Indian Classical Ensemble - Degree (Yr1, Sem1)

 Date for Entry: (Monday 18th September 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 24th March 2022)

[WRITTEN AS REPORT]

Dear Diary,

The entry below will discuss the various pieces of music done for this ensemble.

Link(s):

1. Indian Music Notation Vocabulary.

RAAG SOHINI.

Raag Sohini: (D, Eb, F#, G#, B, C#, D) – Fifth degree omitted.

    The ensemble was given this piece called “Raag Sohini” on the first night. On Monday 23rd September 2017 in the Indian Classical Ensemble while running through “Raag Sohini” we got more pieces to the songs. These new parts were called Taans. It was really tough because they had more complicated rhythms and then to figure out the music to it was not nice at all. 

    I knew I had to try and listen to what Mr. Maharaj was singing to figure it out but when I had my mind forgetting everything like they are in a river floating away, it doesn’t come back, it just goes away and down the waterfall until it disappears completed. Sir had a long time trying to have me get the music but memory wasn't my best apparently, lolz. 

    It was that same week that I took out the papers I had and went to score the music. I had a feeling that there would have been 'no such thing as scores' in the ensemble so I decided to do it myself. You will see that over some time that there would be several pencil markings since all of the music was under editing and changed in class. In addition, the same could have been done when a new section(s) were added for us to learn. 

    The score version below was used for the mid-term. Each of the four alaaps was chosen for us to play individually and then sir wrote the mark secretly on his mark sheet. I recall being asked to play alaaps two. I don't remember which of the ten scales I was asked to play. There were two of them and I think each play that you made was final. 

    For the taans section, we were allowed to play any of the four. The funny thing was that everyone selected the easier ones because they found it difficult. So they most likely would have selected tan one or two. When it was my turn, I took the most difficult one which was Taan four and went with it. Everyone shouted like pepper burned them. By the time I was done, I could only hear surprised laughter and shouting. Sir did not say anything except for "good" and that was the assessment for us.

    Being able to notate the entire piece, I was given confidence and knowledge of what I was supposed to do. Yes, it will sound difficult. The secret I realized was that the tempo was just fast. That was the only trick to the ear. While the tempo was quick, the only types of notes involved were a semibreve being the longest note to a quaver being the shortest. And yes, the quavers will sound like semiquavers.

    Some weeks had gone by and I was very anxious because there would have been several versions of the score created. I did not know o the process that Sir would use to give us the music. It was really a lot of music to notate but I had it one during the weeks and then emailed it to some of the other groups' members. 

    From five versions of the piece, an ending was given and no more music was given to add or deduct again. The ending was a short repeat of the main idea and a rallentando. Version 7 was lost with other documents. I plan on doing over the notation. I see several other errors from those first times transcribing the piece.

Link(s):

1. “Raag Sohini” - Versions 5 & 8.** [Available by Request Only.]
2. “Raag Sohini” - Version 9.

EK AJNABI.

* Monday 23rd October 2017 *

Today in Daaga Auditorium it was very cold. It was a good thing that the lecturer cut class and allowed us to go home early. All of us had to wait outside first because a class was going on before. To me, it looked like an English class because someone was looking like a student who was reading a speech or report. When class was over Chekiea and Kayla waited with me to get a drop back at DCFA and then it was there that the three of us were talking about Assessment on Wednesday and they spoke about Mr. Mannette sending us reminder messages. I met Karen at the back after class and we walked outside down the stairs. She looked like she was looking forward to going to lunch with me again as we did last week but I had to go home.

    In Western Music today, we finally finished the Renaissance Era and began a part of the Baroque. There was a lot of writing and a lot I could understand what Miss Ramlal was talking about. Miss Neaves class went alright. Today I sat in between Andrew on my left and Samantha on my right. She had the cough and old just as I did and we both had the same deep voice tone with our noses clogged. I kept a pan stand and a bookstand so that when my class for Aural Training is over, I would not find a problem trying to get a good one while students in UWI Steel take all of them.

    During the Indian Classical class, we went through “Raag Sohini” that we had. Since I wrote out the music on my Musescore software, there were three printings done for it. Tonight, I see that there will be a fourth printing to be made and tape the pages together. As I got home that night, I went through the music from the recording I made last week on my phone and tried to remember what exactly we did, I made a few sight adjustments on the first page and then the correction on the third page caused the music to go onto another one. This now told me that I had to find a folder and clear pocket pages to hold my sheet music quickly.

    The other interesting part about Indian Classical tonight was that Mr. Maharaj gave us a group assignment that would be for marks. We had to practice an Indian song and decide how it should go and have it ready in time for the Concert at the end of November. This sounded like fun but it was tough trying to figure out the rhythms in the video from the singing men and women. One thing I did not like about the video was that it had a Bollywood actor I did not like so much in it so I look either on the floor most of the time or the roof and took in the sound of the music. Even taking in the sound of the music.

In addition to tonight, “Ek Ajnabi” which was the second song we got to learn tonight needed a slight correction. I could remember about two or four times when Eshay the girl on the other Tenor pan and Brandon the next boy on the Double Tenor ended up making mistakes because there were new changes to the song that we did not know about. I still got to make the changes and I made them on the Musescore software after correcting “Raag Sohini.”

Link(s):

1. "Ek Ajnabi" - Sargam Sheet.
2. "Ek Ajnabi" - V4, 5, 6, 7, 8.** [Available by Request Only.]
3. "Ek Ajnabi" - Version 9.

MEHENDI LAGA KE RAKHANA.

* Date Unknown/Forgotten *

This piece was introduced very late in the semester. About only three to four classes were spent on it. The score used for the recital was version three. It was a rushed down score and all the rhythmic patterns were not notated properly. 

A lot of rhythmic patterns were difficult to understand. It was corrected in the fourth version and the sargan was added. 

Link(s):

1. "Mehendi Laga" - Versions 3.** [Available by Request Only.]
2. "Mehendi Laga" - Version 4.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Indian Classical Ensemble - Note on Hindi Notation

Date for Entry: (Monday 18th September 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 24th March 2022)

[WRITTEN AS REPORT]

Dear Diary,

    On Monday 18th September, minutes going to seven in the night was my first night of being a member of the UWI Indian Classical Ensemble. I first saw the teacher Mr. Maharaj and got his permission to join the group. Once he said that I "yes, sure" I rest down my bags and began to get a Tenor pan from the storeroom. I did not know if I had to audition to be in the ensemble. 

    I knew that I was going to have to be on the lookout for any new types of music coming. There was no one to really talk to about what the class was like. I still felt glad that they allowed steelpan to be a part of the group. I know that whatever was to be given for us to learn, I would give it a lot of hard work. I would try my best to do what was given no matter how hard it may come.

    Mr. Maharaj began the class with a welcome. He began to write out some things on the whiteboard which I soon began to understand was the song. But I had a feeling it would be the piece we would be starting off with because of the solfege. I learned that night that they called the solfege SARGAM in their style of music (as their version of Doh, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Doh). 

    In addition to the introduction of the Hindi Sargam, we were given some extra notes. I made sure to write down all of the instructions so that I can learn them and detect them and know how to play them if they should show up in the notation from sir. 

Here are some of the things I learned from the lesson:

Hindi Word / Articulation	English meaning
Thaat	Scale
Thaat Marwa	Main scale
Vedi Swar (Main Note)	Sa (or Doh)
Samuadi Swar (2nd Note)	Re (or Ra)
Jaati – Shaduv	6 up to 6 down
Aaroh (Ascending)	Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni Sa (Doh, Re, Me, Fa, Sol, La, Ti Doh)
Avroh (Descending)	Sa, Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa. (Doh, Ti, La, Sol, Fa, Me, Ra, Doh)
Pakad	Identifying phrase
Raag	A cluster of notes (melodic structure) that are set to rules, which depicts emotions and is pleasing to the mind of the listener.
Alankar (An Exercise)	An exercise in any particular scale that can be done either fast or slow. Most often times it can be done in simple triple or simple quadruple.
Jeati	Omitted note
	The note is flattened
	Note is to be played an octave Higher
	Note is to be played an octave lower

    We also did seven out of ten alankaars (exercises). Some were tough but easy and we all did in the key of D Major. They are quite similar to the pan examination proficiency exercises that I usually do with Mr. Sharma. I took a picture of the music solfege he wrote out and put it up on the projector. 

Before beginning the piece, were given the pakad to play a very times and after listening to sir singing out the first section, we were given some time to figure out the same on our instruments. We were also given the pattern of the Raag Sohini notes.

    Towards the end of the week, I was sent an email by Mr. Maharaj with a sheet of the ten alankaars. I decided to score it out and put a book together with the course outline that he included for everyone. Over time we were given the ten Indian Thaats from Pundit Bhatkhandi. I also scored them out and had them included in the little 'handbook' that I had complied.

 

Link(s):

1. Indian Classical Handbook.
2. Indian Music Notation Vocabulary (PDF).

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Writing for Academic Purpose (Trial #1) – (FOUN 1001)

 Date for Entry: (Monday 11th September 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 18th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

This entry is an account of the "Writing Academic Purpose" course in the first year of the music degree program.

Link(s):

1. Course Outline (2017-2018).

FIRST CLASS.

* Monday 11th September 2017 *

Today was my second day for my “English for Academic Purpose” and it was really my first one since I missed it and did not know where the class was last week. I went into the Auditorium a bit nervous but as I took a seat, the feeling went away. Soon class began and the teacher began, although the first lady was a librarian coming in to do a guest lecture and then the real teacher Miss Denis did hers in the second half of the two hours. 

    For today’s class, we went through four types of essays and I remembered my “Preparatory Academic Writing” course from the Certificate course and remembered that I would have to go through this very same kind of misery that I had to endure from then once more. She also gave us some time to write out some thoughts about the course and I find that it was too early for this. It was for the Student presenters of the class and they will have to go to a meeting every month to speak on behalf of us about the concerns we may have. This was the same thing that happened in the other English class. I got one of the empty slips to write on so I just made a small comment about the time of the class and having it shorter. 

    Another thing about the class was the register and filling in this signature. That was one really small space. I felt so abused and hurt to squinch my signature in a small space but whatever. I got it to fit thankfully, and then from that in the middle was to insert my Student Identification number. Soon the class was over and then I went outside and called dad on the phone to come for me. I went home to Curepe and then wait a while until half-past three for the next two classes.

WEEK 2.

* Monday 11th September 2017 *

Today was my second day for my “English for Academic Purpose” and it was really my first one since I missed it and did not know where the class was last week. I went into the Auditorium a bit nervous but as I took a seat, the feeling went away. Soon class began and the teacher began, although the first lady was a librarian coming in to do a guest lecture and then the real teacher Miss Denis did hers at the second half of the two hours. 

    For today’s class, we went through four types of essays and I remembered my “Preparatory Academic Writing” course from the Certificate course and remembered that I would have to go through this very same kind of misery that I had to endure from then once more. She also gave us some time to write out some thoughts about the course and I find that it was too early for this. It was for the Student presenters of the class and they will have to go to a meeting every month to speak on behalf of us about the concerns we may have. This was the same thing that happened in the other English class. I got one of the empty slips to write on so I just made a small comment about the time of the class and having it shorter. 

    Another thing about the class was the register and filling in this signature. That was one really small space. I felt so abused and hurt to squinch my signature in a small space but whatever. I got it to fit thankfully, and then from that in the middle was to insert my Student’s Identification number. Soon the class was over and then I went outside and called dad on the phone to come for me. I went home to Curepe and then wait a while until half-past three for the next two classes.

MUSIC IN ENGLISH TUTORIAL.

* Thursday 16th November 2017 *

Today was the second to last class for my English Tutorials. During the period of the class, I gave my group members the account statement and someone attached it to the assignment before submitting it to the teacher. I also gave each one of them a peer review form which was a single sheet and had to give a comment about each member in the group.

    The topic for class today was a continuation of the extended definition and today there was a surprise on the board. Miss King did music as the topic and she smiled at me and said that I should probably know about what they were talking about as she was about to talk about it she told me to correct her if she was going wrong. I was also glad because today was the end of all group work for this course. 

[EXTRAS]

Below is a list of other documents involved in the process of this particular course.

Link(s):

1. Graded Coursework.
2. Vocabulary Sheet.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Intermediate Ensemble (Yr1 Sem1; Degree)

 Date for Entry: (Wednesday 6th September 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 18th January 2022)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the first week of the school term so that means that Mr. Sharma and I would not have any classes scheduled for today. I still need to go and find him before all the good spots are taken. There would be two classes for today which would be my Intermediate Pan class and the second half of Aural Training. It is two classes because they split the classes into two which is why I had so many classes for the week. History, Music Theory, and Aural Training were supposed to be 3 hours in total and so they cut it down to one and a half hours.

    As Mr. Manette came into class he gave us a new piece of music called the “Redemption Song.” As I looked at the sheet of paper for the Tenor part, I really did not like what I was seeing. First of all, it was in cut-time which is not so very nice, and then also it was containing so many difficult rhythms that I could not read. It was so nice that Sheldon came in. He helped me figure them out and then he went to the Conga drums in the back. This was not a very nice arrangement at all including all of the many usages of syncopation. Not much of us was there and then I got vexed when Mr. Manette said that we may have to have a concert at the end of this very first semester. That is always so much difficult work to do and the pretend to enjoy what you are doing including in the performance.

    I went back to house number two in Curepe before the next class with Mrs. Neaves in the afternoon. The school looked so empty after the Intermediate class. Not many people were walking up and down the corridors as usual. Also in the afternoon, I got back my piece of paper that I did the diagnostic test from Mrs. Neaves. This was not a diagnostic test I was sure of passing but when I got back the paper it looked alright.

Link(s):

1. Intermediate Ensemble - Course Outline.

SECOND PACK DAY - WEEK 2.

*Wednesday 13th September 2017 *

This morning I was late for class with Mr. Sharma. We went through the song in Practice Room 5 where we had our class today. It was alright. The first song I chose from the examination booklet he lent me was “Concerto in G minor” and then there was the second piece I was not so confident with “Waltz for Piano and Pan”. The waltz song was one that I heard Ifeaye play in Hillview during my Form Three days when he had to practice it for his exam. It was so nice that I went to buy the booklet from Blue Edition and practice it myself. He got surprised when he saw the book because it had other books from the same collection from here at school.

    The reason I choose the Concerto was that it was the only thing that looked easy and it was the only one out of the two I could manage. As for the waltz, I see it would be giving me some time to get used to learning by itself, especially for those duplets and the poison in the middle and ending of it too. 

    I was glad I found his office last week after one of my classes me and my friend Nella went upstairs. She was on her cellphone at the same time too. We both did not know where we were going and found it after some time. I gave him my “Performance Music” form to sign the part for my individual lessons and then it was there that he lent me his booklet.

    Intermediate today went alright and then the whole class was like its usual self. We went through the “Redemption Song” and sir gave us another piece of music called “Milap” which was done by Dr. Jit Samaroo. I was happy because sometimes when I play his music I feel this connection and I could sometimes understand strongly where he would be taking the music. Not by understanding the story behind the composition or arrangement as everyone else does but listening to the sound could tell me a lot at times.

    When I packed back my pan in the Store Room and signed it back in, I walked back into class and saw how quick the other students were when they were trying to rush down their assignment which was due today. At one point I did get to mention how I finished it the same evening when Miss gave us it. The new Jamaican guy named Carl told me “very good”. I still wonder if I might get a chance to be his friend but we will see how that goes along in the few other weeks to come along.

NIGHT SHIFT.

* Wednesday 15th November 2017 *

I had Mr. Sharma’s individual classes today. It was definitely my Assessment for the term and in the sight-reading, I had to do there were a few slips but it was alright. The same thing happened for the pieces and then at the end I got myself a twelve out of fifteen which I was feeling clashed but I did not bother to feel that way because I knew it was still very good and went home my house number two in Curepe for the time until half twelve to come back to school for my Intermediate class.

    The class went alright but boring and tiring seeing that I had to stand up for three hours straight again for this class. It was messy when it came to that “Night Shift” song that Sheldon arranged and then the solo he want us to play had a lot to expect from us to do. I was going to tell at one time when he was telling us about getting it was so vexed at one time with the song I was going to say, “Well sorry honey, but that’s as best as I’m gonna give it.”

    Later that night, my English group was up late into the morning trying to edit our third assignment which was due with next day. As a part of the contribution, I decided to do was to print some peer review forms and the accountability statement because I find that I did not do much for it except for what I had to do.

Link(s):

1. "Night Sight" (Tenor Score). [Permission not granted.]

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Music Theory 1 - (MUSC 1103)

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 5th September, 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 18th January, 2022)

Dear Diary,

The writing below is an account of the course "Music Theory 1" for Semester 1, Year one of the Degree Program. This curse was split into two compulsory classes (as first half and second half) for one and a half hours each on Tuesday and Friday.

FIRST-CLASS.

* Tuesday 5th September 2017 *

Today's first Music Theory was surprising to see Miss Ramlal again. We had our class in Studio One. The next surprising thing about today was that as soon as I entered before class and take my seat, I looked at the ears of the boy playing the Grand piano. His back was facing me but as I looked at his ears I immediately knew who it was and wondered if he was going to be doing the degree too.

    When Miss Ramlal walked into class he got up and took his book and as he turned around I knew I was correct. It was Andrew Samlal and realised that he would have been taking the same program as me when sat down at the start of class. I still have him as a friend on Facebook after my friend Amir from TML told me to add him. I know he is a piano person and I know for sure that this whole time of his degree, we will hear the music he likes to play. 

    Continuing with today’s lesson, we had a worksheet to do with clefs and it was a bit easy. Somewhere in the middle of it, I realized that it was one of the “Sound of Music" songs I know. There were song tricky parts because the paper wasn’t printed so well but it was fun.

Link(s):

1. Music Theory 1 - Course Outline & Clefs Worksheet.

SECOND HALF – WEEK 1.

* Friday 8 September 2017 *

Today Miss Ramlal was there again for the last class of the week. I really believed that the first week was over and done with. Today’s class topic was scaling for Major, Natural minor, Harmonic minor, and Melodic minor. For me this was a trip I took back in my mind to my Grade 3 days, however, it was not so nice. The way that Miss Ramlal explained it was a bit too confusing and then the notes and explanations were mixed up all over the board.

    While this was happening for a moment I was wondering if he was really talking in the Musical language, I could understand natural, or if my mind was just blocking out what she was saying. I did manage to take down notes into my little copybook and I was working at a faster paste too because I did not have a manuscript book in my bookbag and had to draw out the staves by hand, but how hard could that be? It is just three printed lines to trace and two lines in between and that was my staff.

    Another nicer point to note was that I got to sit with Andrew Sammy too in the class. It is still so nice to finally have an Andrew friend this time in my schooling life that understands music just like me. We had a good conversation later tonight and chat about class. He too agreed about class today, but we soon cut since he left to go to bed, and it was after eight in the night.

FIRST HALF – WEEK 2.

* Tuesday 12th September 2017 *

Today I got back my homework from last week with Key signatures and scales. Honestly speaking, these were not so easy. It was a bit challenging but getting back that eight-five from the marks I got on it was good. The part of homework with this was that we were getting marked on it and parts of the marks coming from it will go towards our final grade and this has me so scared. I tried to get the homework a more neat and presentable look as well so that it would be good enough to understand.  

Link(s):

1. Scales Homework.

SECOND HALF - WEEK 2.

* Friday 15th September 2017 *

Today we’re back in Studio 4 and I got back my homework from Miss Ramlal. Seeing ninety-one was nice but this exercise was really not nice at all. There was a lot of writing on the sheet of paper in Miss Ramlal’s signature colour. Since she and Mrs. Neaves use green and blue I soon came to see how they fit perfectly in the Magical Creatures if they were to act the parts of the Enchanted Ladies because they are good at music and with the two ladies, one wore blue and the other wore green

Link(s):

1. Key Signature & Triads Homework.

PRINTED TEXTBOOK & TRIADS.

* Tuesday 19th September 2017 *

Today I returned to my beautiful school feeling much happier and confident that I got through with the Indian Classical Ensemble. It was three big accomplishments yesterday where I got to submit my gate forms stapled with the Fee Sheet and Receipt, joined the Indian Classical and earlier that morning, Daddy went to the Photocopy shop that was opposite Laxmi High School and near the UWI Tunnel to purchase my Music Theory Textbook which was for one hundred and ten dollars. I got the information from Justin in class on Friday when I saw him with his book.

    Today I got back the homework I gave in on Friday. It was a worksheet on the key signature, triads, and determining the correct quality. This was really difficult at the start. I even had to cheat and use my phone to get the right answers on the internet in Curepe while I was doing it last minute before the class.  

Link(s):

1. Triads Homework.

ASSESSMENT #2.

* Tuesday 14th November 2017 *

I had my second Music Theory examination today. I was a bit excited and I was slightly confident about it. Not much of my usual nervousness came today because I knew the little that I did for the exam was good enough. The only thing I was worried about was the Non-chord tones that were coming but I just tried to keep in mind what was sticking well with me.

    As the examination began and Mrs. Ramlal sat at the desk to the front of the class, I took my pen and filled in the required information at the top of the sheet of paper and then below in a wide space wrote out in block letters “Do not double leading tone” where I could see it and for the first question, I made sure to write out what that leading tone was next to the note. The first question gave me the Bass of the SATB and figured bass so all I had to do was to put in the ripieno which was the Soprano, Alto and Tenor voice. There were a few seventh chords but I knew to resolve the seventh by step or to hold it out if the notes were not able to go down.

    The second question as well as the third question was to label the key of the excerpt and label the chords by inserting the correct figured bass at the bottom and too also label the non-chord tones that occur in the music. I made sure to check over well and then I gave up about two minutes before the exam was over and to a sit outside to cool off from that long exam.

    Having brighter news, I got back my homework from last week Friday that I had to present to the class and play what I did to get ten extra marks on the homework. Altogether I got eighty-seven out of one hundred in it and I felt very good in it. I understood the notes that Mrs. Ramlal left and then the funny thing about it is that every time I check it over and then Mrs. Ramlal correct it I se errors that I did not even see so I know that there are some more things to learn. 

    On Friday 17th November 2017, As I got back into class today, not many people were there and I got my front seat back which I felt good to sit there. I got back my exam paper and at the top of the paper, I was really surprised again. I got seventy-seven out of one hundred and this time I really enjoyed it. I held up my paper in my hands and went through the comments for some of the mistakes that I made.

    We also began the final topic for the semester and that was secondary dominants. I began to ask myself again if Mrs. Ramlal was speaking English. For the entire lesson, it was not making sense to me so I would have to go home and do my other work and reading and hopefully I will get it.  

Link(s): 

1. Music Theory 1 - Assessment #2 Script.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Aural Training 1 - (MUSC 1102)

Date for Entry: (Monday 4th September 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Thursday 24th March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    This entry is an account of the "Aural Training 1" course. The course was split into two classes that were both an hour and a half in duration (Monday & Wednesday).

SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES ASSIGNMENT.

** Wednesday 6th September 2017 **

After my Intermediate class, I was glad it was over because there was only one more class for the day and then all that pan playing was enough. It was soon time for Mrs. Neaves’ class. During the class, she did some speaking in general about other things and then gave us instructions on a coursework assignment we had to do for marks. It threw back to the time in the certificate also where we had to choose a panorama arrangement and do a full analysis on it. I knew was going to be really fun.

    Our deadline is Wednesday the 13th coming right before class began. The homework was simply to “Give a comparative analysis of two Panorama arrangements: “Curry Tabanka” of Neal and Massy’s All-Stars 1987 Vs. 2015.” This will be ten percent of our marks for the course. The requirements were that Miss wanted 5 Similarities and 5 Differences, a document of it written by hand, and to submit it by Wednesday. She played two of them in class for us and then we were done for that day. I still have some of the quotes I saved from what she used in class:

CLASS 1

• “This course will be like a reflection of life in a flight where the plane slowly turns a corner and then suddenly takes off in full speed up into the air.”
• “Once you’re a musician, you are a teacher.”
• “Not because you know a group of people you begin to teach. You need to know the level at which each and every student are at and then you suit to that.” This was from the diagnostic test explanation.

CLASS 2

• “Ah take yuh blood” – It just means ‘I like you, yuh okay’ and this is just only on the just meeting with someone.
• “Understanding where you want to go is only one-third of the plan. The other two is luck.”

     I went home right after class and turned on the computer because this was going to fly swiftly like breeze. I was right but it took me a full three hours in total to complete the assignment. This was because the “Curry Tabanka” recording of 1987 was ten minutes long and the one for 2015 was eight minutes so I had to listen to these a dozen times well to get the similarities and differences. Getting differences was the easy part except for the similarities. After getting my five similarities and differences, I challenged myself to see how much more I could have gotten and I got in total nine similarities and eight differences.  

Link(s):

• Diagnostic Test Exercise - (Aural Training 1).
• Compare & Contrast Assignment. 

• Curry Tabanka (1987) Recording.

• Curry Tabanka (2015) Recording.

WEEK 2.

** Monday 11th September 2017 **

    Soon that was over and then Mrs. Neaves' class would start in a while. I went for another stroll in the new building to look for Mr. Sharma. I, unfortunately, did not find him except for while I was up there, I saw Mr. Murry and one of the staff ladies coming up the staircase and there was a serious matter where two students went up to the top floor which was outside on the roof of the new building while the door was open. That was scary and so I went back to class. I made sure to set my timer on my phone while trying to find the office so that I would not get late for class.

    I got my Aural Training Textbook after paying fifty dollars to the girl who was collecting money and then Miss was handing out the book on the other side of the class. I took the book and then went out of the class. I went home and started to practice a piece of the music from an old Grade 6 Examination booklet that I already bought from Blue Edition. I divided the first page into thirds and decided to learn part by part a night. 

HAND & FLOWER.

** Monday 2nd October 2017 **

    There were sessions when a specific experiment and meditation were done. Through one of these, I was able to see an image in my mind with a dark background and a shining flower. I cannot recall exactly the date that I saw this image in my mind at one of the sessions. 

    The pencil sketch was done earlier on a Friday afternoon before Music Theory. I got to share it with the UWI Andrew when he was around as it was being done on the corridor floor. The class was small in number that day. Over the weekend the sketch was completed and then handed over as a gift. 

Link(s):

1. Original Painting & Black and White Version (Pictures).

ASSESSMENT #1.

** Monday 16th October 2017 **

Tonight, in class I received my exam script from Mrs. Neaves that was done on Wednesday 11th October 2017. This was the first credit assignment and I was happy when I saw the paper said nineteen and a half out of twenty. 

    At first, I was happy but anxious and worried to see my sight-singing ark because I know that one is always hard to do. Overall, it was nice to see a lot of the things were correct and I was glad to have passed.

Link(s): 

1. Aural Training 1 - Assessment #1 Exam Script.

ASSESSMENT #2.

** Monday 6th November 2017 **

This is a short account of the second assessment on Monday 6th November 2017. It comprised of a melodic sight-reading/singing exercise and a rhythmic sight-reading exercise. Written listening comprehension was done after. 

    The graded examination script and aural exam results were returned on Monday 13th November 2017. I was very pleased with the results and happy that the rhythmic writing was correct. Still see that I need more work on the chord identification. 

Link(s): 

1. Aural Training 1 - Assessment #2 (Exam Script).

HARMONIZATION HOMEWORK (*OPTIONAL*).

** Tuesday 7th November 2017 **

This is homework was given to us in the previous class. The melody came from a melodic dictation exercise from the first half of our course manual. 

    I cannot recall what conversation had arisen at the end of this particular system in the exercises. However, it ends with Mrs. Neaves giving us the same system as a piece of homework to do for the said date above. It was an optional assignment and I wanted to do it just to see what else there might be to learn. 

    In the presentation, I went first to explain what I did. One question I was faced with was answering "where did I get my inspiration for the piece." I really did not have an answer for it. I had taken the same approach as if it was one of Mrs. Ramlal's Music Theory homework assignments. 

    The printout of the assignment (as in the link provided below) was set up on the projector for the class to see the score and I  had an MP3 recording saved on my phone that I played on the speakers. I was only allowed to play the piece once because there was a conversation that began about what I had done. 

    By the time I was asked to play it a second time, the cellphone battery died. It had ended my presentation, unfortunately. I went back to my seat at the front of the class. I was not alone. Anton did the homework too. I enjoyed his presentation.

Link(s):

1. Optional Harmonization Homework.
2. Optional Harmonization Homework - Recording.**

FINAL RHYTHM & SOLFEG SINGING.

** Wednesday 8th November 2017 **

This morning Mr. Sharma and I went through some of the Pan Proficiency exercises and then the pieces in preparation for the Assessment next week. He also took me through the same hard and challenging parts that we went through over the past few weeks. It went alright except for the big long measure with a long run in “Waltz for Pan and Piano.”

    After Intermediate Ensemble, I went over to Studio four. As soon as Mrs. Neaves came into the classroom, I took my book bag and walked outside to one of the nearby poles, and took a seat on the hard-concrete floor near the entrance. My number was number eight because today we had the Aural singing part of the examination that we did on Monday. I had an easy rhythm to do but it was in cut time and had a time signature of three over two.

    I did not look at it as hard so I just took my time and did it well. For the sight-singing which I did first, I knew I messed up one pitch and the wrong mistake I did was singing it in the wrong tonal center but in my mind, I made sure to sing the pitch and contour in the manner which the music was printed on the sheet of paper. I took my bags and went far away from my class friends and continued to feel lonely as I usually do. Especially when that ‘someone’ else is there and it shows big when they speak.

OPTIONAL CLASS MEETING.

** Thursday 30 November 2017 **

    Yesterday was our class performance of Mozart’s “Lacrimosa” for Mrs. Neaves on her mom’s passing. We were not going to have any more classes for the semester so they decided that yesterday would have been the perfect time for the group performance after the final sight-singing and rhythmic reading exam.

    Today, we had an optional meeting in class to do some extra practice. We did both rhythm and melodic dictation. Some of the class members took turns playing the melody for us to write out and we wrote on the whiteboard too. It was a lot of fun that day.

    We were able to take out a group picture again and we had one recording of the question we worked out. Half of the class clapped one rhythmic line and the second half and another line to clap.

Link(s):

• Funeral Program & Obituary for Urmilta Cox.
• "Lacrimosa" Score - (Tenor) from Performance.
• Two "Lacrimosa" Group Performance Photographs.
• Group Performance of "Lacrimosa" - Recording.

• Class Practice Question – Recording.

Daryl Zion M. Ali