24/5/2011 Last day

Today started off with usual attendance. Then Mr. John said that he already got the score for the out John Williams essay. I got 7.5 out of 8 which is not a pretty bad score but i wanted to get an 8. He also got the scores for the solo performance. I got a 9.3 out of 10. Its a good score but i wanted to get 10. Then Mr. John asked some students who got a high score to share some tips on how to achieve a high score and what not. Then we had instrument class. We had free time and we just talked about some stuff. Today is the last day of music.

23/5/2011 Solo performance assessment

Today we had attendance as usual. Then we had to perform out composition infront of everyone as part of out solo performance assessment. First was the guitar students, then piano, then woodwind and then violin. In every instrument class, it was arranged in alphabetical order. In violin, Aradhea was the first to play, then it was me and so on and so forth. They also gave us 2 booklets: one for the solo performance and one for the music composition. We had to submit the booklet about the solo performance today while we can submit the other booklet tomorrow. All we had to do was write a reflection on how we did and what not.

16/5/2011

Today started off with the usual attendance. Then Mr. John and Mr. Hari asked us for the soft copy of our finale. We were shocked at first because a few weeks ago he told us that we dont need to submit the soft copy and now we have to submit it today? I wasn't worried because i remember i sent the soft copy of my finale a long time ago because i first thought that he needs the soft copy. The other students whi have their soft copy right now could put it in the computer through USB. The ones who didn't bring had to send it through email because that day was the deadline of the soft copy.

10/5/2011 Writing assessment

Today started with the usual attendance. Then we started with the assessment in which we had to write an essay about John Williams based on our understanding from the handout. Mr. John also said that we could also add additional information that was not included in the handout. I write my essay in different paragraphs. One paragraphs for his early years, another paragraphs for his musical career and another paragraph for why he is so inspirational. I think that I didn't write enough information because I didn't have time to write them all.

9/5/2011

Today started with the usual attendance. Then we discussed about the assessment that was going to happen tomorrow. But then some students were punished and lectured for not bringing their resources again and again. Then we read about the John Williams handout again. Mr. John told us to highlight the important stuff which would really be helpful for us. Then we went to instrument class where we practiced more for our solo performance.

3/5/2011

Today started with usual attendance. Then Mr. John asked 3 students from each instrument to play their composition infront of everyone. First up was the piano. First was Rhea, then Priyanka and then Vanessa. After the piano students were the guitar students. First was Gama, Mawira then Rego. After the guitar students were the woodwind students who were Brian, Raihan and Fero. After them, the violin students were supposed to play but then we ran out of time and went to instrument class. In there, we practiced our composition.

2/5/2011

Today started off with the usual attendance. Then we discussed more about John Williams. We also talked about what would decrease our score for the written assessment. Then Mr. John and Mr. Herry showed us some of John Williams' works. They showed videos with music such as the Star Wars Theme, Indiana Jones theme and many more. It sounded really nice. Then we were given a few tips and what not.

26/4/2011

Today started with the usual attendance. Then we discussed more about John Williams. Some students had to read a few paragraphs in the handout that was given to us. Then we had a short quiz based on the handout. I'm guessing that Mr. John did this exercise because it wold help us in practicing for the written assessment.

25/4/2011

Today started with attendance as usual. Then Mr. John handed us a handout about the famous composer John Williams. He gave us a time to read about it and we know we know who he is and what his famous pieces were. We also learned about his awards. Then Mr. John told us that this would be our topic for our writing assessment.

19/4/2011

Today started with usual attendance. Then Mr. John picked random students one by one and told them to write a note on the board. He then explained that he was giving us an example of how easy and simple it is to create a composition. Then he asked one person from each instrument to play the composition and it sounded nice. Then he reminded us about our solo playing and stuff.

18/4/2011

Today started with the usual attendance as usual. Then Mr. John reminded us about the solo instrument playing assessment which is just a few weeks away somewhere in May. The he taught us about the chords which made a a little confused. Then he said that we need to base our own composition with specific chords which made me even more confused. Then he began to explain about the chords. He told us about the tonic, sub-dominant and dominant seventh chords. Tonic is basically the first note that is chosen. Then sub-dominant is the fourth note from the tonic. Then dominant seventh is the seventh note from the tonic so it was quite simple but what confuses me is that we have to base our melody on chords so in instrument class I asked Mr. Sadrakh about it and he just told us to ignore it and just focus on our melody at hand.

12/4/2011

Today started with usual attendance and music was the first class for that day. But since Mr. John was absent, Mr. Herry and Mr. Hari replaced him. Some of the students submitted their work. I was one of them. They explained more about the Finale software and gave a few examples of other students composition. Thy also gave an example of a bad composition. They made the terrible composition to show us that our composition shouldn't be like that and should be in tune. It should connect from 1 note to another. Then they also told us to do something that Mr. John never told us to do. They wanted us to submit the hardcopy. I was using the demo version so I couldn't save the file so I asked for Jody's help. I asked him to copy down the notes in Finale, save it and then send it to me and it worked. However on Thursday, when we wanted to submit the soft copy, Mr. John said that we don't need to give him the soft copy.

11/4/2011

Today started off with the usual attendance of complete or incomplete items. Then we talked more about the Finale. Mr. Hari also helped Mr. John explain about Finale. He showed it to us through a projector and explain to us how to download it and more. They even told us that we can copy their software from them. They explained it in a very clear way. Then Mr. John also said that the due date for the Finale is moved to Thursday (14/4/2011). Everyone was relieved including me.

05/4/2011

Today started off with usual attendance and music was also our first class for this day. After the attendance Mr. John gave a few more example of AABA and also explained a bit more about how to use Finale. Then he said that the composition was due on Monday (11/4/2011) which was just 1 week away. I think that I can finish the composition by that time and submit it. After that we had instrument class. If i remember correctly, we only had a few minutes left so Mr. Sadrakh just talked a bit and then told us to practice at home. He told us to play a music piece from the Suzuki book 2.

04/4/2011

Today was our first music session in Term 4. We first start with attendance as usual. After that we discussed about the things we were going to do this term. He told us that we were going to make our own music composition using the AABA format. It was quite easy to understand about it. He also told us that we need to do it in Finale and that we need a total of 16 bars, 4 bars on each line. I think that it will be difficult for me to make the composition because I don't know if I still have the Finale software.