Intermediate Ensemble (2nd) Assessment (Yr.1; Sem.1)

 Date for Entry: (Wednesday 25th November, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 9th September, 2021)

 Dear Diary,

    Today was a fun but tiring class with Mr. Sharma. He reminded me about the jury I would have to perform for at the end of the semester. Problems occurred in “With A Wink And a Smile.” After class, I took my pan and went to the front of the building to practice for intermediate.

    Then my friends Shikia and Nella helped me carry by pan and bookstand to the front of the pan theatre outside. At the time, some of the others were glad that there was a pan to get a little practice. Mr. Nurse took a long while to do the assessment. He decided to do the bass section first and have the tenors go last. I was the second set remaining of the tenors. He decided to take us in groups of four. He then decided to send me and a girl (Marsha) outside afterwards and then we went in a long while after to do over the same thing.

    I messed up a big set of the music. Then I went outside on the long corridor and sat with Shikia and Nella, while they put together their essay for Academic writing class and we were all talking about how unfair it was. Then later I sat there until four o'clock with a hungry stomach as usual and waited for my English meeting with my Group before going home.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Theory at Startlift with Mr. Lewis & Jean

 Date for Entry: (Saturday 21st November, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 8th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    This afternoon, I went down to Mucrapo with Mr. Lewis because last night after calling him he wanted to carry me down to Starlift to teach some students. It was nice to see the yard empty. Whenever I always see the sign on the top of the shed “Starlift House of Music” I always get this big nervous feeling rushing inside of me. On each occasion of visiting the yard, I just need a few minutes before I can settle the feeling down.  

    When I came out of the car with Mr. Lewis, I saw Jean who I didn’t see in a while since Panorama last year. It was nice to see him again. We all went upstairs with the children and then Mr. Lewis gave Jean my book to look and see. It was there that I found out I was done with grade five music theory and we both agreed how difficult the grade six looked.        

    I got one of the students to go through key signatures. I really wanted to see if in an event that as such if my book would actually work but it was downstairs. The girl wasn’t really sure about it. I tried really hard to explain it. It was probably the first time that I was put with a student to teach a lesson. I had to leave her at the tones and semitones topic in her workbook.

    Then on leaving the panyard, I went to Royal Castle with Mr. Lewis to save some time for dad to come down to Port-of-Spain to wait got me. Before we could meet him, Mr. Lewis had misplaced his second phone he showed me a while back and then we searched the whole car until it was right on his side of the door. I left my book with him to look over which I’m sure may not even happen. 

    All new dad and I took a Bus-taxi on the Bus Route to Curepe and then we drove up to Youth Group in Church, which had started a long time. I know I was getting late when everything but my commitment to the Group didn’t cut just as yet. Ria told me that she knew we didn’t get to do anything with the pan so from January she will let me torture them out with it. Though the words came, the feeling of it never coming to be true was great in me.

    As I sit and waited for dad to drive back, I took a picture of the boys and girls from my Youth Group playing football out on the green lawn so I could put it to the sonnet I wrote on football that same day. Maybe I would get to include a copy of it with this entry.      

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Caribbean Lab Final Presentation

Date for Entry: (Friday 20th November, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 8th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I had to do a presentation with my Group at CLL in UWI as our final exam. I had to dress up like a slave and do a short speech. In this speech, I was expected to find something and say it back by memory but on the day itself, I preferred to improvise. It would have felt like Theatre Arts itself and would have been more exciting to me. On stage, I didn’t bother to panic. I just what Ms. Saunders taught me in Form One when we had drama with her. I suppose I did well. I know for sure that the audience was entertained with the message as my contribution.

    A girl in the group got a drum borrowed for us to do the group after my part. One of the things that I mad to make sure of was that my improvised part had to end with the word "FREEDOM" as a cue word for the group to come in for the dance. There was an old mop stick that mommy gave me to carry. It worked out well for the dance. The sad part was that a recording of the dance was not saved. It was recorded but I'm not sure who might have a copy of it.

    When I returned to my seat, the lady sitting behind my row said he liked my speech. I guess it was from the question, “Do you like my outfit?” I guess this is why everyone was laughing to the top of their voices the most. But I like it better where you communicate with the audience instead of speaking too much about the history in full. 

    I could remember as I just finished changing into costume and waiting for the five girls in my group to come out of the restroom, my friend Natasha held me had my shoulder. She looked scared at first like she was being chased by a car. She then told me that I gave her a big scare with my hat and torn up clothes. We both laughed it out and we walked over to class.

Link(s):

1. Group photographs after the class presentation.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

General Musicianship 1 (2nd) Assessment

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 17th September, 2015)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 8th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    This morning was my second coursework examination for General Musicianship and it was fine. Only I signed up to go first because I was last for the exam last time. The only thing was that I know I disadvantaged myself from getting first was that I had to sing a scale in SOLFEG which I was not ready for but I sang the song scale correctly. I was asked to sing the harmonic minor scale but exiting the room afterwards, I realised I sang the whole tone one instead.

    In the theory aspect, there was a big trick waiting for me in the last question of the paper. I had no idea how to do the first part. 

(Update) 

    Did not really see that it was C harmonic minor in the 'a' part of question 13. Couldn't believe I forgot to write my name and identification number on the paper too. There were some other words from Mrs. Neaves on the day that she returned the paper for us:

• Simplicity is always best.
• Every scale has a key.
• Language says and tells a lot. 
• If you're a musician, you need to read and describe.

 

Link(s):

1. General Musicianship 1 (2nd) Assessment - Exam Paper.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Caribbean Lab Lecture - Kwynn Johnson

Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[Friday November, 2015]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 10th September, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today during my Caribbean Lab class, we had a guest lecturer for the full three hours by Ms. Kwynn Johnson to present something from the field of visual arts. In the same process, she gave out some books from an art exhibition that she curated in France. I was so fascinated by the way the people took scraps and build their own sheds, while some did the same to make their own Art Studios. This gave me an inspiration ad message to never quit my paintings.

Link(s):

1. "How the Lights Enter" Book.

Daryl Zion M. Ali