Josiah’s Portrait

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 26th May 2018)

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.

 

Link(s):

• Black and White Version - Picture.
• Shazard’s Portrait – Journal Entry.
• Shazard’s Portrait.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Music Theory 2 - Finals Exam & TEXTBOOK

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 8th May 2018)

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):

1. 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.

Link(s):

1. Music Theory 2 – Textbook (Version 3).

Daryl Zion M. Ali

'Scenery' Challenge - School of Composition

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 5th May 2018)

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.

Link(s):

1. May Composition Instructions. ** [DOCUMENT LOST.]
2. “Erasing Inner Conflicts” – Score. ** [DOCUMENT LOST.]
3. Recording of “Erasing Inner Conflicts”.

[UPDATE #1]

Scene 3

    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):

1. “Melodious Forest” – Score.** [DOCUMENT LOST.]
2. Recording of “Melodious Forest”.

UPDATE #2.

The review came back and was posted on YouTube on July 1^st, 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.” 

Link(s):

• ‘Scenery’ Challenge – Feedback & Critique. (Feedback 11:27)

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Diaspora Concert (2018)

 Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[Saturday 2018]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 25th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

    Diaspora Concert is here again. For me, it is now the Diaspora exam. The two-day examination asks for the most unbelievable and tests you more than a student. This is the only I view it, personally. For the event, I played music with two groups. Listed below are the groups and the music they played.

Link(s):

1. Backstage Directory.

 

INDIAN CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE

Other versions can be found in the Indian Classical entry for this particular semester.

1. Churaliya (Version 7).** 
2. Gulabi Aakhen (Version 4).** 
3. Ek Ajnabi (Version 8).**

 

INTERMEDIATE ENSEMBLE: [For Request by Email.]

1. Redemption Song.** 
2. One Note Samba.** 
3. Milap.** 
4. Hallelujah.** 
5. Sonata No. 14, Op.27, No.2.** 
6. Night Shift.** 
7. Full of Vibes.**

 

    I was not able to get a program for the even but only the backstage directory. I can recall carrying three sets of clothing to the event. I dressed up in my Indian wear for the beginning. 

    I never like to change backstage with everyone before the program starts. I feel comfortable changing at home in my Indian wear and then going down to Daaga. Usually, the Indian Classical Ensemble is supposed to start the show and then there would be performances from the Indian Classical class on Thursdays and then the World Music group of the certificate program. 

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

'Lifesaver' Challenge - School of Composition

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 4th April 2018)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 25th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

    I decided to participate in the April challenge. It was posted on April 4th 2018. This challenge came from a lady named Barbara. She took care of a boy named Max during the period of ailment. The challenge as I realised was to be compiled all submissions and create a gift for Barbara for her birthday. I am happy to say that the painting I made was used as the cover of the CD they compiled the songs on.

    For this challenge, we were allowed to select one note alone for the letter R in B-A-R-B-A-R-A. I used four instruments in his process. In the review of the music recording, I’m still a bit shy over it. It did not sound like something I should have submitted. I was still convinced by an aunty to continue it. I see in the feedback they did not go to the second section which was really messy but fun, lolz.

    Painting was another difficult thing to do. No ideas were coming to me.  It ended up making me send in my submission close to the deadline again. I decided to draw an angel lady standing on the base of the mountain with other taller mountains around her. There was a larger river to the far end of the scene when I saw her.

 

Link(s):

1. Lifesaver – April Challenge Instructions.
2. “Rose of the Angel Barbara” – Score.
3. White & Black Version of Painting.
4. Recording of “Rose of the Angel Barbara”.

• ‘Lifesaver’ Feedback & Critique Video. (6:13 was feedback)

x

Daryl Zion M. Ali

'Destination Known' Challenge - School of Composition

  Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[March 2018]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 24th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

    I once belonged to a Facebook Group for music composers and came across a challenge to create a piece of music. Since it was music and composition, I just had to click the link and go into the literature. I became familiar with the name of the person responsible for it. His name was Matt Ellul and he was deeply into music. I created a two-page document with all of the instructions so that I could begin working on it once the inspiration came.

    Over some time, I began to see the image of a lady out in a forest in the middle of the night with a girl sitting on a bench. The painting I did to recreate it was not even close to what I saw in my mind. I realized that the woman I drew was an older and grown version of Carla from the “Magical Creatures” novel I was doing.

    In the composition of the piece, I did not have a strategy or any plan or idea. I allowed the music to sing itself into my mind and then tried hard to notate it out onto the Musescore grand staff. It had to be piano as the required instrumentation and a minimum of one minute.

    There was a four-bar phrase given to use that was to be used to end the song. Somehow, my mind was using it as a motif and I questioned if I was using it to do some sort of Rondo Form. I had to convert the grand staff from harpsichord to piano off and on. The sound of the piano did not do much justice to the notation. Because of this choice, I suppose this was the reason why Matt ended up commenting that it “is introduced immediately but is an introduction to a new theme. and as  you hear, that theme slowly evolves into familiar territory.”

    Several persons were submitting their compositions to Matt. We had a deadline to meet by the 3^rd of April 2018. Once that was done, we began to see persons sharing recordings of their pieces in the comments section of Matt’s post in the two or three groups that I was in.

    This was the first time I decided to use YouTube for music sharing. I had no experience at all. Honestly, I did not research how to do YouTube video upload either. I also did not know at the time how to create an Mp3 from Musescore. I sat with my phone and had the house closed in tight to record it from the software playing at a medium volume but thankfully the audio was good.

    During one of my waiting times for class to be in Studio 4 at DCFA, I thought that it would be VERY unacceptable to send a video with the music recording and a blank screen. That was where I got the idea to do the painting for the piece of music. I hope that this goes well. It is not to win anything but we did it for the love of music creations.

[UPDATE]

    As this was my very first piece of music on YouTube, all other compositions of mine in the future taken on the same approach. There would be a video with the recording and a painting to represent what is happening in the music.

    A few weeks to come, after the submission, there was a YouTube video with the same name as the composition challenge. As soon as I woke up, I saw the video ‘floating around in the group’s section. The video was shot and timed. Not much feedback but I was still happy to try out the piece (see 15:00). In some years after, this piece was taken for my novel as one of the music compositions.

 

Link(s):

1. Destination Known Instructions.
2. “Walking in a Midnight Setting” - Score.
3. Recording of “Walking in a Midnight Setting”.

• Destination Known Feedback & Critiques.

.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Aural Training 2 - Panorama Analysis Assignment

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 20th February 2018)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 31st May 2022)

Dear Diary,

    This is the Carnival semester and as usual, the class was asked to analyze a panorama arrangement for this year. We were given the choice to select a band. I decided to pick Starlift again. There were a lot of times that I had to wait for my turn to present but I took the opportunity on the said date of this entry.

    For this presentation, I did go “up and out” as they did in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We had to do a discussion detailing the tune of choice, the band, aspects of the arrangement by sections, and any demonstrations if possible. My demonstration focussed more on the strumming patterns by the double seconds, guitars, and cellos. I had a feeling that some parts of it were wrong.

    Apart from the documents I did for the presentation, I made a carnival postcard and a map from DCFA down to Starlift. The postcard was two sheets of red Bristol board decorated with coloured pieces of Bristol boards. I also had small handmade Tenor pans that I drew and coloured on circular-cut pieces of white Bristol board. Over more than a year, this postcard was then discarded and dismantled for the creation of another DAPHA Project.

    The map from DCFA to Starlift was then presented in class. I had to get the assistance of some of the class members to open it out because the length of it was not so early to handle by ten persons alone. We had to lay it over the grand piano in Studio One where it was revealed. It was funny that even the grand piano with the size it possessed was still too small to hold the rest of the map. The rest of the entire class had to line up and hold it from touching the floor.

    At the time of making it, the period between creation and presentation was too close and I did not have a Bristol board. I used loose sheets of letter-sized paper to create the entire map. It has a lot of crumples and is not easy to fold in. I am not sure if I (within) will ever find it to recreate the entire thing on some Bristol board. Towards the end of the presentation, which took a long time, I handed in my assignment documents to Mrs. Neaves, and she commented in whispers to the class, “Hmm! The first submission with accountability statement and everything.”

    On Saturday 3rd September 2022 the edited video was created and it became a DAPHA Project.

Link(s):

• Submitted Assignment.
• More Pictures of the Carnival Postcard.
• Link to Panorama Recording.

• Class Presentation - Recording.

• Link to Original Music Journal Entry for the above.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Indian Classical Ensemble - Degree (Yr1; Sem2)

 Date for Entry: (Monday 22nd January 2018)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 24th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

    The following entries below are an account of the transcription and learning process of the pieces of music done for the semester. All of these pieces (except for the Raag Jaunpuri) were then performed at the Music of the Diaspora Concert'.

    Friends Brandon and Eshay did not return to the ensemble but a new girl named Kelsey became a friend of mind and music was sent to her along with all other members who provided their email contact to me.

Link(s):

1. Course Outline - Indian Classical Ensemble.

 

CHURA LIYA

The first piece of music that was taught in the ensemble for the semester was a Bollywood piece called Churaliya. My experience with the piece Raag Sohini had me too tired from all the various versions of transcriptions done. I thought that I could save ink from the printer if I wrote it out and then send it off as an email to the other members.

    A short playing of the piece was done from YouTube and then we were asked to copy the Sargam from the whiteboard. I truly enjoyed learning the beginning of the song. It was amazing learning out the rest as the rest of the Mondays in the semester went by.

Link(s):

1. Chura Liya (Versions 1-8).** [By Request Only]
2. Chura Liya - Versions 9.

 

INDIAN THAATS (SCALES)

More students came to join us in class. Mr. Maharaj gave us the first five scales one night and the second set on the other one. I got him to pronounce the names of the scales so that they can be written in the document. Some changes were made and these too were added to the little handbook that I had put together.

Link(s):

1. Indian Thaats (Version 2-4).**
2. Indian Thaats (Version 4).**
3. Indian Classical Handbook.

 

MEHENDI LAGA KI RAKHANA

Another Bollywood piece was prepared by the entire ensemble. It was truly a very rhythmic piece. Only some months at the end of the semester I decided to revise the score but did not get to do so. It has not been done just yet. All of my transcriptions were deleted in the process of saving them on a flash drive in 2021, at the end of completion of the degree.

    Not much work was needed for it thankfully. However, there were a lot of sections and fills that had to be done for it.

Link(s):

1. Mehendi Laga Ki Rakhana - Version 4.

 

RAAG JAUNPURI.

Parts of two classes were used for this piece. Unfortunately, not much attention was given to it and it was not completed in class. There was space for it at the Diaspora 'Concert’ but it seems like I will take what is given and create a piece out of it myself.

    I could already see the whole class did not care to learn the music and I knew no one practiced it. A night in the class came when Sir started to sing it and I was able to play back half of the song. Sadly, I was held tightly behind my neck and threatened to not continue by another student in silence. Took me two days to get over that particular pain in my neck. Class for Mr. Sharma and Intermediate was not good at experiencing it.

Link(s):

1. Raag Jaunpuri (Version 1-2).
2. Raag Jaunpuri - Version 4.

 

EK AJNABI.

This was a piece that was revised probably more than Raag Sohini. A lot of the class nights were taken on this piece and then on the final two pieces. I feel this was the reason why Raag Jaunpuri was not able to be done. We had a lot of students in the class and organising who to play what was the next issue.

Link(s):

1. Ek Ajnabi (Version 4-8).** [By Request Only]
2. Ek Ajnabi - Version 9.

 

GULABI AANKHEN.

This piece of music did not require many heavy amendments. There were three simple versions made and the class seemed to learn this one quickly.

Link(s):

1. Gulabi Aankhen (Version 1-4).** [By Request Only]
2. Gulabi Aankhen - Version 5.

 

JAUN KAHAN BATA AYE DIL.

A Monday night late into the semester, only Mr. Maharaj and I were early and waiting for seven. While we were waiting, he spoke to me about music transcription. When he sat down by the piano, he decided to start the music for me to start writing it out in Western-style for the others to follow when they come.

    I was lucky I had a manuscript page in my folder. I got it out and listened to what he was playing. It was a familiar song that I knew too. I had a good idea of the key and I was right when I tried out the first measure and a piece. We had the whole piece down in those thirty minutes and then class started with this. Sir took my manuscript paper to the projector and we started with that song. Afterward, the rest of the music was worked on. This piece too did not need a lot of amendments.

    I was very proud of myself for working out the music on the spot alone. A part of that night had another experience. At one point during the music transcription session by ween Mr. Maharaj and me (second part of the song), I saw an imaginary green board in a faded colour appear, and white markings of the rhythms I needed were written out. It looked like white chalk on a green chalkboard. It did not stay but moved from right to left as if it was the headlines traveling on the bottom of the television screen during the news. I've never encountered a remarkable experience like that before.

Link(s):

1. Jaun Kahan Bata Aye Dil. – Manuscript Transcription.
2. Jaun Kahan Bata Aye Dil. – Version 4.

 

[UPDATE #1]

    During the Semester, I was given a score by my friend Karen. It was one that she had to earn for a course. She told me that it was for a group assignment and someone had created this for them. I had a feeling that I might have t do that course too. She was in her final year and it was the music degree as well. The name of the piece was “Hai Apna Dil”. I did not know the name but when I sight-sang the first two measures I knew the melody right away.

Link(s):

1. “Hai Apna Dil” (Score).