cluster chords/found sounds

To compose for suspense and horror scenes, you need to think carefully about what kind of feeling you want the audience to have.  And how might you achieve that?

When Bernard Hermann first started writing the music for Psycho, Hitchcock requested a jazz score, with no music in the (now famous) shower scene.  Hermann thought that an orchestral, dissonant score would be far more effective. Do you agree?

Another useful technique is cluster chords, or 'tone clusters'. This is the term for a collection of at least 3 neighbouring semitones being played at the same time i.e, D, C sharp and C or A, Bflat and B. Giorgy Ligeti pioneered this technique in his score for Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odessey.

In the film, it accompanies scenes of open space, suggesting fear, being lost and perhaps claustrophobia.

However, sometimes less is more in film music. The use of 'found sounds' and minimalist techniques have been widely used by composers such as John Cage, Basil Kerchin and Alfred Schnittke. Found Sounds, such as clanking, scraping, dragging, can be very abrasive and un-nerving. John cage does this especially well in his piece, 'The Root of an Unfocus' which was used in the sound track to Scorcese's 'Shutter Island'. It appears at the start of a nightmare scene.





Found sounds are non-musical sounds such as breaking glass, environmental sounds or running water that can be used in music. They can be used either as they are or you can process them by adding effects, cutting, looping or reversing.

here are some examples

TASK: 

LISTEN: Look around you and listen. What does your environment sound like? If you have access to the outside, go out and listen (or open a window). 

PLAY: Do you have any interesting objects that you can make sounds out of?

CAPTURE: Record these sounds (as you did for Tom & Jerry) and create a sample kit of your sounds

CREATE: try using these sounds (environmental and found) to write a track

It can be frustrating if you don't have access to instruments at home but music is sound so you can create your own! The music that you create will be completely original - no one else will be using these sounds. The limitations can also actually become opportunities and help you creatively.




KEY TERMINOLOGY: 'Consonance', 'dissonance', cluster chord', 'minimalism', 'found sound'.

Apps for Musicians

If you are stuck, then you can find some here:
https://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-musicians
https://www.lifewire.com/best-ipad-apps-for-musicians-1994724

Film maker Will Clarke makes most of his music videos on his iPhone using free apps.

What do you want from an app? Is there the ultimate app that hasn't been created yet?

How can you ensure that you are not getting distracted by your phone rather than using it creatively when making music?

Creating a portfolio

Universities will often ask for a portfolio of your work before you have an interview - this is more likely in the current climate. If you are applying for an apprenticeship, internship or music related job, you are also likely to be asked for one so it's a good idea to get one together now. It is also good practice for getting a press pack together which you will need when you are gigging, releasing or looking for representation/funding.

Depending on the pathway, you might be asked for music, video and/or academic writing as well as links to professional (not personal) socials if you have them.

Here is an example from Westminster University:

"Portfolio Guidance

Music - Production Portfolio requirements:

Please send us:

1. Links to three tracks that you have produced.

2. An analysis of a modern artist or producer. This can be in the form of a short film (5 minutes) or a 500-word report. The things to discuss could be;

· What makes the artist/producer different?

· What is remarkable about their sound,

· What is unique about their branding and marketing

3. Any links to your professional social media platforms

Music - Performance Portfolio requirements:

Please send links to two recordings or videos of yourself performing. The requirements are:

1. Two recordings or films of yourself performing an original or a cover in your chosen genre. (Please feel free to show us your creativity and flair).

2. An analysis of a modern artist. This can be in the form of a short film (5 minutes) or a 500-word report with references. The things to discuss could be;

· What makes the artist/producer different?

· What is remarkable about their sound?

· What is unique about their branding and marketing

3. Any links to your professional social media platforms

Music Business Portfolio requirements:

Please send us:

1. A 500-word report on the branding and marketing strategy of a music artist, producer or business venture.

2. A 5-minute video pitch for a new business venture. Please include a business name, logo ideas & executive summary.

3. Any links to professional social media platforms

We will be expecting you to show evidence of research and you must make it clear from where you have sourced your data."

Task:

Gather all you have into a drive folder (make copies if you want to keep the original where you saved it). You may have things from outside college but in-college things you should have include:

• Demos for Mark's class
• Ideas from your funding proposal that you can adapt if you need to submit a pitch
• Ethnography
• Dissertation
• Video from Monday's performance
• Tracks add videos from last year
• Context essays from last year 
• Work from Olly's composition class last year

You can also create videos for tracks you have already created (hence last week's video class) and/or we can film you in Monday performance classes.

L3 Context advance research for supersonics

Klavikon does not use technology in this piece but is heavily influenced by John Cage. If you did a prepared piano piece, how could you use technology within inventively? 



http://www.nonclassical.co.uk/klavikon/



BENOIT MAUBREY experiments with audio clothes and light sensors

TASK: in a google doc on classroom, please discus how you currently use technology in your music and how you might like to in the future.

Making a music video/visuals

The first place people will look for an artist they've heard about is YouTube. If you can't be found, do you exist?!

These days, live shows are also getting far more visually interesting and more and more artists and DJs are bringing visuals to their shows. During COVID, there are no live shows so we need to find new ways of getting our music heard. The beauty of visuals for live is that they don't necessarily have to be synced and if you are using YouTube to get your music seen rather than just heard, it can be a quick and interesting way to do so.



Found footage:


Guerilla/flashmob:



Lo-fi, on location:



Performance video:



Stop motion:





Live performance:



Prescription PR have some excellent tips for making a video on the cheap in their BLOG POST

You don't even need to appear in your video - you can use a stop-motion app to make an animation or use royalty-free stock footage from a site such as ARCHIVE

Do you have any music videos already? How might you put visuals to your music?

John Barry/David Arnold - Bond themes

In all Bond films, there is the MOTIF which consists of 2 main sections, which occurs at the start and end of the films and also as underscore when James Bond is lurking about, generally being Bond. The composers were John Barry and then David Arnold.  You can find more info HERE



In most suspense music, there are massive DYNAMIC ranges, often punctuated by orchestral percussion such as timpani and cymbals.

Typical orchestration involves electric guitar, strings, brass, synths, percussion and occasionally high pitched wind instruments.

Harmonically, there is a lot of tension and release, meaning dissonance moving into consonance.  See my other blog post about horror music and you can see examples of the intervals for both of these.

Melodically, there is also often a FIGURE that re-appears in various guises. It is a 4 note descending figure that sometimes appears as fragments (rather like Herrmann used fragments in a minimalist style).  It also appears as a repeated figure, or OSTINATO.

A useful scale to use is the Aeolian scale which goes from A to A, only using the white notes. It is the natural minor scale so can be transposed to other keys easily but this is a good starting point if you are only just learning about key.

Cluster chords are also often used to create build up.

The following examples contain all of these compositional techniques:







TASK 1:

Using these techniques and suitable instrumentation, compose a Bond-esque theme! Bounce it as an mp3, upload to classroom and create a document explaining your process.

Music Merchandising (merch.)

What's the first thing you think of when you think of music/band/artist merch?

 

???

WHY TO ARTISTS SELL MERCH?

It is a welcomed revenue stream! Cash from the merch desk is also very useful on tour when you need to pay for petrol and PD's (Per Diem aka daily allowance for expenses). Believe it or not, fans do want to support and merch money usually goes direct to the artist so it's a nice way that they can connect.

Interesting merch offers have also really helped keep some musician's afloat during COVID as they haven't been able to play live.

The more merch you sell, the more of a visual presence you have too. The Swell Maps had a resurgence of interest in them after Evan Dando wore one of their T-Shirts on his album cover.

Important points to consider:

BRANDING - you need to keep your branding consistent. Use the same logo so that fans identify with it and, if it is to promote a specific album, replicate the artwork in your merch. Many acts have a whole new range of merch for each tour to cement the branding if the album.

AUDIENCE - know your audience! You need to offer merch that they will actually buy. Think about your genre too - is there anything specific that you think would work?

LIMITED EDITION - limited edition items always sell well.  People love collecting things and making something limited edition can add both monetary and aesthetic value to it. With so many mass produced things being too readily available, perhaps something more unique can be quite special.

It all depends on your vibe and your audience though - it's worth seeing what similar artists do but still try to remain faithful to your own brand/ethos.

It's not all about band T-shirts and CDs though. Examples of innovative merchandising in music:

• Bjork released Biophilia as an app and a film with some really interesting art work 

• British Sea Power sell Kendle Mint Cake amongst other things

• Iron Maiden started to brew their own beer even!

DIY - what can you make yourself? What can your friends help you make?

Have a look at some of these weird and wonderful EXAMPLES

There are some good ideas on dittomusic too.

TASK: Think what merch might work for you and how it would aid communication about you and your 'brand'. What would be the most effective and why?

http://www.onestopbandshop.co.uk/

http://www.awesomemerchandise.com/

[there are loads more!]

Theme, figure and motif

Listen to these pieces - do you know what they are from and what they represent?







Composers use melodic techniques to reel us in and emphasise certain points in films or help us to recognise characters.

Theme - a melody that is associated with a character or idea i.e The Imperial March, ET flying theme, Hedwig's theme....when we hear them in the film, we know that the focus is on that character.

Thinking of the techniques we have already covered, what techniques in each of those themes make them so effective?

We have already looked at Figure and Motif:

Figure - a short phrase, usually in the background, that is repeated.

Motif - a small section of a phrase that acts as a melody - often forming part of a longer theme.

What is happening melodically in the Jaws score?



The opening two notes in the Jaws score act as all three. It is a theme because we hear them and know Jaws is lurking about, a figure as it's just two notes that are repeated and it also develops into a fuller melody (motif).

TASK: compose a theme (melody line, no beats or loops please!) for one of the following fictional characters:

• a heroic pirate
• an alien
• an evil child
• a bird or a plane

Think about the techniques we have looked at (see previous posts if you need reminding) and choose appropriate instruments. The theme should be 8-16 bars long.

Secret Cinema

Cinema has come a long way since the early silent film of Charlie Chaplin, however, it is still all about storytelling.  In today's digital world, storytelling has evolved and audiences are wanting to be a part of an experience more than ever before, rather than sitting on a seat watching a performance to be 'entertained'.

Secret Cinema provide this experience and their audience keep the secret.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              



You can see examples HERE

Bugsy Malone
Lawrence of Arabia

TASK:

Choose a film that you know really well and think how you would produce it as a secret cinema event. Copy this table onto your blog and label the post 'film music'.

FILM:	ARRIVAL OF AUDIENCE
ACTED SCENES:	LOCATION:
LIVE MUSIC:	INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS:
OTHER:

After presenting your ideas to the class, individually post your plan to your blog and label it 'film project'

Songwriting reflection

In your writing groups, you need to discuss where you are with your songs and make sure that you have shared all recordings, notes and parts etc.

Go to your blog and make sure that you have labelled all posts to do with this class with 'songwriting'.

[if you haven't already done so, please go to 'layout' on your blog (left hand menu) and then 'add gadget'. Scroll down to 'labels'. Save arrangement. We will now be able to see your labels and you will be able to direct us to labelled post by clicking on 'view blog' then the label you want. When you submit the URL we will see just those posts]

For your assignment, you should address the following points:

a) How did you find working in a small group of relatively new to you musicians-

• What did you find difficult?
• Did any thing surprise you? 
• What did you enjoy about it?

b) How did you approach writing collectively- 

• Was there an obvious leader?
• Did you feel that everybody got to contribute?
• Were there limitations due to social distancing?
• How did you decide how you would work together?

c) What did you learn from the process-

• What will you take from this experience?
• How do you think this relates to working as a songwriter professionally?
• What did you learn about your peers and yourself?

When you submit, please submit as a google doc and a link to your songwriting posts.

Sound collage

 Sound collage means overlaying different, unrelated sounds and creating something new.

TASK:

Open a new bandlab project and import some audio (or loops) to tracks.

Cut them up and move them around to create a sound collage.

Add panning and FX.

Export as a WAV or mp3 and submit to classroom

Arts Funding criteria and Fan-funding reward systems

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crysmatthews/changemakers-0?ref=section-music-view-more-discovery-p1 

https://prsfoundation.com/

Bernard Hermann - compositional techniques

 

The techniques discussed are:

• Using child-like sounds (celeste, music box, glockenspiel...)
• Contrary motion & Glissando- mimicking camera style
• Short melodies - fitted with the fast cutting technique of the film
• The new use of dissonant harmony
• Using very few notes but putting them together in different ways - this was an early example of minimalism

Consonance & Dissonance:

One of the ways to create unease is to use DISSONANT HARMONY. A good explanation of this can be found on www.harmony.org.uk:

"Consonance and Dissonance

The way consonance and dissonance are treated is central to the way the whole of Western Music works and is the first concept to understand in the study of voice leading. It works on the assumption that consonant sounds are combinations of notes (intervals) that sound pleasant or melodious together whereas dissonant intervals sound harsh or unpleasant together.

Another way to express this is to say that consonant intervals create a feeling of stability whereas dissonant intervals create a feeling of instability that needs to be resolved. It is important to say that ideas of what constitutes consonance and dissonance have varied to some extent over time and vary from individual to individual. Also, it is important to say that most people perceive not just a simple binary division but a spectrum of consonance and dissonance varying from the most consonant intervals to the most dissonant intervals. The grouping below allows for this, to some extent, starting with the most consonant and ending with the most dissonant.

In 16th century polyphony, all musical intervals, involving two notes (within a span of an octave) are classified as consonant or dissonant according to the following list:

You will need to understand the naming and sounds of the musical intervals and the concept of "inversion" of intervals in order to follow this. Please refer to the books and website on basic theory in the bibliography"

Consonant music sounds 'nice' to the ear whereas dissonant music sounds un-nerving and less pleasant.

TASK: open a new bandlab project and experiment with these techniques. Using any pitched instrument, play a C and then the next semitone up at the same time (Csharp) - this is a minor second - is it consonant or dissonant? What about a C and a D? What about C and Dsharp (C and 3 semitones higher)? This is a minor third. Try this all the way back up to the C up an octave.

Please see the rest of the documentary (to the end from where we stopped) - we are creating Hermann style music tomorrow in Logic.

The notation of intervals if you are interested:

Funding proposal- budgeting

 Whatever your project and whatever the funding route, you will need to prepare a budget. Here is a template (you will need to make a copy of it to be able to edit).

Things to budget for might include:

Rehearsal space hire

Equipment

Session musicians

Physical CD/vinyl manufacture

Merch 

Creation of artwork

Music video

Social media paid ads

Please make sure that you budget using UK examples and think about what you might be able to create yourself - don't forget to pay yourself in this!

If you are applying for Arts funding then you need to make sure that the duns you are looking at offers the amount you need.

If you are doing crowdfunding then you need to set the amount you need as your target.

Some useful links to get you started:

https://www.discmanufacturingservices.com/

https://www.short-run.co.uk/

https://www.awesomemerchandise.com/

Brixton Hill rehearsal rooms

Bush recording studios

Foley 1

 What is a foley artist?

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-foley-artist/

ACTIVITY: Watch a clip from a film or TV show and really pay attention to the diegetic sound (sound that you can see the source of on screen). Make a list of three on your blog and think about how they may have been created using foley. Look around you and see if you can find anything to re-create those sounds. We will demonstrate them when we come back.

BANDLAB TASK: https://edu.bandlab.com/classroom/band7350729551823117/foley-sounds-f70f3d80

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone wrote soundtracks for 'Spaghetti Western' films.  His compositional style is easily recognisable by these elements:

Ostinato - he often uses a short repeated figure

Human voice - whistles and wordless singing are used a lot

Call and response - short motifs are used as call and response and are frequently repeated

Simple chords - the chords are consonant and simple and the melodies are also simple, often using triad arpeggios. (notes 1, 3 and 5 of a scale)

Silence and foley/musique concrete - there are moments where all music drops out and he often uses non-musical sounds such as whips and bells as rhythms

Electric guitar - Morricone was an early user of the electric guitar in film music in the 1960s

https://flypaper.soundfly.com/write/5-compositional-elements-that-define-the-music-of-ennio-morricone/

These are illustrated to great effect here:




Task1: complete the quiz on classroom whilst listening to the sounds from the above clip.

Task 2: Download some suitable sounds from freesound.org and upload these to your drive. Use these to create a short piece of underscore in the style of Morricone that would be suitable for a Western and upload the mp3 to classroom to the library music assignment. Keep it simple!

There is a documentary here:

Genres/musical movements by decade

The Funding Proposal - which funding route?

Which funding type is most suitable?

ARTS FUNDING
What are your funding?

Does your idea involve another art form or other people?

How much will it cost?
Which funding source is suitable?
How does your project meet their eligibility criteria?
How will funding this project develop your career?
How, if at all, will the project benefit others?


FAN FUNDING
What are you funding?
How long will it take you?
How much will you need?
What will your funders get in return?

Music in film

Where does the sound in film come from? http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm

Music plays a huge part in our understanding of a scene in a film and how we react emotionally. There are different types of sound in film:

Score - specifically composed music for the film, often matching up with the onscreen action (ie Harry Potter)
Soundtrack - pre-existing music that is chosen to use in the film, accompanying scenes (ie Pulp Fiction)






TASK:
Open two windows and go to YouTube in both. On the first window, find a clip from a film you really like. What is the music like? How does it affect the scene? 

Then find song in other window (or a movie scene with no dialogue). Mute the clip in the first window and what the scene now with the music playing from the second window.

Find a few examples of this and post them on your blog.

Silent Film

1895-1929 – there was no sound synchronised as this wasn't yet possible.

Film industry was in America, France, Germany and Italy but the First World War destroyed the European industry.

Roundhay Garden Scene 1888, the first known celluloid film recorded.

Many film s had ‘intertitles’ which explained the action.

Music was always a major element – it was performed on a piano, guitar, organ or ‘mighty wurlitzer’ when special effects were needed.  Some theatres even had orchestras.  The music was either improvised or made up of classical repertory pieces. The cinema was the largest employer of musicians.

When ‘talkies’ came about, there was a decline in musicians’ being employed and a decline in the quality and popularly of film while people got used to it.

Neil Brand has collected some documents relating to how musicians worked in the cinema and uploaded them to his website HERE

TASK: - CREATE A MUSIC CUE SHEET FOR THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY. Add this to your blog and label it 'film music'. TEMPLATE (you will need t make a copy of this. You can then copy and paste it to your blog or add a link to your drive on your blog)




http://www.troxy.co.uk/troxy_history/the-troxy-wurlitzer/

http://www.minimamusic.co.uk/

http://www.cinematicorchestra.com/

http://silentlondon.co.uk/

Film Music Quiz & intro to project

Where does the sound in film come from? http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm

Music plays a huge part in our understanding of a scene in a film and how we react emotionally. There are different types of sound in film:

Score - specifically composed music for the film, often matching up with the onscreen action (ie Harry Potter)
Soundtrack - pre-existing music that is chosen to use in the film, accompanying scenes (ie Pulp Fiction)






TASK:
Open two windows and go to YouTube in both. On the first window, find a clip from a film you really like. What is the music like? How does it affect the scene? 

Then find song in other window (or a movie scene with no dialogue). Mute the clip in the first window and what the scene now with the music playing from the second window.

Find a few examples of this and post them on your blog.

If you are stuck, here are some to get you started...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtRGeyznv7k - Clockwork Orange

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfzXqwvtoEE - Pink Panther

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s22lNU5jXM4 - Psycho

Listening list - songwriting devices

Decades - 1990s

 Please see the resource from today's class and complete the task from the final slide.

RESOURCE

Fan Funding

In place of traditional record deals, artists (and businesses) are increasingly finding funding from their fans/customers.

Explore some of the platforms currently available and see how it works:

http://www.pledgemusic.com/

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/

https://www.kickstarter.com/

Amanda Palmer raised $1.2m via her kickstarter and then had another successful campaign using Patreon

Even Record labels are doing it now - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bcee-the-big-ask#/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18788054



TASK:
Research Vulfpeck and what they recently did with fan funding and Spotify. What was their model? How was it innovative? How did it work? Do you think there is a future for this kind of model? What does this mean in relation to royalties?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/25/vulpeck-the-band-who-made-20000-from-their-silent-spotify-album

http://liveforlivemusic.com/news/vulfpeck-premieres-disco-infused-funk-track-dean-town-ahead-album-release/

EXTENSION TASK:
If you were to start a fan funded project, how might you pitch it and what would your reward system be?

Choices and process

 You should now be entering your choices into your ucas form. Please make sure that you check the correct institution code (university), course code and campus code to avoid inadvertently applying to the wrong thing.

Make a note of entry requirements on your blog.

PROCESS:

APPLY-

You log into 'apply' to complete your ucas form. When I have given you feedback on your second statement draft, you can paste this into your form. If it is too long, tell me and I will help you edit it down on classroom (as long as it's a google doc, we can edit together).

When this is done, you check you have checked 'section complete' for all sections and I will check your application and approve it (or return with any amendments).

Then you pay and send. If you know that you are definitely never going to go to uni then you do not need to do this bit but I don't advise blocking that option.

I will then add your reference and predicted grades, send it to Charlie for him to approve and then it goes through the college system.

TRACK -

Once your application has been processed, you will need to start logging into 'track' on ucas. You will start to receive interview requests and offers. You do not need to make final choices until you have heard back from all 5 universities.

The deadline for ucas applications is in January but the process takes a while so the college deadline is mid November. I need time to properly write your references. Universities make offers before January if they receive applications early so it is definitely worth getting in there early.

L2 Music - pentatonic scale

The pentatonic scale consists of 5 notes only - the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th, the 1st being the root (or tonic) of the key you are in. It has a very recognisable sound and is found in music traditions all over the world.



If you are in the key of C major (all the white keys, starting on C), the notes would be C, D, E, G, A. For the purposes of this class, you are using black notes only.

If you start on a Gb and go up by blacknote, you will be using the Gb Major pentatonic scale:
Major pentatonic G♭-A♭-B♭-D♭-E♭-G♭

Examples of music using the pentatonic scale:












Experiment and see which you prefer the sound to.

In bandlab, you can hear the pentatonic in different keys by selecting key and scale. It's not a great function for writing but it is useful for quickly hearing how scales sound:

TASK:  In bandlab (or on a keyboard/piano if you have one) choose key and use the major pentatonic scale and try improvising to see the types of effect you can create. Feel free to use bandlab to layer parts.  Tomorrow we will be working on a track. There is no need to submit what you do today.



EXTENSION:

Further explanation of the pentatonic scale in different keys:

Solo Performance workshop 4- sound, colour & emotional intent

When we hear music, we naturally react emotionally. Sometimes this is influenced by how we are already feeling at the time but often a performer can intend to affect us emotionally with the music.

We are all different, but how similar is our colour association to sound?

Try this experiment:

http://theconversation.com/every-song-has-a-color-and-an-emotion-attached-to-it-45537





https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2011/1021/How-Mary-Blair-brought-synesthesia-to-the-big-screen

Listening resources from today:

Sad Lisa - Cat Stevens

Happy - Pharrell Williams

Killing in the Name - Rage Against The Machine

Hurt - Johnny Cash< /div>

Sometimes the emotion may not be immediately obvious - All Alone Now - Maggie Holland

There are a number of devices you can use to evoke an emotion in the listener - instrumentation, tone, tempo, dynamics, lyrics, key...

TASK: This week, please experiment with emotional intent with your track (last week I promise!) and document TWO versions, each with different emotional intent. Please upload by next Monday.

After half term, you will be performing your track to the rest of your group, demonstrating everything that you have learned and how you have applied it appropriately to your track. We will film these and they will be your end point so that you can compare your song with where it started.

Decades - 1980s

 resource and tasks

Arts Funding

A source of funding is Arts Council England (ACE)



Within the UK, there is (ever diminishing, unfortunately) funding for arts projects of varying sizes. Getting a grant for your project means that you don't need to pay it back but you will need to justify your spending and part fund it some other way be that private finance or other funding bodies.

The Arts Council for England is a major organisation and fund all sorts of things. You can apply directly to them or to one of the more specialist bodies that they fund such as The Wellcome Trust.

General Arts funding is useful for larger scale projects that involve more than one art form, leave some kind of legacy or benefit the community in someway. The money is raised mainly from the National Lottery and distributed by the government.

Next term, you will be taking part in some workshops with artist Serafina Steer, and Dalston music venue, Cafe Oto. These workshops have been made possible because she won some ACE funding to work with the venue to stream some performances and share the process with groups of music students to help them understand how the behind the scenes work to make performances happen works. http://www.serafinasteer.com/bas-jan/

In November, you will be working with Fundamentals who have received Comic Relief funding (via ACE) to deliver mental health and poetry workshops to schools and colleges. These workshops benefit the participants as well as the poets and the music organisation that commissioned the project by way of experience, performance opportunities, learning opportunities and media exposure. The poets get paid to deliver the workshops and the institutions don't have to pay for them. https://werfundamentals.org/fundamentals

When applying, your location can be important. Over the last couple of months, I have been working with a Sheffield based promoter who received ACE funding to produce a series of performances in small venues in Sheffield to bring more established artists there and support local emerging artists. We were scheduled to headline a show with a local act supporting but it was cancelled due to COVID. Details of how they cahnged their project due to COVID can be found here. The filmed gigs will be streamed on October 22nd with live interviews and Q&As. The funding had paid for us to film our sets, edit the films, travel to rehearse etc. 

https://budsandspawn.co.uk/valve-and-persona/

BASSASS GRAMMAR is a dance/music/theatre piece devised by Keir Cooper and Rose Biggins, exploring power, privilege and shame. Keir is based between London and Cornwall and applied for funding from Cornwall. They were awarded funding from The Arts Council to put together the show and have since been touring it, making it more self-sustaining. Keir's other successfully funded projects span interactive theatre, music and other multi-disciplinary practices.


http://www.keircooper.uk/badass-grammar.html

 
 Music specific funding is largely provided by The PRS Foundation and there are many categories so there is usually one that is suitable for your project. You can see videos of case studies here: https://www.youtube.com/user/PRSFMusic/videos

A student who was here a couple of years ago, Tega Mendes, is in the process of applying for Women make Music funding to enable her to write an EP in collaboration with another female producer. She completed her course here and has just finished her degree at ICMP. She has been performing and released a single but is ready to move to the next stage of her career.

   

https://www.instagram.com/tegaamendes/?hl=en

In 2015, former WKC music production student, Little Simz, received the Momentum fund to create and promote her debut album - https://prsfoundation.com/grantees/momentum-little-simz/


   

INDEPENDENT TASK: spend an hour or two looking at the kind of funding that is available and the types of projects that have been funded. Is there anything you might like to do int eh future that would be able to happen if you had funding for it? Would you be able to make it benefit the community? Is there a specific PRS fund that might apply to you? Please note ideas on your blog.

Young people can also get age-specific funding from the prince's Trust for starting up a small business.

Other links:

Business Funding

Youth Music

Sound & Music

MU links

Fenton Arts Trust

Student Funding

What are music departments at universities like?

Decibels and warms ups

Article about mental health and musicians -GUARDIAN

Please add your warm-up's to this JAMBOARD

How your ear works

Causes of tinnitus:
http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/

http://www.plugem.co.uk


ACS



How loud is too loud?



TASK:
1. Who is at risk from hearing damage?

2. What preventions can be taken?
-on stage
-with headphones
-in general life

3. What is tinnitus?

4. What precautions are you going to take immediately?

Risks for Musicians

Working in the studio and touring is not as glamorous as people seem to think and is incredibly hard work. The actual work that goes into a 30-minute stage performance or a 45-minute album is amazing.

As fun and rewarding as it can be, being a musician can be really hazardous to your health if you don't look after yourself properly.

TASK:
What are the risks to the general health and wellbeing of artists are associated with touring and recording?


Research and discuss in your groups and list potential risks associated with your area on the jamboard.

GROUPs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xJqaxI0LYrt0HL5x-9rN5j7Ks7zwr7VMa_Vq3-LFMzw/edit?usp=sharing

JAMBOARD

Here are some resources to help...

http://www.bapam.org.uk/perf_advice.html


Here is some useful advice from the MUSICIANS' UNION

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/working-retired-musicians/mental-health

Homework task: what preventative measures can you take to reduce these risks?

Adding pentatonic melodies to your songs

 Earlier this week, you looked at how pentatonic scales work with Olly - https://wkcolly.blogspot.com/2019/09/erykah-badu-melody-vocal-harmonies.html

In your songwriting class this week, please add the melody to your group songs using the pentatonic scale.

As a reminder, here are the notes used for the pentatonic scale is different keys:

(https://www.musicianonamission.com/pentatonic-scale/)

UCAS - adding education history

Ideally, you will have completed Personal Details, Employment and Additional Info by now.

If you are a 'home student' then your fee code is 02.  If you are unsure then please contact UCAS to check to avoid paying too much.

This week, we are entering your education and qualification sections - I will show you how to enter your WKC info and qualifications and then you can enter your GCSEs and other qualifications when you have them to hand.


Institution: Westminster Kingsway College

Dates: 09/19-07/21 (or 09/18-07/21 if you did L2 here as well)

Qualifications: UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production

Date of qualification: 07/21

Result: pending (this will be automatically completed when we send your results to the exam board)

You should enter any GCSEs or Certificates that you have done here too by adding a qualification.

If you did L2 Music then it was the UAL L2 Diploma in Performing and Production Arts (music pathway)

When you have added everything from WKC, add another institution to add GCSEs etc from school.  Check if you also did a BTEC or anything else at school. Info about exam boards and dates of exams will be on your certificates.

Please check 'section complete' when you have entered everything so I can check and help if there is an error.

It's really important that you enter the qualifications correctly as the points will be auto-calculated and sent to universities.

There is help here: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/filling-your-ucas-undergraduate-application



Looking at courses - you need to get cracking with deciding what you want to do and where you want to go so that you can complete your statement.

Decades - 1970s - PUNK resources

Class intro resource 

Malcolm McLaren
Sniffin' Glue
Sid Vicious
Nancy Spungen
John Lydon
Sex Pistols

Solo Performance workshop 3 - Discovering Textures

To prepare for the next workshop, please can you do a lot of listening. Below are some starting points.  What I want to you listen specifically to is the range in sounds produced by these artists. Some of it is pretty out there but stay with it. I'm not expecting you to do this but you can get some ideas and learn a lot from them.

Merlin Nova

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For your instrument, there will be various ways you can explore texture and sound capabilities.

For example, the change in tone from 'chest' to 'head voice' and singing in a different range to the one you are used to.

Chantal Brown usually sings higher up in her range with controlled and forceful tone using vibrato but sings lower and softer and switches between chest and head voice in her vocals on this: https://asweetniche.bandcamp.com/track/the-art-of-cultivation

Guitarists and bass players can experiment with techniques such as harmonics, hammer on/off, pedals and different amp settings.

Drummers - try creating rhythm using anything but your usual sticks and hitting drums/cymbals where you normally would.

Keyboard players - what happens when you change the sound or use the pedal in a different way? Or play staccato rather than holding chords?

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TASK: Experiment with the vast range of sound creation available to you and see what happens when you apply them to your song. Please document this on your blog and submit the link to the post to classroom.

Harvard referencing

 

Go to https://www.mybib.com/ and create an account using your college google login. There is a chrome extension you can use if you want as well.

Please create a bibliography in Harvard Style of the sources you have been looking at with Keith.

You should start a new project for each assignment you do. If the sources you have been looking at are used in your Ethnography assignment then call this one 'Ethnography'. You can then keep adding to it and then copy and paste it to the end of your assignment when you hand it in to Keith.

Any questions?

Final task- please complete the Harvard Referencing quiz assignment on classroom (lessons) to check your understanding.

Booking Agent and Tour Manager

In our last class, we looked at the role of music promoter.

The roles we are looking at today are:

Booking Agent
Tour Manager (for music, not tourism!)


BBC Introducing roles clips

Booking agent resource


You need to consider the following when researching these roles:

What are their main duties?
Who do they work with?
What skills do they need to do their job well?
What previous experience or qualifications might they have?
How much and how do they get paid?

Good places to find this information will be via my blog using websites such as BBC Introducing (Advice) and the Musicians' Union.

ACTIVITY:

In pairs, prepare for a meeting between Booking Agent and Tour Manager. You will need to decide who needs to know what information from the other and what action you will need to take to ensure that the artist's tour can go well.

You need to submit your research copy and paste it into your google document (once for each role) and then add in your information.  Remember to write everything in your own words and list where you found your information at the end.

ROLE:	BOOKING AGENT
What do they actually do all day?
Who would they work with directly and how?
What are their main areas of responsibility?
What skills and characteristics do they need to do their job well and why?
Would you like to do this job and why? What would be enjoyable? What would be difficult?

ROLE:	TOUR MANAGER
What do they actually do all day?
Who would they work with directly and how?
What are their main areas of responsibility?
What skills and characteristics do they need to do their job well and why?
Would you like to do this job and why? What would be enjoyable? What would be difficult?

Examples:
Coda booking agency
Tour Managers
DHP promoters