Class of Semester 2!

Overall, this music class have taught me a lot of things, including how to play a new instruments such as the Kolintang, and how to incorporate different instruments into a musical production. It has also taught me that talent is not everything because with will and determination, we can achieve anything, including coming up with a class band. This class had also brought me closer to my year level friends that i have never been close to before. We now share a bond that is unique and strong. In spite of the few arguments we all had within the class, it has been a really fun experience where i learned so much from. 

:) 

Making the class a better place :)

As a class, we can improve by being more confident in performing our songs. I feel like the singers (including me) can be too soft at times, resulting on an inaudible performance. We can also improve by being more creative in terms of notations in the musical instruments. As a musician, i sometimes feel like our songs are missing out on cool harmonies and extra notes that can really bring our aesthetics to a whole new level. Instead of sticking to simple chords and notes, and repeating them throughout the whole song, i sometimes feel like we should add more variety to the notes we play, to generate a more interesting and entertaining performance. 

Class Environment

So far, the class have been a somewhat welcoming environment but i feel that it could be a quite uncomfortable one to be in at times, especially when we have small disagreements or arguments that put us on a long period of conversation that takes away our practice time. I also feel like sometimes my ideas can be 'ignored' in a way that i am not particularly fond of. In spite all that, my experience as a part in the class is something that i truly treasure and look forward to every time. 

General Progress

So far, I see lots of significant progresses in the band, including finishing greased lighting, candy and figuring out Wavin' flag. All three songs have been organised and practiced from the very beginning to the very end. Although roles have been switched and rearranged during the process of figuring out the songs, the end results are satisfying and are only in need of minor and final touch-ups or polishing. I particularly enjoy Candy because i get to work with the kolintang, which is something that i am new to, and is exciting to me. I also get to work with my closest friends in the Candy production. My least favorite production is Greased Lightning because i am given the role of singing, which is a thing that im not particularly into, in terms of interests. 

Updates

Updates 

Wavin' Flag - Knaan
(piano - my role)

Progress:
- Not much improvement
- We havent been really working on this song
- Piano, singing, flute and guitar (the rest havent been planned)
- the drumming part has been done

Goals for the future:
- Finish the whole song
- Get the guitar to be on tempo
- Choreography
- Learn the kolintang parts

Updates

Updates: (Kolintang - my role)

CANDY- Robbie Williams

Progress:

- Key originally in C, now converted into F

- Kolintang: learned the whole song

- Piano: F Major

- Managed to finish the whole song

- Currently focusing on the tempo 

Goals for the future:

- Faster tempo

- Singing: Louder and with more energy 

- Kolintang: With more energy

- Drums: Keep the tempo steady 

- Guitar: Practice to keep up to the fast tempo of the song 

Roles: (updated)

Piano: originally Mira, then Si Won, then Min jung.

Guitar: Chan

Updates

Updates:

Greased Lighting: Back up singers (my role)

Progress:
- Figured out the harmonies for both the boys and girls
- The song is actually forming into a proper one (the shape can be seen)
- We have gone through several full smooth rundowns of the song
- Finished most of the song

Goals for the future:
- Figure out the harmonies for the last part (ending)
- Guitar solo (Lachlan and Sean)
- Finalise the singing (louder and with more confidence)
- Be able to perform the full song beautifully

Roles: (updated)
Piano: Eojin and Stacia
Back up singers: Adam, Haseef, Chan, Mira, Alexa, Lala, Se hong, Min jung, Si won

Update| Reflection Post (21 April 2015)

Comparing ourselves with the way we were in the past, we could see a distinct difference in the form of progress and improvement. First of all, we have managed to finalise our song options and come up with three songs to use in the performance, which are Greased Lightning (from Grease), Wavin' Flag (Knaan) and Candy (Robbie Williams). I got roles of playing the piano in the songs Wavin' Flag and Candy. Personally, I do not prefer to play the piano for Candy because I feel like i am the only one playing the same instrument for two different songs, which is in my opinion, quite unfair. I also wanted to play the Kolintang in Candy, but failed to do so due to my responsibilities as a piano player in Candy. It is still not determined whether if i am going to play for Candy as well, but it looks like the chances of me getting away with only playing Wavin' Flag is really thin, as other pianists in the class are not willing to take the responsibility of playing the piano parts in Candy.

During the holidays, I have managed to find a video tutorial on the song Wavin' Flag and learnt the notes as well. Since i was only playing the chords, i find it very simple to learn the whole song. In school, Lala and I often visit the PVA building to practice afterschool, resulting on a nice and rehearsed 'product' of the Wavin' Flag. I especially like the part where it goes "singing forever young" because that is when the chords i play become more variant in terms of notes and tones, and that is when Lala can sing the loudest and best.

Candy Production (Roles)

Candy (originally in B flat but now in C)

Band	Dancers/Kolintang
Haseef (vocal)	(the rest of the class)
Mira (piano)
Edo (drums)
Sean (guitar)
Lachlan (guitar)
Rashya (baritone)
Se Hong (violin)
Chan (vocal)

Wavin' Flag Production

Wavin' Flag (Key: C Major)

Band	Dancers/Backup singers
Lala and Chan (Vocal)	Jeza
Edo (Lighting)	Kenneth
Jovi (Drums)	Haseef
Rashya (Baritone)	Carlo
Se Hong (Violin)	Adam
Min Jung (Flute)	Stacia
Mira (Piano)
Nadia (Guitar)
Almira (Guitar

Link of the Wavin' Flag tutorial for the piano:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=waving+flag+synthesia

(video tutorial from Synthesia)

Greased Lightning Production

After blind voting, one of the concluded song choices is Greased Lightning from the hit movie Grease (John Travolta & Olivia Newton John). We then organised the roles and the musical instruments that people are going to play, based on the skills and talents sharing session we did earlier. Here is a short table of the roles in the Greased Lightning song. 

Greased Lightning: (key: C Major)

Band	Dancers
Edo (Drum)	Min Jung
Lachlan (bass)	Se Hong
Jovi (Guitar)	Adam
Eo Jin (Piano)	Haseef
Sean  (Guitar)	Chan
Nadia and Almira (Kolintang)
Carlo ---
Jeza ---
Stacia ----
Kenneth ---
Nabil ----
Ochad (Vocal)
Haseef ---

Leaders of this particular production: 

Kolintang: Nadia and Almira 

Dancers: Adam and Haseef 

Songs that Changed MY World

We were asked to come up with 5 songs that we think have changed the world. Here are the songs i chose for this task.

Grease Lightning- from the hit musical movie 'Grease' 1978
Black or White- Michael Jackson 1991
Man in the mirror- Michael Jackson 1987
Dont Stop Me Now- Queen 1978
Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen 1975

Here are more options for extra contribution on the classroom brain-storming board!

Gangnam Style- PSY 2012
A whole new world- from Disney's Aladdin
Never gonna give you up- Rick Astley 1987
Imagine- John Lennon 1971
True to Your Heart - from Disney's Mulan

Those are only some of the endless list of songs that changed the world. Here is a link to a website where you can check out 20 more songs that changed the history of the world!

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21143345

Our Hidden Talents! :D

Name	What can you do?	What are you willing to do?
1.     Ochad	Sing	- Learn the Drums - Sing - Dance (Basic Movements)
2.     Dwana	Play the Kolintang	Anything except dancing
3.     Carlo	Play the Kolintang	Willing to play the Kolintang
4.     Lachlan	Play the Guitar, Kolintang, and Drum	Anything except singing
5.     Eo Jin	Play the Piano and Sing	Willing to dance if not alone.
6.     Chan	Can play basic guitar (very basic.)	Learn the guitar again.
7.     Anastacia	Can play piano (very basic.)	Anything except dancing and singing.
8.     Siwon	Can play the piano and likes dancing.	Not willing to sing.
9.     Edo	Can play drums	Not wiling to sing or dance.
10. Rashya	Can play baritone	Not willing to sing (Maybe) and dance if complex.
11. Jeza	Can play the Kolitang and Piano (basic)	Singing (Maybe)
12. kenneth	Basic piano	Not willing to dance as a solo
13. Jovi	Play drums Play guitar	Not willing to sing or dance as a solo
14.  Lala	Sings piano	Not willing to dance
15. Ajie	Plays the kolintang Plays the piano	Can’t sing Don’t want to dance alone
16. Jovi	Can play the kolintang	Wants to play the triangle Not willing to sing or dance
17. Almira	Intermediate Classical guitar	Cant sing and dance unless in a group
18. Nadia	Classical guitar Kolintang	Willing to sing in a group
19. Min Jung	Flute Piano Kolintang	Not willing to be backstage
20. Se Hong	Violin Kolintang	Doesn’t want to sing at all
21. Haseef	Play intermediate piano Can sing –Michael Buble	Anything as long as its in a group
22. Adam	Basic piano	Willing to do
23. Alexa	Piano Guitar	Willing to do anything
24. Mira	Piano Ukelele	Willing to do anything
25. Sean	Bass Tech stuff