Hey everybody!
So I've been putting together the pieces of my graded unit and it all seems to be coming together. I'm having to count a lot on other people this weekend to get things to me but I remain optimistic! I'm so glad to have such talented friends that were willing to help - other than my fellow class mates and my college lecturers, I also want to thank Mark Walker, Jamie Mowat and Calum Bryson for their assistance (teamwork).
"Streets" rehearsals are going extremely well - less than a week until the first night! I'm really excited, it's a wonderful show and I love doing it. I hope we have a good turn out for the three nights :).
"Carousel" rehearsals with Perth City operatic Group are also progressing nicely - I am going to be missing a few rehearsals for the sake of "Streets" but it cannot be helped. Good news is that I was successful in my audition for the part of Julie Jordan! My biggest part yet :)! (confidence, musical ability, performance skills).
Music theory is stressing me out - I don't want to fail getting on to second year because of theory when I've done so well in my other classes. Finding the time to study as well as rehearse and work and put together my GU and practice for my singing assessment is very tricky! It's very hard to focus at the moment with everything that is going on. However, I will do my best.
So I have my final singing assessment on Monday. Here are some of the songs I'm performing:
"Being Alive"
"Don't Tell Mama"
"What's the Use of Wondrin'?"
"Easy As Life"
Mike has also asked me to perform in a competition on Tuesday, held by the Rotary Club. The plan at the moment is to sing "Being Alive" and "Don't Tell Mama" as these give me the best chance to perform and add drama, especially "Don't Tell Mama".
So wish me luck for Monday for my assessments, Tuesday for the competition and the 2nd, 7th and 8th of June for "Streets"! Oh, and while you're at it you may as well wish me a Happy Birthday- I turn 21 on the 4th of June :D.
Just a final thank you for following my blog.
Wishing you the finest discoveries in life - sweet love, good food, and wonderful music.
(I felt the need to end with something sentimental!)
All the best,
Lauren Claire Baillie xXx
Friday, 27 May 2011
Saturday, 30 April 2011
THINGS and stuff!
Ok, I know, I haven't been keeping up to date. I'm sorry. I've been busy!
Firstly - "Guys and Dolls" was a great success! Loved it! It gave me new experiences, new contacts and more exposure (quite literally if you have seen the costumes I had to wear!). We were sold out pretty much every night. It's not my favourite of the shows I have done so far but I still enjoyed doing it. I loved my costumes and the dancing was good fun and a nice challenge too. So that took up most of my time during the easter break - not much of a holiday for me, I was shattered!
Oh I failed Music Theory - but ONLY on Scale Construction, I think that's quite miraculous for me to be honest! So I have to re-sit that section. Sean is going to go over where I went wrong with my answers on Monday.
I had a photo shoot to use in my marketing materials - that's another graded unit requirement ticked off the list! The photos are lovely and pretentious. I got a couple of my arty friends and we drove out to the Hermitage on a beautifully sunny day!
I had a recording done of me singing "Another Double" from "Streets". Only 4 weeks to go!
There are also now a couple of videos on Youtube of myself and my college band. One is an original called "Funky Monkey" and the other is a cover of "Squeezebox" by "the Who".
"Lord of the Blings: A Hip H-opera" took place on Thursday and I loved every minute of it. I miss it already, was such a great laugh. The guys are so talented and really good fun.
I watched John Cargill's project - a tribute to Justin Timberlake which was really very good, Jay threw some excellent shapes up on stage and it all sounded really good!
I also watched Martin Inches' tribute to Final Fantasy Soundtrack and I absolutely adored it, I love FF! The band sounded really tight and I was just blown away to be honest.
On Monday I'm going to go and see Chris Findlay's project and I'm really looking forward to it!
I have been asked to sing at a Tesco staff night on Thursday. Still not completely sure what I'm going to sing as I need to get backing tracks sorted, currently scouring the net for free/cheap backing tracks.
Singing in JP's reggae project and Paris Afshar's project on Friday (took the day off work and everything! There's commitment for you!).
My next show with Perth City Operatic Group will be in September and it is "Carousel". The principal auditions are very soon and I'm auditioning for the part of Julie- so fingers crossed!
I got an A in my last singing assessment! Mike said it was the best he had ever heard me sing (which is certainly something as I've been singing with him for many years now!) Hopefully I'll sing that well for my audition :D.
Think that's everything. I haven't really gone in to too much detail as there has been so much! But I will let you know how these pending projects etc go.
All the best and the rest, LcB x
Firstly - "Guys and Dolls" was a great success! Loved it! It gave me new experiences, new contacts and more exposure (quite literally if you have seen the costumes I had to wear!). We were sold out pretty much every night. It's not my favourite of the shows I have done so far but I still enjoyed doing it. I loved my costumes and the dancing was good fun and a nice challenge too. So that took up most of my time during the easter break - not much of a holiday for me, I was shattered!
Oh I failed Music Theory - but ONLY on Scale Construction, I think that's quite miraculous for me to be honest! So I have to re-sit that section. Sean is going to go over where I went wrong with my answers on Monday.
I had a photo shoot to use in my marketing materials - that's another graded unit requirement ticked off the list! The photos are lovely and pretentious. I got a couple of my arty friends and we drove out to the Hermitage on a beautifully sunny day!
I had a recording done of me singing "Another Double" from "Streets". Only 4 weeks to go!
There are also now a couple of videos on Youtube of myself and my college band. One is an original called "Funky Monkey" and the other is a cover of "Squeezebox" by "the Who".
"Lord of the Blings: A Hip H-opera" took place on Thursday and I loved every minute of it. I miss it already, was such a great laugh. The guys are so talented and really good fun.
I watched John Cargill's project - a tribute to Justin Timberlake which was really very good, Jay threw some excellent shapes up on stage and it all sounded really good!
I also watched Martin Inches' tribute to Final Fantasy Soundtrack and I absolutely adored it, I love FF! The band sounded really tight and I was just blown away to be honest.
On Monday I'm going to go and see Chris Findlay's project and I'm really looking forward to it!
I have been asked to sing at a Tesco staff night on Thursday. Still not completely sure what I'm going to sing as I need to get backing tracks sorted, currently scouring the net for free/cheap backing tracks.
Singing in JP's reggae project and Paris Afshar's project on Friday (took the day off work and everything! There's commitment for you!).
My next show with Perth City Operatic Group will be in September and it is "Carousel". The principal auditions are very soon and I'm auditioning for the part of Julie- so fingers crossed!
I got an A in my last singing assessment! Mike said it was the best he had ever heard me sing (which is certainly something as I've been singing with him for many years now!) Hopefully I'll sing that well for my audition :D.
Think that's everything. I haven't really gone in to too much detail as there has been so much! But I will let you know how these pending projects etc go.
All the best and the rest, LcB x
Friday, 18 March 2011
*whistling a jaunty tune*
Good afternoon, and happy Red Nose Day!
I thought I would update this a little earlier this week as I have the time today.
Starting with Monday (no use doing it in any other order, that would be most confusing!), in First Study I discussed with Mike what songs to do for the final singing assessment in April. Initially he said he wanted us to do different genres but when I spoke to him about my songs we ended up picking 3 musical songs! I don't mind as this is the genre I want to progress in. The songs as it stands are
1. "Don't Tell Mama" from "Cabaret"
2. "Be Italian" from "Nine"
3. "Being Alive" from "Company".
On Monday I also had Creative Industries Infrastructure. I can't say i'm getting much out of the lectures, but the presentations on Blackboard (as ugly as they are) provided me with a list of organisations that I have compiled together as part of my graded unit research. Another box ticked! (self-reliance, IT skills, research skills and commitment).
I feel I am slowly (very slowly) progressing in Music Theory as I have been looking at the study material at home. We have our exam in the next couple of weeks and so I am trying to fit in study time when I can, I only hope that it is enough! I have found a way to remember my key signatures at least! (musical technical knowledge).
I had Lord of the Blings rehearsal in which I was given another part! I am to play both Arwen and Galadriel now :D.
After that I had "Streets" rehearsal, Finn and I went through one of our characters most important scenes together (Jenny Baillie assisting with direction) and we have managed to get an idea of what we want it to look like. Now I just need to make sure I practice my lines as they keep escaping me even though I know them!
I then had "Guys and Dolls" rehearsal (and to be honest I was shattered!) it went well though.
On Wednesday in DAW I got some help creating the drum part for "Hotel Song" by Regina Spektor that I have to recreate using Cubase. I think as long as I get enough help with it it should work out ok.
We had songwriting next, learning about time signatures and how to put them to best use in a song. It's something I will definitely do when it comes to writing my own one for this class.
In band practice we had some good jams (possibly some songs to come out of there) and managed to get up and running with Squeezebox (a definite keeper for the next gig I think!).
Exciting News
- My Facebook page currently has 44 likes!
- This week I have also asked my good friend Mark Walker to do my publicity photos for my press kit, the shoot will be arranged in the next few weeks.
- I have also asked for assistance in creating a website from one of my friends.
Now I am off to start making a template sheet for my testimonials. Lunchtime too I think!
Peace off
LcB xx
I thought I would update this a little earlier this week as I have the time today.
Starting with Monday (no use doing it in any other order, that would be most confusing!), in First Study I discussed with Mike what songs to do for the final singing assessment in April. Initially he said he wanted us to do different genres but when I spoke to him about my songs we ended up picking 3 musical songs! I don't mind as this is the genre I want to progress in. The songs as it stands are
1. "Don't Tell Mama" from "Cabaret"
2. "Be Italian" from "Nine"
3. "Being Alive" from "Company".
On Monday I also had Creative Industries Infrastructure. I can't say i'm getting much out of the lectures, but the presentations on Blackboard (as ugly as they are) provided me with a list of organisations that I have compiled together as part of my graded unit research. Another box ticked! (self-reliance, IT skills, research skills and commitment).
I feel I am slowly (very slowly) progressing in Music Theory as I have been looking at the study material at home. We have our exam in the next couple of weeks and so I am trying to fit in study time when I can, I only hope that it is enough! I have found a way to remember my key signatures at least! (musical technical knowledge).
I had Lord of the Blings rehearsal in which I was given another part! I am to play both Arwen and Galadriel now :D.
After that I had "Streets" rehearsal, Finn and I went through one of our characters most important scenes together (Jenny Baillie assisting with direction) and we have managed to get an idea of what we want it to look like. Now I just need to make sure I practice my lines as they keep escaping me even though I know them!
I then had "Guys and Dolls" rehearsal (and to be honest I was shattered!) it went well though.
On Wednesday in DAW I got some help creating the drum part for "Hotel Song" by Regina Spektor that I have to recreate using Cubase. I think as long as I get enough help with it it should work out ok.
We had songwriting next, learning about time signatures and how to put them to best use in a song. It's something I will definitely do when it comes to writing my own one for this class.
In band practice we had some good jams (possibly some songs to come out of there) and managed to get up and running with Squeezebox (a definite keeper for the next gig I think!).
Exciting News
- My Facebook page currently has 44 likes!
- This week I have also asked my good friend Mark Walker to do my publicity photos for my press kit, the shoot will be arranged in the next few weeks.
- I have also asked for assistance in creating a website from one of my friends.
Now I am off to start making a template sheet for my testimonials. Lunchtime too I think!
Peace off
LcB xx
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Onwards and... well, onwards!
Good morning!
Ok let's get down to it.
This week was busy as always. On Monday the rehearsal plans for "Streets" were changed for that evening and so I was able to stay at "Lord Of the Blings: The Hip-Hopera" rehearsal for considerably longer (versatility and adaptability) which was great as it gave me the chance to hear pretty much the whole thing and meet the rest of the cast that I previously had not met. It was pretty hilarious, hopefully all the jokes will go over well on stage. Alex has said that he is going to expand the scene with me in it, probably with dialogue with Aragorn (I'm playing Arwen). My song is a slightly changed version of "Wild Horses" (in the style of the Susan Boyle cover) with a slow rap section in the middle, by Frodo.
Monday evening I had "Guys and Dolls" Rehearsal, as usual. Can't believe the show is only in about 3 weeks time! I got a chance to see photos of what our HotBox costumes are going to look like, which was great as we usually just get a big shock at the costume call! The costumes don't look AS revealing as I was dreading so that's a bit of a relief! Plus most of them are red :). The show is really coming together though which is good.
On Wednesday in creative project we watched the Fat Sams gig which I was dreading, to be honest. I knew that the second song "Empty Walls" had gone wrong because I couldn't hear myself through the monitors and just had to guess what I was singing for the high section, which is usually the part that was easiest in rehearsal. Thankfully that section is only at the start of the song and the song isn't particularly long either! I was pretty mortified when I went off key though - sods law it had to be captured on camera and will probably come back to haunt me one of these days. I have begged my fellow band members not to use that song for their graded unit etc and not to upload it anywhere (I think I would have a panic attack an go in to hiding if that happened). It has taught me that I can sit through something as horrific as that without breaking down (professionalism) and also that in my next gig I will have a signal for whoever does the sound for my band, I had never been in that situation before and so didn't know if there was some sort of universal signal that I wasn't aware of! Anyway the 3rd song came across pretty well as after that atrocity I decided "what the hey" and went a bit crazy, which suited the song as it is very OTT. I displayed confidence and good stagecraft as well as team work throughout the performance and for this I am grateful!
Streets rehearsal at the church went well, I am really trying to get under the skin of my character, I have even been looking in shops at what clothes she would wear etc. Finn set us the assignment this week of looking in to our characters relationships and their past so that when we act we have a backstory in our minds and we can identify where our character is coming from when they say things. I set about doing this right away and think it will be really beneficial, at least where Brooke is concerned (passion, commitment, creativity).
On Thursday I worked the shift that I would have done on Saturday (9-5.30) and afterwards headed to dance rehearsal for "Guys and Dolls", the rehearsal was short but sweet. We went over "Take Back Your Mink" which we hadn't really done very much, I think the choreography will be very effective in this number, plus I love putting on the "New York doll accent"!
The rest of the week I have been working although I have managed to get my Graded Unit Planning Stage resubmitted after making changes from the first draft.
Tonight I have created a musician page for myself on Facebook which my friends have started to join in support. This was part of one of my targets for graded unit, I'm glad to be able to tick it off my list! (self-reliance, time management, IT skills)
If you are on Facebook, please visit and "Like", it would be a wonderful thing to do and I would be most grateful.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Baillie/204685982890830
Thank you for your attention. I have been Lauren, and I still am.
Good night, LcB x
Ok let's get down to it.
This week was busy as always. On Monday the rehearsal plans for "Streets" were changed for that evening and so I was able to stay at "Lord Of the Blings: The Hip-Hopera" rehearsal for considerably longer (versatility and adaptability) which was great as it gave me the chance to hear pretty much the whole thing and meet the rest of the cast that I previously had not met. It was pretty hilarious, hopefully all the jokes will go over well on stage. Alex has said that he is going to expand the scene with me in it, probably with dialogue with Aragorn (I'm playing Arwen). My song is a slightly changed version of "Wild Horses" (in the style of the Susan Boyle cover) with a slow rap section in the middle, by Frodo.
Monday evening I had "Guys and Dolls" Rehearsal, as usual. Can't believe the show is only in about 3 weeks time! I got a chance to see photos of what our HotBox costumes are going to look like, which was great as we usually just get a big shock at the costume call! The costumes don't look AS revealing as I was dreading so that's a bit of a relief! Plus most of them are red :). The show is really coming together though which is good.
On Wednesday in creative project we watched the Fat Sams gig which I was dreading, to be honest. I knew that the second song "Empty Walls" had gone wrong because I couldn't hear myself through the monitors and just had to guess what I was singing for the high section, which is usually the part that was easiest in rehearsal. Thankfully that section is only at the start of the song and the song isn't particularly long either! I was pretty mortified when I went off key though - sods law it had to be captured on camera and will probably come back to haunt me one of these days. I have begged my fellow band members not to use that song for their graded unit etc and not to upload it anywhere (I think I would have a panic attack an go in to hiding if that happened). It has taught me that I can sit through something as horrific as that without breaking down (professionalism) and also that in my next gig I will have a signal for whoever does the sound for my band, I had never been in that situation before and so didn't know if there was some sort of universal signal that I wasn't aware of! Anyway the 3rd song came across pretty well as after that atrocity I decided "what the hey" and went a bit crazy, which suited the song as it is very OTT. I displayed confidence and good stagecraft as well as team work throughout the performance and for this I am grateful!
Streets rehearsal at the church went well, I am really trying to get under the skin of my character, I have even been looking in shops at what clothes she would wear etc. Finn set us the assignment this week of looking in to our characters relationships and their past so that when we act we have a backstory in our minds and we can identify where our character is coming from when they say things. I set about doing this right away and think it will be really beneficial, at least where Brooke is concerned (passion, commitment, creativity).
On Thursday I worked the shift that I would have done on Saturday (9-5.30) and afterwards headed to dance rehearsal for "Guys and Dolls", the rehearsal was short but sweet. We went over "Take Back Your Mink" which we hadn't really done very much, I think the choreography will be very effective in this number, plus I love putting on the "New York doll accent"!
The rest of the week I have been working although I have managed to get my Graded Unit Planning Stage resubmitted after making changes from the first draft.
Tonight I have created a musician page for myself on Facebook which my friends have started to join in support. This was part of one of my targets for graded unit, I'm glad to be able to tick it off my list! (self-reliance, time management, IT skills)
If you are on Facebook, please visit and "Like", it would be a wonderful thing to do and I would be most grateful.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Baillie/204685982890830
Thank you for your attention. I have been Lauren, and I still am.
Good night, LcB x
Where to begin?
Well good evening!
Yet again I'm running to catch up with this blog, so much going on!
So I'm going to jump right in and update you on last week as, yet again, I need to do 2 weeks update tonight - starting to become a pattern!
So, firstly I had my singing assessment on Monday morning. I performed "Life On Mars" and "Windmills of your Mind". It went really well and I put a lot in to it. Unfortunately I did have a bit of a mind blank on a line or two in "Windmills of your Mind", which I was almost expecting as the song goes round like a circle in a spiral, it's like a wheel within a wheel, never-ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel and you get really confused! Hehehe. So I got a B+ for that one and an A for "Life On Mars" - which I was really chuffed with as I felt it went brilliantly.
During the week I had to contact my manager at work to arrange for me to have that Saturday (the 5th) off for an important all day rehearsal. We arranged that I would work my shift on Thursday (the 10th) instead. Here I used my people skills and my skills in negotiation. It also displayed my commitment.
On Wednesday in our stagecraft lesson we watched the video of our performances and had to give feedback to each other on how we think they did as well as to judge ourselves. I had been in a band with Andrew McCulloch, Katy Forrest and Christy Mcintosh and we had chosen the genre - Country music. Our task was to
1. Write an original country song
2. Do a cover of a song from a DIFFERENT genre and turn it to country style
3. Do a cover of a country song in a DIFFERENT genre.
We wrote a country song called "Dear Old Billy" or maybe it was "Poor Old Billy"? For our song to be turned country we did "Live and Let Die" and for our country to another genre we did "Ring Of Fire" in a bluesy style. We all dressed according to genre - I wore my long wavy red wig (I wore it for the show"Anything Goes" last September) in bunches with a cowboy hat, checked shirt, denim mini skirt and brown boots. We definitely looked the part! I also spoke in a Southern American accent - yeehaws and all.
We did have a few musical glitches but our stagecraft was definitely evident! The other bands had mostly good feedback for us which was encouraging. I only wish the Fat Sams video had been as enjoyable to watch (I'll get to that in the next post).
"Streets" rehearsal on Saturday was great as we had the whole cast there for the first time and we got to know one another as well as get a rough idea of how the show is going to be. I'm very happy to be in it along with Ian Stobbie as we knew each other in Perth Youth Theatre and I hadn't seen him for years, it will be good fun to work with him. I'm glad that I got a different character assigned to me (due to someone else dropping out) as I think the part of Brooke will be great fun - she's a bad girl, but a really interesting character, I think.
Those were the most notable moments of that week I reckon.
On to next week which was actually this week but...the...yeah....
Yet again I'm running to catch up with this blog, so much going on!
So I'm going to jump right in and update you on last week as, yet again, I need to do 2 weeks update tonight - starting to become a pattern!
So, firstly I had my singing assessment on Monday morning. I performed "Life On Mars" and "Windmills of your Mind". It went really well and I put a lot in to it. Unfortunately I did have a bit of a mind blank on a line or two in "Windmills of your Mind", which I was almost expecting as the song goes round like a circle in a spiral, it's like a wheel within a wheel, never-ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel and you get really confused! Hehehe. So I got a B+ for that one and an A for "Life On Mars" - which I was really chuffed with as I felt it went brilliantly.
During the week I had to contact my manager at work to arrange for me to have that Saturday (the 5th) off for an important all day rehearsal. We arranged that I would work my shift on Thursday (the 10th) instead. Here I used my people skills and my skills in negotiation. It also displayed my commitment.
On Wednesday in our stagecraft lesson we watched the video of our performances and had to give feedback to each other on how we think they did as well as to judge ourselves. I had been in a band with Andrew McCulloch, Katy Forrest and Christy Mcintosh and we had chosen the genre - Country music. Our task was to
1. Write an original country song
2. Do a cover of a song from a DIFFERENT genre and turn it to country style
3. Do a cover of a country song in a DIFFERENT genre.
We wrote a country song called "Dear Old Billy" or maybe it was "Poor Old Billy"? For our song to be turned country we did "Live and Let Die" and for our country to another genre we did "Ring Of Fire" in a bluesy style. We all dressed according to genre - I wore my long wavy red wig (I wore it for the show"Anything Goes" last September) in bunches with a cowboy hat, checked shirt, denim mini skirt and brown boots. We definitely looked the part! I also spoke in a Southern American accent - yeehaws and all.
We did have a few musical glitches but our stagecraft was definitely evident! The other bands had mostly good feedback for us which was encouraging. I only wish the Fat Sams video had been as enjoyable to watch (I'll get to that in the next post).
"Streets" rehearsal on Saturday was great as we had the whole cast there for the first time and we got to know one another as well as get a rough idea of how the show is going to be. I'm very happy to be in it along with Ian Stobbie as we knew each other in Perth Youth Theatre and I hadn't seen him for years, it will be good fun to work with him. I'm glad that I got a different character assigned to me (due to someone else dropping out) as I think the part of Brooke will be great fun - she's a bad girl, but a really interesting character, I think.
Those were the most notable moments of that week I reckon.
On to next week which was actually this week but...the...yeah....
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Some Poor Fat Bloke Named Sam Had His Place Invaded by Students
Now this week we had some great excitement! Wednesday was our big gig at Fat Sams in Dundee.
I can't wait to see the video :) of us all strutting our stuff. As you will see from this post, it was a great chance for me to exercise my skills on my path to becoming a professional performing musician.
My band "(insert name here)" had a last minute rehearsal in the morning, showing our commitment to the cause. We tried out an idea of mine in one of the songs but in the end we were better off just playing it as is, this showed, however, that I am not adverse to putting across my ideas to peers (people skills and confidence). They were willing to try it out and we worked as a team trying many ways to make it work and decided as a group to keep it simple (teamwork).
I headed on the train to Dundee with my friend Calum Bryson who I have known for many years and is studying sound engineering on the course. Bryson did the live sound for the band of Claire Komar, Jamie Stewart, Katy Forrest and Lauren Cooke that day. At the station we met Jenny Baillie and she joined us on our journey. We arrived (and met Katy Forrest) with plenty of time for lunch (timekeeping- oh yeah!) before we had to report to Gav at the venue. Thus being reminded of my dislike for Subway (I seem to be alone with this view), but that's another story.
I would like to point out at this time that it really is a shame that the gig had not been able to happen before now, as there are other students on the course that I hadn't really had the opportunity to socialize with as they are in a different class. I am confident in saying that on Wednesday I did make new friends and contacts (networking).
When my fellow band chums had arrived I took a strong stance with Gav and negotiated that we play after six o'clock (when my friends would be able to come along) this showed initiative and negotiating skills (people skills and self-reliance).
When the first band started at 5 I decided not to sit back but to go and stand at the stage and watch their performance where they could see that I was supporting them. I did this for every band because I felt that it was important that they had a captive audience, I certainly would have hated to have had to perform to a vast empty space. This also helped as when it came to our turn I pointed out the fact that I had given the an audience and suggested they might like to do the same, we ended up with one of the biggest crowds of the night in front of the stage which made it a lot easier to perform with confidence and a lot more enjoyable. (confidence, people skills, customer orientation)
As for the performance itself, I'd like to think it went well for us. The first song "Big Ten Inch" went according to plan although in hindsight I probably could have played it up a bit more. Our second song "Empty Walls" was very different from our other choices and the most challenging vocally. To be honest I cannot tell you for sure how this went as I had difficulty hearing myself over the monitors. As a result of this, during our last song - Cee Lo Green's "F**K You" (a song that is already quite ridiculous and cheesy) I was very over the top and played up to my audience of peers and friends. I had a great time performing it and they seemed to enjoy it also, and the guys in my band were wonderful. (confidence, self-motivation, teamwork)
I loved being able to hear what the other bands had done, I was very proud to be among such talented and passionate people. Congratulations to you all, see you in Creative Industries...
LcB
I can't wait to see the video :) of us all strutting our stuff. As you will see from this post, it was a great chance for me to exercise my skills on my path to becoming a professional performing musician.
My band "(insert name here)" had a last minute rehearsal in the morning, showing our commitment to the cause. We tried out an idea of mine in one of the songs but in the end we were better off just playing it as is, this showed, however, that I am not adverse to putting across my ideas to peers (people skills and confidence). They were willing to try it out and we worked as a team trying many ways to make it work and decided as a group to keep it simple (teamwork).
I headed on the train to Dundee with my friend Calum Bryson who I have known for many years and is studying sound engineering on the course. Bryson did the live sound for the band of Claire Komar, Jamie Stewart, Katy Forrest and Lauren Cooke that day. At the station we met Jenny Baillie and she joined us on our journey. We arrived (and met Katy Forrest) with plenty of time for lunch (timekeeping- oh yeah!) before we had to report to Gav at the venue. Thus being reminded of my dislike for Subway (I seem to be alone with this view), but that's another story.
I would like to point out at this time that it really is a shame that the gig had not been able to happen before now, as there are other students on the course that I hadn't really had the opportunity to socialize with as they are in a different class. I am confident in saying that on Wednesday I did make new friends and contacts (networking).
When my fellow band chums had arrived I took a strong stance with Gav and negotiated that we play after six o'clock (when my friends would be able to come along) this showed initiative and negotiating skills (people skills and self-reliance).
When the first band started at 5 I decided not to sit back but to go and stand at the stage and watch their performance where they could see that I was supporting them. I did this for every band because I felt that it was important that they had a captive audience, I certainly would have hated to have had to perform to a vast empty space. This also helped as when it came to our turn I pointed out the fact that I had given the an audience and suggested they might like to do the same, we ended up with one of the biggest crowds of the night in front of the stage which made it a lot easier to perform with confidence and a lot more enjoyable. (confidence, people skills, customer orientation)
As for the performance itself, I'd like to think it went well for us. The first song "Big Ten Inch" went according to plan although in hindsight I probably could have played it up a bit more. Our second song "Empty Walls" was very different from our other choices and the most challenging vocally. To be honest I cannot tell you for sure how this went as I had difficulty hearing myself over the monitors. As a result of this, during our last song - Cee Lo Green's "F**K You" (a song that is already quite ridiculous and cheesy) I was very over the top and played up to my audience of peers and friends. I had a great time performing it and they seemed to enjoy it also, and the guys in my band were wonderful. (confidence, self-motivation, teamwork)
I loved being able to hear what the other bands had done, I was very proud to be among such talented and passionate people. Congratulations to you all, see you in Creative Industries...
LcB
Some downright funky jazz
Hello people of the internets!
Ok, so I have had a pretty busy week. So I have two entries tonight.
Anyway, last weekend I stayed in Edinburgh (Friday - Sunday). On Saturday night (after a busy day at the zoo) myself and Mr B visited a jazz bar. This, inventively named, one - http://www.thejazzbar.co.uk/. It's just what I was hoping for, red and black with a little corner stage, long bar and little tables and booths. As we entered there were two musicians doing alternate sets. One was a cowboy (he had the hat and everything) doing an acoustic country set, the other was a guy who was obviously very talented and appeared to be able to play any instrument you cared to throw his way, he even sang a song acapella.
The band we were there to see, however, were called Head2Head. They were a phenomenally talented sextet fronted by Graham Robb (this guy - http://www.grahamrobb.com/bio *). Even from onstage he seemed to be the nicest guy in the world, an extremely talented bass player and composer and was obviously having a ball playing his own material with an amazing band, most of whom had only met that week!
*1984-90: created and lectured at rock music course at Perth College
Wow SMALL WORLD!
So we conversed with some jazz types about music and about performing, thus illustrating my skills in networking and, of course, people skills. Most of them were pretty nice people too and we enjoyed discussing jazz and the like.
Another skill I showed off wonderfully this week was that of organisation. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not the most organised person in the world by any means. My Mondays are currently providing a challenge for me as I cram in college followed by 3 rehearsals (Lord of The Blings: The Hip-Hopera, The Streets, Guys and Dolls) after these I collapse in a heap on my sofa and an hour later try to scrape together enough energy to climb the stairs to bed. Time-keeping is essential on this day as is, of course, commitment.
That was last week... stay tuned...
Ok, so I have had a pretty busy week. So I have two entries tonight.
Anyway, last weekend I stayed in Edinburgh (Friday - Sunday). On Saturday night (after a busy day at the zoo) myself and Mr B visited a jazz bar. This, inventively named, one - http://www.thejazzbar.co.uk/. It's just what I was hoping for, red and black with a little corner stage, long bar and little tables and booths. As we entered there were two musicians doing alternate sets. One was a cowboy (he had the hat and everything) doing an acoustic country set, the other was a guy who was obviously very talented and appeared to be able to play any instrument you cared to throw his way, he even sang a song acapella.
The band we were there to see, however, were called Head2Head. They were a phenomenally talented sextet fronted by Graham Robb (this guy - http://www.grahamrobb.com/bio *). Even from onstage he seemed to be the nicest guy in the world, an extremely talented bass player and composer and was obviously having a ball playing his own material with an amazing band, most of whom had only met that week!
*1984-90: created and lectured at rock music course at Perth College
Wow SMALL WORLD!
So we conversed with some jazz types about music and about performing, thus illustrating my skills in networking and, of course, people skills. Most of them were pretty nice people too and we enjoyed discussing jazz and the like.
Another skill I showed off wonderfully this week was that of organisation. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not the most organised person in the world by any means. My Mondays are currently providing a challenge for me as I cram in college followed by 3 rehearsals (Lord of The Blings: The Hip-Hopera, The Streets, Guys and Dolls) after these I collapse in a heap on my sofa and an hour later try to scrape together enough energy to climb the stairs to bed. Time-keeping is essential on this day as is, of course, commitment.
That was last week... stay tuned...
Sunday, 13 February 2011
A Look at Skills (continued)
Hey there, I'm just going to dive right back in with a look at...
Self-Reliance Skills
A performer definitely needs to have confidence and be able to stand up and talk in front of an audience. They should be self-aware and have belief in their abilities and talent. They need to be familiar with their strengths and weaknesses so they know what they can use to attract employers and what they need to improve on.
On that note, willingness to learn is of import. The ability to be self-motivated and to seek to better oneself is something that would be good to find in a performer. The improvement of musical knowledge and practicing to improve performance is, of course, essential.
The ability to promote oneself is invaluable for a pm, being resourceful and self-efficient are important skills to have for this.
Being able to talk to people easily and make long lasting contacts is a valuable skill to have as having a useful network of people can be very beneficial to a pm as they can provide jobs, resources and opportunities that may be crucial to the advancement of the pm's career.
Self-discipline and time-keeping skills are essential for success in any career. Being unreliable is a surefire way of losing employment and annoying the contacts one has made, potentially ruining any chance of advancement. Being able to juggle more than one project at once and stay organised could prove challenging but would be important for a pm to be able to do. This is why action planning and self-regulatory skills are important.
Specialist Skills
Being adaptable on the job and meeting the requirements of an employer is, obviously, important. Learning new skills for future needs that would benefit the employer/ company would be beneficial and also please said employer/ company. Skills in languages, IT or public speaking, for example.
An understanding of the music industry and creative sector would be of benefit as it means the pm would be ahead of the game in understanding what the trends in the industry are and if there are any gaps in the market.
Having a good background knowledge of a company/ person you are applying to work with will always be beneficial, it shows that one is genuinely interested in the position. It would show that the pm has people-skills, business acumen and ambition.
I think that, overall, the five most important skills that a professional musician should have are as follows;
1. Confidence
Having the ability to really put yourself out there is something that a pm just has to be able to do. Not only when performing but when trying to gain work and contacts. Confidence is a trait that pulls people in, it gives the impression of someone who is secure and happy with themselves.
2. Musical Knowledge
This includes the industry side and the creative side. As I said above, knowing the industry is a real bonus. Having a knowledge of the pecking order in music label companies, knowing the rights, laws and organisations that are associated with the industry, this information is all useful. Drawing influences from other performers is a way of learning and progressing, which a musician should never stop doing. It is important to know what other bands/ performers are doing in the music scene. Knowing what the people want is crucial as music needs to have a target audience.
3. Teamwork
As I said previously, teamwork is essential. Be it in a band that you constantly work with or a new group of people you are with for one project, there needs to be clear communication, honesty, and an alround ability to successfully function as a group.
4. Technical Musical Knowledge
I wouldn't say that it is essential for every performer to have a full music degree or have the ability to compose a 16 page manuscript of a full orchestral masterpiece, I would never say that. If that was the case I would be in BIG trouble and in for a lot more work than I had imagined! In any case I do think that at the very least a basic understanding of theory is required. The ability to read music to some extent is somewhat important. Sight reading may be more important to, say, a session musician, but the ability to sing/play through a piece, at least coherently, the first time through would look good to any employer.
5. Passion
I know what you are thinking, and yes, passion is not technically a "skill". In my opinion though it is the most essential part of being a musician. Passion is what drives a performance, it creates the energy and adrenaline and helps create beautiful pieces of music. Without the other skills the passion and of course the talent may not get very far, but without the talent and the passion, the other skills alone would not make a musician.
I will end on that note and bid you a good night.
LcB
Self-Reliance Skills
A performer definitely needs to have confidence and be able to stand up and talk in front of an audience. They should be self-aware and have belief in their abilities and talent. They need to be familiar with their strengths and weaknesses so they know what they can use to attract employers and what they need to improve on.
On that note, willingness to learn is of import. The ability to be self-motivated and to seek to better oneself is something that would be good to find in a performer. The improvement of musical knowledge and practicing to improve performance is, of course, essential.
The ability to promote oneself is invaluable for a pm, being resourceful and self-efficient are important skills to have for this.
Being able to talk to people easily and make long lasting contacts is a valuable skill to have as having a useful network of people can be very beneficial to a pm as they can provide jobs, resources and opportunities that may be crucial to the advancement of the pm's career.
Self-discipline and time-keeping skills are essential for success in any career. Being unreliable is a surefire way of losing employment and annoying the contacts one has made, potentially ruining any chance of advancement. Being able to juggle more than one project at once and stay organised could prove challenging but would be important for a pm to be able to do. This is why action planning and self-regulatory skills are important.
Specialist Skills
Being adaptable on the job and meeting the requirements of an employer is, obviously, important. Learning new skills for future needs that would benefit the employer/ company would be beneficial and also please said employer/ company. Skills in languages, IT or public speaking, for example.
An understanding of the music industry and creative sector would be of benefit as it means the pm would be ahead of the game in understanding what the trends in the industry are and if there are any gaps in the market.
Having a good background knowledge of a company/ person you are applying to work with will always be beneficial, it shows that one is genuinely interested in the position. It would show that the pm has people-skills, business acumen and ambition.
I think that, overall, the five most important skills that a professional musician should have are as follows;
1. Confidence
Having the ability to really put yourself out there is something that a pm just has to be able to do. Not only when performing but when trying to gain work and contacts. Confidence is a trait that pulls people in, it gives the impression of someone who is secure and happy with themselves.
2. Musical Knowledge
This includes the industry side and the creative side. As I said above, knowing the industry is a real bonus. Having a knowledge of the pecking order in music label companies, knowing the rights, laws and organisations that are associated with the industry, this information is all useful. Drawing influences from other performers is a way of learning and progressing, which a musician should never stop doing. It is important to know what other bands/ performers are doing in the music scene. Knowing what the people want is crucial as music needs to have a target audience.
3. Teamwork
As I said previously, teamwork is essential. Be it in a band that you constantly work with or a new group of people you are with for one project, there needs to be clear communication, honesty, and an alround ability to successfully function as a group.
4. Technical Musical Knowledge
I wouldn't say that it is essential for every performer to have a full music degree or have the ability to compose a 16 page manuscript of a full orchestral masterpiece, I would never say that. If that was the case I would be in BIG trouble and in for a lot more work than I had imagined! In any case I do think that at the very least a basic understanding of theory is required. The ability to read music to some extent is somewhat important. Sight reading may be more important to, say, a session musician, but the ability to sing/play through a piece, at least coherently, the first time through would look good to any employer.
5. Passion
I know what you are thinking, and yes, passion is not technically a "skill". In my opinion though it is the most essential part of being a musician. Passion is what drives a performance, it creates the energy and adrenaline and helps create beautiful pieces of music. Without the other skills the passion and of course the talent may not get very far, but without the talent and the passion, the other skills alone would not make a musician.
I will end on that note and bid you a good night.
LcB
Friday, 11 February 2011
A Look at Skills
Hello again!
As I was saying in my last post, this blog will focus on my goal of becoming a performing musician. To start I am going to look in to the skills that I think a performing musician should have to succeed.
NB: In my posts from this moment, I will sometimes refer to a performing musician as 'pm'.
First of all:
People Skills
In many ways it is important in all careers to have good people skills to some extent. In the case of a pm teamwork is extremely important. There would be a number of people a pm could have dealings with during their career, for example bands/ orchestras/ musical directors. They should be open-minded and supportive of other peoples ideas, whilst not being afraid of putting across their own ideas or opinions.
Of course dealing with all of these people demands an understanding of peoples sensibilities. The ability to listen and advise, to communicate well and compromise where necessary are all important interpersonal skills to have. They would need to be able to build up good rapport with different types of people, always be polite and courteous and non-discriminatory. This is all important as having good contacts in the music business is invaluable and the need for a good first impression and a good work relationship is essential to be successful.
Customer orientation would be important as the pm would have to be willing and able to accommodate to the needs of the customer and other people important to their employers business. If, for example, the pm was touring with their band, they would need to be diplomatic and respectful of the venue owner, venue staff, customers and any other bands playing. This is so they would have a good working reputation that others may hear about and more job opportunities could arise from.
Communication is important as saying the wrong thing conveys the wrong message. How well you convey your message can also say a lot and a pm would need the skills to say the right message the right way to get anywhere. Being able to speak clearly and concisely to prospective employers/ fellow musicians is extremely important. Written skills are important when needing to apply for a job/ gig/ grant or to promote an event/ release of recorded material. If keeping an online blog such as this or a webpage, the pm should be able to construct proper sentences and have adequate spelling and grammar skills (apologies for any mistakes of this kind on my part).
Generalist Skills
Problem solving skills would be useful to a pm, they should be able to analyse information and create solutions to problems that may come their way. The ability to manage different projects would be important as there may be a need to organise and time-manage many jobs at once.
Being comfortable with technology is a must for a pm as the internet can really aid the success of a music career, it gets music out to an audience and keeps musicians in touch with their fans. Office skills and a good knowledge of how to use and manage email would be very important for networking.
In any music career the ability to adapt and be flexible is essential, the creative industries sector demands one to be versatile and open to change. Venues/ the material they are performing or musicians they are working with may change last minute and the pm would have to be obliging and helpful should big changes occur.
Basic numeracy skills would be important as a pm should be able to organise their money, to know how much they are making and what their expenses are. There should be a knowledge of percentages as an employer may offer payment this way.
A good head for business would be very important. A pm should want to be innovative and competitive so that they can stay ahead of the game and offer something that other acts cannot. Being able to market themselves well would save them money as they would not need to hire anybody to promote them. An ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally would benefit them, as said above.
Being dedicated to the project they are working on and having a genuine interest in it will lead to a more successful outcome. Skills in commitment are those of punctuality, reliability and loyalty. These are skills much looked for in any business, the music industry included. Employers want somebody they can trust and will look at the experiences the pm has had in the past. They may talk to people the pm has previously worked with to find out if they posses these qualities and whether or not they are worth hiring.
*sips hot chocolate* Well, that is all for tonight, I shall continue along these lines in my next post where I will be looking at self-reliance and specialist skills.
Regards, LcB.
As I was saying in my last post, this blog will focus on my goal of becoming a performing musician. To start I am going to look in to the skills that I think a performing musician should have to succeed.
NB: In my posts from this moment, I will sometimes refer to a performing musician as 'pm'.
First of all:
People Skills
In many ways it is important in all careers to have good people skills to some extent. In the case of a pm teamwork is extremely important. There would be a number of people a pm could have dealings with during their career, for example bands/ orchestras/ musical directors. They should be open-minded and supportive of other peoples ideas, whilst not being afraid of putting across their own ideas or opinions.
Of course dealing with all of these people demands an understanding of peoples sensibilities. The ability to listen and advise, to communicate well and compromise where necessary are all important interpersonal skills to have. They would need to be able to build up good rapport with different types of people, always be polite and courteous and non-discriminatory. This is all important as having good contacts in the music business is invaluable and the need for a good first impression and a good work relationship is essential to be successful.
Customer orientation would be important as the pm would have to be willing and able to accommodate to the needs of the customer and other people important to their employers business. If, for example, the pm was touring with their band, they would need to be diplomatic and respectful of the venue owner, venue staff, customers and any other bands playing. This is so they would have a good working reputation that others may hear about and more job opportunities could arise from.
Communication is important as saying the wrong thing conveys the wrong message. How well you convey your message can also say a lot and a pm would need the skills to say the right message the right way to get anywhere. Being able to speak clearly and concisely to prospective employers/ fellow musicians is extremely important. Written skills are important when needing to apply for a job/ gig/ grant or to promote an event/ release of recorded material. If keeping an online blog such as this or a webpage, the pm should be able to construct proper sentences and have adequate spelling and grammar skills (apologies for any mistakes of this kind on my part).
Generalist Skills
Problem solving skills would be useful to a pm, they should be able to analyse information and create solutions to problems that may come their way. The ability to manage different projects would be important as there may be a need to organise and time-manage many jobs at once.
Being comfortable with technology is a must for a pm as the internet can really aid the success of a music career, it gets music out to an audience and keeps musicians in touch with their fans. Office skills and a good knowledge of how to use and manage email would be very important for networking.
In any music career the ability to adapt and be flexible is essential, the creative industries sector demands one to be versatile and open to change. Venues/ the material they are performing or musicians they are working with may change last minute and the pm would have to be obliging and helpful should big changes occur.
Basic numeracy skills would be important as a pm should be able to organise their money, to know how much they are making and what their expenses are. There should be a knowledge of percentages as an employer may offer payment this way.
A good head for business would be very important. A pm should want to be innovative and competitive so that they can stay ahead of the game and offer something that other acts cannot. Being able to market themselves well would save them money as they would not need to hire anybody to promote them. An ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally would benefit them, as said above.
Being dedicated to the project they are working on and having a genuine interest in it will lead to a more successful outcome. Skills in commitment are those of punctuality, reliability and loyalty. These are skills much looked for in any business, the music industry included. Employers want somebody they can trust and will look at the experiences the pm has had in the past. They may talk to people the pm has previously worked with to find out if they posses these qualities and whether or not they are worth hiring.
*sips hot chocolate* Well, that is all for tonight, I shall continue along these lines in my next post where I will be looking at self-reliance and specialist skills.
Regards, LcB.
An Introduction
Hello out there, and welcome to my blog!
My name is Lauren Baillie. I am a 20 year old, female, Scottish Brit. I have dyed red hair and I love to sing, read books and do arts and crafts.
I am currently in my 1st year of studying music at UHI (University Of Highlands and Islands - Perth Campus) as a vocalist.
My goal, career wise, is to be a performing musician. My main interest is in musical theatre and this is the area which my portfolio and this blog shall focus on.
In the following post I will outline the skills that are important in a performing musician.
I hope you will continue to follow me over the course of the next few weeks as I construct my portfolio.
Many thanks for reading, LcB.
My name is Lauren Baillie. I am a 20 year old, female, Scottish Brit. I have dyed red hair and I love to sing, read books and do arts and crafts.
I am currently in my 1st year of studying music at UHI (University Of Highlands and Islands - Perth Campus) as a vocalist.
My goal, career wise, is to be a performing musician. My main interest is in musical theatre and this is the area which my portfolio and this blog shall focus on.
In the following post I will outline the skills that are important in a performing musician.
I hope you will continue to follow me over the course of the next few weeks as I construct my portfolio.
Many thanks for reading, LcB.
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