Jack Beazleigh Music Practitioner : Final External Unit

RSL 203: Composing Music (Solo) Exam ‘18

Task 1: Planning

My candidate number: . My centre number: .

My name is jack beazleigh . The software I will be playing for my composition demo is garageband and Cubase.

Through my compositions, I want to achieve the following personal goals:

Personal Goal 1: To produce 15 minutes of good composition.
Personal Goal 2: To further improve my skills in music software .
Personal Goal 3: To be able to use a variety of instruments.

Though my composition is to form part of a performance celebrating cultural diversity, my aim is to encourage the audience to also think about the long journey we have taken towards achieving a harmonious, culturally diverse society, so that the final celebration becomes an appreciation of how far we have come. To achieve this, I intend to research and gain a greater understanding of the meaning and importance of cultural diversity and the history of its development.

I have a great love of music and though I am more familiar with western music, I have started and intend to listen to a wide variety of music from different cultures in order to identify the most effective ways to represent and merge different cultural sounds and stories. As I have most experience listening to western music however, particularly pop, indie, rock, hip hop and rap, I envisage that 2 or 3 examples of these genres will form the basis of my final piece, onto which I will apply my own interpretations of different cultural sounds. I will use my increasing understanding of music and recording technology to develop my ideas and enhance them still further with my additional research.

To help achieve my goals, I think I have the following skills that I can use:

Skill 1: My first good skill is that i am hard working.
Skill 2: My second good skill is i am good with timing of work.
Skill 3: My third good skill is using GarageBand and other music software.

I will know if I have achieved my goals at the end of the assessment because 15 minutes worth of composition will be done, it will sound good, and I will have completed this on software accurately.

The success of my final piece will be measured by its ability to tell a story about cultural diversity, which I intend to create with carefully written lyrics (the ideas for which will come from my research) and melodies, which effectively combine western and other cultural musical references to create suitable moods supporting the words I have written.

The audience I am playing my compositions to is A&Rs. Their expectations will be high. I will meet their expectations by doing well, and having good feedback from them. They will expect me to be able to compose within my own style and with character and meaning.

I envisage the audience of parents, guardians and students will cover a wide range of age groups and, by nature of the event, ethnic groups, and as such I believe their expectations of the event and my contribution to it will be that it is enjoyable, celebratory and representative. As such, I again plan to incorporate many different cultural influences into my composition and keep the music light and happy.

I will compose my music in the styles of indie, rock, folk. This is because i want to show a variety of styles in my pieces. I intend to conduct the investigation part of my research first in order to give me a sound understanding of the topic which I will use to create my final piece. I have decided to record my initial ideas and compose the piece using Garageband on my iPad as I am familiar with this technology and can use it at school. I will also need to ask an additional singer to help me with the harmonies I want to compose.

My ideas for my compositions are about cultural diversity, as I have a vested interest in this area, and I would like the A&R to see my passion. I intend to create a story through the compositions to show people coming together. I will do it by creating a happy and joyful atmosphere throughout. I also want to develop this into a meditative state.

What is cultural diversity?

Mylearning.org defines cultural diversity as “a wide range of different societies of people, of different origins, religions and traditions all living and interacting together”. This definition encapsulates my goals for my final composition, which I am hoping will combine different musical influences from a variety of cultures to reflect the harmony of these different cultures working together. In 2001, UNESCO claimed that ‘cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”. It is clearly very important and yet the development of this way of life has not always been straightforward. Clashes between people of different cultures, religions and traditions have existed for hundreds of years and continue to the present day. The conflict between religious groups in Tudor times extending throughout history to the troubles in Northern Ireland and rise of the Black Panther Movement in the 1970s for instance, as well as the issues we experience today show that cultural diversity is not always easily accepted, especially if some people feel their individuality is in some way threatened. The problems experienced throughout history are significant and as a result of my research, I would also like to represent this aspect of cultural diversity in my composition.

I have therefore decided to divide my piece into three sections. The first will provide a gentle introduction to the audience, reflecting the harmony of different cultural influences coming together. This will then lead on to a more discordant, darker section, reflecting the difficulties when societies clash. I have also used the words of Bobby Searle, Leader of the Black Panthers in this part of my composition to represent difficult times in social history. Finally, to leave the audience with a positive experience, my final part is much more upbeat, harmonious and celebratory to reinforce the message that working together is a positive and good thing.

The requirements of the brief are to produce 15 minutes worth of composition. I will meet these requirements by producing at least 15 minutes worth of composition.

I will need the following resources and equipment iPad and computer software. I will also need speakers at the event to play my composition.

I will need to spend 20 hours at school preparing, performing and evaluating the event. I will spend my time by doing compositions at home and with my teacher in music lessons.

When composing, I will need to consider the following health and safety issues:

Health & Safety Issue 1: music could be too loud and damage peoples ears . How I will make sure I am safe: make sure music isn't too loud and practice with the levels

Health & Safety Issue 2: tripping over wires . How I will make sure I am safe, and wires are taped down so other people can not be injured.

Health & Safety Issue 3: making sure people are safe coming in and feeling comfortable sitting down.

To compose at least 15 minutes of music I will need to compose the following number of pieces:

Composition 1: Style: indie. Length of song: 3:45.
Composition 2: Style: indie. Length of song: 4.52.
Composition 3: Style: indie. Length of song: 2.49
Composition 4: Style: indie. Length of song: 4.54

The total length of my demo will therefore be over 15 minutes.

my last composition definitely met the brief as it was suitable for a family-friendly audience and it was also very catchy.

Task 2: Keeping a Log

I will compose on the following dates and I will work on the following at each session:

Week 19 Thursday 18th January 2018 (2 hours):

The composition name I will work on: jackbeazleigh song 1.

Describe what I will work on: Improving drum beat to be in time with my melody.
This composition meets the brief because my piece fits the brief as the composition sounds professional.

What needs work: Adding other musical instruments to the piece creating a more diverse sound.

Week 20 Thursday 25th January 2018 (2 hours):

Plan: To add guitar in the chorus.

What went well: i was able to add guitar to the chorus.
This composition meets the brief because it fits well in time with the composition.

What needs work:
Week 21 Thursday 1st February 2018 (2 hours):

Plan: Continue with my melody .

What went well: my melody is complete.
This composition meets the brief because it is catchy.

What needs work: i need to find new chords to come in my next verse.

Week 22 Thursday 8th February 2018 (2 hours):

Plan: to find chords to come into the next verse.

What went well: i was able to find a good chord to start with.

What needs work: to come up with a chord progression that works with the chords and composition.

Week 24 Thursday 22nd February 2018 (2 hours):

Plan: to come up with a chord progression.

What went well: i came up with a chord progression.

What needs work: sorting out timings.

Recordings

Composition One

Section 1:

Transition Section:

Section 2:

Composition Two

Meditation Score by ZoeHarris on Scribd

Task 3: Evaluation

Strengths Reflection.

Composition 1: The Chord progression fits well with the other instruments.

Composition 2: The Drums sound professional with the guitar.

Composition 3: The Guitar comes in perfectly after the chorus.

Composition 4: Melody sounds professional.

Composition 5: Piano chord progression.

Improvement Reflection:

The chord progressions for some compositions could have been done better.

Skills to Improve:

Skill 1: Timings.

Skill 2: Chords, they could have been better.

Improvement #1: Write more suitable melodies that fit your chosen chords.

Strategy: I could make this improvement by researching how to make suitable melodies.

Improvement #2: Picking better chords to work with.

Strategy: I could make this improvement by trying a variety of chords instead of sticking with first ones I come across.

Feedback from Others:

that my compositions were suitable for the brief and were catchy.

They pointed out that each compositions flows into the other smoothly.

Conclusion:

My compositions were suitable for an event for A&R Professionals as they sound professional, cheerful and family friendly. my first 10 minutes are divided into three key sections, each tell a story about cultural diversity and ethnic groups coming together.

Appendix A (not to be counted in the Word Count)

A performance celebrating cultural diversity

by Jack Beazleigh

Summary of Composition

My final first composition for this event is 10 minutes and 16 seconds long, meeting the requirements of the brief for this assignment. It is divided into three key sections, each of which tell a story about cultural diversity. The melodies, harmonies, lyrics and rhythms have been carefully selected as a result of my research into the key issues of this topic and reflect my aim to celebrate the story as I understand it and in a way I believe my target audience would appreciate. So that the sections are audibly connected and lead smoothly from one to another, they are all written in the same key (C) and I have taken care to ensure melodies transpose from one to the next without interruption.

A more in-depth analysis of each section is provided in chapter 2 of this portfolio; however, a brief summary of the composition is as follows:

Section One (3 minutes, 22 seconds):

A gentle introduction to the whole piece using a simple rhythm and underlying harmony inspired by African tribal music. Overlaid on to this is a gentle melody supported by guitar chord progressions typical of a traditional English folk song, which forms the basis for the vocal harmonies. The lyrics, though in English, are based on a traditional Indian folk tale about hope for the future. The combination of all these elements represent the diversity of cultural influences and how they can work together, providing the audience with a message of hope. However, deliberately placed discordant notes highlight the difficult path to cultural harmony and provide an indication of what is to come in section two and the transition to section three.

Section Two (4 minutes, 7 seconds):

A longer piece with a slower pace and sadder melody. The lyrics and atmosphere of the song are designed to ask the audience to contemplate the struggle for cultural diversity throughout history and how we feel as individuals in the face of cultural differences. It is also tries to offer hope for a positive future.

Section Two-Three transition (1 minute, 2 seconds):

The finale of this composition is heralded by sliding note progressions inspired by classical music from India and a sampled clip of an interview with Bobby Seale, leader of the Black Panthers, in which he calls for different cultures to get along.

Section Three (1 minute, 45 seconds minutes):

The rhythm noticeably changes in this section, becoming much pacier, the transition between the two sections representing the struggle for cultural harmony throughout history. Associated lyrics inspired by famous speeches and quotes from history highlight some of the key issues faced when cultures clash. The music however becomes more harmonious and lighter towards the end, leading into a bright, celebratory piece, based on a house music beat with Indian bangra undertones and accompanied by musical sounds inspired by West Indian steel bands and melodies observed from videos of the Notting Hill Carnival – an event which epitomises and celebrates the joy of cultural diversity.

Conclusion:

The combination of all three sections tell a story of the development of cultural diversity as interpreted from my research. The combination of many different cultural music elements to create an original, single piece has also inspired the title of the piece, ‘The Chemistry of Cohesion’. I have researched and tried to use a variety of different musical influences to celebrate cultural music from around the world and the essence of the performance, which is cultural diversity. These cultural references compliment the underlying musical structures influenced by three contrasting musical genres – folk, rock and house with other cultural music references – including African tribal, classical Indian, modern Indian bangra and Caribbean steel band music – forming the final piece. The words ‘We’re stronger when we trust’ are incorporated into the lyrics of every section to emphasise the single message of the whole piece.

The Composition

Section One (3 minutes, 22 seconds):

Section one was designed to introduce the audience to the entire piece and create a calm and reflective atmosphere. After listening to a variety of music from different cultures, I decided to take my inspiration from the gentle rhythms of an African tribal song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a7IHDXRG6k. From this resource, I developed my rhythm and when recreating this I decided that drums would be too harsh a sound and instead opted for the more delicate tone of the wood block. On top of the continuous wood block beat, I applied a further continuous, two note sequence consisting of F and E, for which the clarinet provided the best timbre.

Having established my underlying sound and rhythm, I then applied my melody. Traditionally, I have always found the piano easier to compose my melodies on. Having listened to a variety of pop and folk music, I settled on a more folk style genre of music which I felt complemented the gentle nature of the African beat. Onto this I applied complementary guitar chords to add weight to the melody. The melody also provided the main structure of my vocal harmonies.

I broke my piece up into individual sections to vary the mood of the song. The melody was introduced with a piano and flute duet and repeated with the removal of the flute and introduction of the vocals. Vocals were kept simple for each verse to emphasise the simplicity and innocence of the message, while a vocal harmony was written for the chorus, which culminated in a loud, three-part vocal harmony to indicate the climax of the song. This was followed by a simple variation of the melody which brought back the clarinet sound to tie in with the continuous clarinet sound, which is playing throughout the entire song. A single voice with a guitar and piano accompaniment repeats the chorus for the last time, bringing the song back to its original gentle atmosphere, before finally a further variation of the melodic theme on the grand piano brings the song to a satisfying, hopeful conclusion. The song then comes back to the original two-part wood block/clarinet duet to complete its full circle.

My inspiration for the lyrics came from an Indian folk tale (http://www.worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Indian_folktale_11.html) about the quest for respect, which emphasises the underlying message that I wanted to convey in my composition – the importance of cultural diversity in terms of respecting people of all backgrounds.

Lyrics

Verse

Sometimes, the search for respect,

Leads to regret.

Fate often takes control,

So live and let go.

Chorus

I forgot you, please forgive me,

We are one.

I am part of you, you are part of me,

Earth and sun.

Verse

False truths, believable lies,

Lead to demise.

We’re stronger when we trust,

Good and just.

Chorus

I forgot you, please forgive me,

We are one.

I am part of you, you are part of me,

Earth and sun. (x3)

Quoting directly from the tale, I used the words “I forgot you, [please] forgive me” (I added ‘please’ for emphasis and to help the words scan more effectively with the melody), as I felt this was a particularly powerful message leading up to section two which touches on the struggles for acceptance of people from different backgrounds. Similarly, I also incorporated a couple of discordant notes – a G in the verse and E in the chorus, which both clash with the F played by the clarinet in the continuous, underlying ‘African’ melody – to further emphasise the difficulties experienced when cultures clash, foreshadowing what is to come in section two.

The overall effect of this opening section however is to introduce the audience to the concept of cultures working harmoniously together. With Indian, African and western folk influences coming together in the same song, reinforces the place of this composition in a performance celebrating cultural diversity.

Section Two (4 minutes, 7 seconds):

The continuous wood block rhythm and two-note clarinet melody are the only sounds left of section one, which gradually fade out to silence. Section two begins after one beat with a single, acoustic guitar melody, which forms the chorus tune of the song to come. The mood and theme of this section is more melancholic, based on the musical style of a typical rock ballad and uses acoustic guitar throughout, with roots rock guitar to add gravitas to the chorus. The lyrics have been inspired by my research into the struggles for cultural acceptance of people in different parts of the world, and extracts from different quotations and speeches have been put together to form a clear message for this part of the performance – that of the futility of discrimination. In verse one, I have repeated the line ‘We’re stronger when we trust’, which was used in section one, as I want this to be the overarching theme of the entire composition. The verse-chorus combination is quite long and sustained throughout the song as the message was most important. To add some variety though, I also included a 5-chord instrumental to herald the final chorus and give the song a proper ending.

Lyrics

Verse

When you look someone in the eye

They’re probably thinking the same

Their feelings matter just as much

But you hide behind a name

We’re all scared some of the time

It may be easy to strike first

But we’re stronger when we trust

And are rid of this curse

Chorus

When Martin Luther’s dream

Takes us all by hand

We’ll say enough is enough

Then we’ll all understand

It’s time to face up to the past

With courage and pain

We need to trust who we are

And not live it again

Verse

Don’t let others’ will and fear

Create something that’s not there

There’s a constant drain of energy

When you hate instead of care

We’re only here for a short time

It seems a shame to waste

The gifts we have and should enjoy

And not dismiss them in haste

Chorus

When Martin Luther’s dream

Takes us all by hand

We’ll say enough is enough

Then we’ll all understand

It’s time to face up to the past

With courage and pain

We need to trust who we are

And not live it again

Verse

Knowing [exactly] what must be done

Does away with fear

Helps us to be true to ourselves

And look to future years

Tearing off scars off again and again

Will get us all nowhere

Why would you want to repeat the pain?

And live with being scared?

Chorus

When Martin Luther’s dream

Takes us all by hand

We’ll say enough is enough

Then we’ll all understand

It’s time to face up to the past

With courage and pain

We need to trust who we are

And not live it again

Section Two-Three transition (1 minute, 12 seconds):

The end of section two drifts back to the duet between the wood block and clarinet, that originally opened and closed section one, for two bars and moves towards section three with a continuous sliding motion of the F string, played on the cello. This sounds melodic at first, being concordant with the F note played on the clarinet, but then becomes more discordant as the note slides gradually down towards E, picking out all the sounds in between. I took my inspiration for this from the musical features of Indian classical music (for instance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZgDS-1v4M), which does not follow the typical harmony and counterpoint structure associated with chromatic scales in western music and therefore sounds more discordant. This technique creates a sinister effect, emphasising the descent of the piece so far into its sombre tone. This effect lasts for two bars, after which the beat changes dramatically with the wood block fading out and bass drum and shaker taking over the rhythm, underlined by the continued alternation from F to E on the clarinet which keeps the whole piece connected and together despite the different musical changes going on. The contrasting light and heavy tones of the bass drum and shaker emphasise the changing mood of the song and the alternating, quicker beat also helps to build up tension. Tension is also built by the introduction of a continuous C chord played on the double bass, which creates quite an exciting, dramatic effect. The transition to section three concludes in a clip of an interview with Bobby Seale, leader of the Black Panther movement in the 1970s – sampled with added reverb to add a haunting effect to his voice – in which he says that people should learn to get along, encapsulating the message of cultural diversity.

“I think that, er, people are gonna have to learn how to live…together on the face of this earth…and the only way they’re gonna do it is to establish a humane revolutionary system that makes some sense”.

Extract from an interview with Bobby Seale,

Leader of the Black Panthers.

Courtesy of Getty Images

As Bobby Seale’s voice fades, the drum-shaker rhythm, double base and clarinet remain the only things we can hear and everything comes to a dramatic stop after 4 bars with the crash of a combination of western and Chinese drum cymbals. Not only does this introduce yet another interesting cultural musical sound to the piece, but provides a dramatic break in the transition from sections two and three. Section three is then marked by a complete change in rhythm, musical genre and atmosphere, highlighting a final part of celebration to the composition.

Section Three (1 minute, 45 seconds):

Starting with a sampled voice echoing the word ‘yeah’, section three sets the tone for a dramatic change of mood. Section three is based on a typical house-style music genre, with a variety of drum samples and keyboard styles based around a four-chord structure using A minor, F, C and G. One of the drum types sampled is bongos, which were chosen for their likeness to the drum sounds in Indian Bangra music, again bringing different musical cultures together and because Indian Bangra music is happy, fits the mood of this final piece. The mood is one of celebration as the performance comes to an end and hopefully, the distinctive beat and repeated melody, will inspire people and encourage them to want to dance together.

I used an electric piano to pick out the key points of the main tune, which reminded me of the melodies I had heard while listening to various steel bands for my research (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yXCDw427w&list=PLC7E6A4F4B86D18E1). I used an electric piano to replicate these melodies though as I felt it went better with the other sounds in the song. Rather than starting the electric piano straightaway though, I gradually faded the tune up so that it appeared gradually and then beneath that I added a deep bass keyboard to pick out parts of the melody again, over which I placed the lyrics.

The final lyrics, typical of a house music song, consist of just two phrases repeated over and over throughout the song and because of this, I wanted to make sure that the two phrases summarised the message of the performance and of my piece and so it was very important that I took care when writing them. The first of course, had to be the message ‘we’re stronger when we trust’ as this appears in sections one and two, which then not only connects all three sections together but emphasises the over-riding message of my composition. In order for it to scan properly, I just used the words ‘stronger when we trust’ and sampled this, changing the pitch and echo at different points to make it sound interesting. My inspiration for the second phrase again came from a quote from Martin Luther King:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth101472.html)

I used the final part of the quote ‘love can do that’ as an ‘answer’ to the first phrase, which I think works well.

Task three: To reflect on the composition and consider ways to improve future compositions

The celebration of cultural diversity provides lots of inspiration for composing music, however I have realised that it is important to be selective when trying to use so many cultural sounds in a single composition and still keep it clear and well structured. As such, though my research has been wide, the decisions I have made about my final piece have been determined not only by my understanding of cultural diversity, but also how to best represent this in my composition and not overload it with ideas. Though folk music is new to me, I have generally used western musical genres I feel most comfortable with to form the basis of my compositions and used cultural music and poetic influences on top to form my melodies and lyrics. Though the three genres I have used contrast quite a lot, I think I have successfully

Reference List

Cultural diversity

http://www.mylearning.org/global-citizens--make-an-impact/p-2022/ [accessed 23/7/17]

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html [accessed 23/7/17]

Remember the Seventies: A pictorial history of a stirring decade (2011) Parragon, London (accompanying DVD used for Bobby Seale extract, courtesy of Getty Images)

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/race-relations [accessed 3/8/17]

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rosa_parks.html [accessed 3/8/17]

https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf [accessed 3/8/17]

African tribal music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a7IHDXRG6k [accessed 24/7/17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzhICV5wWlM [accessed 24/7/17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55mLhdHRJ8 [accessed 24/7/17]

Caribbean music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/world_music/music_carribean4.shtml [accessed 28/8/17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yXCDw427w&list=PLC7E6A4F4B86D18E1 [accessed 23/7/17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VeaMEiWo-4 [accessed 8/8/17]

Indian music