Reflection 3 of 'Adiemus' for Winter Concert

This week there were many absentees (Almira, Asli and Haeun), so due to this, we weren't able to record the song this week. But a clear recording of our version of Adiemus was posted in my last reflection. This is the link for the recording of Adiemus we filmed last week. Since we were practicing for the winter concert, we haven't really broadened our minds on music technology but we definitely have developed some other useful skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFV6WPpUX8

Our main objective when practicing this piece was to obviously perform it the best we could but to also add our own unique twists to it, so it isn't uniformed copy of the original. I think we successfully achieved that in numerous ways and this is what improved our creatively thinking skills. First of all, in the chorus, instead of using the 2 part harmony performed in the original song, we decided to include 3rd lower harmony for additional texture and variation. The normal melody was performed by Miray and myself, the higher harmony was conducted by Asli and Almira and finally our additional third lower harmony was carried out by Maria and Leen. This was a very interesting and successful choice for the chorus as it contrasts the first verse where we sang in unison. This is general makes the piece for captivating for the audience as we are gradually adding on layers, it adds a sensation of expectancy for more. 

Another thing that drew a distinct line between the original piece and our version, was the structure. We didn't incorporate the bridge from the original song but instead we used Haeun's flute solo as the bridge, as a break from the singing and to transition us into our final, strong chorus. The flute solo was accompanied by the piano playing in the piano dynamic, to ensure that it doesn't overpower the flute but instead blends in harmony. Subho repeats the same chords he played for the introduction for connectivity between the chorus to the bridge. As we transitioned from the chorus into the bridge, there are only a few layers, so it portrays an interesting contrast as right after is the final chorus, where there are thick textures.  

Thirdly, our version of 'Adiemus' differentiates from the original with our use of dynamics, as mentioned briefly in the previous paragraph. The gradually changing dynamics are what spark interest into the piece and keep the audience intrigued. When we moved from the bridge to the final chorus, there was a slow increase in the dynamics (volume) to forte, this gave the piece an energising illusion. While in the original piece the flute solo is played in the mezzo forte dynamic. Also the dynamics of the piano in general altered throughout the entire piece, the volume gradually increased and then it dropped to piano for the flute solo and then there was crescendo to mezzo forte for the final chorus. 

In regards to the approaches to learning, we have developed a number of skills, except for our music technology skills. Firstly, as a cohesive group, we have developed our organisational skills. We have developed these skills, as we collaboratively arranged our piece in a way to ensure it still sounds good but in the process adding our additional twists. We demonstrated high understanding of these skills as we, by ourselves coordinated with each other and formed this piece. We had many aspects to consider (dynamics, placement of instruments, harmonies, timing, structure of the piece, etc.) and i think we done it successfully. 

Additionally, our affective skills were the best developed. This is because throughout the entire course of these few weeks, we sensibly practiced our piece and always stayed on task. We have demonstrated these mindful skills as you can see from each of the weekly reflection that we have progressed further and achieved something new. Once in a while, a few outside member that weren't part of the winter concert group would come to us and try to distract us, but we were very responsible and handled these situations well, as we kindly conveyed to them that we needed to get on with our work. I was very happy working with these group of people as we all concentrated on the task and tried to do our best during the course of these few weeks. A strategy that we used to improve our affective skills, was that we decided to improve on one aspect each lesson. So if we needed to work on the intonations in the harmonies, that would be the main objective for the next lesson. We didnt]'t want any obstacles to come in the way of a good performance so this strategy really helped and also demonstrated our resilience. 

Thirdly, as an individual I think I have also improved my reflection skills. In the first week, when I wrote my reflection, it was very brief. It included only what we did the whole lesson, nothing about improvements for a better piece, obstacles or the progression of any developing skills. I realised the vagueness of my first reflection when I was writing my second reflection. I worked very hard to make this reflection detailed. I tried to cover all the details that a reflection should include. I included what we did, what we successfully progressed in, gave regards to the 8 elements of music (this was something that not everybody included, so I am happy that I was able to achieve this), and in the conclusion, i gave improvements for next time and overall perspective of the lesson. 

In conclusion, I think for a very small group we have achieved a good version of 'Adiemus' since for the original song they used a very large orchestra. Although we did do well ,there are always certain aspects that can be improved on. One of these aspects are the dynamics of our voices, some people are louder than eachother, so it ruins the smooth feel of the voices. We need to all practice singing in the same volume as this will sound more united. In relation to me, I think I should sing a little bit louder because in the chorus, the normal melody get washed out by the corresponding harmonies. Overall, I think it has been a wonderful few weeks learning this song, it was very different song from all the choir songs we've performed so it was definitely a new experience for me and a very intriguing one. 

This is the link for our Moby- Why does my heart feel so bad piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5-yHOeqQyw

Reflection 2 of ‘Adiemus’ Winter Concert Practice

Reflection 2 of ‘Adiemus’ Winter Concert Practice

This week, we continued our practice of Adiemus by Karl Jenkins. Adiemus succeeds in creating the impression of an enchanted global youth or female choir. Our intentions this week were to progress further within the song and to work on incorporating the flute more smoothly into the piece. Additionally, we also wanted to ensure that our harmonies were correctly sung, because there were a few instances in which we went off-key or sang the wrong harmony. Since we’re a small group of 6 singers, we’re very quiet, the majority of the time our voices are in the piano dynamic. This may affect our overall performance in the winter concert, as our voices may not be accessible especially with the louder instruments. These few things are what we wanted to achieve this lesson because the above mentioned 3 aspects were what we were lacking in and needed improving on from the previous music lesson.  

We have successfully progressed from last week and tackled some of the problems. This time there was a major difference in Haeun’s flute concerto as it sounded well rehearsed and we easily incorporated it into the piece without any abrupt stops. But the vibrations that the flute has in the original piece, is not similarly resembled in ours, as it requires high technique for it to be achieved. However, the notes are still the same. These aspects were all achieved for the flute playing but it’s not that well represented in the recording since we only had one trial and were running out of time. In the process, we decided to change the dynamics of the piano to piano for a more muted and gentle feel to the piece. This actually makes our voices sound louder. Moving on, we also decided to vary the dynamics of our voices during the piece so that it’ll keep the audience interested and also work on our projection issue. It’s a crescendo as the volume of our voices increases gradually. The first verse is in piano, the pre-chorus is in mezzo forte and the chorus is then forte. The chorus is our strongest and loudest part. This variation in dynamics adds an intriguing touch and makes the piece sound more professional.

In regards to the elements of music, these 8 characteristics are vital for a good piece. Starting off with beats and meter. Beats give music its regular rhythmic pattern and are grouped together in a measure; the notes and rests correspond to a certain number of beats. Meter refers to rhythmic patterns produced by grouping together strong and weak beats. In the original piece it’s 76 beats per minute, we are similarly in the same tempo.

Second is dynamics. They’re used to signify the degree of loudness or softness and indicate whether there is a change in volume in a piece of music. This has already been referred to in the previous paragraph.

The third element of music is harmony.  Harmony refers to the combination of notes (or chords) played together and the relationship between a series of chords, it accompanies and supports the melody. We’ve used harmony in our piece to give it musical texture. There’s a 2 part harmony for the pre-chorus (melody + lower harmony) and there’s a variation to a 3 part harmony in the chorus for strength (lower harmony + melody + upper harmony).

The fourth element of music is key. It’s also known as tonality; a principle in music composition wherein at the end of the piece there is a feeling of completion by going back to the tonic. The key of ‘Adiemus’ is D minor.

The fifth element of music is melody.  It refers to the tune of a song or piece of music. it is the memorable tune created by playing a succession or series of pitches. We kept our melody the exact same compared to the original, because we liked the unique tune and wanted to maintain that same creativeness.

The sixth element of music is pitch. It is the relative lowness or highness that we hear in a sound. The pitch of a sound is based on the frequency of vibration and the size of the vibrating object. The pitch of the voice in the original piece is carefully stylized as to not distract the listener’s attention from the timbre of the voice.

The seventh element of music is rhythm. Rhythm is defined as the pattern or placement of sounds in time and beats in music and tempo indicates how slowly or fast the piece should be played. In the ‘Adiemus’ original piece the percussion section is prominently made up of an up-beat, tribal-like rhythm. We started to incorporate this by adding bongos. Elie will be performing the percussion, although he was added in recently so it’s not there in the recording.

Lastly, the seventh element of music is texture. Musical texture refers to the number of layers as well as the type of layers used in a composition and how these layers are related. This is present in the original piece as the textures are largely uplifting and has classically influenced musical frameworks. Musical texture is represented with the variations in harmony and instruments.

In conclusion, this week was quite productive as we positively tackled most of our difficulties and improved from last week’s session. However, our harmonies are still not completely perfect, we still need to work on the balance between them in the chorus. The chorus is the hardest part for harmonies as there are 3 harmonies that are required to be performed with 6 people. So that mean 2 people per harmony, so it kind of lacks in strength. Improving on this will definitely take this piece to another level. And another improvement for next week would be the incorporation of the bongos. We don’t have a clear understanding of the placement and beats that will be performed using the bongos so we will need to clarify that. But overall, I think we have successfully moved on from last week in a positive manner and have almost perfected the 8 elements of music within this piece.

This is a recording of our piece so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFV6WPpUX8

The Evolution of Music Technology Howard Goodall’s Big Bang Moments in Musical History- Recorded Music

The Evolution of Music Technology

Howard Goodall’s Big Bang Moments in Musical History-

 Episode 5: Recorded Music 

1. We take the easy availability of music for granted. 

2. People used to hear music once or twice a decade. 

3. The big bang that allowed music to be recorded was to change it forever. 
4. 20th century musicians were also impacted by the development of recorded music.

5. Serenoda Bergerac had a vision of the journey to a moon where they were talking. 

6. Captain Bergerac was a moon dweller.
7. The first recording was Mary had a little lamb in 1977.

8.  Made from Tinfoil, needle and diaphragm by Thomas Edison. If you shout into the tube, the diaphragm will consequently move and push the needle onto the cylinder tinfoil. This will create dents to listen.

9. The problem with using the tinfoil was that it only had one use and not reusable.

10. The improvement that came into the 1880’s were the wax cylinders and these were reusable.
11. In the 1890's the jukebox and the phonogram took America by storm.

12. The classical music world turned their noses up at the ability to record as there was a better way to light dance music and variety of music. 
13. The earliest surviving musical recording in existence is a piece of Handle's (found in Egypt).

14.  Since the record only last for 2 minutes.

15. Gang recording are when they copied into each cylinder again and again. 
16. Emil Berliner created the flat disk gramophone so that unlimited copies could be made.
17. The rubber disks were replaced by Shellac- made by Malaysian beetles.
18. A portrait called “his masters voice” became the most recognisable trait. 

19.  Opera was the genre of music celebrating its ‘golden age’ at the turn of the century (1800 into 1900). 

20. Enrico Caruso became one of the biggest singers in the world. Enrico’s life changed when he was invited to sing in the holiest of all shrines at the age of 27.  

21. 10 records were cut that made gramophone history. 

22.  Curuso’s discs were the first million selling discs.
23. The craze that made classical artists to also join was Curuso's fame and wealth.

24. Alessandro Moreschi was the last living castrato. He is considered unique in terms of unique of recording as it was considered very haunting and frightening. 

25. The gramophone caused music to lose its context as it became portable. For example instead of using it for a theatrical performance, it’s now used for even just a merry picnic resulting in the lost context. 

26. In the first 20 years of recording technology, it was difficult for recording as it was less pure and the sounds are very faint as they are too low, too quite or too subtle to be picked up.

27. Nowadays, the recordings have varied, as all sounds are heard clearly with the use of modern microphones.

28. They tried to solve these problems by the pioneer engineers improvising vigorously to improve sounds. They created a platform for the piano to be placed on to elevate sounds. And also they used more beefy strings to thicken sound.  Additionally, a new a violin was invented, although it looked a bit eccentric it played louder sounds and changed the string instruments to brass. 

29. They recorded Mozart’s Overture The Marriage of Figaro by changing the strings on the brass strings. 

30. The genre it had the most impact of electronic microphone was on Popular Music. Much more sensitive and could cope with a wider range of frequencies. 

31. The classic music scene was affected by the development of recorded sound, as it was no longer needed to sing into the tin foil dome. Quieter instruments could be artificially boosted to be heard better. 
32. This allowed the audience to focus on more serious concert music. 

33. The player could only play for a maximum period of 6 minutes, but they improved this by introducing shellac. They used shellac to make vinyls, which could play for a maximum period of 25 minutes with no disruption.

34. Maria Callas was a female successor like Caruso because of her recordings. Her vocal performances could be heard with absolute quality. 

35. In the 1950’s the industry went to overdrive, vast range of music found its way on to disc.

36. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band enabled different performances of the same piece to be put together (like copy and paste). 

37. 200 edits may be included in a 2-hour piece.
38. The purpose of music changed in the modern age because of the battle between the concept of music on the one hand as a living, breathing, organic condition, ceaselessly reinventing itself, never static, never finished and on the other hand, the concept of music as a thing, like a building, poem, painting or sculpture. Throughout the 20^th century composers and performers grappled with these 2 conflicting views of music.

39. Recording is considered a double-edged sword for soloists because the recordings have vastly increased the technical proficiency of music and you can’t get away with performing live in a less perfect manner. This has led to a lack of risk-taking and uniformity of performers. 
40.  Recordings standardized performance styles and also standardized the repertoire. 
41. Listening in the present is considered a triumph over the past

    42.  Fred Gaisberg set off across the globe to capture on them the strange and wonderful sounds of music from other cultures. 
      43. This effected composers as it broadened their minds and triggered their imagination. 
      44. Bela Bartok took a photograph and recorded the folk music of his native country. After analyzing this ethnic raw material, he then wrote his own pieces inspired by it. 

      45. The form of music that had the biggest impact on European music was African music.

46. The English composer David Fanshawe toward Africa and Middle East and the Pacific in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, compiled a vast library of tapes of tribal music. Fanshawe’s African saunters mixed Western African music with live instruments and singers.

47.  David Fanshawe believes that all music is related, all human beings are interrelated musically. He believes we have our soul is the universality of music. 

48. Black America gave birth to wave after wave of new musical forms and styles from Jazz to Hip-hop, from Ragtime to Jungle, from the Blues to Motown.

49. Some of the classical composers who were influenced by the sound of black American’s were Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel.

50. Avant Grande composers from a classical background were engaged in experiments and sounds and technology that would have an equally profound effect on popular music.

51. Digital sampling is the love child of recording in music. Few composers have been as intrigued by its possibilities and as key to its developed. One of these composers is Steve Reich and he is considered brilliant for this.

52.  Steve Reich’s ‘Different Trains’ is about the moving work to attempt to blend speech tape and live performance. It’s a haunting and powerful application of his childhood and reflection on the American Jewish experience. The third and final movement of trains is an attempt to reconcile the painful memories of the past with the present.

53. Few contemporary composers have managed as effectively to marry such ideas with musical techniques that themselves defy the old musical boundaries. Steve is aware of these boundaries. He thinks they are in touch with the folk music of our time. “It’s what people do not coached and unbidden in their garages, in their homes and eventually it becomes professional and that is the mark of folk music. It’s just urban, we don’t have much left but urban”. 

54. Music historians of the future might describe this time as the age of convergence.

55.  In this current era, we are observing the meltdown of previously rigid musical compartments and styles. A protest we owe principally to Edison’s Big Bang, the invention of recorded sound.

56. The 4 earlier big bangs in music all started small, local and specific, whereas today, the bread and butter of musicians from many different styles, cultures and traditions, music is simply unthinkable without them.

57.  The next Big Bang for music might potentially be the impact of the Internet, but whatever it is, it will be creating to the generations that follow us, a treasure of incomparable value and beauty.

58. The effect of this invention of recorded sound has had an impact on music. It has completely changed the purpose of music and discovered new styles correlating with different cultures and races to suit all people.

59. This has changed the expectations and perceptions, with the repeatability of recorded sound on a much broader scope. When the phonograph was invented, the goal for any recording was to simulate a live performance, to approach reality as closely as possible. Over the decades, expectations have changed. For many listeners, music is now primarily a technologically mediated experience. Concerts must therefore live up to recordings.

60. Since the phonograph was the reason for the change in expectations and perceptions, I consider this to be the most important aspect of the invention of recorded sound.