For the project we were assigned into small groups in which we were each given a select small audience to preform too and teach. I was selected to work with Meg and Ben and given the task of performing for Belle Vue girls. A secondary school in which we would perform to a small group of students and get them to interact and enjoy what we as a group had to offer. The main focus was to give the students something to gain from our visit, no just a concert. We were thinking about introducing ourselves, and thinking of a select song in which we could sing to them, and giving them a chance to get involved and learn the song themselves, so they and we can feel like we achieved and learned something together.
So with that focus in mind, we started brainstorming ideas in which we could help the students learn music. With about only an hours time with these students, we thought about including singing and instrumental exercises to engage the students and help them feel comfortable. We decided that starting them off on the exercises before the song would give them a chance to warm up to us and not feel as intimidated. We had decided to select an easy mainstream song tailored to a young teen audience. And we chose Rolling in the Deep By Adele. Sine we only had an hour with these students, we thought about splitting the students into smaller groups, each one of us teaching a verse and a chorus, and then bringing the students back together to sing it in the end. This would allow us to save a lot of time and it would be a big compromise.
We will be practicing Rolling in the Deep in the café and practicing in changing rooms. And in lessons when we have the chance. But with the deadline being very close, I feel a lot of pressure and I know my team feels it too. Rolling in the Deep is an easy song I’ve known since childhood, and I know the lyrics to it as well. So the song was the best choice we could think of. So me Meg and Ben will be working together to produce an hour of work out of secondary students.
Update 13/12/21 Monday the 13th of December.
The plan written above was cancelled due to a new form of covid sweeping the UK. Meaning forms of communication with large groups became unsafe. With this becoming a large obstacle in our previous plans, we had to arrange a date after Christmas, and avoid the spread of infection. We have now decided to present the same Workshop but to Level 2 and 3 students. Not only would this be less stressful, it would limit the spread of Covid and we would be following the Covid restrictions the best that we could. We would still be performing Rolling in the Deep, and we still have a clear goal in mind with what we want our audience to achieve. I feel like performing and working with students we are familiar with will make it more easier to do our presentation, since we will already know the people we will work with.
I feel like we will still consolidate our exercises to make the students feel comfortable with working with us on a new song. Since the song is a mainstream Pop song, I feel like majority of the Level 2 and 3 students will already know parts of the song, which will make it easier to teach and organise.Since we now have confidence that we will be working with Music Students, we can have more options in what we can teach the group. So Ben will be able to teach instruments to students that will already have previous experience with a guitar. Splitting up the students into groups to work on specific song parts they feel comfortable with and are able to learn effectively will make our presentation easier. For example, Me and Meg can work with the singers, Splitting the singers into two groups, Each of us teaching a separate small group a verse an a chorus to Rolling the Deep, and then combining them together to sing the full song. And if we can, we will try to encourage anyone that had learned the instrumentals.