TASK: as a comment on my post on classroom, please say at least one way you plan (or want to) collaborate with one or more peers for your project. You can all see the class comments so communicate with each other!
Some more ideas:
A few of you to listen to the same album as a case study and discuss so pool ideas and thoughts
Zoom/google meet/Teams/Skype a session where you share ideas
Email/WhatsApp a track to someone for feedback or put it as a private link of soundcloud
Ask someone to send you some chords/lyrics a beat to work on a track together (ideas in the article above about how to do this)
Some of you are presenting physical paper artefacts such as lyric books, poetry anthologies etc. Bespoke, limited edition and handmade merch can be interesting, creative and lucrative.
A cheap and very doable way to present paper based work is to bind sheets together. In college, I would have brought in all the equipment for you to use and run a workshop face to face but we are in lockdown so here is an alternative!
What you need:
The sheets of paper you want to bind
Thread of some sort (wool, string, cotton...)
A pokey thing to make holes (needle, screwdriver, awl....) and something to protect whatever surface you are using like a wad of newspaper or a piece of wood.
A needle (a thick embroidery needle is ideal but you can just feed the thread through if the holes are big enough and your eyesight is good!)
Have fun, don't injure yourself and I look forward to seeing some results! Email me if you get stuck.
You need to log your progress, talk about the process and reflect regularly throughout the project. In order to do this in a helpful way and in a way that hits the high grade criteria, you may want to ask yourself these questions each week:
What did I do this week? Why did I focus on this and how has it helped my project?
What challenges did I face? How did I overcome them?
What went well?
Where there any surprises? How do I feel about the process and my project so far?
Did I achieve what I set out to this week? If not, how might this affect my project?
What is my plan for next week?
When it comes to evidencing this, you can do it however works best for you.
Audio - you can use voice memos on your phone as you go then join them up or have one session using Logic to audio record. Upload this to sound cloud or similar and embed into your project folder or blog if you have set one up for this.
Video - you can keep a video diary and embed this via YouTube each week - at the end of your project you could simply present this as a play list if you want it to be a bit neater.
Text - you can handwritten or type a more traditional log and evidence this on your project - just make sure we can read it if it's handwritten! You can start a new blog for your project if you like or keep it as a series of google docs/files. If you type notes into your phone you can export this.
If you are having to change your plans somewhat because of this blasted virus, talk about it in these reflections. Thankfully, your qualification is al about process, evaluation, adapting and creating rather than exams so it is possible to turn this to your advantage!
However you choose to present your progress, please ensure it goes into your blog and the post/s are labelled 'progress' so that we can find it.
You need to log your progress, talk about the process and reflect regularly throughout the project. In order to do this in a helpful way and in a way that hits the high grade criteria, you may want to ask yourself these questions each week:
What did I do this week? Why did I focus on this and how has it helped my project?
What challenges did I face? How did I overcome them?
What went well?
Where there any surprises? How do I feel about the process and my project so far?
Did I achieve what I set out to this week? If not, how might this affect my project?
What is my plan for next week?
When it comes to evidencing this, you can do it however works best for you.
Audio - you can use voice memos on your phone as you go then join them up or have one session using Logic to audio record. Upload this to sound cloud or similar and embed into your project folder or blog if you have set one up for this.
Video - you can keep a video diary and embed this via YouTube each week - at the end of your project you could simply present this as a play list if you want it to be a bit neater.
Text - you can handwritten or type a more traditional log and evidence this on your project - just make sure we can read it if it's handwritten! You can start a new blog for your project if you like or keep it as a series of google docs/files. If you type notes into your phone you can export this.
If you are having to change your plans somewhat because of this blasted virus, talk about it in these reflections. Thankfully, your qualification is al about process, evaluation, adapting and creating rather than exams so it is possible to turn this to your advantage!
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic.
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic. And ALL your sources (inc. YouTube or audio) must be properly referenced in a bibliography.
We have compiled some potentially useful academic sources on the Academic Writing blog. You can search for more by using site:.ac.uk or site:.edu eg 'synaesthesia' site:.ac.uk Another search engine is google scholar. The LRC can also offer help with accessing academic journals online.
TASK:
Create an account on myBib.com and start a new project.
Decide on an area of research for your project and find two suitable sources.
Link to them on your blog - these can be two of your literature reviews.
Go to My Bib and enter them as references.
To check that you have correctly done this copy the in-text citation to your blog post.
Publish the post so that we can check you are on the right track and help if not.
Please ensure that you have created and shared your Collab Project blog address on classroom!!!!
Field recordings are not necessarily recordings in a field (although they can be!). In this context, 'field' means in situ or on location, out of the recording studio, just like you may have been on a field trip with a science class to look at things outside the science lab.
Field recordings are of the natural environment and are not 'musical'. They can provide a unique texture to your work. In the current political and social climate they can be very useful if you want to make a statement or create texture with limited resources as you can use your phone to record.
ACTIVITY 1) listen to my podcast on headphones. It's under 6 mins. Please note, this is a resource from last summer so the task at the end is going to be slightly modified. I say in the podcast that this is an optional workshop - not this year! I'd like you all to do it as it is a valuable exercise in active listening. I will explain the modified task when we come back together in 10 mins.
a) Go into an empty room in your home and simply record 30 seconds of sound b) Go into a room with someone in (the kitchen is a good one for this) and record 30 seconds of what ever is happening
c) Go outside and record 30 seconds of the sound outside, wherever you are and whatever it is
2) listen back to your recordings with headphones and briefly note your findings using this sheet (open and make a copy to be able to edit) - we will discuss your findings when we come back in 30 mins.
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION TASK:
Find some objects around your home (or garden!) and record them carefully with silence before and after. Suggestions are things like turning a tap on and off, the boiler starting up, the cutlery drawer, a door opening or closing..... Please record at least three and save them in your drive - you will be using them in the next workshop.
Tape Op is a free digital music magazine with loads of articles about recording & production techniques. Do subscribe if you're interested in that kind of thing.
Thanks to Grant for finding this....a nice little example of how instruments sound using the natural reverb of the space in which they are being recorded:
David Attenborough has released an album of field recordings he made whilst filming for the BBC - you can hear it on spotify
David Fanshawe used his field recordings as an instrument when he composed African Sanctus - its scored for tapes, choir, operatic soloists, percussion, drum kit and piano.
Find some objects around your home (or garden!) and record them carefully with silence before and after. Suggestions are things like turning a tap on and off, the boiler starting up, the cutlery drawer, a door opening or closing..... Please record at least three and save them in your drive - you will be using them in the next workshop.
It's a good idea to collate a lot of your academic research at the start of your project so you can be prepared to refer to it as you go along. By now, you should have completed the 5 literature reviews and at least one case study. This is academic research.
TASK:
Check that you have created a myBib project for your EXP.
Look over all your research so far - have you added it to my Bib?
Have you got enough research for your first case study?
Whilst your research can take many forms, SOME of it must be academic.
We have compiled some potentially useful academic sources on the Academic Writing blog. You can search for more by using site:.ac.uk or site:.edu eg 'synaesthesia' site:.ac.uk Another search engine is google scholar. The LRC can also offer help with accessing academic journals online.
Please ensure that you have created and shared your exp work in progress folder on classroom!!!!
