In this project, I will be making a cover of a song of my choice that includes chordal accompaniment, melodic lines, singing, and multiple musical sections. The goal is to learn music through trial-and-error like many people who pick up a new instrument, rather than through notation. In this post, I will include two additional "check-in" videos to track my progress, as well as a final multi-track video of my cover. My ProjectI will be learning and performing House of Gold, originally sung by twenty one pilots and written by Tyler Joseph, on the ukulele. When doing this project, I will be developing the skill to play the ukulele, more specifically how to play different chords, how to change between chords, how to play a melodic line, and how to sing a melody over the chordal harmonies. Some of the knowledge I will gain is understanding how functional harmony works and how to read a chord chart. I will learn about the variety of styles when it comes to strumming (ex. country and gallop) and finger picking patterns for outlining the melody. By singing and playing the song, I will also further understand the mind of the songwriter and be able to describe my interpretation of the song and what I believe to be the songwriter's and singer's expressive intent. I predict that I will encounter challenges like being able to quickly switch between chords at the correct time, specifically learning Bbm and and Dm and switching between the two in the bridge, figuring out how to strum and which different strumming patterns to use, and developing the confidence to sing in front of a camera and reflect and critique what I have been learning about. I think that a lot of my challenges will be skill based because I am learning a new instrument, but I know that overtime I will get used to the ukulele and be able to play it more easily. However, I think that I will be challenged knowledge-wise to understand how the chords are formed using different notes on each string and how to reflect upon what I am learning in a succinct manner. Check-In 1 Check-In 2"House of Gold" Cover My learning process began with me watching multiple Youtube tutorials and covers of this song. I also watched several Youtube tutorials on different strumming patterns to pick from initially and then decided on which ones I liked the best. Personal interactions with Erica, my brother, and friends in my MUED 273 class were good ways for me to ask specific questions and receive immediate answers about strumming patterns, fingerpicking, and chord changes. Learning the song simply took a lot of individual practice time and reflection; the check-in videos helped me reflect on what I had accomplished, as well as what goals I wanted to strive for at the next checkpoint. I took time to practice and feel what changing chords quickly and strumming differently was like, even though it was difficult and hard to see progress initially. While I know my final was not perfect, I am really happy with how much I have improved on my own! To create the song, I had to know the different sections involved and how often I wanted to repeat each chorus and bridge. I also had to decide if I wanted to make the strumming patterns the same or different throughout the piece. I ended up changing it from DDDUDU to Down and a hand stop in the last chorus to make the song a little more interesting. I also added the melody at the beginning as an introduction to the melody of the chorus and a little conclusion of muting the strings and strumming to remind the listener of the beginning and bring the piece to a close. This process allowed me to have more creative license when playing me piece and challenged me to learn new techniques to make the song less repetitive and more interesting. In relation to the essential questions, I learned that music learning and teaching does not require only one teacher giving instructions and the students following those directions in a classroom setting. Music learning and teaching can occur through multiple channels at once and can be a self-directed activity. Musicianship is still the art of creating music and I believe it remains similar through technical innovations. The difference is that you are now overlapping multiple videos of yourself, instead of collaborating in one setting with multiple people on different instruments. Music learning can be documented and shared through videos, like we did with the Video Check-Ins. My colleague Erica recorded a little bit of herself each day and complied those clips together and it was so much easier to see her music learning. I recorded videos about every 2-3 weeks and you can still see the progress I made, though it is a little more difficult to see. I believe that a music educator needs to know how to prompt students with proper questions and have the skill of providing good, personable feedback to students based on their progress, even though the feedback may not be given in person. With contemporary musiking, learning can be expanded to outside of the classroom much more easily and teachers can see a student’s learning process even though they are learning in a more organic manner. When I teach in the future, I can see myself using a similar method for students when they are writing songs or learning a new piece of music. This technology makes it easier for me to understand how my students are practicing and how I can help them to improve. A lot of learning is spent outside of the classroom and using technology gives me, as their teacher, a glimpse into an interdisciplinary style of learning that is occurring outside of their singular music classroom. Currently, I am developing a songwriting curriculum and I think using technology for students to record their practicing and thoughts at home would be good for me to understand what is going through their minds. However, I do acknowledge that some students may not have the same access to these technologies, so I would need to provide a way for this activity to be accessible to all students. I also think this would be great for me to show my students how I am learning new things outside of the classroom, whether that be when I am writing new songs or as I am learning a new instrument like the Cajon. Having a model to show students is a great way to encourage their curiosity and help them feel like I am also doing this engaged learning process alongside them. Here's an even better cover!
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Davina MiawOn this page, I will present videos of my playing, concerts, and original compositions. Archives
November 2019
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