Year 1: Sonic Db Music Technology Programme Evaluation at Werrington YOI Period: 20/2/06 – 5/4/06
Ornette D Clennon This report outlines the trainees’ progress in reflecting on their attitudes towards offending using music production and creative writing methodologies. The report also evaluates the structure of the programme and makes recommendations for year 2.
9/15/2015
Sonic Db Music Technology Programme Evaluation at Werrington YOI Period: 20/2/06 – 5/4/06 1.
Introduction
4.
Appendix
2. 2.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.1.1 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3. 3.1 3.2 3.2.1 3.3
Artist’s General Comments Designing a Music Technology Programme for the Trainees Delivering a Music Technology Programme for the Trainees Equipment Failure Recommendations Health and Safety Issues around Security Summary Designing a Training Programme for the Shadow Artist Delivering a Training Programme for the Shadow Artist Impact of Programme on Trainees "Hard" Learning Outcomes "Soft" Learning Outcomes Specific Impact on Trainees Summary
4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8
Artist’s Background and Approach Final Session Plan Final Learning Plan for Music Technology Final Learning Plan for Creative Writing Final Learning Plan for Voice Sessions A Worksheet (one of seven) for the Trainees Evaluation Sheet for the Trainees Summary of Trainees’ Evaluation
1.
Introduction
p.1 p.2 p.2 p.4 p.5 p.7 p.8 p.9 p.9 p.9 p.9 p.9 p.12 p.13 p.17 p.18 p.18 p.18 p.22 p.27 p.31 p.33 p.33 p.34
This report is intended to give an overview of the progress and success of the entire programme. This project was ambitious in its scope; as it had to fulfil many, sometimes disparate, functions, simultaneously, yet, remain intact. This report will be written entirely from the point of view of the Artist. The report will also make reference (in the form of quotes, for the sake of brevity) to the following, all of which are available in full, from Clare Smith, the Sonic Db Coordinator (email:
[email protected]):
Session Plan (see Appendix) Learning Plans (see Appendix) Monitoring Sheets Shadow Artist’s Feedback Sheets Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist Training and Evaluation Sheets for the Shadow Artist Worksheets for the Trainees (see Appendix) Evaluation Sheet for the Trainees (see Appendix)
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Written Material produced by the Trainees
I have decided to include in the Appendix full Learning Plans, a Worksheet for the Trainees, the Final Session Plan and an Evaluation Sheet for the Trainees (even though they exist as separate documents) for ease of cross-reference when reading this report.
2.
Artist’s General Comments
When I was approached to work with Sonic Db, I relished the challenge of working in what was for me an entirely new environment. Although my background (see appendix) was that of Music Specialist working in a variety of community settings, I had never applied my facilitative skills to a penal environment before. My remit for the programme was to:
Design a Music Technology Programme o Hard learning outcomes, with accreditation Design a Training Programme o Mentoring a Shadow Artist
2.1
a
view
towards
future
Designing a Music Technology Programme for the Trainees
“Summary
7 day programme over seven weeks Two groups 8 trainees per group One session per day Split sessions to have 10 minute-breaks between activities Sessions: 3 hours each in duration (with 10 minute-break) Two days per week: Monday and Wednesday Twelve 3 hour contact-time-blocks ½ a 3 hour contact-time-block, to be arranged in Part 2 Training time included: weeks 3 and 7 Session for guest industry speaker: week 3
This format is will allow more teaching and hands-on time for two groups.” Final Session Plan (see Appendix)
Points that arose from this:
The slow moving and sometimes chaotic communications within Werrington meant that exact planning for the groups was very difficult until almost at the last moment. o Contingency plans for varying group formats depending on whether the Werrington trainees would form a static or transient group had to be drawn up. This programme was Part 1 of two parts.
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o Collaborative preparation had to take place between my successor and myself before a learning or session plan for the programme could be clearly defined. o My programme was an Introduction to Music Technology which covered the following:
“Summary Teaching Fruity Loops 3 teaching-hours per group in total* over 2 days Teaching Cubase SX o 10.5 teaching-hours per group in total* over 5 days sessions including a creative writing or voice session element will be shared with the teaching of music technology (see learning plan)” Final Learning Plan for Music Technology (see Appendix)
However, it soon became apparent that more than Music Technology training had to be written into the programme. Unless, the trainees were going to write purely instrumental arrangements, the process of song writing and even the eventual delivery of vocals in a studio setting had to be included in a structured way:
“Summary o
Facilitation of Creative Writing Static Groups 4.5 facilitation-hours per group in total* over 3 days
It is to be noted that the learning plan for the creative writing is built upon a facilitative rather than a teaching approach and as such the learning outcomes will be “soft” as the process will take pre-eminence. However, the end-point of these creative exercises will be to generate to lyrics for songs. sessions including a creative writing element will be shared with the teaching of music technology (see learning plan)” Final Learning Plan for Creative Writing (see Appendix)
“Summary o
Facilitation of Voice Sessions Static Groups 3 facilitation-hours per group in total* over 2 days
sessions including a voice session element will be shared with the teaching of music technology and creative writing (see learning plan)” Final Learning Plan for Voice Sessions (see Appendix)
Points that arose from this:
There would be multiple activities occurring simultaneously. o Group Management Issues
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Who would “lead” which section and how would that be co-ordinated?
“”I would like to spend some time observing Ornette’s session, as up until this point I have been entirely involved in the delivering and teaching of the course – this observation time will give me chance to watch Ornette facilitating and show me how to lead a session without support” Alex’s feedback session 4 – 15.3.06” Final Training Evaluation
Report for the Shadow Artist
The Shadow Artist was a Music Technologist and his hands-on training, in part, included learning how to teach Music Technology to the trainees. The unique challenges of this, will be dealt with in Designing a Training Programme Where would the different activities take place and for how long? The sessions took place in the studio (Music Technology) and in the Chapel (Creative Writing and Voice Sessions) and where shared, were ninety minutes in length. How would the workshop styles differ between the activities to ensure maximum delivery?
“” Alex gave his understanding of instruction:
facilitation and
Facilitation Helping people to achieve a goal by non-lecture based methods. Guiding the process Instruction Giving clear teaching” Alex’s feedback session 3- 6.3.06”
Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist (in its own Appendix)
2.2 Delivering a Music Technology Programme for the Trainees This challenge was met by making sure the Shadow Artist’s Training programme had the dual roles of:
Training o “”This will take time and experience, however and cannot be gained through
mere observation but through a combination of hands-on activity coupled with a heightened sense of awareness of process – again a skill to be developed over time.” Alex’s feedback session 5 – 22.3.06” Final Training
Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist
Delivery o “”… up until this point I have been entirely involved in the delivering and teaching of the [Music Technology] course – this observation time will give me chance to watch Ornette facilitating and show me how to lead a session without support”
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Alex’s feedback session 4 – 15.3.06” Final Training Evaluation Report for the
Shadow Artist
Moulding together these sometimes conflicting interests in order to deliver a coherent programme for the trainees was achieved in the following ways:
“Directed facilitational technique o
“This process was externalised by the Artist discreetly giving direct suggestions to Alex in response to the progress of the session. Alex then was able to reinterpret the suggestions and facilitate the suggested process. This was an externalisation of an internal process Alex hopes to learn for himself. This teaching technique of directive guidance, was first used in session 3 (8/3/06) when Alex was leading a Music Industry activity.” Alex’s feedback session 7 –
3.4.06” Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist
“The Importance of De-briefing sessions o
“Alex was pleased to see the trainees implement what he had taught them and facilitated over the past weeks. Alex also is pleased to see that the workshop-techniques discussed in the debriefings, are also effective.” Alex’s
feedback session 6 – 29.3.06
2.2.1
Reflective Practice The deconstruction of a workshop, in order to appreciate the facilitative process retrospectively, with a view towards recognising and applying it in future sessions.”Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist
Equipment Failure
This had near catastrophic consequences for the delivery of the Music Technology part of the programme: “We found that Fruity Loops was not installed on our system so we were unable to complete the Fruity Loop section of the session. We were also unable to use MIDI, as there were not enough MIDI leads to enable us to use CuBase SX. Tim phoned Jason, because the firewire connection between the desk and PC was inoperative. We used an input/output lead instead to connect the PC to the desk. In the end, we used Tim’s laptop and Tascam again!” Session 1
monitoring sheet 20.2.06
Points that arose from this:
Due to the multiple-activity nature of the workshops, we were able to compensate for the equipment failure. o The session plans had a written-in contingency for the early stages of the programme:
“”Alex found that the session today very much dealt with his desire to learn how to cope with challenging situations. He enjoyed the opportunity to shadow the Artist first hand and observed the importance of being flexible and being able to think on your feet. Alex saw that the Creative Writing element served two purposes:
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To outline the creative process of lyric writing and “spitting” To provide a parallel creative process to the music technology capable of holding its own when the music technology fails”
Alex’s feedback session 1 – 20.2.06” Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist
However, this written-in flexibility was stretched to near breaking point as the Music Technology was planned to take greater prominence in the later sessions and it ultimately proved unreliable. Here are the flash points against the constant backdrop of minor (and major) crashes and the frequently inactive CuBase SX Audio functions: “The equipment failed. There was no (live) audio output from either CuBase SX or Fruity Loops. As a result, we were not able to record any vocals and we were unable to preview the audio clips from the CD before grabbing them and exporting to CuBase, although the export function did appear to be active. The system crashed as we confirmed the correct drivers…. Some ideas about the kit failure: There could be a glitch in the Yahama O1X preventing it from sending a live signal back to the audio in CuBase, after having receiving it through the mics and sending it through the monitors. We checked to see that both the word clock and the drivers were synchronised. We checked that CuBase recognised the presence of the Yahama, which it did. We know that CuBase SX or the Mlan driver in CuBase is communicating with the Mlan in the Yahama, as we can hear output (both MIDI and Audio) from CuBase through the Yahama and the monitors – the reverse communication of live audio through the Yahama going into CuBase’s Audio seems not be working. This problem is intermittent, as we have had success with this in past sessions. When we have needed to use Tim’s Apple mac laptop and Tascam USB to record our Live Audio, we have not encountered in any such problems in the past. When previewing Audio from a CD in order to grab the right track and export it to CuBase, the Sound Direct X driver keeps defaulting, instead of the Mlan driver, thus not making it possible for us to hear the clips, even when we try to listen to them through the default CD player. This problem is intermittent, as we have had success with this in past sessions. Would it be possible to ask Steinberg exactly what technical specifications (hard and software-wise) are needed in order to run Cubase SX smoothly? It seems as though there is a basic incompatibility issue between the components of the kit: o CuBase, as we know, has a glitch in the actual software, as identified by Jason, involving the exporting of Audio between applications (i.e. Fruity Loops and CuBase) o The Yahama 01X does not consistently communicate with CuBase’s Audio.”
Session 6 monitoring sheet 27.3.06
In the midst of these frequent (minor and sometimes major) crashes throughout this programme, we had to try to resolve the problems for ourselves, despite the best efforts of our twice-visiting technician from PMT (Professional Music Technology): “Using the Mlan graphic patch bay on the PC, the Artist and Shadow Artist discovered that the in and outputs to the PC and the Yahama 01X were disconnected (despite the intermittent working and apparent firewire connection). We rewired both inputs and outputs from scratch – connecting all the available ins and outs for good measure (this would need to checked out at sometime). We also rewired the word clock input from the PC to 01X, to enable communication between the two, as the usual synchronisation procedure of the start up seemed to break down. We are still unclear as to why rewiring would need to be done if it is already wired. What is it that caused to the PC and the 01X to unwire/disconnect in the first place?
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Would this mean that we would have to regularly rewire the ins and outs via the Mlan graphic patch bay before every session?” Session 6 monitoring sheet 29.3.06
The demoralising effect of the accumulative crashes and kit failures were expressed thus:
For the workers: “Alex has found that the faults around the kit to be beyond his capacity to solve. Despite the combined studio experience of both the Artist and the Shadow Artist, the kit failure seems to lie beyond them both. Alex has noted that Jason’s interventions have not been as effective, as they might have been.” Alex’s feedback session 6 – 27.3.06
For the trainees: “There was some tension from the fact that they were unable to have real hands time on the PC, as one of them was familiar with Fruity Loops but was not able to use it today. There was a co-operative response from the trainees as they helped each other with their “spitting”. However, there was an understandable frustration at the lack of usable technology.” Session 1
monitoring sheet 20.2.06
“The group worked patiently and even though they were understandably frustrated by the kit failure, they demonstrated maturity, applying themselves to the elements of production that were operable on the system.” Session 6 monitoring sheet 27.3.06 “When we explained to Ryan why the kit was not working he was able to relay that to the others and in so doing, calm them down. He proved an invaluable member of the group.”
Session 4 monitoring sheet 13.3.06
2.2.1.1 Recommendations
The current equipment needs to be replaced with new equipment (different PC and different Yahama 01X) Repairs to the equipment need to be carried out in the presence of the Artist to ensure complete workshop readiness o Repair Technicians need to be more responsive to the needs of the Artist, who will be using the equipment to lead the Music Technology sessions. A full training/troubleshooting session on the intended (and actual) workshop equipment needs to be budgeted for and carried out before the first session in future programmes: o
“Training Session 1 – 4 hours to take place before week 1
Alex, Clare, Si, Jason, Tim and Ornette
Discussion of Training Plans for Alex (see Preparation for Alex’s training at Werrington YOI) Finish tracks from Tasters, to be used as demos for sessions 1 Troubleshooting session led by Jason” Final Session Plan (see Appendix)
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Examine the possibility of replacing present equipment set up with top end laptop and Audio/MIDI interface such as a Tascam US122 o For environments where the studio space is limited, such as at Werrington, a laptop system would afford greater opportunities in terms of configuring the geography of a session:
“”Alex also paid attention to the geography of the studio vis a vis the seating arrangement. He found that the horseshoe configuration around the PC worked best and that the optimum number was four trainees.”
Alex’s feedback session 1- 22.2.06” Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist
Larger purely Music Technology based sessions in the studio at Werrington would not be practicable
2.3 Health and Safety Issues around Security The Artist and the Shadow Artist were given a security talk by Joe Pattinson (Head of Security) on 1st March. The talk was both informative and very useful. We were given a security checklist to sign and were made to keep a copy for our records. This was an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into the running of Werrington YOI. However, there were some issues around security, which gave us cause for concern: “Security Issues: Barry Wright locked both the Artist and Shadow Artist alone with the boys in the Chaplaincy centre, whilst he went to talk to the Chaplain in the office, with the door closed. We were unable to rouse his attention until he returned to the Chaplaincy Centre. The Artist reminded Barry that this was inappropriate for health and safety reasons (co-incidentally John Keys, who briefly visited the session before this incident to tell us that a training room had been set aside for our de-briefing, reminded us that this practice was strictly prohibited). Barry wanted to lock us in alone, as he accompanied the group back to their wings. The Artist objected to this for health and safety reasons and suggested that the adjoining door to the IT room be unlocked, so that the Pos in that room were at hand should we have needed them. This idea was rejected. However, he left us to accompany the trainees back to their wings and he did leave the door unlocked. Cupboard Key We took the key to Education and put it in key box there. We did not feel confident to leave it at the gate because of the last session. Would it be possible to keep the key in the studio, which would be locked and can only be opened with Chaplaincy key? This would save us valuable time in not having to go to Education upon arrival to collect the key as it would already be there.”
Session 6 monitoring sheet 27.3.06
Points that arose from this:
Although not directly in the control of Sonic Db, the lapses, as recorded above were due to the absence of a dedicated Liaison Officer, who would have been assigned to look after the workers of Sonic Db during their visits.
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o Tim Turnbull, the Writer in Residence, became the de facto Liaison Person. This was inappropriate as Sonic Db was not his specific responsibility added to the fact that his working pattern of two weeks on-two weeks off meant that he was not always around to organise the necessary details, despite his best efforts to do so before his off-cycle. This lack of co-ordination meant that communication was not always efficient, often resulting in drastically reduced prep time, as we were unable to set up without the appropriate staff to accompany us, unlocking the necessary rooms/doors to which we needed access. All P.O. staff assigned to Sonic Db workshops should have been fully briefed as to our requirements, especially as regards to our security.
2.4 Summary Despite the challenges faced by both Artist and the Shadow Artist, we managed to deliver all the learning outcomes (both hard and soft) that were expected of us. The co-ordination of both a training programme for the Shadow Artist and a Music Technology programme for the trainees was helped greatly by the support of the Sonic Db Co-ordinator and Werrington’s Writer in Residence. The variously assigned Prison Officers, but especially Barry Wright, also helped in the relatively smooth running of the programme. The exact impact of the programme on the trainees will be explored in the Impact of Programme on Trainees section. 2.5 Designing a Training Programme for the Shadow Artist An assessment of the Shadow Artist’s training needs were made first before constructing a training programme to help him develop his Signature Workshop Style. Weeks three and seven acted as specific training “pit stops” to enable the Shadow Artist to have the opportunity to feedback on the progress of his training programme (via the filling out and the discussion of training and evaluation sheets), allowing the Artist to make the necessary adjustments in his delivery. This process has been dealt with comprehensively in the Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist and as such, will not be covered in this report. 2.6 Delivering a Training Programme for the Shadow Artist Both the facilitative delivery of training in the workshop and the rigorous supervision and training sessions, which occurred during both prep and debrief meetings (out of session) have also been comprehensively dealt with in the Final Training Evaluation Report for the Shadow Artist and as such, will not be covered in this report.
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3.
3.1
Impact of Programme on Trainees
“Hard” Learning Outcomes
The methodology underpinning these sessions was primarily instructional although facilitative techniques were incorporated towards the end of the programme. For more details, see Final Training Evaluation Report for the
Shadow Artist.
Software application The trainees were introduced to Music Technology by being taught how to use:
Fruity Loops Studio FL o They were taught how to programme beats in Fruity Loops and export them to CuBase SX CuBase SX. o They were taught how to record their Live Audio to accompany their FL beats. o They were taught how to record Live Audio in CuBase SX o They were taught how to edit Audio in the form of WAV files. o They were taught how to programme and edit MIDI o They were taught how to edit an arrangement The trainees were also introduced to both the LM7 and the Prophet 53 from the Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection
Hardware Application Recording Audio o They were taught how to set up the mic o They were taught how to set up the headphones o They were taught how to set up the talk back mic o They were taught how to check the levels before recording o They were taught how to use the Yahama 01X mixing desk for recording Audio Assessment Criteria For a detailed Learning Plan for the Music Technology see Appendix. To help assess whether a trainee had achieved the anticipated learning outcomes, they were required to fill out a worksheet, which summarised the skills they had just learned in the workshop. For an example of a Worksheet see Appendix. The trainees often filled out the worksheets with the assistance of either the Artist or Shadow Artist (sometimes both) who would explain or recap the salient points from the workshop. We were able to assess the progress of each trainee from his:
Workshop participation
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o Each trainee’s work would be closely monitored and recorded on the Monitoring Sheet for the session, after a de-brief between the Artist and the Shadow Artist. Worksheet answers End result contribution to the track o The track would be regularly reviewed to check up on the technical progress of each trainee.
For the trainees who made it to the end, this is what they achieved from the Music Technology part of the progrmamme: Group 1 – “All da man dem” “Naylor
Appreciation of recording process and studio etiquette o Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal Programming using Fruity Loops Making production choices using CuBase o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Editing sounds
Jermaine
Programming using Fruity Loops Using CuBase o Recording Live Audio Setting levels Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal o Editing WAV files o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Editing sounds o Importing and Exporting Files
Daniel H
Ash
Programming using Fruity Loops Making production choices using CuBase o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Editing sounds Appreciation of recording process and studio etiquette o Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal Programming using Fruity Loops Making production choices using CuBase o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Editing sounds Importing and Exporting Files (via Nero) Using the Fantom XA” Session 7 monitoring sheet 3.4.06
Group 2 – Clamp Squad “Matt L
Appreciation of recording process and studio etiquette o Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal Writing and editing lyrics Vocal warm up and maintenance
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Brett
Programming using Fruity Loops Programming using MIDI in CuBase SX Making production choices using CuBase o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Appreciation of recording process and studio etiquette o Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal Programming using Fruity Loops Programming using MIDI in CuBase SX Making production choices using CuBase o Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53
Jay C
Appreciation of recording process and studio etiquette Using CuBase o Programming using MIDI in CuBase SX o Recording Live Audio Setting levels Recording, mixing, layering and editing a vocal o Making production choices using CuBase Producing an arrangement o Using VST Instruments – Prophet 53 Programming using Fruity Loops “ Session 7 monitoring sheet 5.4.06
Each trainee who participated in the programme received their own folder with their worksheets and other material generated over the workshops. However, those trainees who finished the programme, identified by their general attendance and their specific attendance and participation in the final workshop, received an Achievement Certificate certifying their successful completion of an Introduction to Music Technology.
3.2
“Soft” Learning Outcomes
The impact on the trainees outside the specific “hard” learning outcomes of the Music Technology programme, was more difficult to measure in real terms. The process used was facilitative in nature and as such, the outcomes were experiential. With lyrics that were generated through the Creative Writing sessions, trainees were encouraged to:
Reflect on what brought them to Werrington YOI Reflect on what life is like in Werrington YOI Reflect on how life could improve during their stay in Werrington YOI Reflect on what life was like before coming to Werrington YOI Reflect on what they would like to do after leaving Werrington YOI
This was achieved by facilitating the trainees in brainstorming what they wanted to write about on the flipchart. A tangential but major part of this programme was also to:
Raise self-esteem
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Raise self-confidence Raise levels of expectation for themselves Raise levels of social awareness Learn how to manage anger more effectively
For a detailed description of activities and “soft” learning outcomes for these sessions read the Final Plan for Creative Writing in the Appendix. Regarding the activities in the Creative Writing sessions, we did not actively use the PET (Participatory Educational Theatre) technique to dramatise thoughts, as the trainees were happy to write and discuss their feelings by writing them down. An unintended but important by-product of the Creative Writing sessions that was the unmeasured levels of literacy that were achieved.
3.2.1
Specific Impact on Trainees
Self-Evaluative Practice towards healthy Individuation A very small selection of lyrics (all original material is available from Clare Smith, the Sonic Db Co-ordinator, email:
[email protected]): Reflect on what life is like in Werrington YOI “I get locked up in HMP Can’t wait 4 my family 2 come and see me And Tony Blair The great MP Y don’t he just see Cos there’s a lot of people Who think like me If they would just learn people 2 be wat they wanna be And now out on the road Manz spit bars Nick cars And get thrown behind bars” Written by Jay C Session 1 – 22.2.06
This was developed into: Reflect on what brought them to Werrington YOI “Still manz get out And straight off start jokin’ about Smoking this Drinking that And then wanna go hurtin Manz murkin manz Always out on the road Manz spiting bars, nicking cars Getting put behind bars And now I am in HMYOI And who knows the next time I’ll get high Going on brave
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To get treated like a slave Chorus (And now) sic out in the daylight Kids always gonna play fight But what they don’t know is Life is a fight And it all goes on at night” Written by Jay C Session 2 – 1.3.06
Reflect on how life could improve during their stay in Werrington YOI “Verse1 Make good use of your life Life is like ?hive Always do good things as life goes by You need good personality to ?go through life So you wouldn’t like to be in my shoes I have grown up to be in care at the of seven Always in and out of jail for stupid things like GBH violent disorder I wish I had not been like that so this song goes out to them who have done the same or are in prison” Written by Paul M Session 3 – 8.3.06
Reflect on what life was like before coming to Werrington YOI “Life
started out Jan 28 1989 The Mum she didn’t know What lies ahead of her It was gonna be a big struggle From day 1, she was always on the hussle Shooting crack on the streets Giving keys to her mum to look after her kids And June 17th 1990 The first born was no longer her son But then things started to get a bit mad Because the step dad didn’t like the 1st son He kept beating him To the point where he started bleeding And then the mum had enough When the boy was eight She decided to take both her kids and run away And then she ended up with a guy called Casper At the time she didn’t know he was smoking crack up And then they had an argument Then Casper broke the mirror Then she went from a humble mum to a psycho killer The a year later, when the oldest was aged 9 The mum’s decided to tell her son, that the dad died (when he was) aged 5 He got stabbed five times in the back by his own friend” Free-styled lyric by Lamar K Session
2 – 1.3.06 (transcribed by the Artist under the supervision of Lamar K)
Points that arose from this:
Writing these lyrics seemed to be a cathartic exercise for Lamar, as evidenced: o
“During the warm up, Lamar was keen to show what he had brought to the session. He showed great openness in sharing his experiences with the Shadow Artist, the details of which can be found in a separate document, accessible upon request, due to the sensitive nature of the disclosure. However, Lamar seems to be using elements of his life story in his song. The autobiographical issues Lamar
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has raised, however, would seem best dealt with in partnership with the reintegration team and/or a counsellor. Lamar used a CD as a starting point in order to programme some MIDI ideas to form the beginnings of a backing track”
Session 2 monitoring sheet 1.3.06
Despite the traumatic nature of such a disclosure, he seemed able to talk about his past dispassionately and seem to have some perspective on the issues. After the usual notifications of the disclosure (including the writing up of a S.I.R. – Serious Incident Report), we were, unfortunately, unable to follow through with Lamar’s participation due to his temporarily dropping out of the programme (for reasons unrelated to his disclosure in-session).
Reflect on what they would like to do after leaving Werrington YOI “…One day I will be crowned king Walkin da streets Flashing the bling Fear will run through the L. name Society and government will be to blame Its their fault 4 locking me away Ridin HMP day after day” Written by Matt L. Session 1 – 22.2.06
However: “I came out of my cell. All I could see was stress ?Heads on the bell I stopped to wander Why I came to this hell I tried to appeal to the courts to get bail But the court says no So I sit in my cell Wondering why the hell Did I turn to crime” Written by Matt L. Session 2 – 1.3.06
Matt recognises the debilitating effect of being locked away: “Another day Another dollar Sometimes I wonder Why I bother While locked up in da HMP Ridin’ out the days till they set me free Missin’ me boys Rollin’ deep in the hood Realisin’ dat prison life aint too good Wanna get out See ma gal Get a kiss Reminiscin’ bout the times her and I in bliss But my cell door opens Breakfast call My memories disappear They’re gone They fall Dayz going by while watchin’ the TV
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Don’t realise how its affecting me Put up a front Stick out ya chest Wishing your sentence was a lil’ less But it aint So ride it Wish I never done it But I did And it’s done Thought the brawl would be some fun Regrets are too common in da life I lead It all comes down to the drink and weed” Written by Matt L. (session unknown)
These lyrics seemed to be the inspiration for a love song about his girlfriend Matt wrote and eventually recorded.
The development of Social Skills towards healthy Socialisation These observations were made of the trainees who completed the programme: Raising self-esteem “Tim Turnbull mentioned to Alex that the importance of a project such as Sonic Db was huge in terms of dealing with levels of low self-esteem. Tim remarked that the overwhelming environment in institutions such as Werrington is that of being constantly knocked down through derision. This point was evidenced by
Dan H spontaneously showing us his artwork and trusting that we would encourage and empower him as we did in his sessions. He is going to enlarge his sketch to a large canvass, such is his new levels of confidence in his work. Giving constructive criticism o Jay working with Matt in an empowering manner, encouraging in turn, Brett’s keenness to add his lend his own vocals to a track.” Alex’s feedback
session 7 – 5.4.06
Raising self-confidence “Matt L Matt L worked well as the “Artist” today. He was keen to be “produced”, rather than to coproduce himself, as he worked mainly with the Artist who facilitated his vocal performances. Matt enjoyed the voice warm ups, which were especially created to energise his voice, as he was sleeping before attending the session. With the Artist, Matt explored diaphragmatic breathing, voice projection, vowel production, body awareness and mouth/facial warm up exercises, before he wrote these exercises down to take away with him to practice in this pad. Matt noticed the immediate difference it made to his vocal facility and was keen to explore this further. This new level of vocal confidence was reflected in the fact that he was willing to record a guide vocal for Brett to sing with in the middle 8 section, after having already vocally demonstrated to him what he wanted. The finding of Matt’s voice has been a crucial element for him over the past weeks of the programme because he initially arrived to the sessions unwilling to sing, convinced of his inability to do so. This changed markedly in session 5….
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Matt’s development in confidence as a vocalist is hugely important, as male singers, unlike MCs and rappers, amongst his peer group are rare. It would be advised that his vocal talent be developed alongside his song writing skills, in which he showed great promise. The studio process of recording, editing and producing a vocal would be Matt’s entry level into Music Technology.” Session 7 monitoring sheet 5.4.06
This was achieved through the structured Voice Sessions. See Final Learning Plan for Voice Sessions (see Appendix)
Raising levels of expectation for themselves “Jay C
Jay began to find his feet in session 3 when learning how to work with CuBase SX. Since then, he has applied himself to the technical aspects of recording Live Audio. Jay has consistently shown an interest in the setting up of the studio and the technical consideration therein. Jay has been keen to explore beyond his comfort zones as seen by his attempt to write vocals and sing, although he revealed his intense capacity for self-criticism. However, he found his area of strength in Music Technology, from an engineering aspect. This aptitude for Music Technology needs to be encouraged, as its discovery impacted greatly on Jay’s levels of selfconfidence and acceptance.” Session 7 monitoring sheet 5.4.06
Raising levels of social awareness “Jermaine Jermaine showed maturity in being able to explain the situation to his colleagues in a crisissituation, as was evidenced during Naylor’s outburst. At the start of the session, before the outburst, Jermaine expressed his concern over Naylor’s impending release, fearing that he may not be released on Friday due to issues around his resettlement. Jermaine has consistently shown maturity and calm under pressure. He values the opinions of peers, perhaps to the detriment of his own and needs to be encouraged to be more confident in his ideas.” Session 7 monitoring sheet 3.4.06
“Ash Ash enjoyed participating as part of the team today, as he contributed his ideas to the finalising of the arrangement. Ash joined the programme in week 5 and took a long time to acclimatise to the group dynamic, preferring to sit and play the keyboard by himself, sometimes with the interaction of a member of staff. Ash has slowly come out of himself and become part of the team, as evidenced by his “Wesley Snipes” knick-name in the outros credit section. With the skills bias in favour of MCs in the group, he found it difficult to contribute his own skills to the group creative process, until he created beats in Fruity Loops, which were for a time considered for the introduction of the group piece. Despite his initial reticence in a group setting, Ash has always been open and responsive in a one to one encounter. Ash displays a quiet confidence in himself and is very clear about his aspirations (see session 27/3/06).” Session 7 monitoring
sheet 3.4.06 “Brett
The opportunity to socialise with his peers in a non-confrontational environment was more important to Brett than the learning or sessional outcomes of each workshop. The programme allowed him to develop self-confidence, as evidenced by his willingness to sing on Matt’s track. However, whether there is a real in interest in Music Technology and the Music Industry remains to be seen.” Session 7 monitoring sheet 5.4.06
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Learning how to manage anger more effectively “Daniel H Over the weeks of the programme, Daniel has shown growth in the area of expressing his needs appropriately. He no longer throws tantrums to express his views and has progressively developed patience, especially during the times of the kit failure. His emerging patience has especially been noticeable in the area of his being able to control his frustrations – he will now remove himself from a frustrating situation, returning to it in a better state of mind. He has channelled his impatience into a focus and drive to complete the given activity – usually meeting timed deadlines to record his vocals. Dan has also begun to develop the capacity to reason his way through confrontational situations, rather than to just blow up.” Session 7
monitoring sheet 3.4.06
3.3 Summary Overall, I would judge this programme a success. We achieved the “hard” learning outcomes, as requested and achieved some bonus “soft” learning outcomes too by allowing for a degree of flexibility in the roles of both Artist and Shadow Artist - notably in sessions 4 – 13,15.3.06, session 5 – 22.3.06 and session 6 – 27.3.06, where the Artist led the Music Technology session with a Trainee, whilst the Shadow Artist facilitated some creative writing. The legacy of this short course, at this point, will be hard to determine. More time will be needed to truly have a sense of the long-term impact a programme of this kind will have on the trainees (see Summary of Trainees’ Evaluations in the Appendix). However, a more efficient linkage between the Werrington YOI and the Macro/YOT resettlement teams, together with input from Sonic Db, would ensure that the foundations laid by this programme could lead to further study or work opportunities in the Music Industry or at the very least contribute to a new life-enhancing view of their futures. Dr Ornette D Clennon BMus(Hons) ALCM LGSM Music Specialist 4.
Appendix
4.1
Artist’s Background and Approach
Dr Ornette D Clennon is a very experienced Music Specialist. His main area of expertise is in Facilitative Practice. Dr Clennon’s methodology is derived from having worked in both therapeutic and non-therapeutic settings such as: Hospitals (psychiatric wards and units for head injured patients) Mental Health Projects (working alongside Art therapists) Adult Training Centres for both physical and learning disAbled adults (including those who are classed as dual diagnoses – mental health and special learning needs) Special Needs Units Residential Care Homes (working alongside communication and music therapists) Schools (including special needs schools) Further Education Colleges Music Colleges and Universities (currently Salford University) Evening Adult Learning Programmes His facilitative approach is framed by his parallel activities as a professional composer, musician, producer and singer, and means that his methods lean heavily on Participatory Practice more commonly known as PLA (Participatory Learning through Action).
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For more details of this approach and Dr Clennon’s background, please visit his website at www.teaching-resources.zoomshare.com. PLA is characterised by the creative process of finding empowering ways of enabling the participants in any given project to take control of the project and fashion solutions to their unique challenges. This requires facilitative techniques that are designed to guide a process rather than to lead. Interventions in this approach tend to be non-directive and more suggestive, as the whole focus is the creative process of the individual/group not the practitioner. Given the a priori pre-requisites for this methodology, the Artist’s approach is dominated by analytically intense preparation and rigorous Self Reflective/Evaluative processes. It is only with these inherently tight structures and the ability to deconstruct, assess and evaluate a workshop, that a session can be truly facilitational. The essentially improvised delivery mechanisms in a session need to have clear frames of reference, so as to truly meet the (assessed) needs of the individual/group moment by moment. 4.2
Final Session Plan
Part 1
Session Plan for two Static groups Training Session 1 – 4 hours to take place before week 1
Alex, Clare, Si, Jason, Tim and Ornette
Discussion of Training Plans for Alex (see Preparation for Alex’s training at Werrington YOI) Finish tracks from Tasters, to be used as demos for sessions 1 Troubleshooting session led by Jason
Summary
7 day programme over seven weeks Two groups 8 trainees per group One session per day Split sessions to have 10 minute-breaks between activities Sessions: 3 hours each in duration (with 10 minute-break) Two days per week: Monday and Wednesday Twelve 3 hour contact-time-blocks ½ a 3 hour contact-time-block, to be arranged in Part 2 Training time included: weeks 3 and 7 Session for guest industry speaker: week 3
This format is will allow more teaching and hands-on time for two groups. Monday Group (same format for Wednesday group)
Week 1 Day 1: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Tim, Clare
Session 1
Introduction to course Getting to know each other Getting to know equipment/software – demos Having fun
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o Establishing areas of interest for group members o Establishing ground rules o Writing and recording sketch lyrics and ideas o Playing around with sounds from the keyboard Working on lyrics Looking at song formats Constructing Beats Using Fruity Loops Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Week 2 Day 2: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Tim
Session 2
Working on lyrics from session 1 or improvising new ones Looking at song formats Constructing Beats Using Fruity Loops Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/Shadow Artist Midi programming Using CuBase – midi programming o Recording midi Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Creating backing tracks Exploring sounds from o Roland Fantom XA workstation o Fruity Loops FL Studio Fruity Loops Edition o Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection Practice to be led by Artist/Trainee o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Week 3 Training update: 1- 3 hours Although supervision for the Shadow Artist is ongoing, dedicated time set aside for any training needs or training update will be arranged at the convenience of both the Artist and the Shadow Artist. Day 3: 1.30pm – 3pm Ornette, Alex
Session 3
Guest Industry Speaker 3.10pm – 4.40pm
Tidying up Fruity Loops and Midi arrangements
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Week 4 Day 4 : 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex
Session 4
Working on lyrics from session 2 or improvising new ones Midi programming Using CuBase – midi programming o Recording midi Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Creating backing tracks Exploring sounds from o Roland Fantom XA workstation o Fruity Loops FL Studio Fruity Loops Edition o Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Using CuBase – recording audio Recording electric/acoustic instruments Recording vocals Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Vocal delivery Explore singing, rap, MC
Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o
Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Week 5 Day 5: 1.30pm – 4.40pm
Session 5
Using CuBase – recording audio Recording electric/acoustic instruments Recording vocals Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Vocal delivery Explore singing, rap, MC Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist
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Using CuBase as editing tool Explore editing song and instrumental arrangements Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Week 6 Day 6: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex
Session 6
Using CuBase as editing tool Explore editing song and instrumental arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Finalising song arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist
Week 7 Training update: 1- 3 hours This will act as a review of the training for the Shadow Artist and form the basis of an evaluation for the process, (see Preparation for Alex’s training at Werrington YOI). Day 7: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Si
Session 7
Joint session with Si Finalising song arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Handover to Si Review tracks Introduction to advanced production skills Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Part 2: The next twelve sessions will be led by Si and explore advanced production skills using the material generated in the first twelve sessions. 4.3 Summary
Final Learning Plan for Music Technology
Teaching Fruity Loops o 3 teaching-hours per group in total* over 2 days
Teaching Cubase SX o 10.5 teaching-hours per group in total* over 5 days
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sessions including a creative writing or voice session element will be shared with the teaching of music technology (see learning plan) Monday Group (same format for Wednesday group)
Week 1 Day 1: 3.10pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Tim, Clare
Session 1
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (creative writing session: 90 mins) Constructing Beats Using Fruity Loops Practice to be led by Artist/Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Summary of Outcomes
Introducing Fruity Loops
Content
Introducing Fruity Loops o What Fruity Loops is Exploring bank of sampled sounds o Writing 4 bar loop Using key commands
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Introducing Fruity Loops
Write a 4 bar loop
Week 2 Day 2: 3.10pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Tim
Session 2
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (creative writing session: 90 mins) Constructing Beats Using Fruity Loops Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Midi programming Using CuBase – midi programming o Recording midi Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist
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o
Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Creating backing tracks Exploring sounds from o Fruity Loops FL Studio Fruity Loops Edition o Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection
Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Summary of Outcomes
Exporting and Importing Introducing CuBase SX Introducing MIDI Quantising and Arranging
Content
Exporting and Importing o Explaining the process of exporting and importing Introducing CuBase o Explaining what CuBase SX is Explaining Digital Audio Looking at content of Audio files Introducing MIDI o Explaining what MIDI is o Recording MIDI sequences Looking at musical patterns Quantising and Arranging o Exploring editing functions
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Exporting and Importing Introducing CuBase SX Introducing MIDI Quantising and Arranging
To reload Fruity Loops session file To export session file as a WAV file To import WAV file into CuBase SX To load application To understand Digital Audio To record a midi sequence To edit a midi sequence
Week 3 Day 3 : 3.10pm – 4.40pm To co-ordinate with Guest speaker’s workshop – tbc
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Week 4 Day 4 : 3.10pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex
Session 4
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (creative writing/voice session: 90 mins) Midi programming Using CuBase – midi programming o Recording midi Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Creating backing tracks Exploring sounds from o Fruity Loops FL Studio Fruity Loops Edition o Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Using CuBase – recording audio Recording electric/acoustic instruments Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Summary of Outcomes
Arranging Looking at Digital waveforms Effects Processing
Content
Arranging MIDI o Developing layered textures General editing and quantising Looking at Digital waveforms o Exploring editing Effects Processing o Looking at the Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection Exploring different effects
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Arranging
To write a layered midi sequence
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Looking at Digital waveforms Effects Processing
To edit the layered sequence To edit a Digital waveform To apply effects onto a waveform
Week 5 Day 5: 3.10pm – 4.40pm
Session 5
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (voice session: 90 mins) Using CuBase – recording audio Recording electric/acoustic instruments Recording vocals Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Using CuBase as editing tool Explore editing song and instrumental arrangements
Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Summary of Outcomes
Recording Live Audio Editing Live Audio Understanding Production Techniques
Content
Recording Live Audio o Recording Vocals and other Live Audio o Learning how to record Vocals o Exploring other recording techniques Editing Live Audio o Editing Vocal waveforms Understanding Production Techniques o Demonstrating the set up and use of: Microphones Loud speaker systems
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Recording Live Audio Editing Live Audio Understanding Production Techniques
To record a Live vocal/audio To edit a vocal/live audio To set up a mic correctly To position the loud speakers correctly
Week 6 Day 6: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex
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Session 6 Description of session Using CuBase as editing tool Explore editing song and instrumental arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/Trainee Finalising song arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Summary of Outcomes
Audio Editing Completing Audio/MIDI tracks
Content
Audio Editing o Editing Live Audio Completing Audio/MIDI tracks o Full completion of arrangement
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Audio Editing Completing Audio/MIDI tracks
Edit Live Audio Produce a finished arrangement
Week 7 Day 7: 1.30pm – 4.40pm Ornette, Alex, Si
Session 7
Description of session
Joint session with Si
Finalising song arrangements Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/ Shadow Artist Handover to Si Review tracks Introduction to advanced production skills Practice to be led by Artist/ Shadow Artist Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members
Summary of Outcomes
Completing Audio/MIDI tracks
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Burning onto CD Reflection and Handover
Content
Completing Audio/MIDI tracks o Full completion of arrangement Burning onto CD Reflection and Handover o Spending time feeding back on studio process o Handing over to Si Introducing Post Production Techniques Introducing Mastering Techniques
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Completing Audio/MIDI tracks Burning onto CD Reflection and Handover 4.4 Summary
Produce a finished arrangement To burn tracks onto CD To assess their future training needs
Final Learning Plan for Creative Writing
Facilitation of Creative Writing o Static Groups 4.5 facilitation-hours per group in total* over 3 days
It is to be noted that the learning plan for the creative writing is built upon a facilitative rather than a teaching approach and as such the learning outcomes will be “soft” as the process will take pre-eminence. However, the end-point of these creative exercises will be to generate to lyrics for songs. sessions including a creative writing element will be shared with the teaching of music technology (see learning plan) Monday Group (same format for Wednesday group)
Week 1 Day 1 : 1.30pm – 3pm Ornette, Alex, Tim, Clare
Session 1
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (music technology session: 90 mins) Introduction to course Getting to know each other Having fun o Establishing areas of interest for group members o Establishing ground rules o Writing and recording sketch lyrics and ideas Establish theme(s) Brainstorm word collection using flip chart
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Summary of Outcomes The generation of: Themes Words Phrases Content Themes o Areas of interest/discussion and comment Words o Descriptive, emotive Phrases o Idiomatic, personal, descriptive, emotional Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Themes Words
Phrases
Be able to participate fully in discussion Be able to use words in the following manner: o personal o constructive o descriptive Be able to: o paint verbal pictures o demonstrate basic awareness of word rhythm o demonstrate basic awareness of rhyme
Working on lyrics/themes Generating lyrics o Develop theme(s) from brainstorm o Participatory Educational Theatre (PET) Improvised role plays around theme(s) Full “audience” participation including role reversal with “actors” Scene development/speech/lyric development o Identify and write down key phrases or words from improvised scenes Summary of Outcomes Using role-played improvisation the generation/development of: Themes Words Phrases Content Themes o Areas of interest/discussion and comment Words o Descriptive, emotive Phrases o Idiomatic, personal, descriptive, emotional Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
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Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Themes, Words and Phrases
Be able to participate fully in role play and discussion
Week 2 Day 2 : 1.30pm – 3pm Ornette, Alex, Tim
Session 2
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (music technology session: 90 mins) Working on lyrics from session 1 or improvising new ones Looking at generic song formats – part 1 o Explore verse-chorus format Develop themes, words and phrases from session 1 into verses and chorus Each participant contributes a line to form a verse and chorus Summary of Outcomes Learning about the generic song formats – part 1 Content Learning about the generic song formats o The writing of verses and choruses Exploring narrative and static descriptive structures derived from PET themes Group collaborative attempts at generating lyrics Individual lyrical contribution Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Learning about format – part 1
the
generic
song
To write a: o Verse o Chorus Writing a very short passage of static description from PET theme Writing a very short passage of narrative from PET theme
Looking at generic song formats – part 2 o Explore the: Intro Middle 8 Outro
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Summary of Outcomes Learning about the generic song formats – part 2
Content Learning about the generic song formats o The writing of the: Intro Middle 8 Outro
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Learning about the generic song format – part 2
To write an o Intro o Outro o Middle 8
Week 4 Day 4 : 1.30pm – 3pm Ornette, Alex
Session 4
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (music technology session: 90 mins) Working on lyrics from session 3 The writing of a song using intros, verses, chorus, middle8s and outros Summary of Outcomes The writing of a short song(s) Content The writing of a short song(s) o To incorporate as appropriate: Intro Middle 8 Outro Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: The writing of a short song(s)
To incorporate as appropriate: Intro Middle 8 Outro
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4.5 Summary
Final Learning Plan for Voice Sessions
Facilitation of Voice Sessions o Static Groups 3 facilitation-hours per group in total* over 2 days
sessions including a voice session element will be shared with the teaching of music technology and creative writing (see learning plan) Monday Group (same format for Wednesday group)
Week 4 Day 4 Ornette, Alex
Session 4
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (music technology session: 90 mins) Vocal delivery Explore singing, rap, MC Practice to be led by Artist/Shadow Artist o Predominantly teaching session to include demonstration and hands-on practical for group members Summary of Outcomes Warm up Chanting and rhythmic singing Content Warm up o General voice warm up techniques, designed to free the voice o Free vocalisation Exploring vocal colour and projection Basic voice maintenance o Body rhythms Rhythm exercise designed to engage the body in rhythmic coordination
Chanting and rhythmic singing o Explore speech rhythms and their application to rhyme
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Warm up Chanting and rhythmic singing
Participate fully in warm up exercises Generate fragments of spoken or semi-spoken lines from lyrics
Week 5
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Day 5 Ornette, Alex
Session 5
Description of session
Duration: 90 mins (music technology session: 90 mins) Vocal delivery Explore singing, rap, MC Practice to be led group member o Predominantly hands-on practical for group members, supported by Artist/Shadow Artist Summary of Outcomes Warm up Chanting and rhythmic singing Content Warm up o General voice warm up techniques, designed to free the voice Chanting and rhythmic singing o Develop rhythmic fragments from yesterday’s session to form part of the song Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
To achieve each outcome the trainee must demonstrate the ability to: Warm up Chanting and rhythmic singing
Participate fully in warm up exercises Apply spoken/semi-spoken fragments to current lyrics derived from the creative writing session Finalise vocal arrangement
4.6 A Worksheet (one of seven) for the Trainees Worksheet/Handout for Trainee-groups at Werrington YOI
Day 5 Session 5
Name:
Music Technology – How did you find recording Live Audio? Please write your thoughts here:
What did you have to pay special attention to whilst recording? Please write your thoughts here:
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What do you have to remember when setting up the mic and loud speakers? Please write your thoughts here:
Song writing and Voice – Do you have bits of rap or rhyme? What are they? Please write them here:
Are you going to multi track your own voice for the rap? Please write your thoughts here:
Are you going to have a group of people rapping? Please write your thoughts here:
Continue overleaf if necessary 4.7 Evaluation Sheet for the Trainees Evaluation Sheet for Trainee-groups at Werrington YOI
Name:
Please fill in the sheet and hand back to the Artist. What did you think of the whole programme? Please write your thoughts here:
What did you learn from the programme? Was it useful to you? Please write your thoughts here:
What were your favourite bits of the programme? Please write your thoughts here:
Which bits didn’t you like very much? Please write your thoughts here:
What did you think of the Artist? Please write your thoughts here:
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What did you think of the Shadow Artist? Please write your thoughts here:
What did you think of the Guest Speaker? Please write your thoughts here:
What other things do you want to learn in future programmes? Please write your thoughts here: Continue overleaf if necessary 4.8 Summary of Trainees’ Evaluation All da Man dem
"A summary of Naylor’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet The programme began unsatisfactorily (due to the frequent equipment failure) for Naylor but improved dramatically towards the end. Naylor learned how to work as part of a team and the high points of the programme was his enjoyment of the interaction with the other trainees. The low points of the programme, however, were the kit failures. He respected and liked both the Artist and the Shadow Artist. For the future, he said that he would like to be put in touch with a Producer to further his work.
A summary of Jermaine’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Jermaine, (who joined the programme in week 4) enjoyed all aspects of it. He found the preproduction elements useful to learn. His high points were recording the vocals and producing the "drops". His low points were the kit failure. He thought that the Artist and Shadow Artist were good. Jermaine would like to be put in touch with a producer to further his work (Jermaine particularly wanted the final CD to include the a cappella, instrumental and full mix elements for this purpose).
A summary of Dan H’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Daniel enjoyed the programme and learned a lot from it, in particular the CuBase programming, the recording process and making arrangements. The high point of the programme for Daniel was recording his lyrics and the low point inevitably was the kit failure. He learned a lot from the Artist (who always "kept his cool"), as he endeavoured to always keep the group informed of what was going on. Daniel notes that the Shadow Artist always went out of his way to explain what was happening. For future programmes of this kind, Daniel would like to learn more about the technical side of the production process.
A summary of Ash’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Ash has enjoyed the programme from start to finish and he has found it to be a brilliant experience. Ash learned how to make and produce beats and as a result, the high point being the use of his beats for the group to spit their lyrics to. Ash enjoyed working with the Artist and found him helpful when needed. He also enjoyed working with the Shadow Artist immensely and learned a lot from him. Ash would like to learn about the technical side of post-production." Session 7 monitoring sheet 3.4.06 Clamp Squad
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"A summary of Matt L’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Matt enjoyed the whole programme and learned a lot about Fruity Loops and vocal training. His high points were making music, his low points (ironically) were hearing his own music. Matt found both the Artist and the Shadow Artist to be helpful. Matt would like to learn more about singing in future programmes.
A summary of Brett’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Brett enjoyed the programme and learned how to be an engineer. His high points were Matt Lewis’ singing as were his low points! He liked both the Artist and Shadow Artist. There was nothing, Brett wanted to learn in future programmes.
A summary of Jay C’s responses that he gave on the Trainee’s Evaluation Sheet Jay enjoyed the programme and learned how to produce beats on CuBase. His high points were recording the Live Vocals and writing lyrics. His low points were his attempts at singing. Jay enjoyed working with the Artist and found the Shadow Artist helpful. Due to his (queryimminent) release, Jay did not identify any further things he wanted learn in future programmes." Session 7 monitoring sheet 5.4.06
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