Indian Classical Ensemble (Yr3, Sem1)

 Date for Entry: (Monday 9 September 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 21st March 2022)

[WRITTEN AS REPORT]

RAAG MALKAUNS.

* Monday 9 September 2019 *

    The course began with a classical piece called Raag Malkauns. Mr. Maharaj showed us a recording of an Indian Classical class in the degree program playing the piece for a Music of the Diaspora Concert. If I had been able to get a copy of that recording, I would have been able to write out the entire song. 

    I would not have minded if we were going to play the full thing but I would have loved to have this for my archives. The transcription for this piece did not need any amendments. Only two to three classes were taken to complete the song.

Link(s):

1. Handwritten Sargam PDF.
2. Version 2.** [Request by Email.]
3. Version 3 - Final.

 

AIGIRI NANDINI.

* Monday 30 September 2019 *

    On this day Mr. Maharaj gave us a new piece of music to do. It sounded like another classical piece and I was excited. Only the verse and chorus were given for that first part and it was notated on the Sunday before the next class. There was a class where a dance lecturer came to class that night and we learned that this piece was going to be played for her dance group at one of their performances

    Version 2 was done and that was used upstairs in the Cheeseman Building on a Tuesday afternoon at 1 PM in the dance studio. I took my tenor pan and went there to play the music. Mr. Maharaj did not have our individual harmonium class again so I waited to play with the dancer. Not many people were there for that first rehearsal. It was only me and then Brandon came late. I met Anil with the harmonium lady (Miss Priyanka) who sang so beautifully.

    When I took my first play with them, I did not know all the things I had to wait for and no one told me exactly what to do. It felt as I they would expect me to know those things and improvise if needed as if it was like in some of the performances on YouTube. It was a very long piece of music. I did not even look at the dancers yet because I was trying to get what the lady was singing and playing. Apparently, there were some different things that Mr. Maharaj gave us that she was not doing. So, I took out my pencil and began to make notes and corrections to my score.

    I knew that by the night came I would have plenty, plenty of things to do over, and I was right. I got Anil to send me a recording of the whole piece. It took me from 7 PM to 3:30 AM straight to write out the entire song as a melodic line. I was so tired I wanted to fall down. I had to wake up early on Wednesday and get the music printed.

    Version 3. A bigger number of students were there present today. Everyone got the score from me by email. I did not want to do that yet because I wanted to make sure that it was suitable and corrected. I knew all that hour of work the night before was too much and that I WAS going to miss out on things. I let happy with version three.

    The pages were filled with systems and it was better for me. I did a run-through of the piece on the Tenor pan. Anil was playing at the table and Miss Priyanka was on her harmonium. Some of the others were behind me looking into the score. Sir came in later with his violin to join us. We were not in the brighter studio but the darker one. Mr. Maharaj didn’t take any look into the score versions this time but I was glad to have something like this being able to work out. Versions four and five came and the fifth one was then used for the “Festival of Movement” concert.

Link(s):

1. Versions 1-3 [Including Sargam]. ** [For Request by Email].
2. Mr. Maharaj's Version - Final.
3. My 'Score Guide' (Version 4) - Final.
4. Festival of Movements - Program.
5. Miss Mahadeo's Lyrics (Pictures).

 

VE MAAHI.

* Monday 7th October 2019 *

Not much time was spent on this piece. It was learned faster and we were able to move to another piece. I cannot remember why I did not write in the Sargam to the Western notation score.

Link(s):

1. Handwritten Sargam PDF. ** [Request by Email.]
2. Version 1-3. ** [Request by Email.]
3. Version 4 - Final.
4. Recording.**

 

GATA RAHE MERE DIL.

* Monday 12th November 2019 *

The nice thing about this piece was that it was fun and only took two classes to put together. I liked how Mr. Maharaj added the African Drum. The sound of the instrument made it even better.

Link(s):

1. Version 2 - Final.
2. Recording.**

BAHAPAN KI MOHABAT HO.

* Monday 18th November 2019 *

During the vacation time, I met up with Mr. Maharaj in Studio Four to help him transcript a piece of music. He had the whole piece written out. I did ask him to play it out on the piano and recorded it on the phone. It did not take me more than half an hour to work out on Musescore. The piece was used at the Recital for this semester. Unfortunately, Sir did not remember to do this piece all semester long and had then asked me to play it as a solo and I took the offer.

Link(s):

1. Handwritten Sargam.** [For Request by Email.]
2. Versions 2.** [Request by Email.]
3. Versions 3 - Final.
4. Video Recording.

 

JAB KOI BAAT BIGAD JAAYE.

* Unknown/Forgotten Date *

This piece began as a transcription that Mr. Maharaj shared with the class. I got a copy online but had to write it over for some other reason. This piece was completed within one class session because the notation was already done and everyone was reading the online description from the projector. It was just a matter of arrangement based on what Sir would have liked repeated from the music and how the class would end.

Link(s):

1. Versions 2 - Final.
2. Recording.**

HEY SHIVA SHANKAR.

* Sunday 24th November 2019 *

In the last two classes before the ensemble's recital, we were given a listen to another piece done by Ms. Mahadeo from the "Aigiri Nandini" piece. I was not sure if the entire class was going to have to learn it so, I took a recording of the song and tried my best to have a score done for the other students.

    These two pieces of music done by Ms. Mahadeo provided the opportunity to be creative in producing 'score guides', which was an adoption of the listening map lesson from a teaching course in the Music Certificate. The notation will not be one hundred percent accurate but gives the reader an idea of what is to come in further sections.

Link(s):

1. 'Score Guide' Notation - (Version 2).
2. 'Score Guide' (Version 2) - Recording.**

END OF TERM RECITAL.

* Monday 25th November 2019 *

    This was the end-of-semester recital for the first semester of the academic year. All pieces done and uploaded via a link in the entry were performed. There were also individual pieces done by myself were also done from my Individual Harmonium class. Other available recordings from this event would be presented in their special section above.

    This was my first time playing Harmonium in front of a live audience. It was scary because I had to prepare an introduction to "Yaad Kiya Dil" and I did not remember to do it. Instead, I started with the verse and continued with the rest of the piece. Other accompaniments for this piece were done by Anil on Tabla and Brandon on his keyboard. From the recording, I saw there was a nice little drummer helping too.

    The second was a tenor pan item to play "Backpan Ki Mohobatta Ko". This was a piece that Mr. Maharaj had to meet up with me in the summer in DCFA to write out. We did not get to that piece for the ensemble to play so he gave it to me as a solo for the recital.  Mr. Maharaj joined the three of us on another Harmonium for the tenor pan song.

    The Ensemble also played the "Aigiri Nandini" that Ms. Paul's dancers did for the "Festival of Movement" concert earlier in the semester. They started off the recital. The 'Hey Shiva Shankar" piece was performed in the second half of the recital. I did not go to play the tenor pan part after working so hard on the transcription because I did not find myself confident enough. I still gave Ms. Mahadeo a copy of the music that I made for her.

    We did not have an official programme for the recital but I kept a copy of the list that Mr. Maharaj wrote out before it started. On this Night Nadara and Dad came to the show. They said that they enjoyed it and Mr. Maharaj told me that the tenor pan piece went really good.

    The video recordings were recorded on Saturday 6th August 2022 and became a DAPHA Project.

Link(s):

• Individual Harmonium Class - Journal Entry.
• Photographs from Recital & Programme.
• "Yad Kiya Dil" - Video Recording.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

The Grand Staff

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 14th May 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 13th August 2022)

Dear Diary,

    I was asked by a very special friend, Nella to create a Grand Staff chart for her classroom. This was done during the week leading up to our Indian Classical Music final examination on Friday. The Diaspora concert ‘exam’ had already taken place and concluded.

    This project required several cutting and sticking because of the note-heads for each line and space. I also decided to craft text on the chart for the student’s use and to point out important tips. Doing this same activity gave me ideas for the same grand staff topic in my steelpan book.

Link(s):

• “Grand Staff” Blue Print - Picture.

UPDATE.

    This chart was recreated and used in classes at St. George’s College as part of my OJT programme.

Link(s):

• St. George’s College (Week 8) – Day #30.
• St. George’s College (Week 8) – Day #31.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

“Our Father” - Caribbean Version

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 11 May 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 15th March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    On this day, I was able to complete the “Our Father” song for the steelband. I see that Mr. Sharma really liked this and had asked me to start working on it for Sunday School. I started the evenings in Curepe trying to work it out and then I went up to Tunapuna to print out the parts for the members on my way to practice the Sunday.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

"Here I am Lord"

 Date for Entry: (Friday 26 April 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 15th March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    This piece was a random selection for the Sunday School band in church. I don’t remember if it was one that Mr. Sharma had asked me to the door I had chosen it myself. I was glad that the introduction worked out. However, my intention for the ending was to have a grand symphonic sound. It did not work and it blew up in the middle of a rehearsal.

    This piece was presented in church after the Sunday practice that it was put together. Sir was not there in church but we had a final rehearsal on a Saturday evening and I had decided to recycle the introduction to end the piece.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Musics of the Diaspora ‘Concert’ (2019)

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 20th April 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 15th March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    Another examination event came and I was involved in three groups: the Indian Classical Ensemble, the Indian Classical Music class, and the Intermediate Ensemble. As customary, the two Indian Music classes and Ensemble went in the first act of the show. The Ensemble did three pieces and the class did two pieces we were working on for the whole semester. There is a copy of the programme saved for public viewing.

    During the early parts of the semester, I had left the Intermediate Ensemble. I was not doing it for credit and just like Youth Group, I did not want it to take up time that was only going to suffer me. However, I was still invited to come back and play with the band for the show and I took the offer. There would be other students brought back on the final night to pay for more support. The songs played for this ensemble were Bailando, Diamonds, Iron Love, Allez, Smile Jamaica, Pegate, Obeah Wedding, Redemption Song, All Aboard and Bacchanalis.

    There was a lot that went occurred this day. Mommy was sick and I had to be wakened to rush out in the road to stop the ambulance for her. Sometime after, I had to get ready and go down to DCFA to help with the instruments and then down to Dagga for the rest of the evening. I had to go home to change into Indian wear and come back down to the "Big UWI" (Main Campus) with my book bag and a separate bag of other clothing to change for the groups. I did walk with other clothing to change when returning to school for the packing.

    I had to sit with Mr. Maharaj after he had consulted with his certificate students for us to see who was present and absent. That was part of the awarding for the final marks. Got verbally stabbed in my back twice for the night before going onto the stage and then someone I called a friend sent a verbal sword through my heart that night while trying not to scream through the pain in my legs. There are still other hurtful things that would be left anonymous in the Indian Classical Music course.  I thank God that I was able to make it through another torturing night for the Music of the Diaspora exam’. 

    The edited video recording was created Friday 5th August 2022 and became a DAPHA Project. 

Link(s):

• Diaspora ‘Concert’ (2019) - Programme.
• Intermediate Pieces. ** [Permission was not Granted.]
• Indian Classical Ensemble - Raag Bhimpalasi (V4). 
• Indian Music (Classical) – 'Scores Guides'.
• Indian Music (Classical) – Class Performance.

• Concert Photographs. [See Below in the Facebook post for details.]
• Indian Music (Classical) - Degree Course Journal.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Congo Man Melody - “Trini Situation”

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 16^th April 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 15th March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    It was a weekend in the same month that I was contacted by a Hillview acquaintance of mine. He asked me to do some work in music for a friend of his but the task/challenge given to me was from the perspective of songwriting. The goal of the challenge was to take the song Congo man and create new lyrics and use the same melody. I knew I was not good at songwriting but I was still willing to make try.

    For this individual challenge given me to do, I had to study “Congo Man” for a proper first time listening to the entire song. Next, I tried to take the first verse and come up with something. I decided that I should focus my attention on one specific topic because I kept the idea of how calypso can discuss any topic. I was not sure if it was a good idea to do different topics for each verse., or if I should have done one overall topic for the entire composition.

    The chorus was done over as well. I was asked to do three verses but instead, I had given eight verses to whoever was to get this creation of mine. I also am not sure if this was used for some competition, pastime, or may be part of some course assignment for UWI.

    A lot of this had to be based on my experience doing sonnet writing. Some of it seemed to be uneven to the rhythmic structure of “Congo Man” but I’m sure the person(s) would have been able to fix it if they did that or had someone else move the words around.

 

Link(s):

1. “Congo Man” Lyrics - Submitted Work. 
2. Class Project from Sean's friend.**
3. “Congo Man” Recording.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Fishes in the Rainbow

Date for Entry: (Sunday 3rd March 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 13th August 2022)

Dear Diary,

    I was asked by a gentleman working in DCFA to paint two sculptures. I didn’t know his name but he knew mine. He said that they were supposed to be thrown out and wanted to know if I could colour them for him.

    It was only the week before Mr. Sheldon from the library was speaking to him and I became a topic in their conversation. At that point, I was pulled into the conversation and shared some of the painting work that I did. This is how he knew I did paint work in some way.

    On the date of this entry, the first of two fish sculptures was painted. As soon as it was handed to the same person in school, he gave me the second one and that was completed by the next weekend.

    I took the two of them to prepare before painting. They were both washed and then hand washed. I did not know how to do so from any expert advice. Dishwashing liquid and blue soap were used to clean them. They were then left to draw overnight on top of six sheets of newspaper. I hope that wherever these two pieces are, they give good satisfaction to their viewers. The second sculptor was completed on Sunday 17th March 2019.

 

Link(s):

• Images of Two Sculptors & Blank Version.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Indian Classical Ensemble (Yr2; Sem2)

 Date for Entry: (Monday 4th February 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 14th March 2022)

RAAG BHIMPALASI.

* Monday 4th February 2019 *

    This was the first class of being experienced in the piece called Raag Bhimplasi. The chorus and the verse were given and it seemed to be quite catchy and attractive. We were given all of the music to learn because I had all of the music written out by the second version. The piece was used at the Music of the Diaspora concert’.

Link(s):

1. Handwritten Notes.**
2. Version 1-3.** [For Request by Email.]
3. Version 4 - FINAL.

Daryl Zion M. Ali