes down to my graded unit and articulation class grades and so with that in mind I am going to have to produce the best portfolio possible to give myself a fighting chance. It’s quite ironic that a few weeks ago I was considering leaving at the end of this year but now it seems that if I don’t put the work in I may not even receive a place.

Like everyone else my week started Monday as I helped the lecturers with this years first hopefuls applying for NQ and HNC. It seems the process has changed since I last was involved and now consists of a whole afternoon instead of the small 15 minutes I was given for mine. 3 others and myself were given the opportunity to show them around and answer any questions they were inquired about the course. Not only was this a great opportunity for them to see in a bit more detail what resources they had but also benefits my communication skills as I try to make a good first impression of the college and myself as a student. I hope that next Monday will be as interesting and beneficial this session.

In the afternoon my band Feel Free Conspiracy managed to squeeze in a rehearsal for our up and coming recording session at Lo fi. I am really starting to have a better feel for each track and hope that once in the studio I can produce the goods.

With my piano lesson cancelled Tuesday became a slightly uneventful day, which gave me time to catch up on my theory practice and drumming practice. I feel that time management has become an improved ability over the last few weeks as a schedule of gigs and college work has mounted up.

Wednesday was very motivational, as our band has progressed to the final stage of rehearsals and our now polishing up our set list for the gig in Glasgow. With only a few problems concerning commitments of others I am pretty confident that we will pull off the set on the night.

My drum lesson turned out to be quite helpful in broadening my diversity as I tackled both the latin and jazz track for my end of year assessment. My tutor has showed me how sometimes even though I am playing the music as it is written the feel for the genre and timing could be improved which turns out to be as important as the notation itself. I hope to tackle this technical problem for my next weeks class.

So Thursday and Friday consisted of a hefty recording session at Lo fi studios. This was the first real time our band had recorded at a professional and paid for standard and so we wanted to take as much away from the experience as possible.

I managed to get a solid drum track on each of the three songs we recorded and took away some good advice in terms of tuning, playing to the click and orchestration of the drum tracks. I soon found out that I seemed to naturally speed up on the chorus on each of the tracks as I got more into each take. This is something I will take away when recording and playing live shows in the future.

Well in the end after spending 20 hours tapping my head and foot to our ever-progressing tracks we final got a decent sounding demo done with a whole load of experience of recording with it.

Please check it out http://www.myspace.com/feelfreeconspiracy

The page is still in the construction stages so just pay attention to the tracks.

So that sums up my week and with the demo on its way I hope my band can jump on the gigging bandwagon and get gigging!

Blogster

2010-02-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

Lets carry on were we left off then?

This week has been rather hollow due to Wednesday’s in-service day and so, with no instrumental instruction, rehearsals or composition class I’ve been trying to catch up with my other classes with the ever-rising academics!

So Thursday morning, after walking the treacherous pathway to college I arrived at my destination of the lecture feature for graded unit class. This week was mainly based around interview skills and a questionnaire focusing on our specialised skills. As a student whose jobs have came from an informal background of outside labour were job interviews were very casual and almost unnecessary to my employers it is a field that I suffer in knowledge. I found the class most helpful and although a lot of it seemed like common sense there were many points I noted down to prepare myself for the up and coming MOCK interview.

It seems in formal situations like this I seem to lose my nerve and confidence leading to an avalanche of spoken nonsense and mumbling. To counteract this I think a lot of preparation is needed.

Yet again music history was a full on lecture as we delved deeper into the world of “aspects of genres” and “semiotics.” It all seems a bit too much for me and I know I may struggle with the essays. I have all the sources I need though and I think in good time my brain will gradually catch up with the lectures.

In session skills this week after months and months of preparation we finally headed to the recording studio to start recording. Maceo Parker’s “Shake everything you got” was the first track to be recorded which orientates mainly around the brass section. I felt my playing was put to the limits as we played through it countless times with Gav who also surprised the brass section with a cheeky arrangement of a commitments compilation to sight read on the spot. This of course did not go down well. In the end though we managed to get one take down – not the best – but a start. I have been giving the opportunity of a solo in the recording and so will practice towards recording a decent one for the following weeks.

After a nights good rest I freshened myself up for Friday’s articulation class, who knows what would lie through door 513 this week and if I would return after entering?

Well the class turned out to be quite interesting and digestible this week as Pete showed the class the different methods of analysing music and how many different facts socially and culturally can be taken in from a single song. It was a much less disorientated class than last week and I look forward to the next few weeks.

For my band Feel Free Conspiracy it is now less than a week before we head to Glasgow’s Lo Fi recording studio for a two-day session. In this time we hope to lay down 3 to 4 tracks depending on the pace that we work at. The last few days have seen us work on the finishing touches to our tracks in a hope to produce the best quality on the day.

I shall update next week on how the recording session goes.

Blog a million!

2010-02-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

So the second week of semester two has begun and already I can see a vast gradient appearing in terms of course work. The academic level seems to have shot to new heights thanks to Articulation class and Music History. The reading material we have been given is of a much higher standard than I expected and so it is now time to pull the finger out on the reading side of the course and spend some focused time digesting it all. I feel that one good exercise for me to do is to attempt as much reading of articles as time gives me in the hope to broaden my reading capabilities.

After a long weekend back home in Argyll and a lot of piano playing I returned to my piano lesson Tuesday morning. Progress is at a low even though I now feel motivation is at its highest. These next few months will see me staring down at the keys in attempt to reach my planning goal of booking my planning stage comfortably by June this year in April. It may seem far away now but that only really counts for 12 piano lessons. Time is too valuable!

Every week that I spend recording our acoustic EP I seem to learn more and more about the methods used. I was pleased with our final product however many of the recordings -like painters and painting - the final product never seems to come. The raw sound we started out with is being warped with overdubs and I feel that the tracks are loosing their true feel and natural sound. Even so, I am still pleased that we are getting the opportunity.

Drum lesson and Zeppelin practice on Wednesday wasn’t the most productive combination. I feel like our set is becoming incredibly solid but due to an in-service day next Wednesday it seems that we only have 4 weeks left till the gig in Glasgow. The gig has also sparked me to consider our playlist for Glasgow. Although we are to learn a 7 song set I feel that the chance of this set being heard with the other dozen bands is a most unlikely event and so we are going to have to start looking at the strongest combination for our set. My communication skills will hopefully both be challenged as each member argues their case for a set in a hopefully democratic dispute.

Well I arrived at my drum lesson and set up only to be left alone for 90% of the lesson as I looked through my chosen pieces attempting to analyze and criticise myself however biased it may of seemed. I believe that I am now having to almost completely self motivate myself through these so called lessons which although is in bad context will benefit me when it comes to the real world in which I will be my own boss and have to keep positive. The pieces I have chosen are quite challenging to me however each is diverse as the other and range from Latin to Jazz to funk-fusion. This diversity in tracks will hopefully help enhance my versatility as a player and give me a larger field to look into when looking for work.

In composition class we were put into groups to try an attempt composing a theme tune for a chosen T.V programme. Each member of my band had their own opinion on what it should go like and how it should be done. This led to a lot of discussion and made me realise how hard it is to compromise with others and at the same time keep everyone involved without taking over and being bossy. These are skills I feel are quite difficult and so I feel this is vital in terms of improving with my people skills. In the end though we managed to compromise and did“24” justice it needed

Thursday became a day full of musical philosophy with music history, brass licks and the life of being a producer. I found the talk with Dave Paterson on a life in the studio most helpful and at the same time surprising. He showed to the class how it happens and revealed to us how the market and commercial side of music works. Dave really showed us who was buying what and gave us some beneficial tips when working in the studio. As a student who aspires to a relatively similar career the information I received sat with me. It seems that now all studio work is of course done to click however its amazing how separate drummers even playing the same music with a click can interpret and give a record a whole different feel. It is this feel that really makes drummers stand out and it is one area I will have to immensely improve on if I am to become as employable as possible. All the studio work I have done lately has however steered me on the right track and so bit-by-bit I am improving.

As mentioned earlier Fridays are now filled with articulation class and it does seem that it will be a struggle to keep up with the academics. This week the lecture was held by Pete and if I had any inspirations as a musician before the true nature and competitive market I hope to enter has now been shown to me. Pete informed the class that if we just want to play a degree really isn’t the thing for us. For an aspiring session musician this really made me think and really showed me how naive I have been while at college in looking at my chosen career path. Although due to the way Pete brought this across it seems that I should just leave college now I do feel that there seems to be no better place to meet and network with other musicians than at the college itself. Where else am I ever going to find 300 to 400 musicians all looking to play in bands and shows?

I have also started to come to terms that it is the most unlikely event that I will be able to support myself alone with sessions or even find a way in to that world. With a degree, the chances of employment are much more likely in any field of work than an HND. For the moment all my time shall be focused on getting that sought after degree hopefully in the attempt to broadening my career paths to support a roof over my head.

Who knows…I may be able to support a lifestyle by just playing drums, but I can’t say I really have met many people that have managed successfully. With the degree coming closer and closer it seems that now is the time to look at the bigger picture with my own eyes and come to terms with what lies out there.

Lol these blogs seem just to stretch and blabber on more week by week however I do feel in analysing my own week and activities I am learning more and more about myself as a musician with every word I type.

Ticking the boxes!

2010-02-08T04:50:00.001-08:00

Hello again!
It has just been too long!

Hmm well yet again I sit on my comfy seat at the flat, in a small but spacious corner attempting to reiterate the week’s activities in an interesting yet “graded unit” related style.
First good news of the week; I passed the final theory exam! This joyous occasion has given me the boost to keep focused on revision for my up and coming Grade 5 theory exam on the 4th of March which really isn’t as far away as it seems. I have began to look at past papers and have been fairly surprised on the many methods and details I need to look into if I am to pass. I feel that my main let down is the identifying of chords and intervals and so for the next weeks this will be my main focus. As a player mainly of linear pitched instruments I have never really had to worry about chords however with my attempts to learn the piano I hope to take away some harmony knowledge relative to my cause.
Well good news aside the week has been tiring but one that has brought great productivity and opportunity.
Many an hour this week has been spent in the studio which for an aspiring session musician has been a supportive experience. On Tuesday morning after my piano lesson I headed to the studio for our weekly acoustic session. Playing acoustic has been a new experience for me as a drummer and I have really enjoyed experimenting with different sticks and brushes to get the right sound for the track. Since everything was recorded live with no click I realised how significant dynamics were in terms of hearing and playing off the rest of my band. I also managed to use my new toy (the ocean drum) and experimented on a few of the tracks with positive results. Although it is fun it is a long process, and at times can be quite stressful but with patient sound engineers and good recording techniques I look forward to the final product.
Wednesday saw my band at the other side of the recording spectrum trying to polish off our tracks for an EP. I am really impressed with the quality of sound on the mixed down version and have been lucky enough to learn how it all gets done. Although I am impressed with the product as a band we have decided to put some of our own money down to record some of our fresher material for two day session in Glasgow Lo Fi studio. This will be a relatively new experience for me as I have never recorded in Glasgow and look forward to the professional standard we will be working at and the experience that will come with it.
I was also happy this week to find in my inbox my Glasgow course composition. After a good listen I am happy with the quality and hope to add it to my graded unit hopefully showing my level of dedication, versatility and knowledge as a musician.
As mentioned earlier I have managed to tick off another box in my goals for graded unit by purchasing an Ocean drum. Already I am picking up the basics and fingering patterns needed to play correctly and hope to get it out gigging and recording as much as possible ion the future.
This week I was asked to play trombone or violin in a Billie Holiday degree project. My string skills are at no standard to perform in a degree project but I gladly accepted on brass terms. After a little research into her I am looking forward to playing some old school trombone and hopefully some of my favourite Gershwin tracks with a vast range of talented musicians. This will give the chance to work on my networking skills and communication skills especially in terms of playing with the other brass musicians in analysing the patrts.
It was the first time in a while this week that I attended the samba band practice for Rhythm wave. My attendance had begun to lack for the Tuesday evening rehearsals due to an extremely busy schedule - which I am glad to see has simmered down. It’s great to see so many new people joining in now and watching the band grow in numbers and in sound. I was happy to see my position on snare drum was still open and also that I could remember the old patterns. I now feel pushed to attend this group for playing snare drum will help me with improving my wrist technique and general playing.
This week I finally presented my Beatles presentation on Indian influences. The fact that it was held in the lecture theatre gave me a slight boost in confidence and helped me to present it successfully. I feel that my presenting skills have come on considerably from last year and hope that I can keep up this confidence for my up and coming interview in later in the year for graded unit.
Well, I sense I have sat on this seat too long now and need to stretch the old legs.
Until next week!

The Usual Crack!

2010-02-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

So it’s the second official week back at college and what appears to be the last of the semester. New bands are settling down nicely; the long process of presentations are well under way; song after song is being added to the long list of repertoire (a list that seems to have no end!) and all the snow seems to have dissolved into the earth. Having received my planning marks back I am happy to see I passed but now is the time to put all my promises into action and take some initiative!(seems to be the word of the week) The sooner I break down my goals and start working on them the higher the probability that I will achieve my aims in the given time. With the clock ticking I can happily say that I can tick my first box by booking my Grade 5 theory for March of this year. With the ball now rolling I feel that this extra pressure will cause me to work harder and revise more for the up and coming. It seems that this college year has revealed to me how much more efficient I work when I put myself in these timed situations under pressure. I suppose this is a most beneficial ability when it comes to playing my role as a session musician and I hope to develop it in the up and coming months.

On Tuesday as usual I had my morning piano lesson. Over the holidays being at home had the benefit of a real piano and so with structured practice I really felt that my chosen pieces came on in leaps. It seems though that hours of practice on the same three pieces can have its side effects as well as it advantages. My piano teacher began to inform me that although I was improving with my pieces my reading skills may have been suffering for the advances of my pieces had almost became a process of decoding than an actual interpretation of the notes. This seemed to be the case for not only could I almost play the pieces without the music glaring back at me but even when it was in front of me I felt that I wasn’t even following it note by note. Although this was good for my chosen pieces my sight-reading and general following of music was suffering so, for next week a brand new piece has been put on my plate, which I look forward to practicing for my next lesson. I also figured that a few sight-reading examples a day could benefit me significantly.

Well that’s enough piano chat for now.

The rest of Tuesday was spent in the rehearsal rooms and a laid-back trad jam in the evening were I wiped off the dust from my fiddle case and attempted to tune the old rusty strings up. Although the fiddle has no main aim in my studies it has been incredibly helpful with my pitching, sight-reading and communication skills in terms of playing and arranging with other musicians. Although I am becoming a more confident player I do feel that I am slightly naïve about how good my technique actually is and so still have not obtained the confidence to perform to an audience. The gradual enlargement of our trad group though should hopefully help me overcome these fears and there’s no better way to learn an instrument than to play it in a musical situation.

On Wednesday I attended my usual drum lesson and band rehearsal in the morning and afternoon composition class. Zeppelin practice was very productive and I feel we are making good progress for the up and coming show in March. With this new band comes new musicians and so I feel my communication skills are being improved with the new approaches I take in discussing our songs and up and coming shows. The fact that it is also a band with two drummers creates the benefits of a stronger and more detailed talk into the drum parts of our covers and originals and also gives me the opportunity to give and receive tips on each others playing. The fact that I also have to only learn half a set means I can work twice as hard on getting it right. This situation will hopefully benefit my plying technique in the future and help me on my aspirations to become a session musician.

In my weekly drum lesson I began the lesson rather originally by asking my tutor the question “how do you hold drumsticks?” This may seem slightly basic and immature for a drum student in his second year of degree however I am now at a stage where I am analysing every prospect of my playing. I have begun to notice over the last few weeks a strain on my left hand when playing for long periods of time or when over playing. It is almost now at the stage were I just have to stop and rest and so has to be taken care of before it begins to seriously affect my chosen career path. On analysing my playing my tutor broke down the reasons for my strain injury and showed me where I was going wrong. Sticking is a major part of any drummers playing and I feel that it is almost too easy to fall into bad habits in which problems may occur. If I were to become a session drummer I would hopefully be playing for countless hours a day and so if my hands were not in top order my playing would suffer.

I have really begun work on extending my trombone technique lately thanks to a new book of “Arban’s method for trombone.” The book is filled with hundreds of studies and gradually helps to build on technical ability and positioning. In session skills this Thursday I was surprised to find a brass orientated piece on the music stand called “Shake Everything You Got.” With the little extra help of Natalie on saxophone and Gav on trumpet I really felt that the brass brought so much to the track. After the session I managed to steal Gav for a few seconds to ask him about methods for extending my range. He gladly showed me a few tips and so with dedicated practice I hope to be a few tones higher in the next few weeks

Anyway I think I have blabbered on enough this week and so I leave you in peace until next time.

Thoughts For The Week

2010-01-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

College re opens!
So my first official week back at college has come to pass and has been enjoyable as college work, recording and trad sessions, rehearsals and band ideas begin to prop up through the college. As usual the past few days have made me look to the future and consider where I want to be in the next few years. I have started seriously looking into the requirements for cruise ship work in terms of auditioning. I really feel that if I start looking now and manage to build up a small portfolio my chances in later life work will be more likely.
In a perfect world I would really like to leave at the end of this college year and go further a field whether it be in education or work. That’s why I feel if I start to audition now sure, I’ll get knocked back at first but its just one of these things that you have to learn to get comfortable with. It’s all about taking that first initiative and having the confidence to do so. Whether I have the abilities to do this I don’t know but I feel its already too late to look at education elsewhere and so work is the next option. Maybe this is just a phase but in the mean time I’m just going to keep searching for bands and musical opportunities.
First thing Wednesday was a day full of potential as I saw that my next integrated project was to be on Led Zeppelin, one of my favourite bands of all time. Each member of the band that I’m with is a dedicated musician and hard working when it comes to producing the goods. Prospects are high!
My drum lessons are beginning to take a more formal shape as I now begin to choose my performance pieces for the end of year assessment. I have chosen and played two of the four already one that is full of complex rhythms and a bit above my standard of performance. I want however to really push myself and hopefully have it ready by the end of the college year.
This week I have also been asked to help out with the auditions for the college this year and help with the choosing of places. I think it is generally felt that auditions in the past have been a somewhat informative process where in the past candidates including myself had no real idea of the standard and structure of the college with the small 15-minutes we were allocated. This is a real progressive step forward with the auditions and I feel honoured to be a part of it. It will also be another thing I can add into my final graded unit portfolio.
Thursdays theory class was the lat before next weeks test and really showed me how much I have to begin opening up my ears to pitches. I feel that this would not only benefit me for the test but also in my intonation when playing trombone and violin so that I would become capable to hit a note comfortably and be able to learn new material by ear.
First week back at session skills saw me reading a relatively (or what seemed to be) trombone score. I managed to play through it fine however, as the session carried on I began to lose lip control and started getting “strawberry lips.” This showed me how mush I need to begin using my diaphragm in my efforts to play for if I was to do an hour show it would be unlikely that I’d make it to the end.
Well that’s the thoughts for this week and it has left me considering a lot. I’m beginning to see opportunities arise and I’m hoping that as the year commences they will continue to appear in there many.

Holidays Extended

2010-01-23T05:17:00.001-08:00

So, I have made the treacherous trip back to Perth fighting through the worst of the snow, ice and cold to find that college has been cancelled for another week due to the weather conditions. It seems that I am one of the only contenders to have made it through and so look forward to a week of minimal events. Maybe I should look upon this incident as a good omen though and take this free time to grease up the hinges for a very eventful term.
Although I haven’t returned to college as of yet I have already had a call from local saxophonist Felix offering me a gig in Perth concert hall. The gig is to take place the second week of March and consists of me playing trombone with a backing band for a catwalk. I have seen the repertoire and although it does not seem complex I feel the challenge will be playing consistent for I have the habit of loosing my embouchure as my lips tire. Scales and lip exercises may be a good idea this week mixed with a little bit of presentation work. But apart from that the week has been as empty as a glass with no water. Hopefully the college will open it glorious gates in the next few days and let me back in!

Tis the season for jolliness

2009-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T02:38:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-11-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-11-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T16:09:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-18T06:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

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.