week one
14/03/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week I focused mainly on research and coming up with ideas for my final composition. I researched a little into promotion and marketing for the release of a song, and the best ways to build a fan base as an independent artist.
What went well?
I think I managed to get quite a lot done this week in terms of research. I uploaded majority of my work up on my digital space. However, I wish I would’ve spent a bit more time doing some research at home since I didn’t get as much done as I initially planned to. I was hoping to research more into some songwriting techniques such as coming up with chord progressions and melodies, and also writing lyrics. The research I did do was relevant to the project and gave me more of an insight to how the industry works in terms of marketing, as it is something I am very unfamiliar with.
I have learnt that there is a lot of work and preparation that goes into marketing for a release, and I should start to come up with ideas and start to plan how I want to market the release of my song. It is important that I work on these ideas as soon as possible so that I am not in a rush to do it, and so I don’t end up producing something I am not happy with.
How could I improve?
To improve for next week, I need to make sure that all of my work is documented on my digital space pages. I also ran into problems with the referencing website so I have yet to upload my references in the Harvard format. I also aim to add more research onto my digital space within the next few weeks, before I make my final decisions on my project and before I start to record my track in the studio.
WEEK two
21/03/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week I started to focus on coming up with some ideas for my final composition. I came up with two chord progressions I liked the sound of and tried to add a little bit of instrumentation.
What went well?
I made quite a bit of progress this week. I made sure to upload any concepts I had onto either YouTube or Soundcloud so that I could send them to my tutors and receive feedback on how I could improve. Some techniques I used for my ideas were chord inversions within the piece to make them sound more fluent. I also worked on some strumming patterns I liked the sound of. On my second piece, I worked mostly with arpeggios since I chose to have this throughout the entire piece. I achieved most of what I planned to do for the week, so I would say it was a success.
How could I improve?
I did try work on some strumming patterns for one of my pieces. However, since I’m not a guitarist and have no idea what really sounds good or terrible with strumming patterns, I didn’t get too far with this. To improve, I could research strumming patterns and try to work out what kind of pattern would fit my chord progressions and style/genre of music best, or work with a guitarist and see what they think would suit the song.
Although I made a lot of progress in terms of coming up with chord progressions etc, I didn’t manage to start working on any melodies. This is something I will have to do next week, as well as building on instrumentation for each piece. I also planned to do some primary research through a google forms questionnaire, which I did but didn’t document, so I should do this soon to make sure I am keeping up with my plan.
Week three
28/03/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week I looked into some more chord progressions, as well as melodies and instrumentation.
What went well?
I made a lot of progress with one of my composition concepts. I focused mainly on adding in instrumentation to my track and making sure it had a melody so I could send a rough demo over to Sophie, as she will be working with me by writing lyrics. Therefore, a technique I used a lot throughout this process was quanization. I have learnt that quantizing the track frequently (ideally every time you record something new in) is extremely important, otherwise everything could be out of time which is very difficult to fix if you leave it too late.
How could I improve?
Next, I need to begin working on dynamics. Within my composition concept, I looped the chords, so therefore the dynamics of the chords didn’t change throughout the whole piece. I can change this in a number of ways such as; automating the track, re-recording the chords for each section so that the dynamic range varies throughout the piece, or I can change the velocity of the notes. I will try each of these methods next week to prepare before I begin to record my piece properly after half term.
I also need to look into the instrumentation of my track a little more closely. When recording the demo, I asked Harry to help record in the guitar. The quickest and easiest option at the time was to record directly into logic through the audio interface in the classroom. However, this meant using an electric guitar, when originally I planned on using an acoustic within the final track. This is something I should add onto my evaluation, and I should work out which I like the sound of better in preparation for the final recording.
WEEk FOUR
04/04/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week I continued with some research, including looking into different streaming platforms and their users.
What went well?
I managed to get quite a lot of research done this week, including some primary research. I was yet to incorporate any of this into my project so I am glad that I finally got it done. I managed to get the final artwork completed too, which I am also glad about as this means I can start using it to promote the release of my single. I believe I made quite a lot of progress overt the past week, as I now have an almost complete song which I can make minor changes to after half term, and I have almost completed all of my research, so I should have plenty of time to record and mix after half term.
How could I improve?
To improve for after half term, I should make sure I work on the lyrics with Sophie so that the entire song is ready to be recorded, whether that be on Logic or in the studio. I have struggled quite a lot with the lyrics, and the communication between myself and Sophie hasn’t been great, hence the lack of lyrics at the moment. However, I will try to improve this over half term and make sure I am more organised in the future.
week five
25/04/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week I started to write lyrics for my song and I started on the video/animation for showcase week.
What went well?
I think I managed to get quite a lot done this week. I finished recording most of the instrumentation into Logic via MIDI, as it can easily be changed if I decide to change the tempo or any musical elements within the piece. The track is starting to come together instrumentally, and I see a lot of potential with it at the moment. The animation/video for showcase week is almost done, so I feel like I am well prepared with that aspect, as it just needs some minor timing adjustments. Oliver and I also started to write some lyrics for the track, which should hopefully be ready to record by next week.
How could I improve?
Next week, I should make sure to continue writing lyrics for my track, as these are going to be a key element. I should also look into different sounds for the synth sections of the song to find one that I think works with the rest of the instrumentation.
week six
02/05/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week Oliver and I finished writing lyrics for the track. I worked with Lucy and Abi to record the vocals and backing vocals, and also Harry to record in the acoustic guitar.
What went well?
I have made a lot of progress this week, and I feel like the project is finally coming together. We managed to get the vocals and backing vocals recorded quite quickly, and it didn’t take too long to get the acoustic recorded in either. I am extremely happy with the progress I have made this week.
How could I improve?
The next step for the project is to start the mixing process, which hopefully shouldn’t take too long so I can have the track ready to be played at the showcase.
week seven
09/05/2022
Small overview of what I have done this week:
This week, I worked with Lewis to mix the track ready for the showcase next week. I also started rehearsing with Millie for a performance at the showcase.
What went well?
Both the track and the artwork are pretty much finished and ready for the showcase. I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t have them complete in time but we managed to do it! I have made a lot of progress this week with many different aspects of the project. I feel a lot more comfortable with mixing a track now than I did at the start of the project.
I think the performance with Millie sounds quite good at the moment, considering it was planned very last minute.
How could I improve?
I think that now I have a little bit of time to prepare for the showcase, I am going to research into releasing the track. i was going to put this on hold until after the project had finished, as writing the song took a lot longer than I initially thought it would. However, I may be able to get everything ready in time to promote the release of the track at the showcase.
For next week, I need to keep practising the bridge for Someone Like You, as I keep forgetting parts.
week eight
16/05/2022
Small overview of what I have achieved this week:
Performed at the showcase, promoted and released my song.
What went well?
This week has been extremely successful! I managed to upload my track to distrokid in time for it to be released after the showcase. Therefore, I took the opportunity to promote the release there. Within the first 48 hours I had over 150 streams across both Spotify and YouTube so I’d say it has been quite a successful release!
I’m happy with my performance at the showcase too. I had a few slip ups but thankfully I didn’t let them ruin the performance.
How could I improve?
I could continue to promote the track across my social media, applying everything I have learnt within my research to ensure that the track can reach as many people as possible.
week nine
23/05/2022
Small overview of what I have achieved this week:
This week has mainly been focused on getting my Digital Space work completed.
What went well?
There were points within my research where I didn’t reference properly, so I went back through my work to make sure that everything was referenced approprietely. This went well because I learnt how I should reference things properly within my work, and can now use this in future projects.
How could I improve?
Although I think I did a fair amount of reseach, there’s always space to improve and add more. I think I could have a quick look over all of my evaluations too and make sure that these are at the best standard I can get them to.