Campaign diary 26/01/2010

After analysing the three campigns I decided to start working on an anti-drug campaign.
Then I started looking at some other examples, including campaign posters.
I then decided to work on my campaign. At the end of the lesson the first part of my campaign was completed on a sheet of A4 paper.
However I think there is much more that I can do on it to make it better and more informations to add, so I'll wait till our next lesson with Mandy so I can ask her some tips.

Timeline from research to launching my campaign

Research activity A 21-01-10

What is your form of performance?

Our performance is a radio play

How did your chosen form begin?

It begins with a narration and then the first scene is inside an internet cafe'.

List the features of the form when it began.

When it began, the story didn't have any dialogue and it was short and streamlined.

How is it different now?

Now it's long and more detailed, it's got many dialogues and sound effects.

For each factor that is relevant, give an outline of how it has influenced the development of your chosen form.

1 Developing technology

In the beginning we wanted to do real sound effects during the performance and also use pre recorded sounds, but at the end we decided to get all the sound effects in the internet.

2 Social and cultural factors

3 Economic factors

Campaign report

The three campaigns I found were: "act on CO2," "foundation for a drug free world" and "action on smoking and health". Three of them were found in the internet.

The first one is about the climate change and the CO2 emission. It's colourful, it's got images and texts. It's aimed to persuade adults and the youth and its message is eye catching and effective. It's an online campaign but I think it might be a good publicity to purchase on TV.

The second campaign is aimed to warn the youth about the effects of drugs on lives, about how they are dangerous on every aspect of life. It is really good and I think it might have a lot of successes with the youth because it communicates with them in the way they can understand without any problem.

The third is an anti-smoking campaign. It has got lots of text but no image. It's neither interesting nor catching. It's got many informations. It's aimed to adults and young people, but I don't think it might be successful between the youth.

THE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY 19-01-10

Task 1 Investigate the range of jobs in the Music Technology Industry.

-Engineer:

• Sound engineer
• studio engineer
• audio engineer
• music system engineer
• studio recording engineer
• maintenance engineer
• acoustics engineer

-Directors and teachers:

• music director
• head of music
• music teacher
• nursery music and movement teacher
• musical director
• songwriting teacher/tutor
• harmonica tutor
• music production tutor
• music school administrator
• video guitar teacher
• violin teacher
• audio engineering lecturer
• sax teacher
• piano and keyboard teacher
• talent recruitment manager
• music business manager
• marketing communication coordinator
• producer
• choral director
• conductor
• strings teacher
• singing teacher
• examiner GCE music
• lecturer in sound and media production
• casting director
• marching band director
• orchestra librarian

-Singers:

• female singer
• music band
• solo singer
• female lead vocalist
• gospel choir
• rock choir
• mezzo soprano
• tenor
• bass
• R&B singer
• marching band
• speaking singer

-Musicians and performers

• pianist
• musicians
• guitarist
• DJ
• VJ
• MC
• dancer
• dance development officer
• choreographer
• singer song-writer
• actor musician
• popular music performer
• viola player
• vocalist show team performers
• organist
• piano vocalist
• jazz keyboardist
• trombonist
• bassist
• drummer
• cornet player
• french horn player
• oboe player
• flautist
• saxophonist
• percussionist
• radio announcer
• Internet radio presenter
• radio curator

Task 2 Select two and research the skills and experience required for each.

-Music director

Has to be a well qualified and inspirational musician ready to lead a thriving department with superb facilities.

A music director should have a Master of Fine Arts and Ph.D. in musical programs like conducting, music theory, music composition or in a specific instrument. A school Music Director requires at least a bachelor's degree in a music related field and a teaching credential from the school's state.

A fine Music director should have experience in orchestras, especially in conducting. A school Music Director will only need skills benefiting a teaching position.

Sometimes Music Directors gain additional training for writing, marketing or teaching or they take classes or seminaries in fundraising because they are often called on to perform those tasks.

-Female singer

Needs to be a strong singer with harmony experience, must be hardworking, with a good personalty, motivated and persistent , creative and resourceful, confident and able to accept criticism and willing to promote themselves to people such as bar owners and agents and should have a good memory for songs and music.

The singer should have knowledge of vocal and performance techniques, and correct breathing method, skills in interpreting music, good performance skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, organizational skills.

Task 3 Identify how you might normally apply for a job within the music industries.

If the applicant wants to apply online he has to register in a website for music jobs. Once he is a member he has to create a profile featuring pictures and mp3s, then browse and apply for current industry opportunities on the members Jobs Board. In this way he will know about any vacancy.

Many people get a job in the music industry because they know other people that are connected to it. Most a times it's just a fact of knowing the right people and to have luck.

It usually takes a lot of time to get a way in the music industry.

For example an unknown band might start their career by performing in pubs, or small places and maybe after several years they might be noticed by someone and then be sponsored.

Another example is the X Factor; many unknown singers and groups perform and compete and at the end there's one winner that will be sponsored for a year. Different people made their way through this program, even if they were not the winners.

Task 4 Identify recruitment practices for the two selected jobs

-Music director

There are many different types of music directors and different types of recruitment practices. The common method for the recruitment for music directors is:

1. apply directly at the company, or school, or church;
2. get an interview;
3. take your CV, career development plan (short, middle and long term goal) and the application form for that job to the interview

-female singer

These are the same recruitment practices for every singer:

1. apply through a website or straight from the manager;
2. get an interview;
3. get some evidences of performances, compositions, any work experience at the interview
4. take your application form and CV to the interview.

Task 5 Research the pay scales for the two selected jobs

The average salary for a Music Director is around $50,000 per annum, but the salary depends on the experience.

The average salary for a female singer is around $35,000 per annum but it takes a lot of time before a singer starts earning much.

The average salary for a Music Director depends from where the subjects practices his profession: a Music director in an orchestra always earns more than a music director in a church.

The salary of a singer increases only if the singer is successful. If the singer gets a number 1 hit or if she sells many of her CDs her salary gets higher.

Task 6 Identify the training needed for the two selected jobs.

-To be a professional female singer the subject has to have a good and a strong voice. Many singers start out by singing in a church or in a small band. Most of them are trained in professional schools or with private teachers. Singers should have study drama and arts and follow a program for voice. Voice training is very good but sometimes training requirements depend on the field of music. Some people get a professional training such as the ones you can receive from a private singing teacher or more in a music university.

-To be a music director one has to possess Master of Fine Arts and doctorate degrees in music programs. A fine arts music director should have experience in orchestras and a prior conducting is essential. A school Music Director needs skills benefiting a teaching position and also a teaching credential from the school's state.

Music universities and their courses

The University of Birmingham:

Classical Literature & Civilization and Music

Drama and Music

English Language and Music

French Studies and Music

German Studies and Music

Hispanic Studies and Music

History and Music

Italian Studies and Music

Mathematics and Music

Modern Language with Music

Music

Music and Russian Studies

Music and Theology

University of Leeds

English and Music

French and Music

German and Music

History and Music

History of Art and Music

Italian and Music A

Italian and Music B

Mathematics and Music

Music

Music and Philosophy

Music and Theology & Religious Studies

Music, Multimedia and Electronics

Popular and World Music

Thames Valley University

Music (Performance/Composition) (with foundation year)

Music (Performance/Composition)

Music and Event Management

Music Performance (Pop, Jazz, World, West, Urban)

Music Performance/Composition with Options

Music Technology

Music Technology and Music Perf/Comp

Music Technology and Pop Music Performance

Music Technology and Radio Broadcasting

Music Technology Specialist

Music Theatre

PopMusPerf (guitar, basso guitar, drums, vocals, key B)

Royal College of Music

Brass

Choral Conducting

Classical Accordion

Classical Guitar

Composition & Contemporary Music

Harp

Historical Performance

Jazz

Musical Theatre

Opera

Organ

Piano

Piano Accompaniment & Repetiteur

Studio Courses

Timpani & Percussion

Vocal studies

Woodwind

Task 7 Identify how to find out where work opportunities exist.

To find out where work opportunities exist people usually go to job centers or they look on advertisement boards or on work websites.

There are different mediums used to advertise job opportunities: magazines, newspaper, TV, advertisement boards, Internet (through different work websites), Job centers, and many others.

FINAL PREPARATIONS 18-01-10

What is your role in the performance project?

I am the producer, the director and also the second character.

Make a list of your main responsibilities

I have to set up the script, make sure everyone knows his or her part, make sure we have everything ready for the performance, direct the performance, be realistic while playing my part and encouraging others to do it as well.

List the task you will be undertaking in the final stage of the preparation process and during the performance itself. When does each of these tasks have to be completed?

Characterization of the voice, synchronization with the sound effects, make sure we have all the sound effects ready for the performance , make sure our voice is not covered by the sound effects. We should be in able to do all this before our last performance.

Make a list of the resources you will be using

Computer, microphones.

How will you make sure that you are working safely in the final stages of the preparation progress and during the performance itself?

Being careful in the studio, use the equipment well and carefully.

AIMS OF A PERFORMANCE 18-01-10

What is the theme of the piece?

The story is all about a young girl who is always at the computer. One day a stranger persuade her to go to his house and at the end no one knows what happened to her.

Why did we choose the theme?

Because nowadays many young people spend a lot of time at the computer and they don't think to the consequences of many of their acts.

Who is it for?

I think it's mainly, if not only, for teenagers.

What do we want our piece to do?

To inform and educate.

The beginnings of performance 14-01-10

FORMS OF PERFORMANCE	WHEN AND WHERE THE FORM ORIGINATED	EARLY EXAMPLES	PAOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED AT THE BIGINNING
Blues music	Within the American communities in the Deep South of the United States at the end of the 19th century	Memphies Blues, St Louis Blues, Beale Street Blues, Loveless Love,.....	George W Johnson,Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson,and other performaers
Melodrama	In Europe, especially France and England during the late eighteenth century.	Sigismundus, Pygmalion, Ariande auf Naxos, Medea, Zaide, Fidelio, Der Freischütz	Johann Eberlin, Jean-Jacques Roussau, Anton Schweitzer, Georg Benda, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber
Morality plays	In Europe during the 15th and 16th century	The Second Shepherd’s Play, Hickscorner	Dominican and Franciscan Monks
Classical ballet	Late 15th century in Italy	Russian ballet, Italin ballet, French ballet and British ballet	Enrico Cecchetti, Agrippina Vaganova, Jean-Georges Noverre, Christoph Gluck.
Ragtime music	African American music in the late 19th century	Maple Leaf Rag, All Coons Look Alive To Me, The Entertainer	Scott Joplin, Ernest Hogan
Sattriya dance	15th century by Srimanta Sankardeva	Apsara Nritya, Jhumutra, Sutradhara
Lindy hop	New York City in the 1920s and 30s		“Shorty” George Snowden, Big Bea, Little Bea,...
Restoration comedy	In England from 1660 to 1710	The Country Wife, Provoked Wife, The Rover, The Wife's Excuse	Nell Gwin, Elizabeth Barry, Anne Bracegirdle and Susanna Mountford
1980s alternative comedy	UK 1980s	Beyond the Fringe, That was the week that was, Q5	Ben Elton, Paul Merton,...
Punk Rock	USA,UK and Australia, 1974-1976	Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!, Horses, Hey Joe, Piss Factory	Patti Smith, the Velvet Underground, the Dolls Of New York, the Ramones, McLaren, Bernie Rhodes.
Britpop	In the UK in the early 1990s	Popscene, The Drawners	Blur, Lush, Suede, Elastica, Buzzcocks, Autuers, Sleeper, Who, The Small Faces

Evaluation of the recorded performance 5-01 10

AFTER THE FIRST PERFORMANCE

I think our first recorded play went quite well, but it could have been better.

Generally the characters were successful in playing their parts. We had planned to have music at the beginning and at the end, but for various reasons it was not possible and I think the radio play would have sounded better with it.

The part of the narrator and the dialogues were quite clear and expressions were good.

The sound effects were present and they were put in the right place and at the right time.

If we were able to do it again then I think we should add some music at the beginning and at the end and maybe even some more sound effects.

When we were planning the play we never thought of including incidental music, so I don't think we should look at the possibility of putting it in the play into consideration.

AFTER THE SECOND PERFORMANCE

In this second performance we didn't have any live sound effect , because we preferred to get recorded sound effects from the internet.

They were actually good and we tried to synchronies our parts with them so i.e. we would not talk while the phone is ringing.

Before performing we prepared the music for the beginning and the end, but at the end we were not able to transfer the music into the PC in the studio.

Although the music was absent I think the performance was well done.

My radio play character description

My role in the radio play isn't only the one of the producer and director, but I am also a character.

My character is a young girl and she's the main character's friend. She' s not got a name, in fact she's known only as "Lauren's friend".

She was born in London and she has always lived in the same house and city. Now she' s 16 and she goes to Lauren's college and she's a hard working student. She spends more time on books rather than on computers, as Lauren does. She's friendly and nice but can be nosy and pessimistic.

In the radio play my character plays the part of the friend who tries to help the protagonist in different ways, especially by warning her of the danger she might be in.

While playing her part I had to change my voice according to the requirements of the script. At different times during the play I had to be happy, facetious, curious, surprised, annoyed, angry and every time I had to do it as realistically as possible.