For the six bands I was placed in for this assessment I made sure we knew which versions of the song we'd be doing as there was a lot of confusion among the students as to which version of boys of Summer by The Ataris we'd be performing due to poor communication between tutors. The drummers were taught the studio version linked here and the bass, vocals, keys and guitar students were taught the version on the music video linked here which lacks 16 bars of the drum breakdown that was found in the studio recording. Despite these issues we all settled on the music video version as it is what had been taught to a majority of the students.
As my own personal preparation for the songs I would spend at least 20 minutes in the morning without fail listening to the song and understanding the structure and if there were ever a room free after lectures I would practice it by myself to the tracks. If I had a rehearsal with another band who weren't for my assessment who knew the songs, we would perform them just to get warmed up and enhance our knowledge of the piece.. It also worth noting that I am incredibly confident with Feeling Good by Muse as Nathan Kidd, Alex Hancox, Chloe Haskins, Louella Olins and I performed this song in front of students to be at the ACM open day on Sunday 22nd January.
I have rehearsed with my bands in lectures once however booking them outside of that was fairly problematic due to the fact that I was in six but this is no way a complaint. I enjoy a heavy work load. To deal with the issue of not being able to rehearse with all my bands I made a drum track for the lesser known song (Boys of Summer) on Logic (One with click and one without) and shared it with them on Google Drive (Link to the folder here) so that the bands, as collectives or individuals could practice the song to a drum beat to give them a better idea of the structure.
As we are doing the songs as complete tributes to the originals the bands that did not get time to practice with me in person were ore than happy to practice in a pod with the band to a drum track played off their phones via the aux. I am feeling confident for the performance and am trusting that all six bands now their parts.
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Project 2: Task 2b - Rehearsal 1
For easy reviewing of the group rehearsal process these posts will be presented as paragraphs/bullet points under the titles: Attendance, What we planned, Result and My verdict
Attendance
- The bass player fell ill and notified us the night before.
- On the day the trains were delayed for our lead guitarist who also notified us as soon as he could.
- The producers did not show up at all despite them saying they could the night before and they gave no notice on the day and have not answered the questions as to why they weren't there.
- Drummer (myself), Rhythm Guitar, Backing and Lead Vocals were present and on time
What we planned
As it was our first rehearsal we planned to figure out a song and brainstorm ideas with it. We would also be able to set things to do in our own times so that we contribute to the band even if we aren't together.
Result
We decided on the song Sexual by Neiked as it worked best with the vocalists and all the musicians felt like it would sound great as a cover. There is an incredibly crisp bass line in the original which could sound incredible in other genres.
We decided to set ourselves the task of discovering a different version of the song each and bringing it to the next rehearsal so we can compare and come up with an ultimate idea. We also set the task of learning the original just so we have the foundations of the song to mess around with.
My verdict
Despite the lack of communication from the production students, I found this rehearse incredibly useful as we decided what were going to do and how we were going to approach it. I am looking forward to working closely with this band.
We decided to set ourselves the task of discovering a different version of the song each and bringing it to the next rehearsal so we can compare and come up with an ultimate idea. We also set the task of learning the original just so we have the foundations of the song to mess around with.
My verdict
Despite the lack of communication from the production students, I found this rehearse incredibly useful as we decided what were going to do and how we were going to approach it. I am looking forward to working closely with this band.
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Project 2: Task 1b: Cover Song Research
Tainted Love - Originally by Gloria Jones covered by Soft Cell
The original song was recorded in 1964 and released in May 1965 as a B-Side on Gloria's single 'My Bad Boy's Comin' Home' which was a commercial flop failing to chart anywhere. The song was written and produced by Ed Cobb. The Soft Cell cover came out July 7th 1981 in the UK and was produced by Mike Thorn who admitted to disliking the original.
The two songs are of two completely different styles as the original is Northern Soul piece at 166BPM and lasting for 2:13 whereas the new wave/synth-pop cover that came out years later is slower at 144BPM but longer at 2:40. This is due to the difference in structure toward the end as it has 16 bars of the outro then a fade but the original has only 4 bars of outro. The only other difference is the 6 bar into in Gloria's original compared to the 8 bar intro in Soft Cell's cover. One of the only similarities in the 2 songs is that there both in 4/4 and that's it.
Although 4/4 is the most common time signature, especially for pop, the lyrics have been changed so that they are more appropriate as in the original Gloria sings:
"I know you will hurt me so, If I do not pack my things and go”
whereas in the original the pop duo they sing less violent lyrics making it safer for a wider audience. They sing:
“I love you, though you hurt me so. Now I’m gonna pack my things and go”
which sounds safer for a wider audience.
The original song was produced by Ed Cobb using the 60's techniques of recording meaning that it was recorded as a live band all at once whereas the cover had the vocals recorded only once a they got it right or the first try over the track that was produced by Mike Thorn. The original sold poorly however the cover by Soft Cell charted no. in the US and no. 1 in the UK.
Although I personally prefer the original as it suits the song better and gives it a bluesy sad feel which is what the lyrics are about, the cover was so much more commercially successful as it fitted the craze in the eighties. A catchy beat and electronic instruments. The cover does not suit the lyrics however it still isn't a bad song.
Valerie - Originally by The Zutons covered by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
The original song was produced by Ed Cobb using the 60's techniques of recording meaning that it was recorded as a live band all at once whereas the cover had the vocals recorded only once a they got it right or the first try over the track that was produced by Mike Thorn. The original sold poorly however the cover by Soft Cell charted no. in the US and no. 1 in the UK.
Valerie - Originally by The Zutons covered by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
These songs came out within 2 years of each other but are hardly similar. The original song by The Zutons was recorded around early 2006 and released on the 19th June that year. The original and cover were released as singles and were in Eb Major. Other than this, the lyrical content, the recording technique and the fact that they're in 4/4 that's it for similarities.
The original is a steady (84BPM) Indie Rock song produced by Stephen Street done by a typical four piece band (guitar, bass, drums and vocals) with added backing vocals. These were easily added as this song as all instruments were recorded separately to a click (Multi-track). This song peaked at no. 9 in the UK singles chart.
The cover produced by Mark Ronson and sung by Amy Winehouse got a lot more attention peaking at no. 1 in the UK R'n'B chart and no.2 in the singles chart. The song is shorter than the original probably due to it's upbeat tempo despite it having a larger structure (double chorus at the end in particular). This cover features a much broader instrumentation as it has glockenspiel, chimes, brass, vocals, drums, tambourine, piano, saxophone, strings giving it a sound. It was released on the 15th October 2007 as a pop cover and was seen as one of Amy Winehouse's greatest songs despite it not being her own.
I love both of these songs equally as they are so different sonically. The original really has a really laid back feel to it and is enjoyable to jam to whereas the cover has tight almost gospel like parts about it and has incredibly happy undertones given by the chimes and strings. I believe that both re-arrangements of these songs work incredibly well.
I'm a Believer - Originally by The Monkees covered by Smash Mouth
I'm a Believer was The Monkees most popular song topping the UK charts for 4 weeks straight after it's release. The song was recorded on the 15th and 23rd of October 1966 and released on November 12th 1966. The cover came out much later as a part of the Shrek Movie Soundtrack and is one of Smash Mouth's most popular songs despite it being a cover. The lyrics and common time signature are the only two things these pieces have in common.
The original is a Pop Rock song in the key of C Major. Due to the time of it's recording it was done with a whole band all at once, it was produced by Jeff Barry. The instrumentation has your standard bass, electric guitar, drums and vocals with the addition of backing vocals, a rotary organ, an acoustic guitar and a tambourine. The song is andante coming in at 144 BPM.
The cover is much faster coming in at 166.5 BPM but longer by around 15 seconds as the structure has an additional outro for 16 bars. The rest of the song is very reminiscent of the original especially in the guitar solo where both guitarist play the riff for 'Wipeout' (A popular piece when the original was released). This song was released May 15th 2001. The recording was Multi-track and produced by Eric Valentine who also played the Synth for this piece. There are considerably less instruments in this version as there is only bass, guitar, drums, vocals and the previously mentioned synth. The final alteration to the piece is that it is in G Major.
There are aspects of both of these songs which I admire and aspects that I dislike. The original plays the melody out so well and the the lyrics sound warming accompanied by the band however I dislike the quality of the recording as it is old. The new one was recorded well however the vocals are jarring and the synth and wacky guitar sounds incredibly out of place in a song like this. If I had to choose a favourite it would be the original as it has everything a good song should have minus the quality of the recording.
The original song was recorded in 1964 and released in May 1965 as a B-Side on Gloria's single 'My Bad Boy's Comin' Home' which was a commercial flop failing to chart anywhere. The song was written and produced by Ed Cobb. The Soft Cell cover came out July 7th 1981 in the UK and was produced by Mike Thorn who admitted to disliking the original.
The two songs are of two completely different styles as the original is Northern Soul piece at 166BPM and lasting for 2:13 whereas the new wave/synth-pop cover that came out years later is slower at 144BPM but longer at 2:40. This is due to the difference in structure toward the end as it has 16 bars of the outro then a fade but the original has only 4 bars of outro. The only other difference is the 6 bar into in Gloria's original compared to the 8 bar intro in Soft Cell's cover. One of the only similarities in the 2 songs is that there both in 4/4 and that's it.
Although 4/4 is the most common time signature, especially for pop, the lyrics have been changed so that they are more appropriate as in the original Gloria sings:
"I know you will hurt me so, If I do not pack my things and go”
whereas in the original the pop duo they sing less violent lyrics making it safer for a wider audience. They sing:
“I love you, though you hurt me so. Now I’m gonna pack my things and go”
which sounds safer for a wider audience.
The original song was produced by Ed Cobb using the 60's techniques of recording meaning that it was recorded as a live band all at once whereas the cover had the vocals recorded only once a they got it right or the first try over the track that was produced by Mike Thorn. The original sold poorly however the cover by Soft Cell charted no. in the US and no. 1 in the UK.
Although I personally prefer the original as it suits the song better and gives it a bluesy sad feel which is what the lyrics are about, the cover was so much more commercially successful as it fitted the craze in the eighties. A catchy beat and electronic instruments. The cover does not suit the lyrics however it still isn't a bad song.
Valerie - Originally by The Zutons covered by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
The original song was produced by Ed Cobb using the 60's techniques of recording meaning that it was recorded as a live band all at once whereas the cover had the vocals recorded only once a they got it right or the first try over the track that was produced by Mike Thorn. The original sold poorly however the cover by Soft Cell charted no. in the US and no. 1 in the UK.
Valerie - Originally by The Zutons covered by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
These songs came out within 2 years of each other but are hardly similar. The original song by The Zutons was recorded around early 2006 and released on the 19th June that year. The original and cover were released as singles and were in Eb Major. Other than this, the lyrical content, the recording technique and the fact that they're in 4/4 that's it for similarities.
The original is a steady (84BPM) Indie Rock song produced by Stephen Street done by a typical four piece band (guitar, bass, drums and vocals) with added backing vocals. These were easily added as this song as all instruments were recorded separately to a click (Multi-track). This song peaked at no. 9 in the UK singles chart.
The cover produced by Mark Ronson and sung by Amy Winehouse got a lot more attention peaking at no. 1 in the UK R'n'B chart and no.2 in the singles chart. The song is shorter than the original probably due to it's upbeat tempo despite it having a larger structure (double chorus at the end in particular). This cover features a much broader instrumentation as it has glockenspiel, chimes, brass, vocals, drums, tambourine, piano, saxophone, strings giving it a sound. It was released on the 15th October 2007 as a pop cover and was seen as one of Amy Winehouse's greatest songs despite it not being her own.
I love both of these songs equally as they are so different sonically. The original really has a really laid back feel to it and is enjoyable to jam to whereas the cover has tight almost gospel like parts about it and has incredibly happy undertones given by the chimes and strings. I believe that both re-arrangements of these songs work incredibly well.
I'm a Believer - Originally by The Monkees covered by Smash Mouth
I'm a Believer was The Monkees most popular song topping the UK charts for 4 weeks straight after it's release. The song was recorded on the 15th and 23rd of October 1966 and released on November 12th 1966. The cover came out much later as a part of the Shrek Movie Soundtrack and is one of Smash Mouth's most popular songs despite it being a cover. The lyrics and common time signature are the only two things these pieces have in common.
The original is a Pop Rock song in the key of C Major. Due to the time of it's recording it was done with a whole band all at once, it was produced by Jeff Barry. The instrumentation has your standard bass, electric guitar, drums and vocals with the addition of backing vocals, a rotary organ, an acoustic guitar and a tambourine. The song is andante coming in at 144 BPM.
The cover is much faster coming in at 166.5 BPM but longer by around 15 seconds as the structure has an additional outro for 16 bars. The rest of the song is very reminiscent of the original especially in the guitar solo where both guitarist play the riff for 'Wipeout' (A popular piece when the original was released). This song was released May 15th 2001. The recording was Multi-track and produced by Eric Valentine who also played the Synth for this piece. There are considerably less instruments in this version as there is only bass, guitar, drums, vocals and the previously mentioned synth. The final alteration to the piece is that it is in G Major.
There are aspects of both of these songs which I admire and aspects that I dislike. The original plays the melody out so well and the the lyrics sound warming accompanied by the band however I dislike the quality of the recording as it is old. The new one was recorded well however the vocals are jarring and the synth and wacky guitar sounds incredibly out of place in a song like this. If I had to choose a favourite it would be the original as it has everything a good song should have minus the quality of the recording.
There are aspects of both of these songs which I admire and aspects that I dislike. The original plays the melody out so well and the the lyrics sound warming accompanied by the band however I dislike the quality of the recording as it is old. The new one was recorded well however the vocals are jarring and the synth and wacky guitar sounds incredibly out of place in a song like this. If I had to choose a favourite it would be the original as it has everything a good song should have minus the quality of the recording.
Term 1 in review and looking into Term 2
My first term at ACM introduced me to a handful of new concepts and challenges and open my eyes to a wide range of techniques whilst also re-caping over things I already knew.
I attended workshops consistently however as the term progressed and I interacted more with other students I slowly stopped attending them, I aim to attend more this term despite my on-going band work with students.
I was too apprehensive with tutorials leading me to only book one and failing to evidence it. This term I aim to use up all of my tutorial credits to learn many new things to increased my skills in other instruments and contracts in particular.
Technical Development: As far as performance and technique goes I am much more excited for this term of Tech. Dev. as it covers more genres which interest much such as Jazz and swung hip-hop where as rock last term seemed a bit lack-lustre and easy. As term 1 progress the genres got more complex and we studied harder grooves which kept me interested - especially using them in context. I look forward to these lectures with Joe on a Monday
Music Culture: Music Culture pleasantly surprised me at the start of ACM as I had thought it would be a basic history lesson however the lecturer's (Adam's) enthusiasm made me genuinely interested in the subjects at hand in term 1 such as how the history of music technology had affected the industry and how excess income could boost record sales in the late 1900's. I look forward to term 2 exploring even more topics and looking at both sides of history.
Critical Listening for Musicians: I understand that most musicians that come to ACM do not know music theory and that they must be taught it. However, as a student who came with quite a strong knowledge of theory due to my orchestral background, I found this lecture incredibly underwhelming as it did not challenge me. I was told that at ACM students come in at different levels and they are all expected to start at one point and finish off at a higher point and although I maintain my theory practise outside of lectures to keep pushing myself, I'd love to see myself getting challenged in this lecture even a little bit. As far as the Critical Listening part of this lecture went; I did a majority of the listening and research at home as a good chunk of the lecture would always be taken up by the technology not working leading to the inability to compare the songs in the lecture.
The overview for term 2 also seems underwhelming. However the second lecture with Charlie Morland was enjoyable as he actually taught the other students in my class the basics of theory, which had been poorly covered in the first term. Despite this contradicting statement to me saying I knew the theory, Charlie did apologise at the end of the lecture as he knew that I knew the content for what he taught, which was appreciated. I am also teaching those who really need it, theory outside of lessons as it is unfair that they are not being taught it in one of the two half theory lectures. I sincerely hope this lecture improves as my only motivation for being there is my 100% attendance.
Band Skills: Arguably one of the most useful lectures in the way that it trains you for the industry and it is one of the most useful for passing the course. These lectures are genuinely solid and enjoyable however I do not enjoy the classes being split and the trend being that the splits for bands. Term 1 of Band Skills taught me a lot about how different people work and how to adapt to their agenda. The songs could have varied more nut other than these minor issues it was a great part of the first term and I look forward to term 2.
Events Management: Although half the lessons taught in this class fall on deaf ears, I payed attention throughout and thought that, behind the class talking, there were some useful things to be learned such as budgeting for tours and risk assessments which played a key role in Project 1. Despite a few times when the class is disrupted this is a beneficial lecture that I see becoming more useful as term 2 progresses.
Stylistic Awareness: Certainly one of my favourite lectures of the term. Stylistic combines some of my favourite aspects from Band Skills and Music Culture and splits them into an hour each with the first hour being all about the history of a certain genre and how it came to be . This involves taking notes which have already been usefully planned out by the lecturer into easy to digest and review chunks. The second hour involves us playing to a set song from each genre which leads to some interesting and enjoyable renditions. The genres set in term 1 were incredibly fun to learn about and play and the genres for term 2 look even better.
Professional Industry Practise: Another one of my favourite lectures, PIP's first term was incredibly useful for me. Certain lectures looked to be a bit annoying when I was looking into term 1 as I already was pretty confident with the subject matter but I learnt even more than I thought which was a pleasant surprise as it wasn't in the book. The lecturer is clearly very experience in the industry and I look forward to learning more from him and this lecture as whole in term 2. Despite being forewarned that some lectures may be boring they are in subjects I know the least in so they will be beneficial.
Composition: Composition is an interesting blend of theory and making music under different guidelines encouraging us to create songs in different then we normally would which require groups to think and jam together in the pods. The lecture is handled well and despite the theory rarely being overlooked by some it is enjoyable for all levels of knowledge. Term 2 looks great with interesting topics. I especially look forward to Minimalism.
Summary
Looking over Term one has made me consider a lot about the industry and what I want to do in it as I have approached many opportunities and I hope to do so in Term 2. Despite a few issues my first term at ACM was the best mix between fun, creativity and education I've had and I can only look forward to term 2.
I attended workshops consistently however as the term progressed and I interacted more with other students I slowly stopped attending them, I aim to attend more this term despite my on-going band work with students.
I was too apprehensive with tutorials leading me to only book one and failing to evidence it. This term I aim to use up all of my tutorial credits to learn many new things to increased my skills in other instruments and contracts in particular.
Technical Development: As far as performance and technique goes I am much more excited for this term of Tech. Dev. as it covers more genres which interest much such as Jazz and swung hip-hop where as rock last term seemed a bit lack-lustre and easy. As term 1 progress the genres got more complex and we studied harder grooves which kept me interested - especially using them in context. I look forward to these lectures with Joe on a Monday
Music Culture: Music Culture pleasantly surprised me at the start of ACM as I had thought it would be a basic history lesson however the lecturer's (Adam's) enthusiasm made me genuinely interested in the subjects at hand in term 1 such as how the history of music technology had affected the industry and how excess income could boost record sales in the late 1900's. I look forward to term 2 exploring even more topics and looking at both sides of history.
Critical Listening for Musicians: I understand that most musicians that come to ACM do not know music theory and that they must be taught it. However, as a student who came with quite a strong knowledge of theory due to my orchestral background, I found this lecture incredibly underwhelming as it did not challenge me. I was told that at ACM students come in at different levels and they are all expected to start at one point and finish off at a higher point and although I maintain my theory practise outside of lectures to keep pushing myself, I'd love to see myself getting challenged in this lecture even a little bit. As far as the Critical Listening part of this lecture went; I did a majority of the listening and research at home as a good chunk of the lecture would always be taken up by the technology not working leading to the inability to compare the songs in the lecture.
The overview for term 2 also seems underwhelming. However the second lecture with Charlie Morland was enjoyable as he actually taught the other students in my class the basics of theory, which had been poorly covered in the first term. Despite this contradicting statement to me saying I knew the theory, Charlie did apologise at the end of the lecture as he knew that I knew the content for what he taught, which was appreciated. I am also teaching those who really need it, theory outside of lessons as it is unfair that they are not being taught it in one of the two half theory lectures. I sincerely hope this lecture improves as my only motivation for being there is my 100% attendance.
Band Skills: Arguably one of the most useful lectures in the way that it trains you for the industry and it is one of the most useful for passing the course. These lectures are genuinely solid and enjoyable however I do not enjoy the classes being split and the trend being that the splits for bands. Term 1 of Band Skills taught me a lot about how different people work and how to adapt to their agenda. The songs could have varied more nut other than these minor issues it was a great part of the first term and I look forward to term 2.
Events Management: Although half the lessons taught in this class fall on deaf ears, I payed attention throughout and thought that, behind the class talking, there were some useful things to be learned such as budgeting for tours and risk assessments which played a key role in Project 1. Despite a few times when the class is disrupted this is a beneficial lecture that I see becoming more useful as term 2 progresses.
Stylistic Awareness: Certainly one of my favourite lectures of the term. Stylistic combines some of my favourite aspects from Band Skills and Music Culture and splits them into an hour each with the first hour being all about the history of a certain genre and how it came to be . This involves taking notes which have already been usefully planned out by the lecturer into easy to digest and review chunks. The second hour involves us playing to a set song from each genre which leads to some interesting and enjoyable renditions. The genres set in term 1 were incredibly fun to learn about and play and the genres for term 2 look even better.
Professional Industry Practise: Another one of my favourite lectures, PIP's first term was incredibly useful for me. Certain lectures looked to be a bit annoying when I was looking into term 1 as I already was pretty confident with the subject matter but I learnt even more than I thought which was a pleasant surprise as it wasn't in the book. The lecturer is clearly very experience in the industry and I look forward to learning more from him and this lecture as whole in term 2. Despite being forewarned that some lectures may be boring they are in subjects I know the least in so they will be beneficial.
Composition: Composition is an interesting blend of theory and making music under different guidelines encouraging us to create songs in different then we normally would which require groups to think and jam together in the pods. The lecture is handled well and despite the theory rarely being overlooked by some it is enjoyable for all levels of knowledge. Term 2 looks great with interesting topics. I especially look forward to Minimalism.
Summary
Looking over Term one has made me consider a lot about the industry and what I want to do in it as I have approached many opportunities and I hope to do so in Term 2. Despite a few issues my first term at ACM was the best mix between fun, creativity and education I've had and I can only look forward to term 2.
Thursday, 12 January 2017
Project 2, Task 1a
For our summative assessment we have been given the task of covering a modern song from the top 40. We have to change the style and make the song unique by altering it greatly. We will be working closely with the production students to rehearse the piece, record and film the final performance to get the best sound. The piece created by the set groups will be posted on YouTube.
This task isn't exactly easy, sometimes certain areas of the Gantt chart may overrun to different areas. There are other challenges on the way such as:
- Students not attending to rehearsals and getting left behind
- Deciding a song that works for the entire band.
- Rehearsal times for busier musicians etc.
- People falling behind on their Gantt chart
Task 1
A. Write this blog post around 200 words describing the course and attach Gantt Chart.
This entails detailed descriptions about this task and challenges that may be met.
B. Research 3 songs (Originals and Covers) and give a detailed comparison about them. Challenges in this may include giving an opinion or finding the differences in the song (Key signature etc.)
Task 2
A. Choose a song to cover out of the top 40. A challenge in the may be (as previously mentioned): Finding something that works with everyone and depending on others. This can be fixed by everyone being punctual.
B. The rehearsal phase- This is when the song is chosen and you have to find a time that works for everyone so you can have maximum productivity during you rehearsal. We will also have to blog about it during this process
C. Stage plan and tech sheet - This is when we will have to let everyone know what we will be using and where it will be during the performance. This is so the producers know what to use and the staff know what to provide for us. Certain musicians may not know name of some of the technology used so that may be a challenge for the rest of the band. This can be fixed by explaiing the things that people may not understand.
Task 3
Performance. This is what the 3 months prep and months of practice will add up to, times have been given for when the performances are to ensure as many people don't miss it as possible which was a problem last time. If people stick to their schedule and Gantt chart this can be avoided.
Task 4
Evaluating the performance. Self criticism is incredibly important and is often difficult to get the correct balance in of positivity and negativity. This will be evidenced as a blog post due in for the 13th March. This is the final task in Project 2.
Gantt Chart - Link to the Gantt chart
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