Saturday, 2 April 2011
2nd April 2011
Well... it's been a week since my last post and things are in slow motion still at the moment work-wise. The scrapbooks are coming along and i'm planning on (hopefully) having the 70s finished by the end of next week tops then getting the 80s and 90s finished come the end of easter and then the naughties finished the week after. It'll be a big push but if i can get them all out of the way as soon as possible, it'll leave me free to focus more on my final major project. For this project, i'm looking to do roughly 5 folk-classical pieces such as fields of gold which was recorded for the naughties cover track a few weeks ago (of which can be found on youtube and soundcloud under Charbakes for youtube and Charrabakes for soundcloud). I still need to figure out the other four tracks i wish to perform and start rehearsing so i will be ready for the final performance on the 11th of May (still a rough date and could change but a focus point nonetheless). Well... now for the action!
Friday, 25 March 2011
Friday 25th March 2011
Well, things are beginning to go really quickly now that the course is reaching it's final projects. Work is getting crazy! My scrapbooks and essays are being a NIGHTMARE. Still on the 70s and although i'm spending as much spare time as i can on completing them, they are taking me ages and i dont feel like i'm getting anywhere with them. I'm hoping that i can pump them out as soon as possible and get them in so i can have far more time to plan my final major project which we've started talking about this week. The plan is that the two bands will be performing their pieces as Title and Registration and Fire for Effect and then Jez will be working with James and some other first years to make her metal music, Christina will be working with Simon, Dan, Toby and Digby to create her overall music style and then I need to do some work into sorting the type of music genre i want to go for, pick some covers and make some originals to do and then work with Digby, Simon and any one else who can help to create my overall performance sound. This then all ties in with the project work that Matt has given us which involves all the marketing for it etc which will be intersting. This weekend will be very busy organising my ideas and putting it all into a plan sheet of what needs doing, when and who i shall need.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Monday 7th March 2011
Well... a lot has been happening since my last post on the 2nd of February. College work has kept me busy what with all the rehearsing of covers for the decades, getting my presentation sorted for my Special Subject Investigation and trying to keep on top of work. The presentation and rehearsing is all up-to-date and coming along very well now, all is going so quickly is almost unbelievable and too fast to catch. Shall have my presentation finished and down tomorrow and out of the way, handed in, so i can move onto the next project which will be good and the decades work is coming along really well. The 70s-80s covers are all down and done other than the original, which to be honest i've only half finished due to so much else happening at once for me to have time to sit down and chuck it out and record. That's half-way there and in the diary to hopefully be complete by the end of this week, if the week goes according to plan for me. The 90s-naughties covers are down now too, they went so quickly and sound the best out of the ones i've been a part of so far. I'm really beginning to get a taste for doing all these covers now, i'm starting to choose songs that are different and ask around for people to help me to cover them so i can add them to my reportiore of songs. At the moment i've just completed Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy (original by Sting), which i've attached a link to my youtube channel where you'll find it and i've just asked Glyn if he will possibly help me to cover Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls (which i was asked if i'd sing for a wedding) so fingers crossed that will all work out. The only downside to things for me at the moment is the scrapbooks and essays. I'm way behind on those and i'm really struggling to catch-up due to the amount of time i'm having left over from all the outside work i'm putting into my music at the moment.
Last month on the 20th February i did a concert, playing four songs ('To the Sky' - a folk piece, 'Homeward Bound' - another folk piece, 'Amore' e Morte' - an opera piece, and 'Favourite Things' - a piece from the Sound of Music) I recorded the opera piece and have posted it on youtube (a link of which i have attached) This I am hoping will add to my overall mark at the end of the course being submitted as a solo perfromance.
Also, I went to a Gilbert and Sullivan opera in Plymouth on Saturday the 5th of this month and saw the Pirates of Penzance it was a really enjoyable, light opera and in parts quite amusing. I remember thinking to myself that i'd really love to be one of the many people up there on that stage performing and having fun with the obvious joy that was not only on my face while watching them and loving every minute of it, but was on their face throughout the whole performance. I spoke to the people in charge there afterwards and gave them my details and they said that I was just what they were looking for (due to the connection they have with my singing tutor and due to my age) they promised to get in touch. So hopefully will be quite busy over the coming few months.
I think now i've pretty much updated you on everything that's taken place and up and coming so shall have to wait and see what happens next...
The link i promised to give you is: www.youtube.com/charbakes (this will give you both of my covers so you have a taste of what i've been up to over the past month. Enjoy!
Last month on the 20th February i did a concert, playing four songs ('To the Sky' - a folk piece, 'Homeward Bound' - another folk piece, 'Amore' e Morte' - an opera piece, and 'Favourite Things' - a piece from the Sound of Music) I recorded the opera piece and have posted it on youtube (a link of which i have attached) This I am hoping will add to my overall mark at the end of the course being submitted as a solo perfromance.
Also, I went to a Gilbert and Sullivan opera in Plymouth on Saturday the 5th of this month and saw the Pirates of Penzance it was a really enjoyable, light opera and in parts quite amusing. I remember thinking to myself that i'd really love to be one of the many people up there on that stage performing and having fun with the obvious joy that was not only on my face while watching them and loving every minute of it, but was on their face throughout the whole performance. I spoke to the people in charge there afterwards and gave them my details and they said that I was just what they were looking for (due to the connection they have with my singing tutor and due to my age) they promised to get in touch. So hopefully will be quite busy over the coming few months.
I think now i've pretty much updated you on everything that's taken place and up and coming so shall have to wait and see what happens next...
The link i promised to give you is: www.youtube.com/charbakes (this will give you both of my covers so you have a taste of what i've been up to over the past month. Enjoy!
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
New Year! Therefore CATCH UP!!!!
Well...been back at college a few weeks now. Not much has been happening over the course of this half of term. We've been working on the decades work on fridays still, which is going slow. We're still on the 70s/80s. We started to record the songs two weeks ago, but we haven't done enough practice on them so, giving up. we tried again last week. We've now got Jump and Ashes to Ashes down, now all that's left is to get the original tracks down too before we can move on to the final decade which is the nineties to the present.
Other work being done is the scrapbooks to go with the decades work, that's coming along quite slowly. It's due in in a couple of weeks so need to step it up a notch if i'm going to get it in on time. Matt's work... has finally been handed in, the essay completed with all the references etc, we're now working on our powerpoints to present what we've found out to the rest of the group. Can't say i'm really looking forward to that part. I don't like talking to a group at the best of times, but once that's over, the assignment will be complete, ready to move on to the next one.
In Simon's lesson on Wednesdays we've also been doing some remixing of a track by Marvin Gaye - Through the Grapevine. As i found out shortly after starting, remixing is actually pretty difficult, especially when the song goes in and out of time throughout. The cop soundtrack was slightly easier though (the task we did before starting to remix), still haven't finished that task yet, but it's nearly there - one more lesson should see that one completed and another "few" lessons should hopefully see the remixing task finished. Not sure how it'll turn out since i can't say i'm very good at it but will give it my best shot.
The last thing i think i should mention is the Old Dance School folk people who came into the college to do a workshop with us all and then perform. I personally didn't go because i couldn't get transport for the day, but those that did go said it was a waste of time and the only good part of it was the performance. I can understand that it would be good to have as something we participated in to broaden our knowledge and experience for university, but other than that the rest of the points made were complete nonsense. It was not a vital part of the course and had no relevance to what we're doing assignment-wise. We never knew that it was coming up because we were never told until two weeks before and by that time, most of us already had plans for the day. The only place it was mentioned evidently was in the booklet/leaflet calender thing that Caroline gave out to us, which i don't think anyone's read. However, the thing that made everyone angry was the part where she added an ultimatum. We had to attend and pay not only for our travel on a day off, but also pay £4.50 for a ticket to something we're not interested in and didn't want to go to, and if we didn't go then we'd have to write a 5000 word essay on folk music. This then changed slightly to a 1000 word essay but not being funny, how is that ultimatum fair? you pay or you do more unnecessary work on top of all the work we're expected to do to pass the course. I think pretty much all of us are slightly behind in that as it is in some way we can't afford to spend the time writing unnecessary essays.
We're going to bring up a load of problems etc in the rep meeting on friday, but another one is how pointless tuesdays are. Other than matt's lesson we dont do anything really. Practice time is a shambles because there aren't enough of certain musicians to go round so there's always those of us who are left ambling around and (not being funny, but) those who get into groups don't really do much in the way of practice. The rest of the day, matt's lesson isn't particularly needed because it's basically turn up, get signed in and then get on with the work that was set in previous lessons. Independent learning is pretty much the exact same thing - you just sit and get on with work set. There is nothing during the day on tuesday that i can't do at home. It's a waste of my time and money coming into college all day from 8:30am - 5:15pm to do what i do much better sitting at home doing. I don't see the logic in it somehow.
Now i think that's all for now. You are officially updated on the past few weeks and i've had my rant for now.
Other work being done is the scrapbooks to go with the decades work, that's coming along quite slowly. It's due in in a couple of weeks so need to step it up a notch if i'm going to get it in on time. Matt's work... has finally been handed in, the essay completed with all the references etc, we're now working on our powerpoints to present what we've found out to the rest of the group. Can't say i'm really looking forward to that part. I don't like talking to a group at the best of times, but once that's over, the assignment will be complete, ready to move on to the next one.
In Simon's lesson on Wednesdays we've also been doing some remixing of a track by Marvin Gaye - Through the Grapevine. As i found out shortly after starting, remixing is actually pretty difficult, especially when the song goes in and out of time throughout. The cop soundtrack was slightly easier though (the task we did before starting to remix), still haven't finished that task yet, but it's nearly there - one more lesson should see that one completed and another "few" lessons should hopefully see the remixing task finished. Not sure how it'll turn out since i can't say i'm very good at it but will give it my best shot.
The last thing i think i should mention is the Old Dance School folk people who came into the college to do a workshop with us all and then perform. I personally didn't go because i couldn't get transport for the day, but those that did go said it was a waste of time and the only good part of it was the performance. I can understand that it would be good to have as something we participated in to broaden our knowledge and experience for university, but other than that the rest of the points made were complete nonsense. It was not a vital part of the course and had no relevance to what we're doing assignment-wise. We never knew that it was coming up because we were never told until two weeks before and by that time, most of us already had plans for the day. The only place it was mentioned evidently was in the booklet/leaflet calender thing that Caroline gave out to us, which i don't think anyone's read. However, the thing that made everyone angry was the part where she added an ultimatum. We had to attend and pay not only for our travel on a day off, but also pay £4.50 for a ticket to something we're not interested in and didn't want to go to, and if we didn't go then we'd have to write a 5000 word essay on folk music. This then changed slightly to a 1000 word essay but not being funny, how is that ultimatum fair? you pay or you do more unnecessary work on top of all the work we're expected to do to pass the course. I think pretty much all of us are slightly behind in that as it is in some way we can't afford to spend the time writing unnecessary essays.
We're going to bring up a load of problems etc in the rep meeting on friday, but another one is how pointless tuesdays are. Other than matt's lesson we dont do anything really. Practice time is a shambles because there aren't enough of certain musicians to go round so there's always those of us who are left ambling around and (not being funny, but) those who get into groups don't really do much in the way of practice. The rest of the day, matt's lesson isn't particularly needed because it's basically turn up, get signed in and then get on with the work that was set in previous lessons. Independent learning is pretty much the exact same thing - you just sit and get on with work set. There is nothing during the day on tuesday that i can't do at home. It's a waste of my time and money coming into college all day from 8:30am - 5:15pm to do what i do much better sitting at home doing. I don't see the logic in it somehow.
Now i think that's all for now. You are officially updated on the past few weeks and i've had my rant for now.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Thursday 16th December 2010
Hey Guys, sorry for the lack of update the last week has been a really busy week completing work and rehearsing hard for the yule fest performance which ran really smoothly and sounded really good. It was successful and i think all the audience enjoyed it which is a bonus since all the past gigs etc we've put on have had something wrong with them and run with difficulty and end up being a disaster. Work is coming along slowly and needs handing in tomorrow.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
30th November 2010
Hello fellow bloggers,
This week has been slightly more productive than previous weeks. So far, Glyn, Myself and Jez have got the new song (under the temporary name of "This One") under way and ready to start getting it down on logic and start messing about with it, building up the layers. The christmas gig will be interesting. Christina's had to back out of it so vocal-wise it's a lot to learn but on some of the tracks such as; Peggy Sue, King Creole, our Original creation, I'm A Believer and These Boots Are Made For Walking. I'm quite glad actually to have the chance to be more than just a backing singer, but am slightly worried about the choice of songs due to my vocal abilities. Shall be interesting to see what can be acheived from it.
On a different note, I have a concert coming up in February, which i'm hoping can be marked as part of the course as well as my own reasons out of college. Would be really good if i can be marked for solo performace as well as group performance with the bands within the college. It would also be a good chance for me to be marked on a type of music i'm more comfortable with and show my abilities rather than just the type of music i have to do at college. I'm still happy to do the stuff at college, but to use outside performances as extra will make things better for my overall mark - hopefully.
This past Friday was really unproductive. Most people were down in the studio recording the 60s tracks again because they were so bad the previous friday before. This threw practice out of the window. We're just beginning to start on the 70s and 80s style tracks now which i'm slightly excited about. The tracks i'm looking to do are; Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and Carly Simon's 'You're so Vain' these are songs that work well with my vocals and are great songs to do and have up your sleeve. Once we manage to get everybody together to practice all should work well... i hope.
This week has been slightly more productive than previous weeks. So far, Glyn, Myself and Jez have got the new song (under the temporary name of "This One") under way and ready to start getting it down on logic and start messing about with it, building up the layers. The christmas gig will be interesting. Christina's had to back out of it so vocal-wise it's a lot to learn but on some of the tracks such as; Peggy Sue, King Creole, our Original creation, I'm A Believer and These Boots Are Made For Walking. I'm quite glad actually to have the chance to be more than just a backing singer, but am slightly worried about the choice of songs due to my vocal abilities. Shall be interesting to see what can be acheived from it.
On a different note, I have a concert coming up in February, which i'm hoping can be marked as part of the course as well as my own reasons out of college. Would be really good if i can be marked for solo performace as well as group performance with the bands within the college. It would also be a good chance for me to be marked on a type of music i'm more comfortable with and show my abilities rather than just the type of music i have to do at college. I'm still happy to do the stuff at college, but to use outside performances as extra will make things better for my overall mark - hopefully.
This past Friday was really unproductive. Most people were down in the studio recording the 60s tracks again because they were so bad the previous friday before. This threw practice out of the window. We're just beginning to start on the 70s and 80s style tracks now which i'm slightly excited about. The tracks i'm looking to do are; Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and Carly Simon's 'You're so Vain' these are songs that work well with my vocals and are great songs to do and have up your sleeve. Once we manage to get everybody together to practice all should work well... i hope.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Tuesday 9th November 2010
Hi Guys!
Last week a group of us (Glyn, Saara, Jez, Mike and myself) started working on a new song called this one. Hopefully will be able to use it for compositional work amongst other work we've done. Personally I'm finding the written work gets in the way of everything and takes all my time when i'd prefer to do more practical work and more theory, but it's slowly getting done. The 60s tracks that we're doing - i'm a bit confused with atm. I was off ill on friday the 5th and Tim was off last friday so we couldn't practice the two covers songs and christina came up with a composition in the style of the 60s, which sounds really good. My main worry and concern is that i'm only needed on one song i don't know what i'm doing for the other two and we're playing live next friday. Not sure when we're going to get time to go through it all and decide before next week.
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