Final Assessment I am pleased that my band mates and I were able to perform to a decent standard for our assessment. I am not sure how well i will be marked but am confident that i will at least get a pass. Because of band mates being off ill over the past month or so, we found that we had to arrange extra rehearsals in order to prepare for our assessment. Our first choice for the Rock 'n' Roll song was the Elvis Presley version of 'Hound Dog.' We initially intended to do this song with a blues breakdown in the middle. Although it was tricky to get right, i felt that this worked really well, and added some dynamic contrast to our set. However the band felt that we didn't have enough time to perfect this part of the song so it was left out of the final performance. Our second choice was 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' by Marin Gaye. This was the song that had been troubling me most during rehearsals. I had been experiencing some discomfort with my voice, and was finding the song a little difficult to sing. We went over it several times, and with practice i became more confident about the song, however still found that i had to hold back a little, compromising on volume to keep the quality. Although i feel i did well considering the difficulties that i have been having, i do feel that my performance of this song could have been better. 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' features backing vocals after every chorus: 'Heard it through the grapevine not much longer would you be my baby.' This is an important part of the song that was missing from our final performance. Although we did practice the song with the backing vocals in rehearsals, my band mates did not feel entirely confident about singing in front of an audience. This is understandable as they are guitarists and not singers, though i do feel that including this would have improved our performance. Our third song was 'Get back' by The Beatles. I am aware that our version of the song was not strictly a copy of the original, but still overall i am happy with my performance. I accidentally went into an extra chorus during the song when i should have gone into the second verse, but it did not seen to throw my band mates whatsoever, we simply went through the chorus and into the next verse. Our last song choice was the Etta James version of 'Hoochie Coochie Man.' This was our favorite of the four songs. As Blues was the first genre that we covered on the course, we have had plenty of time perfect our performance. I really enjoy singing this song. I think that performing it gave me an opportunity to show my abilities, this style is more to my tastes than some of the other work that we have covered and i feel that my enjoyment is reflected in the conviction of my performance. Although our final performance was lacking in some respects, there were no major mistakes and overall i am happy with how it went. It was a relief to have it out of the way and it was excellent to get to see some of the other bands performances.
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Getting Gigs We also discussed how to approach the task of getting gigs. Below are some helpful pointers on how be successful as a gigging musician:
Basic Role of the agent:
Basic Role of the Promoter:
Starting a Band In freelance musician class we discussed some of the important things to consider when starting a band. Most people know, or have friends that are musicians, and though it is important that you get along, friends are not always the best option when trying to find members for your band. If you are studying music at college, then this is one of the best places to find like-minded musicians. Gigs and open mic nights may also be good places to look. Being active within the local music scene will certainly help you to meet people and establish connections. Musicians who book rehearsal rooms are generally doing so with an aim of preparing for live performances or recordings, so this may also be a good place to meet active musicians who have the right attitude towards rehearsals and performances. Placing an advert online, or in a music shop for instance, can also be very helpful when trying to find suitable band members.
In order to avoid disputes, it is often good to establish some form of band ethos. Frustrations often arise when members have differing opinions or attitudes, or when members do not fulfill commitments. Communication is of utmost importance between band mates to coordinate schedules, and maintain a level of understanding. Being in a band may involve making difficult decisions about whether or not to continue with a group or particular member. Recording a demo will be extremely helpful in promoting your band and getting gigs. Studio time is expensive, so it is important to make sure that your band is thoroughly prepared in order to get satisfactory results. Having this example of your work will be invaluable, and will be helpful in gaining work opportunities. Time Keeping In freelance musician class we discussed the importance of good time keeping. The following blog describes a 5 point plan which has been suggested to help in managing your time, and avoiding becoming overwhelmed.
1. List everything that you need to do – This will remind you of the things that you need to get done, and give you a better idea of the amount of time you will need. 2. Break large tasks down into manageable steps – This way tasks are more easily approachable. The work load will be less overwhelming, and progress will quicken with less stress. 3. Divide your list into three columns: Now, Soon and Later – Try to be realistic about what needs to be done right away. Make deadlines the priority. 4. Do something from the Now column immediately – Addressing a task that you have been avoiding will reduce stress, and make you feel calmer about your work load. 5. Put the rest of your tasks into order of priority and begin to tackle them – Remember it is not essential that you achieve perfection. Though you should of course aim to do well, the quality of work will be dependent on the time that you have had to complete the task. Try to ensure that you allow enough time for all tasks. Being organized and diplomatic about completing tasks will help greatly in avoiding stress and maintaining a good standard of work. During this year I have realized how I tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time on the tasks that I enjoy or am particularly interested in, when it is the areas I am neglecting that really require more attention. This means that I do not leave myself enough time, and towards the end am often overwhelmed by my work load. In the future I will be aware of this, and try to allow an equal amount of time for all of my subjects. Tax All UK residents are allowed an annual income of £8,105 tax free. Those who are 65 years old or over may be entitled to a larger tax free allowance. Blind people are able to claim a larger tax free allowance also. Any earnings above the tax free allowance should be declared, and the appropriate amount of tax paid. The amount of tax that you are required to pay will go up depending on how much you earn.
NI- (National Insurance) Social security benefits including state pension, are dependent on whether you are employed or self employed, and on how much you earn. Class 1 – PAYE (Pay As You Earn) Class 2 – Self Employed, contract Class 3 – Voluntary Contributions (NI) Class 4 – Self Employed, profits If You Are Employed: Class 1, NI contributions 12% of what you earn between £146 and £817. Another 2% tax is to be paid on earnings over £817. If You Are Self Employed: Cass 2 and 4, paying tax and NI contributions is your responsibility. Expenses can be claimed on items that are essential to your business. Both: Tax and NI contributions to be paid on both jobs, contributions will be based on the combined incomes. Other profits and allowances are also tax deductable. Example: Jackie earned £18,000 in a year working for a plumber firm. Her employer deducts class 1 NI contributions and tax through PAYE. Jackie also works as a self employed plumber. Profits for the tax year were £9,000. She paid £2,105 income tax on her employment earnings. Her personal tax allowance for the year was £7,475 so she paid tax at 20% on £10,525 which is £2,105. She paid class 1 NI contributions of £1,293.64 on her employment earnings. The ‘primary earning threshold’ for paying class 1 NI is 52 weeks x £139 a week = £7,228 so she paid 12% on £10,772 which is £1,293.64. She paid class 2 NI contributions at a rate of £2.50 a week. 52 weeks at £2.50 is £130. She has to pay £1,800 in income tax on profits from self employment. She already received her tax free allowance on employment earnings, so all profits from self employment are taxed at 20%. She must pay class 4 NI contributions of £159.75 on her profits from self employment. The ‘lower profits limit’ for paying class 4 NI is £7,225 so she has to pay 9% on £1,775 which is £159.75. My next performance for the solo class will be a 'research piece,' my song choice should be based on what i have learned from my previous performance. Because i have been off ill, I will be performing the two together. I found it difficult to decide what to perform. I considered many options, and changed my mind a couple of times after starting to practice songs. I was trying to find something that incorporated the skills that i have gained, and encouraged me to challenge myself while still being comfortable for me to sing. Eventually i settled on 'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed. I enjoy singing this song, and though i could perhaps be challenging myself more, it was really important that i settled on a piece after already changing my mind, so i would still have time to properly prepare. I think that this song allows me to concentrate on the delivery, and on the performance as a whole, while still demonstrating my skills and incorporating what i have learned. With thorough practice, i hope to perform to the best of my ability, especially as this will be the last song that i perform for the solo class.
Our next assignment was to choose a grade seven piece to perform in front of our classmates and tutors. The song i have chosen is 'Put Your Records On' by Corinne Bailey Rae. I like the song, and knew the lyrics fairly well already. I Downloaded a backing track and sheet music, and began to practice. I found it tricky to sing, and grew a little frustrated, and nervous about my performance. I persevered, and after a while it became easier. Specifically practicing the intervals that i was struggling with, and working through the song in segments rather that as a whole, helped me to improve. Practicing in front of a full length mirror has allowed me to ensure that my posture is aligned, and observe my body language. I have noticed a great improvement since beginning to practice this song. Through doing this, i have learned about the importance of muscle memory, as i can now comfortably sing the intervals that i was finding difficult before. In the future i will approach tasks by breaking them down into more manageable segments, and identify the parts that are challenging me so i can work on them specifically. The next thing for me to consider was my stage presence and delivery, and where emphasis is required to achieve a dynamic contrast. I hope that with this song, i can incorporate what i have learned to deliver a more confident and engaging performance.
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