This journal is intended to record, discuss and archive a collection of personal projects that were done by myself. It will contain photographs and scans of paintings, books, documents, research work, and several others that were done by me. These can be found by links that go directly to the "DAPHA Projects" Facebook group. I hope that you find the content in the group enjoyable.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th March 2022)
Dear Diary,
I was asked by a friend Elizabeth to recreate an image for her. She had shown me from a notebook something close to what she wanted. She said that she wanted to use it for a tattoo. This drawing was completed as a DAPHA Project on the entry date written above.
I’m very pleased that the drawing was found satisfactory. I am not sure if the plan/idea of the drawing was ever used.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 12th March 2022)
Dear Diary,
The following is an account of the
works done for a 'chartbook' created by me entitled "Introduction to
the Steelpan Family" and was made to simplify the roles and functions of steelpan instruments in Dr. Remy's
“Fundamentals of Steelpan Arranging” textbook for the certificate course.
This entry will show blueprints created
for the aid of recreating new documents of the same type and strategies that
went into making this type of document made of Bristol board sheets.
I decided to create a copy of my
‘ultimate project’ that was done for the “Fundamentals of Steelpan Arranging”
course in the certificate program. Two duplications would be gifted to the
Festival Library at DCFA and West Indiana Collections at the UWIs Alma Jordon
Library. A blueprint was done to help recreate the new layout of the pages. I
decided to have printouts of the information to just cut them out and stick
with liquid glue.
CONTENT
PAGES.
* Thursday
20th December 2018 *
A cover page was created to add a
finish to the book. It was satisfactory to me and a Bristol board of similar
styling was added to the back.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 10th March 2022)
[WRITTEN AS REPORT]
Dear Diary,
In this entry, I list my works for the Music Literatures of the steelpan course materials. They are to assist the students in completing their assignments and to assist in making the course more student-friendly. Below is an account of all the work that was done by myself (as part of the DAPHA Project) for the course.
The 1st versions of both forms were done to do my assignments. I really wanted to do over the kind that Dr. Remy sent by email. The book report form is usually used for assignments 2 and 3. The newspaper clipping form is used at the archives and for the microfilm assignment. (Thursday 11th October 2018)
For the 2nd version, I decided to add watermarks. Dr. Remy and I were excited to use them and see how they turned out. Unfortunately, after a semester of putting it into the trial, there was some difficulty set with the watermark being too bold on the paper. (2019)
In the 3rd Version, all the watermarks were taken out. The header was amended in both forms. The book report form was changed on pages two and three. I designed page three to be duplicated for how many pages the student needed. The newspaper report form was an adoption of the "A Season of Steelpan" form version.
I'm not sure how useful this was for Dr. Remy and her new batch of students for that particular academic year. Unfortunately for me, Microsoft Word observed several technical challenges and destroyed my work for the "A Season of Steelpan" series book. I was still proud of this version for the students. It seemed more professional and 'official' in a way. (2020)
Link(s):
Book Report Form - (Version 1-2). ** [For Request by Email.]
During the vacation period (year 2, semester 1) of the Music Degree, as I was cutting through some newspapers for more steelpan Articles, I thought that there should also be proper techniques to share with the students and show them that when they cut paper how it came to be destroyed easy in future in the library either by age or by audience usage. I did separate PowerPoints to emphasize certain types of article clippings.
In the course, there were eight pages containing a list of names of steelbands. I was able to take that list and condense it into three pages. I thought of the Steelpan Arranging 1 course I did with Dr. Remy's degree and thought that it would have been more helpful to the students with just three pages.
Link(s):
List of South Steelbands. ** [See Textbook for list.]
MLA Handouts.
* Monday 18th February 2019 *
I was in the Festival Library at DCFA and then I received a message. It was a message from Dr. Remy saying that she had to speak with me. When I knew she was in school, I shut back down the laptop and went upstairs to Cheeseman Building to visit her. I did not know what it was.
When I got there, she told me that the students in the class (Music Literature of the Steelpan) were having trouble doing the MLA. They had just updated MLA citation to version eight. She took out a page with writing and boxes and showed me what she had planned. Just by looking at the paper, I realized that Dr. Remy was asking me to help her make a handout to teach the students how to do the MLA. This is what she continued to tell me and she said that the students were getting a lot of trouble trying to do the citation.
I took the page she gave me and did the work overnight. The next day, I went back to visit her in the office to submit the work. I showed Dr. Remy the handout she wanted me to make. In addition, there was a second one I had made for her where I did a sample of the assignment’s form filled out with the newspaper article done.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 10th March 2022)
Dear Diary,
This course began on the first week of the semester. It was a three-hour class starting from one in the afternoon. I was very nervous about the first class because the course code (THEA 2010) suggested that it was a theatre-styled course. Usually, those courses are not the usual kinda musician will endure/experience. The first class was very interactive where we had games to play and then they placed us into groups by horoscope. There were three of us in my group.
Looking at the course outline after those activities, we learned that there was an easy way to get ten marks to our final grade if we discuss and participate in weekly conversations in class about the readings we would have to read and prepare each week. In addition, we could also receive an easy fifty marks for our final grade if we do journal entries for the ten weekly readings.
So, I knew that I had to talk to get some free points and do my ten journal entries to pass the course. There was also a position paper we had to write to make up the rest of the hundred percent. That position paper would definitely be a scary and hard challenge to accomplish. Around the weeks, each group had to wait to see if Dr. Pearce would call on them. She said that if she called on a group and they are not ready, they could get zero.
The third week had gone by and I was confused with the notes I had done to do my three journal entries. I decided to create a document on Microsoft Word that would cater to the four questions that were asked of us to answer in the journal. I thought that a legal-sized page would be long enough in case I had a lot to write for one reading and I was right later down into the semester.
The position paper came and passed. I had a little bit to rush down to the end. At this point, I had cut out all attendance to the Law and Governance course because it was starting to move like a set-up. Every time you go to class the students had To gather outside and we would have to be moved around all the time for a better venue other than Dagga. So, I was at home that morning finishing up the rest of the paper. I knew my mark was going to be VERY low.
I remember the evening getting back the paper I saw the mark was a small pass. I felt good. When I saw that the comment said the writing was not clear, maybe they should make the reading materials clear too. Sometimes we are all left to read the passages either individually or as a group and be left confused about everything someone is talking about in their writing.
This was the compilation textbook made for the course. It is to be considered 'scratch created' because it was the first one made for the class. The first version was the copy I used throughout the course. A digital copy was provided to the lecturer Dr. Pearce in case it was suitable for use. For the purpose of the journal entry and archiving, the document was reviewed and amended.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 10th March 2022)
Dear Diary,
This class began on the second week of the semester. A series of transcriptions were done for it also and will be presented in all of their surviving versions.
CHOOKAR MERE MANN KO.
This was the starting piece for the semester. Sections A and B were given to the class in Sargam (Bhatkhandi style) and the others were given by the second week. It took three classes to complete this piece. I did have to do corrections until the fourth version was made as to the final recital version.
This piece was given to us only the chorus and the verse. There was a recording sent to us from Mr. Maharaj for the entire piece. He sang the entire piece.
For me, I had a feeling that we were not going to do the entire piece and it ended up being that way. There was a shortstop in the class and we got off-track. We were only doing the first two sections but in deciding on the sage of proper notation, I decided to write out all that he sang in the recording. In some of the solos that Sir had us do, I decided to use some of the rest of the music we were not doing.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 9th March 2022)
[Entry as Report]
Dear Diary,
On the same day as Intermediate Ensemble, I had Jazz Theory 1. It was immediately after three in the afternoon. The name of the lecturer for this course was Mr. Enrique Moore and it was wonderful to learn sometime down at the end of the course that he is a pastor. There are a series of events that occurred in this course and they are separated by episode.
FIRST DAY
* Wednesday 5th September 2018 *
On the first day of the course, we were given the cost of the course manual and also a short introduction, and some new theories and we ended with a short Evaluation Test. We shared Mrs. Neaves' name of the exercise with him as a diagnostic test.
It was corrected and reviewed at the end of the second class. I decided to do the exercise worksheet properly and gave Mr. Moore a printout of it. I could hear from the particular laugh that he was satisfied with it. I was also able to keep a scanned copy of my handwritten notes from that second class. It was not an easy one at all but new information.
A lot of us were trying to cram as much information as we could. This was not an easy course and by the time the exam reach the classroom, it was late. There was also a composition to be submitted on that day too. Mr. Moore gave us the assignment to do composition using the blues pattern. This was graded and returned some long time after the Mid-Term was given back.
The moment I was handed the paper, my head began to squeeze. I tried to keep the work fail away from my mind and answer them as best as I could. The first page was good but front the second page onward was the beginning of the difficult question. I also saw how they made the exam paper and how I could do it over if I was asked to or if I had chosen. The chords on page four were a nightmare in some. I was able to write out the scales and the scores correctly for a few.
When I did my first submission of the composition Mr. Moore did not want it with any piano accompaniment. He asked me to resubmit it with just the melodic line. I ad in the jazz analysis in pencil again and handed it to him. Some of the comments this time around were not negative or heavy in correction, thank goodness.
This day presented two examinations. The morning had my piano jury at ten in the morning in DCFA Studio one. I got there very early to do one last practice and then wait for the exam to begin. I heard from other students that we had to have copies of the music for the judges.
Unfortunately, the library was not opened yet and someone said that no one was in the office upstairs yet. I had a few dollars with me so I took it and went to the other side of the campus office to print the music and went back to the venue.
The music was really soothing. I was a bit nervous but no mistakes were done in any of the playings. I wait to see what the judges’ scores would be. Mr. Sharma allowed us who were doing Jazz Theory this afternoon to go first and then be able to leave. The two pieces I performed were “Lonely Bear” and “Dance of the Pianists”.
I saw Natasha and Carl talking about the composition that we had to do and submit in school for Jazz Theory as they headed over to the kitchen side. I did not stay with them but went back to Curepe's home. I’m thankful to Mr. Moore for his advice and extra lessons one day on some of the theory and composition. I used them to complete the assignment and it was easier.
The evening came by quickly. We had to go up to MD3 for the written Jazz Theory examination that evening. All of them were waiting upstairs with the compositions in their hand. As I looked up at them from the bridge, I could hear all of them shouting in happiness because I was the last one to meet them up there apparently. We all stood outside the exam doors with no idea what to do with the compositions and one of the invigilators inside was not allowing us to carry the compositions in with them.
Our classmate Carla took all the assignments and went back down the stairs. He took some minutes. All of the people inside the examination room were looking out at us. We chose not to enter because we found it unfair to enter while Carla went to deliver our compositions. He came back in a few minutes after we were asked to either enter or leave by some other invigilator man. We were not allowed to be ‘liming’ outside the examination room so we decided to go inside in one single line. We knew where our row of desks and chairs were.
Carla came back five minutes after the exam started. After chatting with him on Instagram that evening, I learned that he had gone all the way up t DCFA to drop off the composition assignments and then came right back down to Main Campus to do the exam.
The exam was tough. A lot of things I had forgotten. We were not given manuscript paper and had to draw in staves in the answer booklet with regular photocopied folder pages. We had a lot of scales and chords to write. Some things were jazz analysis and sentence responses. I was one of the few who decided to take the time to check over. I handed up my papers when the time was up.
I met Mr. More coming in SUPER late when I was walking out from collecting my bags. It was really nice to see him that evening. I know the other students would have been angry but it was good working with him. I remember that he was asking me at the end of the final class what he really wanted me to do over the course textbook. It was my wish after doing all the charts that I had done for the Mid-term study. I wish it was possible but to do a project like that would be too difficult for me, especially where there is no proper information available, and to find someone to work with me and guide me in it would have probably been impossible.
The composition that I did was something in memory of Dr. Ann-Marion Osborne. I did a painting late in the time leading up to the final exam. It was only a drawing at that time but I did have it coloured to upload it to YouTube. There was also a form I made. It was a Composition plan to help me make a strategy. After thinking about all the advice and extra lesson I had with Mr. Moore, I decided that this plan would have helped me put the entire thing together. I did not get to share it with the rest of the class.
Throughout the semester I took some time to make charts based on the various topics covered in the class. They were very helpful in the process of revision as in the Music theory 1 & 2 courses.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 26th January 2022)
Dear Diary,
I was asked by Mr. Sharma to create “You Raise Me Up” as a steelpan arrangement for the band in church. It was completed during the week and then he looked at it for me. This version has been under use for several church performances in Aramalaya. The version 1 score was not saved. The version 2 was built right on top.
VERSION 2.
* Unknown/Forgotten Date *
** The message of the introduction picture **
Over time, I was asked by Mr. Lewis to come to the TIPICA panyard to teach his new church steelband a song. He knew that I was working with the band at Aramalaya. They were all new persons trying out steelpan for the first time and it was a mixed group of young and elderly. It was a tough few weeks trying to teach them the music.
Too many issues of all sorts arose. I had to keep creativity at hand for everything, especially with the new persons placed around me. I ended up leaving and then was not sure what exactly happened with the piece. This arrangement as both versions one and two are not for a beginner band at all. I can see and hear the reactions coming from their experience of the piece.
The arrangement itself became extended. It was on a Wednesday evening during a run-through of the arrangement, Mr. Lewis became concerned about the end because he said that it was too short. We had to get a member to sing out the song to check if I had everything right on the score. We all realised that version one contained only the verse.
It would have been my homework. Thankfully, it was not a difficult thing to do at all. I remembered the Thursday night right after that Wednesday practice, we were supposed to have practice on Friday coming (just a few hours away). I sat down at home #2 from around eleven at night until one and got the chorus section completed. I was also able to put in a much better ending than I had. Mr. Lewis was surprised that I got the piece done at the evening practice. I got all of the new parts fixed and printed over for them.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 13th August 2022)
Dear Diary,
After lunch, I was expecting a
visitor at home number two in Curepe. His name was Joshua and he had passed for
Hillview in this SEA period that just went. He was accompanied by his mom and
aunty Zida brought them for the evening. These were our first acquaintances.
The visit today was for me to
assist/tutor Joshua with a recorder piece called “Alman”. He showed me the
piece that Ms. Saunders gave the class. I remembered having to prepare and
learn this for marks in my Form One time at Hillview.
Before our lesson and practice began,
I took a blank sheet of paper and rewrote the same piece from his notebook into
the image above. I only had a green and a black marker at the time. I showed
Joshua the page and told him that the letters will mimic crotchets, minims, and
whichever note symbols were needed for the rhythms.
I was comfortable enough to watch
the same sheet on the table and read it upside down. I played the piece from my
own recorder that I walked with for the session. I gave him two trials on his
own but asked him to pause after the first playing before trying again. I had
to see if there was difficulty with the music or to see where I could give
suggestions on breathing. In the image, you will see where the use of commas (or
‘breath pause’ like makings) to indicate how and where to inhale.
We tried the same piece twice
again and that was the end of the lesson. I also gave Joshua photocopies of
some notes with music theory and from the Recorder Book 1 that I had in case he
might need it later. That was the orange book. We had a good chat about his first
experiences with Hillview and some of the teachers over some good ice cream. One last play of “Alman”
was requested by everyone before leaving. We did play the piece on our
recorders together.
[UPDATE]
Some weeks had gone by until I
was given the news that Joshua’s mom passed down from Zida that Joshua did the “Alman”
piece in class. He said that the class clapped for him but he only made a
mistake and stopped to breathe. I was very happy for him.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 26th January 2022)
Dear Diary,
During my vacation time, I got the idea to visit the “Animal Farm” novel from Form Two. I did not read most of it at all but what I do remember the strongest apart from the animals was the anthem that the character sang. I recall Mrs. Mahase asking for some of us to create a melody just to see what we might come up with. Since I had finished the Fundamentals of Pan Arranging course, I decided to get the words from the internet and come up with a melody first.
It was easy coming up with chords to use for the other background instruments. Only when it was finished did I have a confident feeling about it. It sounded as if it was workable to the task that Miss asked us to do long ago. Since I created this version, I did not get to share it with the literature teachers at school. I know they may not be able to guide me in the music aspect but I wonder what comments may come from the literature part.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 13th August 2022)
Dear Diary,
It’s amazing how after one person
asks me to do their portrait and another sees the finished outcome, they
immediately ask me to draw them. This time an acquaintance and possible friend named
Renelle-Lee from my Intermediate Ensemble class from DCFA saw the portrait of
Josiah and asked me to draw her portrait.
I accepted the challenge when she
asked me but had a great fear of the type of ‘curse’ that my portraits possess
with me losing friends. This time around, I got to ask the person what their favorite
shape and she said hearts.
This is the reason for the
background. Just like Josiah’s portrait, I did not paint the face. Everything
around was placed in colour. The clothing again was my own creativity. She
seemed to enjoy the painting. I hope we are still friends.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 13th August 2022)
Dear Diary,
I was able to complete something for
Josiah’s portrait. Josiah is another person I met on Facebook that asked me to draw
him. He saw the previous portrait that I did for Shazard. He sent me a picture of
himself wearing a celebratory garment to use.
I did not have enough paint to
finish his face while others at home found it looked better without. The
background for the painting was done as a stained-glass effect from a church
since he was dressed for that venue.
Strangely enough, the same
strange pattern as with Shazard occurred. I had to end up losing a friend in
Josiah also. We crossed paths and we discontinued being friends. I’m wondering
if to do another portrait or stop completely. I don’t wish to have to lose
another potential friend.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 25th January 2022)
FINAL EXAMINATION.
The examination for this course was very long and a lot of focus was needed. I honestly needed to lay down after the exam. There were not many pages in the script but we had to do a lot of music notation. I sometimes find the time should be three hours instead of two because they keep us in class for three hours.
I did my best and handed it up with just a few more minutes left. Justin and I had a short chat on the outside. We had the exam up at MD3 with the dangerous gallery. I loved the view from there. We spoke about the exam, the degree, and how we both wanted to give up and withdraw from the program and aural training. This really was a hard year with an unbelievable amount of classes.
Link(s):
Music Theory 2 – (Final Exam) Candidate’s Receipt.**
TEXTBOOK.
I decided to do over the entire book that Mrs. Ramlal had people in the shop photocopy for us to use. The decision came after looking at the six-four notes that I had made for making it easier. I know for sure that the end-of-term examination will test all that was taught for the entire academic year.
Having that in mind, I did not want to have to return to the frustrating textbook. I wanted to simplify the work so that it would be easier for me to learn and that when I read it once, I would be able to understand it without the confusion from the textbook.
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 26th January 2022)
Scene 1
Dear Diary,
This month the composition challenge was to select one of three photographs that would inspire you to make the music. My decision was painting number one. I felt something calm and easy. I wanted to do something with the harp and soon my mind began to call for the flute. Playing back all that I did, it sounded empty and that was the reason why the tambourine was inserted.
Seven pages were gone in three to five hours after church. I was really proud of this piece because it was a wish to make something soothing. I took that opportunity through this challenge. The question remains in the effectiveness of the piece and if the assignment met what was asked for. I must mention the difficulties of trying to paint over the same image.
Over some days, I wanted to have some sort of steelpan going in the song. Unfortunately, that ended up as a nightmare. Another painting was created for this separate operation. I wanted to have the one I did before. Both of these compositions were submitted.
Link(s):
“Melodious Forest” – Score.** [DOCUMENT LOST.]
Recording of “Melodious Forest”.
UPDATE #2.
The review came back and was posted on YouTube on July 1st, 2018. I really appreciate the lesson on the harp being able to play only seven notes at a time in the way they are set up for a piece. Comments on the second piece made me wonder if Matt knew about steelpan. Other important messages from the feedback were:
“Six-four allows for a lot of melodies, especially in a really slow tempo. An ensemble in lutes is only limited in the possibility for colour, at least when it is for a wind quintet or chamber orchestra and because of this we would have to create some contrast and variety. Otherwise, this sound gets tiring… Flutes in a very high register often tend to stress the ear.”
“On our Facebook group, I recall Joshua saying that he didn’t have much time to compose this. I think we wish we all had more time to dedicate to composition but when the time is really limited, why not try a piece with fewer resources. Having so little time and so many instruments on the scores, and having so many empty bars in front of you, is bound to get overwhelming.”
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