In the second week of attending Bradford College my criticisms I received in the previous week were at the forefront of my mind, I took the liberty to write my first song ‘Use Somebody’ into my notepad and practice the lyrics. I found that during the week I struggled a little to yet again keep my timing despite this, I was able to quickly adapt and learn both songs off by heart. I feel like I’ve made real progress because I am now able to perform both songs with accurate timing and I know both songs lyrics I am very proud of how much I’ve been able to achieve alongside my work on digital space.
Introduction;
During the week my group was noticeably more comfortable and friendly around each other we had a lot more communication and was able to work better as a team. We all improved when performing as a band because we were able to understand each other as a team, and felt more comfortable with our roles. My confidence also improved as I was no longer feeling as much anxiety as the first week being around my classmates. With this, I was able to sing a lot better with the second song ‘Creep by Radiohead’ I was able to sing a lot better, I wasn’t shaking as much, I had better posture, and my breathing, notes, and harmonies were controlled more. I felt like the second song suited my voice a lot more as I was also able to perform in front of others and not get nervous because I felt the song complimented my voice so I wasn’t as scared of messing up. Criticisms the two new tutors gave was that our group didn’t have much communication in terms of performance, meaning that we did not communicate as a team therefore it was one of the contributing factors to why we were bad at our timing. Ben (Our tutor) also mentioned that we should learn the song and get familiar with the lyrics and the timing of the song and the way the instruments sound in the song and how they come together because most of the group haven’t listened to the song many times. We seemed to all be unsure about our timings and our queues and when we as instruments or as singers were meant to come play during our performances. However, even with this criticism we received at the start of the week, we as a band was able to pull through and I was able to learn the lyrics and learn when I come in. We also learned the timing of the song and now we can confidently say that we can practice the songs and get them right almost every time. Because we took the criticism and utilised it and listen to songs so everyone knew their parts.
Individual strengths and areas for improvement:-
In terms of individual strengths, I was able to pick up the music material quickly along with being able to adapt and adjust to any adaptations made within the group and how we played the song. I was also able to build up more confidence when performing in front of an audience and I was also able to keep a steady posture and was able to sing a lot better now I didn’t have a shaky voice or breathing issues because of anxiety. I should improve on communicating with my group, so we can be confident about the song when we perform, and be more confident in eachother. In addition, I should practice and rehearse my song material a lot more, practicing more at home and understanding the song a lot quicker so I do not hinder my groups progress. I should also perform a lot more and get used to being on stage and having people watching my performances.
Targets for next week/Practice: –
For next week I should work learning the songs I’m assigned quicker and to learn timings by practicing a lot more so I don’t take longer to progress with the group. We as a group should learn to communicate with each other on our songs more often and learn how the instruments played together and how they come together to produce the music in harmony. I should also practice alot more infront of an audience and learn how to completely get rid of my stage fright and become a better performer with better stage presence.