Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Jazz Theory 1- (MUSC 2501)

 Date for Entry: (Wednesday 5th September 2018)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 9th March 2022)

[Entry as Report]

Dear Diary,

    On the same day as Intermediate Ensemble, I had Jazz Theory 1. It was immediately after three in the afternoon. The name of the lecturer for this course was Mr. Enrique Moore and it was wonderful to learn sometime down at the end of the course that he is a pastor. There are a series of events that occurred in this course and they are separated by episode. 


FIRST DAY

* Wednesday 5th September 2018 *

    On the first day of the course, we were given the cost of the course manual and also a short introduction, some new theories and we ended with a short Evaluation Test. We shared Mrs. Neaves' name of the exercise with him as a diagnostic test. 

    It was corrected and reviewed at the end of the second class. I decided to do the exercise worksheet properly and gave Mr. Moore a printout of it. I could hear from the particular laugh that he was satisfied with it. I was also able to keep a scanned copy of my handwritten notes from that second class. It was not an easy one at all but new information.

Link(s):

  1. Evaluation Test - Mr. Moore's Version.
  2. Evaluation Test - My Version.
  3. Handwritten Notes - Second Class.


Jazz Theory 1 Mid-Term

* 30th October 2018 *

    A lot of us were trying to cram as much information as we could. This was not an easy course and by the time the exam reach the classroom, it was late. There was also a composition to be submitted on that day too. Mr. Moore gave us the assignment to do composition using the blues pattern. This was graded and returned some long time after the Mid-Term was given back.

    The moment I was handed the paper, my head began to squeeze. I tried to keep the work fail away from my mind and answer them as best as I could. The first page was good but front the second page onward was the beginning of the difficult question. I also saw how they made the exam paper and how I could do it over if I was asked to or if I had chosen. The chords on page four were a nightmare in some. I was able to write out the scales the scores correctly for a few.

Link(s):

  1. Jazz Theory 1 - Mid-Term Exam.
  2. History Notes (From Mr. Moore). This Version was 'doctored' by me.
  3. "Sailing Through Venice Rivers" - Assignment.
  4. "Sailing Through Venice Rivers" Recording.


Composition Assignment (Second Trial).

* Tuesday 13th November 2018 *

    When I did my first submission of the composition Mr. Moore did not want it with any piano accompaniment. He asked me to resubmit it with just the melodic line. I ad in the jazz analysis in pencil again and handed it to him. Some of the comments this time around were not negative or heavy in correction, thank goodness. 

Link(s):

  1. First Request.

 

Final Project & Final Examination.

Tuesday 11th December 2018 *

This day presented two examinations. The morning had my piano jury at ten in the morning in DCFA Studio one. I got there very early to do one last practice and then wait for the exam to begin. I heard from other students that we had to have copies of the music for the judges.

    Unfortunately, the library was not opened yet and someone said that no one was in the office upstairs yet. I had a few dollars with me so I took it and went to the other side of the campus office to print the music and went back to the venue.

    The music was really soothing. I was a bit nervous but no mistakes were done in any of the playings. I wait to see what the judges’ scores would be. Mr. Sharma allowed us who were doing Jazz Theory this afternoon to go first and then be able to leave. The two pieces I performed were “Lonely Bear” and “Dance of the Pianists”.

    I saw Natasha and Carl talking about the composition that we had to do and submit in school for Jazz Theory as they headed over to the kitchen side. I did not stay with them but went back to Curepe's home. I’m thankful to Mr. Moore for his advice and extra lessons one day on some of the theory and composition. I used them to complete the assignment and it was easier.

    The evening came by quickly. We had to go up to MD3 for the written Jazz Theory examination that evening. All of them were waiting upstairs with the compositions in their hand. As I looked up at them from the bridge, I could hear all of them shouting in happiness because I was the last one to meet them up there apparently. We all stood outside the exam doors with no idea what to do with the compositions and one of the invigilators inside was not allowing us to carry the compositions in with them.

    Our classmate Carla took all the assignments and went back down the stairs. He took some minutes. All of the people inside the examination room were looking out at us. We chose not to enter because we found it unfair to enter while Carla went to deliver our compositions. He came back in a few minutes after we were asked to either enter or leave by some other invigilator man. We were not allowed to be ‘liming’ outside the examination room so we decided to go inside in one single line. We knew where our row of desks and chairs were.

    Carla came back five minutes after the exam started. After chatting with him on Instagram that evening, I learned that he had gone all the way up t DCFA to drop off the composition assignments and then came right back down to Main Campus to do the exam.

    The exam was tough. A lot of things I had forgotten. We were not given manuscript paper and were had to draw in staves in the answer booklet with regular photocopied folder pages. We had a lot of scales and chords to write. Some things were jazz analysis and sentence responses. I was one of the few who decided to take the time to check over. I handed up my papers when the time was up.

    I met Mr. More coming in SUPER late when I was walking out from collecting my bags. It was really nice to see him that evening. I know the other students would have been angry but it was good working with him. I remember that he was asking me at the end of the final class what he really wanted me to do over the course textbook. It was my wish after doing all the charts that I had done for the Mid-term study. I wish it was possible but to do a project like that would be too difficult for me, especially where there is no proper information available, and to find someone to work with me and guide me in it would have probably been impossible.

    The composition that I did was something in memory of Dr. Ann-Marion Osborne. I did a painting late in the time leading up to the final exam. It was only a drawing at that time but I did have it coloured to upload it to YouTube. There was also a form I made. It was a Composition plan to help me make a strategy. After thinking about all the advice and extra lesson I had with Mr. Moore, I decided that this plan would have helped me put the entire thing together. I did not get to share it with the rest of the class.

Link(s):

  1. Jazz Theory 1 – Candidate’s Receipt.
  2. Jazz Theory Composition Plan.
  3. “Remembering You” – Composition Assignment.
  4. "Remembering You" - Sketch & Painting.
  5. “Remembering You” – Recording.


CHARTBOOK.

Throughout the semester I took some time to make charts based on the various topics covered in the class. They were very helpful in the process of revision as in the Music theory 1 & 2 courses.


**chart pictures**


Daryl Zion M. Ali

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