Yr 2 - Portfolio - setting targets

This class is about building a portfolio of work that is relevant to your career path. In your first assignment, I asked you to write a plan that outlined what your portfolio content will be.

Today we looked at breaking this down into smaller tasks and setting time-based targets to work towards. It is important that you have plan your time carefully and set yourself targets because I am not going to plan content for the lessons, I will be helping each of you work towards your targets whatever they may be. The steps you need to take should be already written on your blogs - this is Question 4 from the first assignment. Now we are going to establish a schedule.

Please complete the work we started in class today. Write a list of the things you need to do in order to complete your portfolio by the end of the year, and set a deadline for each part. This should be a new blog post called 'Portfolio - Targets'.

Here are a few examples of how you can plan your time. It will be different for each one of you. The ideas need to come from you - I can't plan your career for you!


Content: 10 track album (hip-hop)
Instrumentals - already done
Finish recording vocals - December
Mix all tracks - Feb/March
Mastering - April
Release single: May (Soundcloud)
Release album: June (Bandcamp)

Music video: find director - Feb
Music video: planning - March
Music video: shoot - April
Music video: edit - May
Music video: release - June


Content: 4 track EP (singer/songwriter)
Finish lyrics - December
Guide tracks - January
Rehearsals - Jan/Feb
Recording - Feb/March
Mixing - April (who will mix the songs? do you need to find a mix engineer?)
Release - June (Soundcloud)

Artwork: moodboard - December
Artwork: photos - Feb/March
Artwork: editing - April
Artwork: publish (Instagram) - May


As well as the art/music/videos think about how you will present your work....
Do you need your own website?
Do you have all the social media channels set up?
Do you have a brand name/artist name?
Do you have a logo?
Do you have press shots?

Website: set up your domain (eg: http://philthdj.com ) - December
Website: plan your pages/layout - January
Website: design - Feb/March
Website: content - April/May

Yr1 Music Production - Studio Tasks

This term you have two task for Grant. Please read the briefs carefully, and if you do not know when your recording time is then please ask us.

Task 7 (A) - Equipment Quizzes

Task 7 (B) - Studio Recording

Yr 1 Music Production - Performers Essay

Here is the assignment brief - please follow these guidelines, the assignment is about musicians and their equipment, not their life story!


1) Performers comparison
Choose two performers, one DJ and one live/electronic musician or band. Write a case study comparing:
• their style(s) of music and how they choose to present this music to their audience
• their equipment and how they use it to engage with the audience
• performance techniques they use to engage with the audience

Use photos and videos to provide examples and illustrate your points. I want to know your opinions – which techniques are more effective? Why?


2) Techniques you plan to employ
You have watched numerous live performances, along with your studies of DJ’s and contemporary musicians. Make a list of three performance techniques/methods that have stood out for you, and for each technique write a few paragraphs explaining why you think this technique is effective, and how you plan to use it in your own performances.

 
You must list all your research sources in a Bibliography at the bottom of the assignment. Listing Wikipedia or copying from Wikipedia is an immediate fail. However you may find that the reference list on a Wikipedia entry is a starting point to find online articles and other resources.


Submit your work as a blog post, titled ‘Performers Essay’ and labelled ‘Decades Project’. 

Yr 2 - Sound Design - Sampling

Download these files. First use one of the pads (they are labelled with the notes of the samples), then one of the 'pre-prepared' sounds, then finally try chopping up part of a full song.

Don't try to run before you can walk!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2tg2a82cqvzv5h4/AAD3x4IqL1NIDxaj4QnX5G8Ua?dl=0

Yr 1 - Decades Task 2 - Workshop Diary

Download the assignment brief here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dk25rlxhyixephm/Task%202%20%20-%20Workshop%20Diary.docx?dl=0

From the beginning of the Decades Project, each week create a blog entry documenting the content of your workshops for that week, the new skills you are learning and areas in which you wish to develop further.

This means your Logic skills, studio knowledge, and DJ skills. For each week’s blog entry you must include a video, screenshot/photo or Soundcloud player with an example of the skill you have learnt this week, and in each blog entry reflect on how your skills are developing and how you can improve further.

This task will culminate in a Logic exercise and performing a short DJ set.

Consider these key questions each week:

● What skills have you learnt or developed this week?

● What did you do?

● When did you do it? 

● How can you use this skill in the future?

● Did your workshops show any areas of weakness?

● What’s the target for next week? 

Yr 2 - Portfolio - Assignment Brief

https://www.dropbox.com/s/81hbokymhck2uit/Portfolio%20-%20Research%20and%20Planning.docx?dl=0

Your task is to study your field, and figure out what you need to do in order to get to where you want to be.

The goal is to create a portfolio that sets you up to move forwards in your career. In this assignment you will define what your final portfolio content will be, ready to create it in term 2.

Create a written report that answers all of the following questions, in order, in detail. You need to include a bibliography which lists all of your research. Wikipedia will not be considered a valid source so you will need to reference other sources or you will fail by default.

1) What are your career goals – where do you want to be? Be as specific as possible – identify people/record labels/companies/brands/venues that you want to work with.

2) Why have you identified this as your target? Talk about your skills as well as your aspirations.

3) Who are your role models? What did these people do in order to get to their position? Choose at least one leading professional in your field and write a detailed account of their career, including a biography and history as well as their current position. In your opinion, what were the key moments in their ascension? How can you mimic their career path?

4) What steps are you going to take to achieve your goals? Be specific, break it down into all the small steps that will get you to your targets. Justify your decisions based on research, explain in detail why you have identified these actions as being integral to your progress.

5) What will be the content of your Portfolio? What are you going to create? And where/how will it be displayed? Justify your decisions based on what you have learnt in your research.


NB: This assignment is intended to prepare you to create a Career Plan in Term 2.

Title the work ‘Portfolio – Research and Planning’, with the label ‘Unit 9’.