Over the course of the year I have tried to keep practicing alto vocal warmups as and when possible, I feel like it has benefited me especially for my solo work especially how come you don't call me anymore by Alicia keys. A problem i faced was remembering lyrics I asked a friend who has done musical theatre for over 4 years she said although the techniques she think would help are flamboyant the skills are still transferable.
Technique 1. repetitive writing of the lyrics without any aid and looking back at official lyrics and seeing if you have got them correct.
Technique 2. reading them and create a story and really feel like lyrics so once you have finished a certain phrase you naturally know whats coming up as you're finishing the story this wont particularly apply to every song.
Technique 3. muscle memory when practicing create moves for example moving in certain ways to trigger your memory.
After trying all three techniques I feel like technique 3 is the most appropriate for me.
Recently I have been trying to concur my nerves of performing solo, I find it really nerve racking as you only have a backing track behind you which you want to learn to a T as it obviously cannot change if you go wrong. I have being looking at mindfulness to try help combat my fears. This is something that I need to keep practicing and hopefully it will help me in the future as well.
Wax, Ruby. A Mindfulness Guide For The Frazzled. 1st ed. UK: Penguin, 2016. Print.
Vocal scales/Warm-ups
As a vocalist especially studying it academically it is important to be able to a good range to extend that range it takes time and practice. One of the ways to do this is to practice vocal scales my range is alto see diagram below. As a self-taught vocalist, I haven't actually practiced vocal scales a lot so I am quite new to vocal scales/warm-ups
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8W17MXgvOQ Throughout the year this is the video I have used to help me warm up my vocal chords before performances and individual practices at home and as and when possible. Doing this warm up helps me keep in pitch and helps stopping my voice from cracking.
When looking for vocal scales to practice I made sure it was in an alto range to make sure I could sing all the notes in the range comfortably before moving forward into more complicated techniques.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8W17MXgvOQ Throughout the year this is the video I have used to help me warm up my vocal chords before performances and individual practices at home and as and when possible. Doing this warm up helps me keep in pitch and helps stopping my voice from cracking.
Vocal Health
Vocal health is not something I have learnt a lot about so I
thought it would be interesting to do some external research as it will be
beneficial to me as a performer.
After trying to find some information online I found a
“voice guru” called Dr. Martin Hop who shared a few vocal health tips on his
website. Most of Dr. Martins tips were common sense such as drink a lot of
water, make sure your vocal chords were hydrated. This is something I’m trying
to do as I always try to bring water or diluted drinks into practices and
before performances. I no longer drink fizzy pop or high caffeine drinks as
It’s bad for your general health and vocal health.
he made a rather interesting point, it was to have a
humidifier in your room. As a dry cold room, will dry out your vocal chords
this might be something I will invest in the future as I find even though I
keep hydrated and avoid fizzy drinks my throat is dry a lot of the time.
This leads onto another point he made don’t smoke. Well I’m
guilty. I do smoke quite a lot I didn’t think it was an issue till I had a
singing lesson and the teacher immediately said “do you smoke” and I responded
with “yes” and she explained how it can ruin your vocal chords. Which thinking
about it that’s common sense. I’m not trying to say smoking is good there are
multiple health benefits from stopping smoking which should be a good enough
reason for me to stop/cut down.
Most of my favorite artist smoke, don’t get me wrong you
can tell when a singer smokes it gives them a raspy sound which I love. I’m not
into “perfect sounding voices” from Disney sound tracks. I like voices with
some edge and attitude. Kurt Cobain and Amy Whinehouse yes, they didn’t just
smoke cigarettes that’s no secret. Still
amazing influential artists. Stubbornness aside smoking is bad and isn’t great
and I will cut down.
Solo feedback 2
We
have had a couple of weeks to make progress before we have another peer review.
Because of my sore throat, it did take away some valuable time. Again I only
had one song prepared to perform which was Lana del ray - Blue jeans.
At this point I felt like I had improved a lot since the last peer review session. The feedback I received was very positive with comments such as good phrasing and nice vibrato. I also received good comments on my transition between chest and head voice which was initially a worry of mine. The points my peers/tutors pointed out was that I need to work on belting the emotion was very much there but not the power behind it. Another point was during the little instrumental in the intro I have time to prepare my posture which I didn't do.
Personal feedback goes as follows - During this session I felt slightly tense because of the environmental factor. I have noticed I am more anxious performing to a intimate "crowd" in comparison to a genuine live event with lighting and a nice atmosphere etc. I am going to look at techniques to help my anxiety educate myself in mindfulness thinking. Overall I feel like I did a good performance although it could have been better, I feel like I did rely heavily on printed vocal sheets which I need to find a technique which will help me remember lyrics in a quicker manner as I feel it takes me a while to get a full grasp.
At this point I felt like I had improved a lot since the last peer review session. The feedback I received was very positive with comments such as good phrasing and nice vibrato. I also received good comments on my transition between chest and head voice which was initially a worry of mine. The points my peers/tutors pointed out was that I need to work on belting the emotion was very much there but not the power behind it. Another point was during the little instrumental in the intro I have time to prepare my posture which I didn't do.
Personal feedback goes as follows - During this session I felt slightly tense because of the environmental factor. I have noticed I am more anxious performing to a intimate "crowd" in comparison to a genuine live event with lighting and a nice atmosphere etc. I am going to look at techniques to help my anxiety educate myself in mindfulness thinking. Overall I feel like I did a good performance although it could have been better, I feel like I did rely heavily on printed vocal sheets which I need to find a technique which will help me remember lyrics in a quicker manner as I feel it takes me a while to get a full grasp.
Solo feedback
As a part of the course it is beneficial to see where
everybody is at with this songs to review their progress we were asked to
prepare 2 solo songs for our peers to review. Unfortunately at this time I had
a throat infection with interfered with being able to have the two songs ready
so I could only get one together and that is the first song blue jeans by lana
del rey.
The feedback I received was expected due to having a sore
throat it impacted on my projection and pitching slightly and that was taken
into account during the performance. I was told the song sounded slightly flat
and lacked dynamics that were in the original track. Which I agreed with
because I was playing it safe singing at a comfortable level with very little
pressure on my throat to make sure I didn’t strain my vocal chords. In the mean
time I am going to relax my throat and take medication to help my recovery.
Going Solo
Unfortunately my time management hasn't been the best this year, but it has improved a lot since last year. For this part of the module we have been assigned 3 songs that are out of our comfort-zone or a unfamiliar genre. We were all advised to practice these songs along side other performances we were preparing for. Personally for me I found it quite difficult to do so knowing it was due to be performed at the end of the year. I did create a YouTube play list with all the songs I needed to learn over the year and played it in my spare time and when I was on the move etc. Here at my solo pieces and my general first impression.
Assigned solo songs;
Blue jeans by Lana Del Rey - I am quite familiar with most of Lana del reys work and her voice has a gorgeous raspy sound which I will certainly enjoy recreating.
At last by Etta James - This song is a classic and is powerful and is filled with raw emotion. I will really need to embody that emotion to give the song justice.
Why don't you call me anymore by Alicia keys - I'm going to be honest, this song actually scares me. for me to get the articulation and pull this song off remotely, I will be impressed. Her voice is the polar opposite to mine and her vocal style and tone is so different. I feel like it's a bit far of a stretch for me as I am a self taught vocalist and out of the 4 years of studying music I have never received or taken any vocal lessons. Another issue of mine is that to learn this song I really need to let my voice go and belt it out but due to living arrangements it can be rather difficult to do so. But I will do my best and keep following tips from vocalists of youtube for belting.
Assigned solo songs;
Blue jeans by Lana Del Rey - I am quite familiar with most of Lana del reys work and her voice has a gorgeous raspy sound which I will certainly enjoy recreating.
At last by Etta James - This song is a classic and is powerful and is filled with raw emotion. I will really need to embody that emotion to give the song justice.
Why don't you call me anymore by Alicia keys - I'm going to be honest, this song actually scares me. for me to get the articulation and pull this song off remotely, I will be impressed. Her voice is the polar opposite to mine and her vocal style and tone is so different. I feel like it's a bit far of a stretch for me as I am a self taught vocalist and out of the 4 years of studying music I have never received or taken any vocal lessons. Another issue of mine is that to learn this song I really need to let my voice go and belt it out but due to living arrangements it can be rather difficult to do so. But I will do my best and keep following tips from vocalists of youtube for belting.
Decades performance. CHECK.
The decade's performance was okay, I feel like with more preparation, time and commitment it could have been great. I did forget the words a couple of times due to nerves but I enjoyed myself. I put my confident Ellie persona on and rocked it (some may say) I received good feedback from friends and family saying I looked really confident! I tried to be as optimistic as possible due to the unfortunate circumstances our band was put in. I feel something I will have appreciated was backing vocals as I feel like this was the reason most of the songs sounded empty.
Personal Feedback:
Days before the gig I lost my voice due to excessive practice (note to self: don't do that again)
fortunately, it was just about back for the gig but did affect some of the pitching. I feel like I could have practised a bit more in my spare time (my time management is still a work in progress.) I also feel like I let the stress of getting the better of me, I was more focused on getting everybody together and let myself go a little bit. I am tempted to write every little thing that I did wrong but instead, I'm going to keep a balanced mind and put together a positive and negative list reflecting back to my negotiated learning plan.
Positives -
Personal Feedback:
Days before the gig I lost my voice due to excessive practice (note to self: don't do that again)
fortunately, it was just about back for the gig but did affect some of the pitching. I feel like I could have practised a bit more in my spare time (my time management is still a work in progress.) I also feel like I let the stress of getting the better of me, I was more focused on getting everybody together and let myself go a little bit. I am tempted to write every little thing that I did wrong but instead, I'm going to keep a balanced mind and put together a positive and negative list reflecting back to my negotiated learning plan.
Positives -
- Using my head voice is something I considered a weakness but I feel like I have improved a substantial amount.
- I have taken my stage presence a step up from my last gig.
- Using accurate phrasing and my own twist when necessary.
Negative -
- I forgot my lyrics a couple of times (but did my best not to show that I did)
- I didn't always remember to prepare my posture.
- Some slight pitching issues.
I have learnt some valuable lessons in this time and one lesson I have certainly learnt is communication is the key for a successful performance.
Drummers, Drummers, Drummers. Rant.
Our band has been very VERY patient, this already sounds awfully dramatic.I feel like the motivation in practice is quickly declining as our gig is quickly coming over the horizon. Our drummers, without getting personal are not engaging with the group very well.
Meaning they are not turning up to practice and we already had one two many. As a band, I feel like we are very understanding and but at this point, we have needed to get a tempory (possibly) drummer just so we can practice with ease. The drums can make or break a song and without them, their is no pulse.
As an anxious person, this isn't particularly helping my personal progress I feel like as a band we have taken two steps forward and four steps back. I feel like I can say this for everybody were all worried about the final performance.
This also means that alongside existing work we need to take external time outside of university to hopefully get everybody in and drag the set together. Which is a shame I feel like at this point we should be perfecting the set not putting it together?
On my part, I should know the tracks well enough to play without drums but it sure helps me if they're there.
Meaning they are not turning up to practice and we already had one two many. As a band, I feel like we are very understanding and but at this point, we have needed to get a tempory (possibly) drummer just so we can practice with ease. The drums can make or break a song and without them, their is no pulse.
As an anxious person, this isn't particularly helping my personal progress I feel like as a band we have taken two steps forward and four steps back. I feel like I can say this for everybody were all worried about the final performance.
This also means that alongside existing work we need to take external time outside of university to hopefully get everybody in and drag the set together. Which is a shame I feel like at this point we should be perfecting the set not putting it together?
On my part, I should know the tracks well enough to play without drums but it sure helps me if they're there.
Final Decisions
As a part of being a musician, it is sometimes hard for everybody to be on the same page.
we all have different tastes so it was quite difficult to decide which songs were the best to put forward for the gig itself.
Obviously, we all wanted to showcase our skills, for me personally I feel like I compromised a lot for the band because there were some songs that I feel really worked well with my tone but I was willing to remove because other members weren't as confident with them. I feel like that's a skill in itself as sometimes people egos can get in the way. Not only do we need to think about ourselves we need to think about our audience!
After some debate, we all came to the decision for the final 30-minute set.
My personal reflections are as follows;
C'mon everybody by Eddie Cochman - I am very comfortable with this song and feel like I can sing it to the best of my ability. I have that American rockabilly twang to a T and I feel like this is a great song to get the audience going. it's also a nice light hearted for the band to ease into.
La Bamba by Ricky Valens - As we know my Spanish isn't up to scratch so Dan (the guitarist) took over for this one I added some harmonies in the chorus to fill out that sound a little more.
Tracks of my tears by Smokey Robinsons - After taking to a warming to this song, I really like it. We sound tight as a band and all have our parts learned properly. The only issue I have is no harmonies for me this is a new one I'm not used to performing without them and it makes me nervous because my voice will be so exposed on the night!
Brimful of asha by Fatboy Slim - This song is the bane of my life. I found it really really boring (personally) but as a whole, its sounding good we've really got that 90's feel down! For this song I have to really pronounce the words otherwise it will sound like spaghetti soup as it's a "rap" style of singing with a faster tempo than what I am used to. As a girl with a lazy mouth and a thick Hull accent, this song worked in my favour to learn how to pronounce words quickly.
This charming man by The smiths - This song is one of my favorite songs to listen to but not to sing. I have been struggling to hit all the low notes but I feel like I am progressing after practicing scales regularly.
What you waiting for by Gwen Stefani - Considering this was the song I openly admit running away from. It is probably one of the best songs in the set we have added a grungy twist which sounds pretty cool if I do say so myself even better we've created a transition into my personal favorite song of our set
Hanging on the telephone by Blondie - Although I'll never be as good at the 70's queen herself I have confidence that we will do her justice on the night. After breaking down the odd structure into sections we have finally gained a better understanding of the overall flow.
Bohemian like you by The Dandy Warhols - This song is a fun one, I didn't particularly enjoy it at first but I feel like it's a good one to keep in the set! were all tight appart from me sometimes missing the que for the middle 8!
Chocolate by The 1975 - Just to throw a spanner in the road works we decided to scrap Jessie J and do a more recent song (with very little time to do it) Although Matt Healy claims his from Manchester that accent is definatly a new one. I honestly just hope I can just grab this one by the teeth.
we all have different tastes so it was quite difficult to decide which songs were the best to put forward for the gig itself.
Obviously, we all wanted to showcase our skills, for me personally I feel like I compromised a lot for the band because there were some songs that I feel really worked well with my tone but I was willing to remove because other members weren't as confident with them. I feel like that's a skill in itself as sometimes people egos can get in the way. Not only do we need to think about ourselves we need to think about our audience!
After some debate, we all came to the decision for the final 30-minute set.
My personal reflections are as follows;
C'mon everybody by Eddie Cochman - I am very comfortable with this song and feel like I can sing it to the best of my ability. I have that American rockabilly twang to a T and I feel like this is a great song to get the audience going. it's also a nice light hearted for the band to ease into.
La Bamba by Ricky Valens - As we know my Spanish isn't up to scratch so Dan (the guitarist) took over for this one I added some harmonies in the chorus to fill out that sound a little more.
Tracks of my tears by Smokey Robinsons - After taking to a warming to this song, I really like it. We sound tight as a band and all have our parts learned properly. The only issue I have is no harmonies for me this is a new one I'm not used to performing without them and it makes me nervous because my voice will be so exposed on the night!
Brimful of asha by Fatboy Slim - This song is the bane of my life. I found it really really boring (personally) but as a whole, its sounding good we've really got that 90's feel down! For this song I have to really pronounce the words otherwise it will sound like spaghetti soup as it's a "rap" style of singing with a faster tempo than what I am used to. As a girl with a lazy mouth and a thick Hull accent, this song worked in my favour to learn how to pronounce words quickly.
This charming man by The smiths - This song is one of my favorite songs to listen to but not to sing. I have been struggling to hit all the low notes but I feel like I am progressing after practicing scales regularly.
What you waiting for by Gwen Stefani - Considering this was the song I openly admit running away from. It is probably one of the best songs in the set we have added a grungy twist which sounds pretty cool if I do say so myself even better we've created a transition into my personal favorite song of our set
Hanging on the telephone by Blondie - Although I'll never be as good at the 70's queen herself I have confidence that we will do her justice on the night. After breaking down the odd structure into sections we have finally gained a better understanding of the overall flow.
Bohemian like you by The Dandy Warhols - This song is a fun one, I didn't particularly enjoy it at first but I feel like it's a good one to keep in the set! were all tight appart from me sometimes missing the que for the middle 8!
Chocolate by The 1975 - Just to throw a spanner in the road works we decided to scrap Jessie J and do a more recent song (with very little time to do it) Although Matt Healy claims his from Manchester that accent is definatly a new one. I honestly just hope I can just grab this one by the teeth.
Something we tend to not talk about.
I want to acknowledge something that happens to almost everybody but we don't really discuss.
As I'm studying music as an academic subject we point out our strengths and weaknesses and set up ourselves goals to improve which really does help.
There is something in the background that we never really talk about and that's an lack of self-belief. Music is competitive subject and we see others perform and sometimes we feel like were not as good as them or they've been playing an instrument for longer. We don't always think we're great we don't always walk away from a practice and think that was amazing. I'm in a lesson with multiple people with different tastes, background's, influences and standards. not everybody is going to love your work it's as simple as that. it's subjective.
What I do believe is that peer/tutor support helps with growth weather is constructive or a simple compliment. I feel like everybody should go to support each other at their performances it's something we all lacked last year. It helps with the overall performance because you've got some vibes and familiar faces to bounce off. We're all trying to reach the same goal we should all help each other and support one another and put our egos aside.
I wrote this because of the distance between us as a band I don't feel like we all are all on the same page although this is out of my control I do feel like it has knocked my confidence down and some other members of the group.
As I'm studying music as an academic subject we point out our strengths and weaknesses and set up ourselves goals to improve which really does help.
There is something in the background that we never really talk about and that's an lack of self-belief. Music is competitive subject and we see others perform and sometimes we feel like were not as good as them or they've been playing an instrument for longer. We don't always think we're great we don't always walk away from a practice and think that was amazing. I'm in a lesson with multiple people with different tastes, background's, influences and standards. not everybody is going to love your work it's as simple as that. it's subjective.
What I do believe is that peer/tutor support helps with growth weather is constructive or a simple compliment. I feel like everybody should go to support each other at their performances it's something we all lacked last year. It helps with the overall performance because you've got some vibes and familiar faces to bounce off. We're all trying to reach the same goal we should all help each other and support one another and put our egos aside.
I wrote this because of the distance between us as a band I don't feel like we all are all on the same page although this is out of my control I do feel like it has knocked my confidence down and some other members of the group.
2000's
This week's songs are Jessie J - Price Tagg and Katy Perry - California Girls 2000's has to be the decade I was least excited for. We had two really generic cheesy pop songs. Which as a band we all agreed we didn't like we have been trying to recreate price tagg but it isn't sounding that great at the moment so we're currently discussing other song choices.
UPDATE! We have come to an agreement with our tutor that we can change one of the songs so we have decided to try and cover Chocolate by 1975 we all agreed as a group that it was an interesting and unique piece to try have a crack at.
UPDATE! We have come to an agreement with our tutor that we can change one of the songs so we have decided to try and cover Chocolate by 1975 we all agreed as a group that it was an interesting and unique piece to try have a crack at.
1990's
This week's songs are Brimful Of Asha by Fatboy Slim and Losing My Religion by REM.
The 90's was probably my least favorite decade. I found the songs boring but as a band, we could do something creative with it.
Brimful Of Asha by Fat boy slim was an insanely repetitive and sometimes forgot how many times I had to sing a phrase and went a bit off track and I sometimes threw off the band when I sang the lyrics the wrong amount of times! After listening to the song over and over I finally got the structure.
Losing my religion, was a
The 90's was probably my least favorite decade. I found the songs boring but as a band, we could do something creative with it.
Brimful Of Asha by Fat boy slim was an insanely repetitive and sometimes forgot how many times I had to sing a phrase and went a bit off track and I sometimes threw off the band when I sang the lyrics the wrong amount of times! After listening to the song over and over I finally got the structure.
Losing my religion, was a
1980's
This week’s songs are This Charming Man by The Smiths and Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division.
The 80’s is my favorite decade EVER. If I could time travel back in time I would see these bands and stay, there. Joy Division was the most influential band for me I remember when I was about 12 and I heard Love Will Tear Us Apart it for the first time it was so unique and had so much raw emotion his vocal style was so different and was something that inspired me to become a singer.
Joy Division was a boundary breaker and didn’t follow the typical norm which I admired so much.
Unfortunately, this lesson only me and the guitarist turned up so we did it acoustic. It sounded good but this made us a week behind schedule.
This Charming Man is a very melancholy song it has happy music with sarcastic lyric’s. The guitarist found it hard to grasp the intro but after a few tries and printing out a chord chart for help he did it. The vocal style for this song is very nasally but I picked it after a lot of practice at home I wanted to keep the authentic style.
Love Will Tear Us Apart was too deep for me to sing so I practiced it an octave higher which sounded a lot better as I was straining a lot and it is bad for vocal health.
We will come back to this song at a later date, when we have the whole band together.
1970's
This weeks songs are My Sharona by The Knack and Hanging On The Telephone.
This was one of the weeks I was most exited for I love both of these songs especially Blondie, whenever I have the chance I sing Blondie and put my all into it she's one of idols. I have also been compared to her vocally. I love the raw edge she has to her voice which is something that has disappeared over time and isn't appreciated as much in today's music industry.
My Sharona was an interesting song to learn when I actually looked at the lyrics it was very weird I did some external research it has quite a disturbing meaning behind it. The vocals are driven from the beat of the music its quite a fun song to sing it has a lot of energy in practice the rest of the band wasn't the biggest fan of the song which was quite disappointing for me as I really enjoyed it and a few members said it is a song they'd like to take it out the set list when we decide our final set.
Hanging On The Telephone was a song that people struggled with as the structure of the song was difficult so the rest of the band had chord charts which our teaching assistant made for them, as she has perfect pitch and generated them and had her own business. After a few times the band got the hang of it but sometimes I missed my que, as the timing for the vocals wasn't a typical structure and was leading before the other instruments came in.
1960's
This week’s
tracks are California dreaming by Mammas & Pappas and Tracks of my tears by
The Smokey Robinson's.
I am a lot more
familiar with the 60’s decade and I have previously heard these songs as a
child.
California
dreaming relies heavily on vocal harmonies to fill out the sound and give it
more dynamic. I liked this song and learnt the lyrics quickly as I have heard
it many times before. When we did it in practice I didn’t like it much as I anticipated
as they weren’t harmonies and sounded very empty and flat there wasn’t another
vocalist in my band who felt confident enough to do them.
Tracks of my
tears was another simple song with a vintage sound and I quickly got the
phrasing right. I did forget the lyrics a few times during practice so I needed
a vocal sheet to help but after practicing at home I got it right the next time
around.
1950's
This week’s
tracks are C'mon Everybody by Eddie Cochran and La Bamba - Richie Valens.
I am unfamiliar
with these tracks from the 1950’s so it was interesting for me to hear and learn
them. These songs are quite empty in the way that today’s music has many layers
and relies heavily on production and midi instruments. I listened to another
other song that was from 50’s I found one called Chubby Checker – Lets Twist
Again to sing also just so I could get the phrasing right and get the 50’s
vibes flowing.
C’mon Everybody
is a feel-good song with a raw underproduced sound with repetitive lyrics. This
song was easy to get to grips with and get the feel for, the band also found it
relatively easy. it pulled together when I put some slap back echo on the mic give
it that vintage sound.
La Bamba is an upbeat
song and has a simple chord structure. It is an easy repetitive song for the
band. I struggled with the lyrics as it was in Spanish and I couldn’t quite get
to grips with it for the following weeks practice so I did the backing vocals
as the guitarist picked up the song well and suited him a lot more than me as a male vocalist.
Negotiated Learning Plan
As a part of my
study is it important to set goals to grow as a musician and a performer. As a
part of the course we received a template to outline our strengths and
weaknesses and put together a plan of action to improve our skills.
Writing down my
strengths and weaknesses was a hard task for me as I haven't performed a lot
only in controlled environments. I'm more of a "bedroom" singer
because previously I haven't had the confidence to put myself out there.
Studying a
degree helped me turn from a "bedroom" singer into a musician and has
given me the confidence to stand up on stage and sing. I still have a lot to
learn and improve on but though practice and acknowledging peer/teachers
feedback I will improve my skill set and reach milestones that I have set for
myself.
Strengths:
- Confidence on
stage (although i'm not 100% of the time I feel like I have moved forward from
where I was 2 years ago)
- Being happy
with my vocal style.
- Taking on
roles/personas of existing musicians/performers
- Knowing
characteristics of various genres
- Using
accurate phrasing
- Keeping
sustained throughout performance.
Weaknesses:
-Using my head
voice. (strengthen higher notes)
-Remembering
lyrics accurately.
-Warming up
correctly.
-Multitasking
on stage (eg. Moving and singing)
-Improving
breathing technique.
To help me
strengthen my weaknesses I will put together a plan of action.
I will look for
useful tutorials on Youtube for areas for improvement (eg. Warming up correctly
for alto singers and how to strengthen your head voice) I will familiarize
myself with vocal scales to improve overall vocal technique and strengthen
voice. I plan to warm up at least once every day. To help memorize lyrics I
will print off lyric sheets and put together a playlist of songs I’m planning
to learn and listen to it frequently. To improve my visual performance, I will
practice in family and friends to help build confidence. For other areas, I
struggle in I’m planning to get a private vocal coach to help with my learning.
Introduction
Hello, I'm Ellie I am currently studying for a BA Honours Degree in Music Performace.
I'm currently in my second-year as a part of my musicianship module I am creating a blog to record my journey throughout the year. This blog will be used to review my skills as a practitioner, acknowledge areas for development and address these though personal sustained practice and assessed performances.
Musicianship two includes two recitals, one as a group ensemble and one as a solo performer. The group ensemble part consists of learning 2 songs each week; two songs from every decade from the 50's to now. The solo performance consists of learning 3 songs alongside the ensemble work. The songs must be challenging and vary in genre.
Song List
1950's
C'mon Everybody - Eddie Cochran
La Bamba - Richie Valens
1960's
California Dreaming - Mammas & Papas
Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinsons
1970's
My Sharona - The Knack
Hanging On The Telephone - Blondie
1980's
This Charming Man - The Smiths
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
1990's
Brimful Of Asha - Fatboy Slim
Losing My Religion - REM
2000's
Bohemian Like You - Dandy Warhols
What You're Waiting For - Gwen Stafani
2010's
Price Tagg - Jessie J
Californa Girls - Katy Perry
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