SUMMARY

I’ve completed the 1st session of School of Rock with my head up high. How was the class? What was my reflection? How did I feel about it? Let’s see what I wrote about all of this.

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

I was able to present my goal results and reflect on what I was able to do and what I did to reach it.

Composition Elements

I was able to review basic composition concepts and learned how to better my skills with compositions with peers and lectures. I learned how to use the included instruments from the class in instrumental techniques but also musical creativity techniques.

How interested were you in learning the leadership project?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

I utilized my learned skills by analyzing other peoples’ work and compositions to not only get inspiration but learn more techniques that weren’t presented.

How interested were you in learning about music theory and song analysis?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

Practicing newly learned concepts and ideas from lectures and analysis helped these ideas stay in my mind due to proper use of practice and repetition to contribute to my daily knowledge.

How interested were you in learning about HookLab and HookTab?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

Learning more about these provided instruments in the class got me to instantly add more instruments of my knowledge and capability to my roster of musical skills. I was also able to expand my guitar skills and compositions.

How interested were you in learning to play the guitar?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

I really enjoyed enhancing my unwinding time to let go of pent-up emotions and thoughts. Experiencing many ways on how to unleash the wild mind towards creativity was also helpful towards our musical, creative, and personal abilities.

How interested were you in learning about topics related to the brain, creativity, and productivity?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

I was able to have lots of time working on many projects that were collecting dust due to things that I considered a higher priority. Lots of progress was made throughout this class and I had fun exploring.

How interested were you in learning about songwriting, song structure, and music production?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

This was a relatively new idea for me since I barely have any experience with sound hardware and a good idea with software. Getting to explore and learn a lot about this is extremely helpful in my musical career.

How interested were you in learning about recording, engineering (sound effects, EQ), and mixing?

• 1 (NOT MY THING!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES! – I LOVE THIS STUFF!)

Your score: 5

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Throughout the whole session, I enjoyed everything it had to offer. I’d highly suggest this class to any musical enthusiasts, experienced musicians, and pretty much anyone in any kind of music. This class offers so much to do in so little time so we have to pretty much keep ourselves on our feet. All this stuff I spoke of above was merely the preface. These ideas are all expanded and simplified for anyone to deeply understand. The only minor fallacy, and the only fallacy, was the amount of time having to sit and watch instead of watch and learn. Some days I just want to get to work right away because I’m too excited for each day in this class.

THE COURSE’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION (OVERALL)

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 10

Learning new things and digging deeper into music got me to engage with everything each day in class.

The most satisfying thing I newly learned was everything in the control room where sound engineering and recording are presented. I got to learn how to decide what microphone to use and why. I even learned how to navigate the mixer as well.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I really enjoyed the variety of the structure of this class, I get to touch every single thing available in this class all in one day.

I did not enjoy each introduction where I am pretty much “caged up” to simply watch instead of dumping my brain into creativity. I feel like this is what caused some people, if not, most people, to not finish as much as they’d want to finish.

If I had time to return and I’d get to change anything, I’d advertise the idea for certain students that tend to catch on to things faster to do more of their own thing at an earlier stage like what advanced students are recommended to do. That way, more things can be finished and our final products would be more satisfactory.

SUMMARY

At last, the final workday before the last days of the session. We are right there, our fingertips reaching for the finish line. Will we get there? How close are we? How’s about you reach for the bottom of this page by reading onward!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

Today, including the weekends, I was able to complete my recordings for my instrument improvement demonstration as well as work on my Eterna City (Day) cover close to completion.

Leadership Project (SMART Goal Evidence)

This is one of my completed projects to demonstrate my newly learned skills such as mixing techniques and instrumental improvement with the ukulele and the electric bass and guitar.

Soundtrap Exporting and Mixing Resources

• How to export a Soundtrap composition so you can mix it
• Mixing and Effects in Soundtrap (Support Topics)
• Mixing Audio Levels in Soundtrap (YouTube)

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

For today’s practice room, I went and practiced what I plan to show to indicate instrument improvement on the ukulele and the electric bass.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

I simply used this time to take a break and eat. Just your average break time, that’s all. I was able to just sit outside and enjoy how refreshing it is to go out.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

This is where I was able to finalize my covers for demonstrating my improvements in my newly received instruments.

I also continued to work on projects that are far from being finished. Considering that, I decided to try to mainly focus on getting at least one song close to completion before Monday so I can have some composition ready to share with the class as my collection of final products.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I was able to record my planned songs to play with my bass in soundtrap so I can send it as a sound file to send to Garageband so I can mix from there. I recorded my ukulele, guitar, and recorder parts in my room with my phone’s microphone in Garageband since I’m home and I definitely don’t have any professional microphones or an appropriate studio either. Another issue is how soundtrap picks up the sound of my bass, but I was able to pull through from exploring the components of my amplifier and soundtrap.

I also completed my microphone podcast project so I will have a reference for what microphones to use when considering a purchase and in an available studio.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today, I learned that I should’ve probably planned way sooner since this session was merely 3 or so weeks. I felt like I didn’t know all of my requirements for the end of the session project earlier and now I’m rushing to get my proof of improvements done. Though, the other half of my goal was already met, such as helping fellow colleagues and friends with their compositions and giving input, sharing my old work to get feedback, dig deeper in what I know with music theory, and learn more about better ways to improve compositions.

I solved the issue with the completion though, so that’s good. I just feel like I’m trying to complete a 95% since I can just tell what I did as my final for a proficient project to share in order to get 100% in my grade. But it just doesn’t feel right to not complete something I vowed to do in the middle of the session. What I’m saying is that today’s work wasn’t really for the grade, it’s for my ability to do everything I can to show dedication and integrity; and most of all, to meet my goals.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I was interested in getting stuff done before the due date, so pretty much problem-solving.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I engaged in a lot of problem-solving as well since I had to postpone a lot of material due to major inconveniences.

SUMMARY

The final frontier, the final few days. Will I make it to the finish line? How close am I to completion? Stay tuned!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

Today I was able to get things prepared for recording and production for my final bits of evidence towards my goal. My learning is shown from the blogs and the progress towards my composition is slowly getting there! I was able to get a good idea of what to do to show my improvement with my newly learned instruments.

Progress For Today

PRACTICE ROOM (Instrument Practice)

Today’s the day where I practice my parts for my recording. I brought my English Horn and Oboe to class so I can start practicing and getting a good idea of what I’m going to play after transcribing my parts.

This was the piece I transcribed and plan to make a cover of.

Sadly, my English Horn reeds were faulty and weak so I decided to not use them today. A miserable time for me to wrap things up for the end of the project but at least I am near completion, which was my goal for these projects. Hopefully, there will be another time where I get to record with my English Horn.

I also practiced for what I plan to record for evidence of progress and learning for my ukulele and bass guitar.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

After watching Shawn Achor’s “The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance,” we learned about how happiness contributes to performance in skills and abilities. In order for us to be at our highest optimal potential, we must reach our optimal potential in happiness. Happiness is what drives us and motivates us into doing our absolute best in dedication and quality in our efforts for what we are ought to do.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

As a break from practicing for recording, I used a good amount of time working on the sheet music for my other projects.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

Sadly, the recording room was full for today, so my only hope would be in Monday.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned a lot about what I need to finish for the rest of my final products and how to present it. I know my musical abilities are enhanced and I have the blogs to show what I learned in regards to technique and such. However, my preparations for my projects were forced to either be postponed or the failure to meet the goal so far. So what I did instead did what I can and prepare myself for the next day so I wrap everything I possibly can. The English horn issue was left for me to do when I have access to another studio, and my last-minute mini-compositions as evidence were taken care of. I enjoyed solving my problems and now I’m ready for completing the most I possibly can.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I was able to practice all used instruments for my project in this session and prepare for making my final product.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I was engaged in everything since I was trying to get everything finished before the due date.

SUMMARY

Today was another day of productivity. What kind of stuff did I encounter this time? Well lucky you, I got a secret. If you read the stuff below, all of your questions will be answered!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

I was able to listen to one of my old compositions I’m planning to return to for any modifications I need. I worked on my other compositions/covers as well! I even identified my planned microphone for recording tommorow!

SMART Goal

By Friday, July 16th, the end of the summer course of School of Rock, I will achieve great progress from near completion or full completion on my personal projects and my collaborative team project respectively. I will utilize my learned skills from the lectures of this class, from instrumental tutorials to composition lectures. The projects comprise instrumental covers, collaborative compositions, and enhanced instrumental skills.

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

After watching Paul David’s 5 great exercises for your practice routine! I learned some pretty nifty stuff such as tips for looping and guitar improv. I also learned some tips on arpeggios on the guitar.

I also practiced my oboe part for my project that I will soon be recording for.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

In combination with the studio, I decided to dedicate most of the day to complete my projects. I used what I know about music theory in relation to this room to compose parts for my pieces.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

This time the walk was a break with friends. everyone needs a break every once in a while, no matter how productive one would be.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

I decided to work on more projects so I can get as much progress as possible for all projects I currently have. I continued to transpose, transcribe, and compose parts for each used instrument into sheet music in 2 of my projects and return to an old project that I am hoping to finish. So far, I would like the class’s input on what should I add since it is a work in progress.

I was also able to assist a friend and colleague, PJ, with his musical composition. I was able to help with the input of chords and the music theory behind his piece.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I listened closely to what microphone I like the most from yesterday’s microphone podcast project for my oboe. I plan to start recording for an audio file I’m going to need for one of my projects tomorrow since I forgot to print out my sheet music. It was hard to decide between the Shure SM58, the Studio Projects C1, and the RE-20 so I decided to figure it out when I start recording. For now, however, I have high hopes for the RE-20.

For voice, I decided that the Studio Projects C1 microphone was the best for singing since it gives the most emphasis and enhancements to a singing voice. For talking, I decided that the ShureSM58 would be best if I were to talk in a podcast. To me, the SM58 shows my real personality in my voice compared to the rest of them and I find it the most soothing.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today was a load of fun! I was able to contribute to other peoples’ compositions and work on my own as well. I was able to learn more about the guitar, bass, and ukulele, and analyze my own work. The only downside was that I wasn’t able to finish as much as I’d like to due to a sudden change of plans for today. Luckily, the activity still falls in my goal so no time was wasted!

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

Exploring what microphones to use was a tough decision and I really enjoyed the experience.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I engaged in composition the most today since that’s what I can do towards my goal for today.

SUMMARY

We are making lots of progress! Wanna know what? How? Why?! Well, WHY don’t you read on?

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

I was able to learn more techniques in the guitar and in music theory. The use of various 5th power chords such as the so-called “diminished” power chord and the stretched power chord. I was able to explore and learn how to be creative with the concept with my guitar for reference to composition. I was also able to complete my microphone podcast project, having it ready to be edited and prepared for analysis.

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

I decided to exercise my perception of scales in the guitar. I practiced and memorized the pattern with major, minor, and greek mode scales. I went to review my minor and major blues scales as well.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

I took a listen to Jake Lizzio’s video on The Music Theory of POWER CHORDS to learn how to better understand guitar in musical composition.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

I went ahead and messed around with power chords on my guitar. I hooked it up on the amplifier to see how I would sound. I decided to utilize my recently practiced scales on the guitar to explore how power chords work. I proceeded to find out what melodies and riffs I could think of with the guitar while messing around.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

After watching 3 Motivation Styles determined by Personality by HealthyGamerGG we learned about motivation and learning styles.

• Fire – Very rapid but concentrated and singular focus – usually has temper issues
• Wind – Has a huge widespread but are all over the place – usually unfocused
• Earth – Initially slow but grows powerful – usually self-critical

I feel like I’m the best component of all three: the speed and rapid asset of fire, the variety and widespread of wind, and the power and strength of the earth.

However, I also have the common “side effect” from all three as well. I usually have a low tolerance to others who aren’t up to my expectations, I often drift off in thought and focus but I will get back to them eventually, and highly self-critical to a possible toxic extent.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

After all of that jazz, I went back to my personal projects to work on to maintain balance in work variety. I was able to get a fair amount of work done, though, it’s not as much as I’d hope to get done.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I was able to complete the microphone podcast project with both voice and instrument. I was then able to save my recordings so I can edit them in soundtrap for later.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today was more of a learning and exploring day. Instead of working on physical projects, I worked on my intellectual project regarding further and deeper knowledge in musical composition and guitar technique. I was also able to learn how to properly record for microphone testing and improved on takes.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I was highly interested in the music theory of guitar and exploring how to use 5ths.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I engaged in recording the most due to recording for two tasks: voice, and instrument.

SUMMARY

Today we are working hard on our goals and projects. How I do with others? What did I learn? I got a hint for you.

When in doubt, read it out!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

• Image embedded from guitargearfinder.com
• After watching 5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Beginner Guitarist, a few things I picked up comprised of knowing what I have. Perhaps I should look closer and research what exactly my electric guitar has and does.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

I decided to find ways to enhance my music theory skills even higher and ended up searching for advanced circumstances in music. I encountered The Most COMPLEX Pop Song of All Time witnessed the analysis.

I was heavily intrigued throughout the whole video! Chords went all over the place and key changes constantly occurred and yet everything sounds balanced and based. It was mindblowing analyzing this piece from a closer perspective. I hope to use what I got from the piece and implement a few ideas into some original compositions. I have an interest in using this concept in orchestral and concert band compositions someday.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

I proceeded to analyze the chord progressions myself, playing them on the piano and looking deeply at how they correlate with one another so I would find a way to replicate this complex process.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

I was able to learn a bunch of stuff from a little conversation with Professor Le Duc. Despite it not having to do with music, I would like to take this note for future reference.

• Hurricane breathing
• Breathe nose only
• Low Heart Rate
• Fast Limbs
• Increase efficiency and energy conservation

More things I would like to keep in mind are the priorities in life. I should find 3 main things to focus on every day to be productive. The others are lesser priorities like work, school, and tasks.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

After messing around with funky chords, I decided to continue on one of my personal projects, a.k.a. one of my final products. I was able to get through a good amount of the next section after surpassing a huge roadblock with conflicting chords.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I was able to do a rough draft practice recording of the microphone podcast testing for what professional microphone I would prefer. I learned many things about microphones and what kinds are there and what they do. Dynamic microphones have this proximity effect that increases the bass, where low voiced singers and talkers prefer these kinds of microphones.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned many htings, from complex chord progressions and how to implement them into composition to the kinds of microphones are there. Today was a new day for me and I am loooking forward to accelerate tommorow. I was able to surpass my struggles like analyzing the most complex pop songs out there and fixing my composition rather easily. It felt like fixing an error in a mathematical calculation.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

Learning new music theory along with what microphones can and how they are used.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

The microphone podcast project atrracted me heavily, I was Le Duc’s little testing guinea pig on microphone callibration so I can learn further and analyze so I will have an idea on how to do it on my own.

SUMMARY

Today is our second day on our own. What did we accomplish this time? What new things did we learn? May I introduce you to READING ON?!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

I achieved progress on my personal projects and experimented with what I learned in my labs. I played around to find inspiration for another original composition for the end of the session.

PRACTICE ROOM (INSTRUMENT LESSONS)

Using the sheet music I have so far, I practiced the parts I composed for my personal project to make sure they’re playable and ready to record when everything is complete. I fixed any errors and parts I simply didn’t like as I went through and recorded each part to make sure they sound good as real instruments. Sometimes, MIDI doesn’t really help when it comes to which part sounds good with another in real, physical instruments.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

As I worked on my cover for Eterna City from Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, I figured I should analyze and deduct the piece as I write and compose parts for this song. If anyone hasn’t figured it out already, I plan to alter the instruments used for my cover so it’s not only playable for the instruments I have access to, but so I can be creative and add extra parts to enhance the theme. I did what I usually do when listening and analyzed how each instrument is used. Each instrument has its own role, whether it being a section or a singular instrument by itself.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

I decided to mess around with what interesting chords fit the most with my guitar. I went ahead and did my researched and watched 5 Easy Ways to Use and Write with Diminished Chords. I learned a great number of nifty tips from this video and explored these concepts with my piano and guitar. Here are some notes I made for future reference:

• Diminished chords are great for transitioning chords that are a tone away from each other
• The diminished chord for transitioning should be the chord between the two chords you want to transition from and towards
• The finished chord yields lots of tension which heavily anticipates transitioning towards a satisfactory chord
• Diminished chords can be used with a minor chord to play a harmonic minor scale over the jam [ii(dim) – i] or [i – ii(dim)]
• The minor scale and the pentatonic minor scale could be used as well
• ii(dim) – V – i
• It’s a great way to transition to a key change

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

As I took my brain break, I went and listened to my old works and compositions. I’m really proud of what my past self has done and I hope to get some inspiration from my past self to make a new song as my end-of-session goal. As I listen, I thought of how much potential I have where I can think of compositions on the spot. Those times when I made those past compositions, they just hit me and I just couldn’t stop until I finished. That made me wonder, how am I going to unleash that full potential?

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I proceeded to resume my progress with my compositional part in my personal project cover. I discovered that it’s best to work in chunks since putting all parts in at once could be overwhelming. Usually, I’d start with the piano chunk because that part takes the longest to write out of all of the instruments used due to the chords and articulations.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned a lot more about music theory and the usage of diminished chords. I really enjoyed how I was able to grow even more on what I thought I struggle with. Chords were always a thing I understood the least in my past journey with music and now that I’m understanding it more and more encourages me to experiment and be creative.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

My own exploration and research got me to learn further down the road in music theory.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

Nearly all of them I enjoyed since I can add variety to my exercise and learning when it comes to music.

SUMMARY

Today we are stranded and all on our own. How did we pull through? Were we successful? How’s about you do what we did and read on to find out!

LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY

As a leader, I shall utilize my role as an example and a teammate, showing my skill and excerting everything I have for the maximum amount of progress possible.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

I was able to explore and deduct how popular songs were made. I viewed some videos from the What Makes This Song Great Series and discovered that each part and track plays its own special role, regardless of how much it contributes. It adds effects and emphasis to parts for the audience to be aware of what the song is trying to show.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

I continued on my personal project and implimented my music theory skills to my arrangements and reviewed more of my past original compositions. I practiced my theory skills by identifying my uses in my old compositions. I played along with my guitar to identify each chord.

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

I proceeded to get some tips from Paul Davids: 8 Things I regret not doing when learning guitar since I am in my intermediate stage of guitar. After watching, I was relieved to hear that I am already following Paul’s tips as an advanced musician. From hearing this, I have high hopes for my journey in learning and mastering guitar.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

After watching and listening to Adriel Wallick’s creative process, we learned that you should express yourself and regurgitate ideas when it comes to creativity. Scatter things all over the table and pick and choose what fits most. What I usually do is wait until it hits me so I can dump my ideas so I can make something satisfactory.

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

The Songwriting Corner video was pretty much review for me. I remember learning all of this stuff when beginning in piano. For any music theory enthuiasts reading this, I suggest learning the piano. The piano requires a lot of music theory in order to fully understand the instrument. The 5 Minute Lessons video gave me some great tips when grabbing the attention of modern people. There may be some times where I don’t agree with certain titling factors since my compositions and style are heavily based on orchestral, classical, and baroque music. Though, this video gave some great points, like using power words that help people remember what your song is called.

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

I continued to work on my personal projects again, composing each part for each instrument I plan to play. Soon enough when I record, i will have the sheet music so I can put it all together. I specialize in real and physical instruments because I believe that composing and playing physical and real instruments not only makes things sound more natural and better overall, but it shows discipline, skill, and dedication towards my abilities.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today was pretty much where we were on our own in our own little world of creativity and projects. I gained lots of progress on learning and working with my compositions and personal gain and knowledge. I am looking forward for more lectures, especially when I get to work and collaborate with others.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I really enjoyed the extra tips and tricks for music composition and naming. I always enjoy learning new things.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

I engaged in my personal projects the most so I can get as much progress as possible. I would like to dedicate myself to all of my goals.

SUMMARY

Today we were able to explore how to plan and initiate our musical compositions What are some good tips from the highly experienced? What were the key features we took? You know the drill! Read more!

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Holistic Songwriting by Friedemann Findeisen

An Example: The Swift Formula – One Note Melodies

• Pick a video essay from Holistic Songwriting’s Artist Series and watch it.

What I found interesting was the fact that many pop songs have this simplicity written into their melodies. It explains why I’m rarely amused by pop songs since they lack the melodic variety I adore in orchestral music. Though, this root-note simplicity isn’t the main culprit to my lack of interest; the video highlights how the singular note melody is used as well. That explains why I can detect a substantial amount of quality towards my standards in pop music.

How interested in learning more about music theory and song analysis?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YUM!)

Your score: 5

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

Explore the tutorials (but you do not need to watch all of them – just pick what looks interesting to you) from the:

• Songwriting Series. (4 videos)
• Lyrics to music videos (2 videos)

I found a handy formula for what to aim for when it comes to the quantity of music composition! Time[Minutes]*Tempo[BPM]/Beats in Measure = # of Measures

Some further notes will be provided as follows:

• Average melody as about 4-5 syllables
• Say lyrics with the beat to give rhythm
• Stable scale degrees correlate with chords
• Unstable scale degrees do not correlate with chords and are typically used to create tension

How interested in learning more about HookLab and HookTab?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YUM!)

Your score: 4.5

PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)

Watch Mary Spender: Powerful advice from 10 Professional Musicians you need to hear (14:15)

Start his 117 Free Lessons YouTube Playlist

Start the series of videos, follow his directions, and check out his website, justinguitar.com.

Set a timer.  About an hour a day working with classmates.

I would really enjoy working with classmates on this activity due to my advanced abilities with the guitar. Though, I’m more advanced than a beginner, there are still many things I have to learn.

• Be curious about Justin.
• Mr. Le Duc considers him the best beginning guitar teacher online. He’s not the only one that thinks this.  Check out some of the celebrity endorsements at justinguitar.com.

How interested in learning more about playing the guitar?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YUM!)

Your score: 4

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

Watch Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life.  (20 minutes)

Go for a walk and think about what this video meant to you.

When taking my walk, I enjoyed my time outside with my friends! I was able to remind myself what it feels like to manage my enjoyment and needs for a healthy life. Physical, emotional, mental, and social aspects of my life were enhanced and reminded. I was able to keep this feeling and how to achieve this feeling in mind and note for future reference.

How interested in these topics about the brain, creativity, and productivity?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YUM!)

Your score: 7

STUDIO (SONGWRITING)

Watch Holistic Songwriting: Do THIS with every song you write | Hit Song Architect S1E3

Here are some notes I took to keep some ideas in mind:

• Make the chorus big
• Make versus small
• Don’t make the chorus bigger, make what comes before it smaller
• Find out what instrument impacts your audience the most\
• Don’t overwhelm the audience

How interested in songwriting, song structure, and music production?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YUM!)

Your score: 6

CONTROL ROOM (RECORDING & MIXING)

Watch Clark Eagling: Soundtrap tutorial 5 – Arranging the song, Mixing and adding effects

Watch all five videos in the playlist, if you are interested.

I didn’t really get much from this video, perhaps this is targeted towards beginners more. Despite my disinterest, I was still able to analyze the formating of the song. It highlights the development and the addition of instruments as the song moves forward. I remember doing something like this when I first started.

How interested in recording, engineering (sound effects, EQ), and mixing?

• 1 (YUCK!)
• 2 (not really)
• 3 (sorta interested)
• 4 (interested)
• 5 (YES!)

Your score: 2.9

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today we were able to grab the fundamental ideas of the origins of songwriting and composition so we would have an idea of how, what, and where to start! I was able to get some reviews and memories for when I started this process and learned the psychological aspect of expressing yourself in songwriting. I then proceeded to look back at my old compositions and discovered I did just as the lecture taught me when I first started! I also continued working with others on our collaboration project as well as continue on my own project.

TODAY’s ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

The psychological aspects between life and music heavily intrigued me considering the fact that psychology is my current career path.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

The lectures and review on how songwriting works did an excellent job teaching me new ideas as well as remind me of ideas as well!

SUMMARY

Today we learned about the importance and nobleness of the bass. What did we learn? What else did we do? Perhaps reading on may be considered.

CLASSROOM

Watch How Bass Works (47 minutes)

• Compositions were, and still are, typically developed from the bass
• Many genes were inspired by each other by their bass motifs and riffs
• The bass has immense power of driving any song
• There are many kinds of bass lines

LAB

Step 1: Watch How to write Chromatic Notes in Hookpad (some bass lines are based on chromatic scale)

Step 2: Watch 3 ways to use Hookpad’s MIDI drag-drop feature (you can create basslines and more and export to Soundtrap and other DAW – digital audio workstations)

Step 3: Try making a bassline to a chord progression or melody line.

I was able to confirm my discoveries with the hooktheory and implement it in the mini-project I did to experiment with one of the old compositions I made.

PRACTICE ROOM

Step 1: Watch How To Add Bass Notes [Guitar Strumming Lessons] by Tomas Michaud

Step 2: Download the guitar TABS for his exercise (PDF)

Step 3: Practice one of the exercises

This was a great way to confirm and refresh my mind on my skills regarding my guitar skills. This exercise went very well!

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these two videos about amazing bass player Carol Kaye
  • Interview with CAROL KAYE 
  • Carol Kaye: Rock’s Most Prolific Session Musician

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these videos about the best bass player, ever, James Jamerson
  • What really made James Jamerson so great?
  • Visual of James Jamerson’s bass line for the Stevie Wonder song –For Once In My LifeScreenshot from Vulf at YouTube

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Choice 1: Explore Carol Kaye and James Jamerson’s Profiles in Excellent.  These are two bass players who are credited with creating some of the best bass lines!  Then go for a walk and think of the funky work they created.

Choice 2: Flip through the Quizlet on Bass Composition Techniques flashcards a couple times.

From my knowledge of the importance of bass, bass adds emphasis, grandness, and wholeness to a piece. A bass is required for a quality chorded harmony since it adds more structure to the chord or a song.

Write a brief reflection on your mental meanderings.

STUDIO

We played around with playing the low E string on our guitars and created a simple three-note-ish bassline. We even tried different plucking tempos to great the groove. Many played Smoke on the Water which is always a fun riff to play, regardless of skill level.

I had fun messing around with the bass strings of the guitar. I played around with some riffs I know off and ended up using the E minor blues scale to compose a funky bass! I even played it on the bass guitar and had loads of fun with the improvised riff.

CONTROL ROOM

Record the bass line you developed in the studio.

I played around and experimented with soundtrap with my bass line. However, I wasn’t very satisfied with it so I deleted the file.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Today we were able to explore how the bass works in musical composition. The many bass lines that could be implemented evolved as time went on. We learned that the bass is a highly imperative asset to music, giving rhythm and direction, assisting the rest of the parts. Bass is the foundation. Utilizing what we learned, I got a good head start with learning the bass. At the end of the day, I was able to continue on my independent project for a cover I’m working on. I was able to get close to halfway finished towards sheet music completion. Afterward, I hope to start practicing my compositional cover and get to recording in a few days.

ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Content (The WHAT)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 5

The videos and lectures helped me explore better, giving more of a background for deeper understanding. I really enjoyed how I was able to have solid preparation for my exploration.

Process (The HOW)

Rating: OK  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5  – HIGHLY ENGAGED

Rating: 4

I engaged most in exploring the electric bass guitar and learning about bass lines. I really enjoyed learning a new instrument, despite my minor struggle with the thick strings.