I was passed on Allen Vizzuti's contact from another musician who plays with Andy. Today I worked on one of my interviews by interviewing a trumpeter called Andy Diagram who alters his instrument to aim for other sounds other than the natural trumpet sound. However before this, I will be carrying out research using his website to find out how he alters his instrument by changing the tubing and slides.
Therefore this allows me to generate questions into these topics based on his use of technology and physically altering the trumpet's sound.
This source of research through interviewing Andy Diagram will allow me to look into other trumpeters who play outside of the classical genres which I will be doing throughout this project by playing fusions.
A trumpeter with a different sound for 34 years is Andy Diagram, developing his sound through various alterations to brass instruments making use of effects (delay, looping)and psychical changes to the tubing and valves on the trumpet. He does this in order to carve himself as a trumpet player a place into rock music with the trumpet by altering it for a specific sound that the style of music demands. http://andydiagram.com/
This appeals to me as my project supports the idea of the trumpet blending into other genres rather than classical, which is where the trumpet originated.
I haven't been able to find out what the effect of these changes he makes to the instrument have on the sound, therefore this is something I will ask when I am interviewing Andy.
Delay on the trumpet, according to my research usually have an
He involved himself with bands who want a different sound rather than the standard trumpet sounds The main aim of carrying out this interview is to find out how Andy Diagram uses effects to alter his trumpet sound and the purpose.
Andy Diagram had done a project called 'Space heads' which is how he began with generating the sounds he has on his trumpet. His aim was to find a sound which allowed him to be heard on his own in a band environment consisting of a prominent guitars. He said that his project resulted in a
Researching into Andy Diagram's website, I have gathered more into his trumpet playing and how he makes use of the effects which can be put onto a trumpet's sound. Firstly, he states that even though he plays the trumpet, he prefers to alter the sound of the trumpet by using added effects on the in oppose to the actual trumpet sound.
Furthermore, to create different sounds the trumpet, he uses some software on laptops and uses electronic pedals. Together with this, he adds objects such as kazoos and tubing on the slides to make an unusual sound.
Therefore, I will be trying to find out what he uses for each style he plays.
Relating to the styles I am focusing on for my project, I would like to know whether he uses effects for the styles of jazz, Latin or classical music.
To conclude this, the first question I will ask is about the styles in which he uses effects.
The choice of effects can have an impact on the style I will be playing which I will research into more depth. Also, this can contrast between different styles.
On his website he shares how he sets up his instrument with the tubing methods to alter his sound.
When the trumpet plays different pitches, this is because when the valves are pressed down, the air goes through an extra brass tubing. Therefore, another tube is opened up and the direction of air. The diagram of the labelled trumpet shows which part of the tubing is opened up when each valve is pressed down. The arrows indicate the direction the air travels through the tube. The tubes can also be known as slides as they can be adjusted by sliding them in and out of the instrument.
Looking back at the effects put on the trumpet, Andy Diagram makes use of the function of the slides to make other noises on the trumpet such as putting in a kazoo. The way that this works is that each valve is connected to each one of the slides and they relate, therefore, when the first valve is pressed down, it opens up the first valve slide and that is the sound that comes out of the trumpet. However, when something else is put into the slide, it makes that sound instead.
Another alteration which he makes to his trumpet is using plastic hosepipes to extend the slide with a horn at the end of it. In the image, he has put the plastic hosepipe into the second slide. Following the same idea I mentioned before about the slide and the valve having a relation, this addition to the second slide means that when the second valve is played, the second slide will create the sound. In this case, the horn will be making the sound.
This idea with tubing on the trumpet can be extended where the tubes can be put in water, attaching another trumpet to one of the slides. The way that this works is that the number of valves and slides are doubled so that you can alter both instruments at the same time. However the tubing on the trumpet cannot be excessive or longer than needed as it will eventually decrease the volume and make the trumpet sound very quiet. This would be a disadvantage to the trumpet as the it's known as a loud instrument with the highest register in the brass family.
Relating back to my own project, and records his own music so another relevant question could be how he uses these techniques when recording. This relates to my project as I will be recording the songs from the styles I am focusing on.
Due to my project being more into the classical and jazz genres, I will ask Andy about these styles as he is also trained in these.
To get in touch with Andy Diagram, I will be sending an email through the contact page on his website, mentioning that I am doing a project and asking if he is available for an interview in the week commencing the 25th March. I plan to have a confirmed interview date by the week commencing the 18th March.
I used the email from his website and wrote a formal email addressing the purposes of the interview and the dates that they would be carried out.
Add some screenshots.
I couldn't get through the Andy on his own email so I sent him an email though spaceheads instead. What did this change and how did it have an effect on the outcome?
Andy's reply to my email:
Given me some website links
I have received a very detailed email from Andy diagram, following up from my second email.
Together with this, he has linked a website where he is planning to publicize brass players who use technology in their playing. Therefore, Sam Barton could be a good example to pass onto Andy. I am supporting this idea of increasing the recognition of technology trumpeters due to my interest in the trumpet blending into styles of music rather than being bordered by the classical music. By helping out with the production of this website, I can also read into other trumpeters who are posted on there, which will also be an advantage as I will be able to compare the use of technology among a group of contrasting trumpeters.
The first point stated by Andy is his use of effects is that have developed over the last 30 years. "It was a lot of trial and error before settling on different approaches" (Andy Diagram). The main thing I took from this information he provided me is that when developing and aiming for a specific sound, there are a of trials to take place which results in many errors.
This has inspired me to carry out my trial with the effects pedal in the rehearsal room which took place
The most important thing he discovered , especially when playing with others was finding ways to hear himself as others often overlook the importance of monitoring, especially when using effects.
I think this is important for playing with others as you're only very sure of your sound when playing alone if there is no monitoring when playing with others. With this, many things could occur such as not knowing what sound is coming out of your instrument and how it is affecting the song other instruments around you.While other instrumentalists are playign something else,
Using this as the band in Caravan
One of my long term goals after this project are to play as part of a band as turmpeter/flugelhornist. Therefore, looking into using effects in a band setting would be an advantage to me.
The iPhone Andy uses is actually called the iSlice because its an iPhone attached to the topof the trumpet by means of an up-bent fish slice.
However, the iphone doesn’t make any sound and instead, it allows him to control the software on his computer as they are connected. This means that he can play his trumpet through the computer and change the settings without having to use the mouse, making use of the smart phone at the top of his trumpet like a controller in music tech terms.
He is running an app on the iPhone called touch OSC. This allows you to create your own interface with the computer by means of arranging pages of sliders, knobs and x/y controllers.The computer is running Ableton Live with various plug ins. The looper of choice at the moment is Augustus loop.
Andy Diagram then states that he does not know what kind of sound he is aiming for and that its all about experimentation with effects and tubing. All of this depends on what he prefers and if he discovers a sound which he likes, he tries to recreate this, however it's much like improvisation. To support this, he states that he doesn't mind the idea of constantly struggling with the trumpet as he prefers this in oppose to "flashy show-off players and prefer a sound that is always seeking to go somewhere new, even if it doesn't go anywhere".
When you improvise in jazz, it's almost impossible to play the same solo which is quite similar to this concept aswell. Therefore, he says that it results in 'various degrees of success' where it could contrast to what he had done previously or be improved.
In this situation, he adds the sounds he creates into a repertoire bank which he makes use of in concerts.
Instead of having notated repertoire, I am interested in Andy Diagrams approach to playing music on the trumpet through sounds.
Together with being a genre-fluid flugelhornist,
To create even more contrast within his playing, he says that he likes the idea that the sounds can come out from a different place of the trumpet rather than the bell.
He then goes on to explain how he did a concert where the tubes went around the room so that the sounds would pop out around people.
In my opinion, this is a very unique idea to think of as it goes beyond the idea of my project altering the sounds of the trumpet and actually extending the tubes to go around a room so that the audience gets more of an effect from his playing.
In addition to all of this contrast, Andy also likes to record using a normal trumpet sounds where he can differentiate the sound later such as using a Kazzoo and building up alternating rhythmic patters between the different sounds.
What does a Kazzoo do?
Looking into ways that various other trumpeters use their instrument in different ways to achieve a specific sound is relevant to me as Andy Diagram avoids the natural trumpet sound due to his lack of confidence playing the trumpet normally. In my project, I am playing outside of the genres of classical music which is what the trumpet was originally for, going back to my historical research. Using techniques and different sounds, this will allow me to follow the fusions using my instrument, pedals etc
My EP fits into the music industry because an EP is a collection of music, typically four songs, which can be published in a digital or physical version. Linking to the context of my proposal, I had talked whatabout my idea of creating a fusion EP in order to connect people from different cultures and backgrounds to share love for music remotely. A fusion EP rather than a classical EP or jazz EP allows the music to be listened to and shared among a wider range of people rather than fans of a particular style. I would prefer my fan base to consist of people from different cultures and backgrounds to emphasise the diversity in the world. Today and for a long time, people have been separated due to their religion and beliefs, race and background. Therefore my aims within this is for my music to be what joins people together in order to avoid the separation.
Together with this, due to my instrument being considered as a male instrument, I have done this project using the flugelhorn, my primary instrument to show that brass instruments can be played by females and contributing to the female brass players already in the industry.
Combining these ideas, the separation between people in terms of gender, race and belief results in a flugelhorn fusion album. These are some examples of EP's in the music industry: 1. Coldplay - The Blue Room EP
See you soon cover -ColdPlay, this is one of the tracks within the EP
EP's are made for listening purposes in the music industry which is similar to an album. An album is a collection of music however an EP is an extended-play record which is more than a single but under 6 songs. EPs' are promotional material, however there are more specific uses which are explained below.
EP's were previously used for a 'snippet of an album'. As an EP can contain four tracks, these can be extensions of singles or an introduction to something bigger, like an album. Between an artist releasing an album, they could release an EP to create anticipation and maintain their fan base while they work on extended projects like an album or a even a tour.
(McDonald, 2019)
Elaborating on touring, an EP can advertise an artists following tour. Therefore to gain new-comers, a free EP could be handed out to people. This way, the listener may get hooked on the sound, which will increase the artists fan base.
This links to an 7 track EP which I completed in
the first year of the course at Leyton Sixth form College(Units 5-7) We
had prepared to perform these songs, however we wanted to have
merchandise for the performance so that people could buy our EP and go
away and listen to it. hopefully checking out the social media links
inside the album. Here are the images of this.
In
the first year FMP, I had performed in the college's theatre in a
performance called Solar. We had crated a booklet to hand out to the
guests as they came in
Video of the performance
At
the beginning of the project, I reflected on my playing as I felt that
my playing was dominated by classical music. This is why I had decided
to explore how different trumpeters adopt certain playing techniques to
be able to play a style of music.
Therefore by creating a fusion
album, I have self taught myself how to improvise in Latin jazz
standards, work around Latin jazz chords and the bass line
Halfway
through my project, I had thought about another project which could
have linked more to my goals as a flugelhornist when I attend Middlesex
University and after university. If I were to do the project again, I
would have focused more on the practical side of playing as this is what
I aim to do in the future. If the end product of my project included me
playing as a session musician in 5 different bands to a public
audience, this could have presented the ideas in my project in a better
way. The ideas of my project were to show that classical instruments
like the trumpet and flugelhorn can be used in different genres of music
due to the res.
When I had this idea, I went to the roundhouse and attempted to find instrumentalists to collaborate with.
The EP was called 'Vibez' and was a collection of tracks from the class.
The
production tutor had created the EP and had included the names of all
the instrumentalists involved in each track. For my 'Cantaloupe Island',
the instrumentalists were stated on the album in brackets as '(Pablo -
piano, Mael - drums, Joseph - bass). It also stated 'recorded and mixed
at Leyton Sixth form college. Also, for the saxophonists 'Waiting in
Vain', the instrumentalists were also listed.
Following
on from this idea, my EP didn't include a back cover as I chose not to
do a physical version due to the popularity of digital, online music
nowadays and this was the most effective method for me. Linking this to
research, an article says that
To back this up, I have looked into another source which
However
in the modern day, an EP can be used for introducing new material,
rather than an introduction for something. An EP can be uploaded to
social media platforms such as YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify.
EP examples in the industry.
The strokes - The Modern Age
The tracks within this EP are The modern age, Last Nite, Barely legal
This
is an example of a 3P(3-track EP) which links to my idea of creating a
3-track EP rather than a longer EP with 6+ tracks as the following EP's
consist of.
2. Nirvana - Hormoaning
The
tracks within this EP are 'Turnaround', 'Aneurysm', 'D-7', 'Son of A
gun', 'Even in his youth' and 'Mollys' Lips'. This EP consists of 6
tracks
These
EP examples have also been shared on social media which links to my EP
which I have shared on social media and music publishing websites.
I have discovered the Nirvana - Harmoaning EP on YouTube.
The Beatles's Magical Mystery Tour
I have changed from deciding on a music video to having a photoshoot
The
initial idea in my project was to have a music video to demonstrate the
ideas of syncing in society. However, half way through the project, I
had changed this idea and decided to put these ideas into the cover of
my EP. As I hadn't yet thought about the cover of my EP, this idea had
helped my project because an EP usually needs a cover. According to my
research into EP covers, a cover is what introduces a listener to the
music within and 'Listeners like to match the song with a visual
component' (Loh, 2012-2018)
Yazz Ahmed - Female fusion flugelhorn artist
This
La 'Saboteuse Remix' album by Yazz Ahmed. Yazz Ahmed is an artist who
fuses two styles together between Arabic and jazz music. In my project,
the fusions I played were Latin and Jazz fusions. Therefore I have
compared the way that Yazz Ahmed has presented the cover of her music
and the way that I had presented this.
When
I look at this album cover, it instantly makes me think of a fusion
because a fusion is the joining of different things. Also, because this
album is a combination of two styles with elements of Arabic and jazz
music, as said on the Artist's page(https://cargocollective.com/sophie-bass-illustration/filter/illustration/Yazz-Ahmed-La-Saboteuse-Remixed-Record-Cover) The
use of contrasting colours, plants and animals combined into one whole
image which seems very 'mixed' in my opinion which may link to the idea
of a fusion. Fusion in music is the combining of different aspects of
music from as many different styles in order to create something as a
whole of this. During my project, I had talked about my influences for
'Spain' from Saxman Diggle who in an interview said that 'fusion is the
combination of different styles due to their elements combining'. Rock
and jazz are different because rock makes more use of the electric
guitars and jazz had a lot of improvisation. For example, combining rock
and jazz music together is a fusion because the differences between
these styles are being combined.
In
this Arabic-jazz album by Yazz Ahmed which 'crosses generations and
cultures', each aspect on the album cover symbolises something. The moon
is described as 'watching over us at all times', and a 'symbol of
comfort' and 'natures cycle' whilst the fish being 'a steady constant
throughout', meaning that
The self-critic in the image is the
saboteur which is there to show that it is no longer dragging you down,
but it 'dancing alongside your creativity'. Having contrasting ideas
within this idea of 'coming full circle' is presented through this
artwork. When creating this, Yazz had the idea of all of these symbols
in her cover 'having a ritualisticm, wild party'. By joining all of
these images, symbols and colours together,she is realising that
'self-destructive and negative thoughts are inescapable however they
shape and strengthen you'.
However,
although I hadn't used this album for inspiration in creating my own,
my EP cover resulted in something similar this 'Trumpet Days' by Yazz
Ahmed.
Comparing
my album cover to this one by Yazz Ahmed, I have seen some similarities
between these rather than the album cover by Yazz Ahmed previously.
The
basic colours used in this album with the colour of the font close to
the colour of the brass on the instrument reflects simplicity in my
opinion. I believe that this has a link to the name of album called
'Trumpet Days'.
When
people usually listen to an album, the album cover is usually the first
thing that comes to a listeners visual attention. Therefore, the album
cover acting as a gateway to the music associates with the image that
the listeners will associate with the music afterwards.
However,
the lighting in Yazz Ahmed's image is different to the lighting within
my images as I have used natural lighting whereas it looks as if her
photoshoot was done with artificial light.
In the
future, I will look into experimenting with a photoshoot taken in a
photography studio where artificial light could be used. Therefore when
crating my next EP/album, I will be able to create a cover with ore
quality to the one I have crated in this project. I
looked into this album online and it says that 'this piece brings
together all elements from the original album artwork' which links to my
idea of this album 'looking like a fusion' and it is then described as a
'psychedelic Arabic jazz album'.Therefore
from this I have noticed that I have still struggled with presenting
the idea of a fusion. Yazz Ahmed is an inspiration to me to continue to
do what I do and I would like to inspire other females in the same way.
Seeing the way other female flugelhornist develop such a passion for
their music despite the stereotypes, this develops my passion for my
instrument as well. Therefore, it would have been beneficial if I had changed my cover and linked it more to a fusion so that there is a clear separation between standard flugelhorn classical album and a fusion album.
A
highlight within my project was my approach to creating an album cover
which was new to me, although having difficulties with finding a drummer
and having to take photos with a friend, I ended up creating an album
cover which was a start for albums I will create in the future.
Music videos
(Shubhit S, 2014)
The way that we now consume music, a music video fits into the music industry because, a video is part of the visual aspects which helps to draw the attention of the listener when streaming an artist's music. This is evident in the sentence 'A video connects an artist and a listener, as well as connecting a listener to an audience' (Khan, 2016) In the past, physical albums with cover designs were brought.
To look for music or a music video, I would instantly refer to a streaming website like YouTube as many artists feature and this platform and it would be difficult not to find on of their videos on here.
This links to the article which says nowadays, 'YouTube is the second biggest search engine over google and the largest streaming music service worldwide'. This means that the majority of music videos are streamed on YouTube which makes it is very easy for music streamers to discover new ones.
Together with this, according to a record labels's point of view, music videos provide 'something bigger than an MP3' which helps them to get noticed rather than a standard MP3. (Khan, 2016) This links to the idea that within a music video, the artists creative vision is put into this.
To conclude this, the idea of connecting a visual to the music is how a music video would fit into the industry as people listen to music through these online platforms, where they could find a find to accompany the music while they listen to it.Therefore, by uploading music onto YouTube where music is streamed, music videos are likely to be as part of this for a visual aspect for the audience listening.
In contradiction, referring back to the first article, some people say that music videos aren't as popular as they were. This is evident in the article where it says 'there's a decline in music video quality'. However artistic music videos are becoming more popular due to the link between art and entertainment.
These are examples of music which has been published on YouTube with a video, showing how two artists may approach YouTube videos separately. The second example shows how a trumpeter has approached the addition of a music video to YouTube.
These are professional examples of music videos in the music industry. The first video is Ed Sheeran's 'Photograph'. The second video is a big band video for The Incredibles by Louis Dowdeswell.
The incredibles - Big Band music video
Research section
My key area of research at the start of the project was to research into the way different trumpeters altered the sounds of their instrument by interviewing Andy Diagram and Sam Barton. From these trumpeters I found out how the trumpeter, Sam Barton applies guitar effect pedals to the trumpet and how the other trumpeter, Andy Diagram alters the tubing of the trumpet to create different sounds and uses a iSlice device to control the effects on his instrument. These interviews are an example of a primary research source I have used. However, this research had changed and I had began to look into more female trumpeters and how they find their place in bands of different styles as my overall aim was to combine playing fusions with the idea of becoming a more confident trumpet player. I carried out interviews to Beverley from the Cesarians as she is a female flugelhornist who plays the trumpet in a rock band. All of these took place by email as I had decided to not have a real in-person interview as at the beginning of the project I had thought of a mini risk assessment which helped me to judge which would be the better option.
The other primary research sources that I had made use of were videos on the internet and articles. However, the secondary research sources that I have made use of were the use of books to carry out literature reviews and putting up a survey at the Roundhouse to see how many females actually played the trumpet/flugelhorn.
These areas were useful to my project as to construct my fusion EP, I had to look into playing techniques as I had to adopt ways to play in a new style on the flugelhorn. Therefore I looked into Latin improvisation using videos and the internet to find out the different approaches to this. In order to fuse jazz and Latin music together, I had researched into both of the styles separately and then I synthesized the techniques in my playing together to result in 'Spain'.
Synthesizing my research into my work, after I had researched into these pedals, I had taken action and went into the studio where I could experiment with recording through the pedal, into the microphone and onto logic. Therefore the research I had carried out into the use of pedals in a performance, I had transferred to the use of pedals in a studio recording situation.
I believe that I had researched excessively into the use of guitar pedals on the trumpet. The main idea with this was to find out whether the effect that the pedals had on the guitar also would have an effect on the brass sound. Andy Diagram and Sam Barton were the trumpeters I found who did this, therefore I had researched both of them to compare their ideas which provided me with enough detail to begin my experiments. Together with this, I had also used online sources to research into guitar effect pedals which led me to interviewing these trumpeters. The time spent researching into these effect pedals could have been time spent looking more into Latin improvisation as according to my weekly reflection, improvisation was such a wide area where I could have covered in more detail. I had attended the NYJO to gain an insight on this, however when I attended there, I had found that I focused mostly on learning jazz standards in particular, like 'four on six' and 'You've got a friend in me'. I used ear interpretation to build my solo for 'Spain' which related to one of my case studies. I then experimented with different phrases and looked and different solos. Together with this, in Caravan, I improvised based off of the chord progression and shaped my scales around the chord Cmb9 for the first 8 bars and the Fmb9 for the next 8 bars.
In the context part of my project proposal, I had mentioned that I was going to research into Snarky Puppy as they are a band which makes use of contrasting ideas with their instruments. The trumpeter in Snarky Puppy, Mike Maher, had improvised in jazz with the natural sound of the flugelhorn in one performance and then in another performance, he had turned up with the 'wah' pedal. Therefore, this brass players's versatility with the instrument is present in the performances I have watched. This idea of skillfulness that this flugelhornist of Snarky Puppy presents, this could have been something to research into due to my focus being on fusing styles together. This may have provided me with ways to further alterations and improvisational techniques for improvising in 'Spain' and 'Caravan' or adding digital effects further than reverb(on Logic) in my dance classical piece, Polka. For example, if I had discovered a sound which I had admired, I may have looked for a similar sound on Logic. However, I hadn't looked into Snarky Puppy as much as I had aimed to. However, in the future I could continue to listen to their new albums to continue being influenced by different sounds of the trumpet.
My project grew from the starting point of my proposal as the first thing I had researched into was classical music and the trumpet.At the beginning of the project, I reflected on my playing as I felt that my playing was dominated by classical music. This is why I had decided to expand on my styles and explore how different trumpeters adopt certain playing techniques to be able to play a style of music. Therefore during the project, I felt like I was developing my skills improvising in Latin jazz standards
What have I learned that I can apply to my future career?
When I attend Middlesex University as I will be continuing my playing of fusions on my instrument whilst completing a compulsory module in Music technology and production which leads to an optional module afterwards, where I will choose to combine this with interactive technology. This flugelhorn fusion EP is a beginning towards a longer EP or album I will focus on at Middlesex university. Therefore, the recording side of my EP will benefit me in the future as from collaborating with a producer and experimenting with technology, effect etc. this provided me with knowledge which I will now know how to apply myself. In 'Polka', the producer Jay had added reverb to my flugelhorn part and this type of reverb was a small room reverb. I decided not to have a hall reverb as this makes
In terms of reverb when I worked with the producer at my college to experiment with different types of reverb, he had created three separate buses and each bus had it's own reverberation. The first one was small room, then
Receiving an unconditional
offer from Middlesex University, due to my interest in cultural and
music fusions, I would like to study further into BA music which
incorporates music performance and production. As my goals as a
flugelhornist are to play as part of a touring fusion quintet band
creating original music, I will be using the modules into performance
and production to further my knowledge and build my skills within this
project. As evident on the module sheet below, there is a module called
musical styles and techniques which could relate to my fusion playing as
I use techniques in order to play different styles.
In
an overview in the course, it says that 'Skilled composers and
performers today need to be very familiar with conveying musical styles
convincingly, and be able to jump confidently from one manner to
another'. This shows that this module will focus on adopting techniques
convey different musical styles to performances in order to be a
well-rounded skilled musician. This links to my goal of playing as a
fusion flugelhornist and carve a part for myself in a band of any style.
Therefore, that by becoming familiar with conveying musical styles on
my flugelhorn during this course, I am building a range of techniques in
order to clearly define musical styles within my playing. This will
help me in the future when writing my parts in a band to allow the
flugelhorn to 'blend in'. This links to what is says in the course
content as you can 'work at composing and performing music in different
styles, with guidance into understanding and using the techniques which
were used at the time'. This links to my goals as a fusion flugelhornist
because I will be composing my flugelhorn parts in order to fit in with
the style of the band.
In the collaboration part of the modules
in the last year of the course, this is where I plan collaborate with
other musicians of contrasting genres. By collaborating with other
instrumentalists in order to play contrasting genres on the flugelhorn.
This is where I will be able to practice my skills with adapting to a
genre on the flugelhorn. Linking back to the concept of my project, I
will be playing outside of the classical genre due to the trumpet's
close relation to this style. I have looked into classical music and the
trumpet in a literature review. Therefore by doing this in my project, I
am preparing myself for BA music modules and collaborating with other
musicians.
Beginning
by playing as classical trumpeter, the idea of playing the trumpet only
classical has made me feel restricted as a musician as in this style,
you are required to play exactly what is written on the score.
Therefore, by the end of this project I would like to have explored
style and techniques by fusing styles without playing entirely
classically.
The idea of not having genre barriers came from a
band called Snarky Puppy who stated on their website that their audience
should 'take them for what they are' and Snarky Puppy 'isn’t exactly a
jazz band. It’s not a fusion band, and it’s definitely not a jam band'
from which I can infer that genre, by mentioning 'jazz' doesn't define
their playing. With improvisation being so closely related to jazz
music, despite the 'jazzy' improvisational section for the trumpet and
flugelhorn in 'Jambone', the band is still not called a 'jazz band'.
This could show that the band incorporates improvisational techniques
into their playing, however the band is not limited to jazz. Michael
League, the creator of Snarky Puppy, had worked with a wide range of
artists before the band from gospel, jazz and world music which could
have had an impact on the creation of Snarky Puppy with instrumentalists
from all over the world.
Trinity
mentions that there are now repertoire lists which reflect a wide range
of genres and styles, through which musicians can develop authentic
performance kills in a range of contexts including orchestral, session,
jazz and brass bands. This links to my goals as a flugelhornist as I aim
to develop performance skills which enable me to play more fusions on
the flugelhorn. In the future, this allows me to adapt to playing as a
session trumpeter in a fusion band.
The assessment criteria for the grade 8 exam
Arranging music is a skill which I can use when I come to ensemble playing during BA music.
Unexpectedly I was quite surprised as I had also learned how to arrange music as I was responsible for constructing my fusions. With my ability to read music, charts and work with music theory, without knowing, I began to arrange. However I hadn't made this a part of my proposal.
Spain and Polka required the least focus on the arrangement. This is because in Spain, I played towards the backing track and Polka was just a contemporary classical trumpet solo
Despite my knowledge with arranging music, I had learned to arrange within different styles of music for the flugelhorn.
The book 'rock, jazz and pop arranging' had impact on the factors I took into account of when I had arranged the jazz standard, Caravan. My instrument is a transposing instrument in Bb which means that the notes in C are not the same notes I would play on my instrument.
I had also found out that the trumpet and flugelhorn are very different instruments and at some points in my research during the project I referred to the instruments a being 'the same'.
Comparing trumpet and flugelhorn
Due to the outcome of my version of 'Caravan' sounding 'imbalanced which I had gathered that this could have been due the drums, bass and piano being recorded in different spaces. To minimize this effect on my recordings during my further study, I will revert to other methods of recording which involve using the same room. Therefore, I have learned how different recording techniques affect the outcome whole recording overall which will help me when choosing recording methods in the future. To do this, I will have the knowledge to carefully choose musicians to rely on.
With this knowledge in arranging and producing whilst being able to play a range of styles on my instrument, I believe that this course has allowed me to focus on my goals of becoming a well rounded flugelhornist for a band environment.
Following on from my planning of my recordings, I will be scheduling what needs to be done for the following week as I will need to have recorded my tracks within a certain time-frame. Meeting deadlines for my extended project will prepare me for studying BA music at Middlesex university as I will have to meet deadlines with the modules that I do there as well. This will ensure that I get used to complete tasks, recording an EP and preparing for performances. I aim to continue my studies into fusion on the flugelhorn to be a genre-fluid, versatile player when I enter the industry as I will be able to explore into further styles during the 3 years and increase my skills and techniques for different styles. To begin this, I have decided to create a 3p (a 3-track EP) to focus on Latin jazz and contemporary classical music in depth rather than creating a 6-track EP or album where it is possible that I would have been focusing on completing these tracks rather than into the music and applying the stylistic techniques to the flugelhorn.
Putting my EP on my website
It may not be cutting-edge, but as long as your website is professional-looking (and you keep it updated), it's a good place to upload your EP—especially if you direct fans to your site via your social media platforms.
Technical/Practical skills
When improvising in Caravan, although in the solo section of a jazz standard there is a lot of space, It would have been better if I had filled up more of the space and played as if it was 'my time to shine'. I had gained feedback into the topic of this and creating space in a jazz solo creates anticipation for the listener as 'you don't know what it coming next'. However, with excessive
On the positive side, I was incorporating jazz improvisational techniques, however,
In my solo I used the improvisational techniques that I had researched into and I followed the G harmonic minor in the C section, with the Bb harmonic minor in the F section. As I had researched into the use of scales with these chords, I was able to apply this to my work on performing and improvised solo. In the rock,jazz and pop arranging book, it advises a trumpeter not to overplay as this can affect the embouchure overtime. Therefore during my solo, I varied my notes by using some notes in the middle of the stave and occasional notes above the stave I managed to play up to a C. - this shows that I have improved my range during this course I have definitely improved my range throughout this project. At the beginning of the course, I could only play up to an F comfortably, however now, I can play a whole perfect fifth above this.
At the beginning of course, I had struggled with my range and could only play up to a F comfortably However due to the techniques I have adapted from my trumpet tutor and through consistent practice, I have managed to improve my range on the flugelhorn
I believe that despite the good improvisational phrases I came up with during my solo, there was still room for more. During this solo, I had taken extended breaks due to 'loss of ideas'
In a live jazz band environment, my ideas could increase due to the communication between the players. was due to the part being recorded. In a live jazz performance, there would be I felt that playing towards a looked track limited my options
When improvising in 'Spain' I had found that I had become familiar with the notes and this was a key that I'm becoming comfortable with. This was due to the
Despite my research I have still struggles with using the pedals for the trumpet on logic. - wanting to change the trumpet sound even further and do more unusual - to make my my project more interesting with diffferent sounds- to show how versatile the trumpet could be
LIKE THE TRUMPETER IN SNARKY PUPPY
However I didn't research into setting this up and I didn't know how to set this up - had to ask someone to help me with this.
With my grade 8 piece, Polka, I still struggle with playing the piece the whole way through due to the way I have made this simpler for myself during the project. I had recorded my version of 'Polka' in separate parts. This had impacted my project as this was a smooth process. I had used a three-hour session in the recording studio to record the whole of 'Polka' in parts.
A part which I had recorded of Polka, it is evident that a part has been sped up.
This part in the piece is where I would naturally slow down due to the finger dexterity required here
During the project I have also used my technical skills with playing fast
I could have worked more in the Arban's conservatory method for trumpet to work on my triplets in a separate exercise- research on how this would help me. SCREENSHOT THIS IN ARBAN'S BOOK
Presenting your work
Going back to the contextual part of my proposal, Fusing jazz music with Latin comes from my interest in learning languages which exist in Dominica from a young age. Gaining an interest in the Spanish language has opened my ears to the Latin music industry made up of salsa, bachata, Latin pop and reggaeton. Earlier on in the course here I did a dissertation, this was in the topic of Caribbean and Latin music. Coming from Portuguese and Spanish speakers around the world, the Latin music genres include salsa, bachata, Latin pop, and urban Latin. Therefore, from this, I had been influenced to transfer these styles to my instrument.
Despite what had gone wrong with the music video, unavailable media collaborations and generating a more relevant idea, I have chosen to present my project as an EP with a front cover which reflects the concepts of the EP, instead of a music video. However I had transferred my knowledge of planning and creating a project brief for my music video, and I had also created a mini brief for the photoshoot, reflecting similar ideas. Therefore, despite the idea of an unsuccessful music video and generating this new idea, I had opportunities to progress within this and link the photoshoot to my project and future goals. Referring back to the context part of my proposal where I had said 'I believe in the idea that music can connect individuals from a range of backgrounds and cultures. For example, live music events can bring people from different backgrounds together who all share a unifying experience. Also, when people buy records they share their passion for the music asynchronously and remotely. Therefore, I have expressed this idea in my project by playing fusions on the flugelhorn. I have taken parts from Latin and parts from jazz and adapted this to my flugelhorn playing (technical practical skills) to create my version of 'Spain' by Chick Corea. I have also recording a contemporary classical dance piece called Polka by Allen Vizzuti (for my grade 8 exam aswell) and lastly I have recorded my own version of 'Caravan' from the movie, Whiplash. All of these fusions are combined together into one fusion EP on the flugelhorn called 'Escape'. The idea of an 'Escape' is me escaping the barriers that I have previously had on the flugelhorn, being limited to and only playing classical pieces. This method relates to my audience as by playing a group of styles on the flugelhorn, this allows my music to reach people from different cultures, backgrounds etc. This creates a variety within my viewers as the fusions can relate to a lot more people rather than just a group of people who enjoy listening to EP's of one style of music. Therefore by presenting my project as an EP to be uploaded to YouTube and SoundCloud, I will be displaying my EP with the cover and name of the album will express these ideas. I have also created a bio to go in the 'description' section for when I upload my tracks. This will describe my album and attract a range of listeners interested in hearing these styles on the flugelhorn.
The bio:
Including this in the bio as I am acknowledging the instrumentalists involved in this and not owning all of the music within the EP
'Escape' is an album for the flugelhorn which 'escapes' the use of the trumpet in classical music. This EP consists of Chick Corea's Latin jazz standard, 'Spain', another Latin jazz standard called 'Caravan' and a grade 8 dance-classical piece called 'Polka'. Caravan (Drums- Joe, Bass- Keith, Piano- Charlie) Spain (backing track from YouTube) Polka - unaccompanied (Allen Vizzuti) Recorded and mixed at the Audiohaus recording studio.
The front cover of my EP will help me to reach my targeted audience. The other targeted audience for this EP are upcoming female brass players in the music industry. The research I did into this informed my chosen method of presentation as I had found out how as females, we can decrease the amount of sexism females encounter nowadays. In particular, I had researched into the way that we can promote female musicians using an article where the points mentioned had stood out to me.
I have created this target audience because my aim as a flugelhornist is to inspire other female trumpeters like how Alison Balsom and Yazz Ahmed have influenced me during this project. I have completed one of my case studies about Alison Balsom and through this, I had related to other female trumpeters in terms of their experiences of being a female in industry. In my previous orchestras and bands, I have always been the only girl trumpeter and all of the rest were boys and this had decreased my confidence because from then, I had thought that the trumpet was a 'male instrument' because of the way you have to stand and hold the instrument upwards. However, researching into these trumpeters and interviewing Beverley, this had increased my confidence with my flugelhorn playing as many of them go through this on a day to day basis and 'they just get on with it'.
At the beginning of the project, my knowledge the use of mutes on my instrument was not as developed as it is now at the end of the project. Before this project, I had only used a straight mute for the trumpet. However, due to the flugelhorn not being able to use mutes due to the size of the bell being slightly bigger than that of the trumpet. The purpose of trumpet mutes are to be made for the trumpet, therefore with the contrasting shape and size of the flugelhorn, the mute will not fit in the same way. This encouraged me research into different types of mutes as the way that the mute alters the sound of the trumpet relates to my project as I have worked on altering sounds.
For example, in Miles Davis's human nature, which I looked into during the project, he makes use of the harmon mute which decreases the volume of the trumpet and also alters the tone.
The comparison between LPs and digital music, online streaming (the populariy of this modern way compared to the old version) -book
I used a book called The guide to digital music
A reggae listener who listened to Spain had interest in one of my tracks . This had introduced him to listen to more Latin jazz music.
Project Management
I believe that I have successfully managed all of the different aspects involved in the completion of my EP as I had maintained organisation by doing everything in steps. The different aspects of competing my fusion EP included repertoire decisions, arranging the jazz standards and actually recording in the studio both in the college and outside of the college. Before moving onto the next stage, I made sure that I had the previous process was sorted so that the next process would run smoothly. In my weekly reflections where I talked about my arrangement for 'Caravan', because I had experienced a challenge of not find a drummer to play in 'Caravan', I had focused on this by contacting other drummers who would be reliable to record in my track. This had helped my project because I aimed for the drums to be one of the first instruments recorded due to their role of keeping all of the other instrumentalist who record over this in time with the track. Therefore, from not skipping tasks in my project, I had worked on my project gradually which allowed me to manage each of the aspects carefully.
Sampha the drummer was not reliable and didn't get back to any of my emails when I had contacted him for a rehearsal. Rehearsals were important before recordings for me, especially because Sampha had said that the piece is quite challenging
Therefore, I have searched for a book based on Time Management. I have found a book which is part of the 'Pocket Study Skills' series by Kate Williams and Michelle Reid.To improve my time management at the mid point of my project, I had decided to make use of a bullet journal which allows me to log my daily routines, create schedules and list pending tasks within my project.
My bullet journal during the project allowed me to create to-do lists to ensure that I had completed what I had set for myself for a recording session. Setting a to-do list ensured that I was working according to my time plan and keeping up with the tasks required to complete my recordings.
I also used time-management in my project in order to keep organised with the different areas of focus within my project.
To complete my EP, the arrangement of the standards and pieces were crucial parts as this is the construction of the music within my EP which people will listen to. Therefore at the start of my project I had predicted the amount of tasks I had to complete within the styles and arranging within a certain amount of time. Therefore to avoid overloading myself with tasks, I had decided to collaborate with a producer who would help with the production side of my EP. Therefore this included the editing, mixing and mastering.
To do this, I had to make use of an external facility. I visited the Audiohaus recording studio in Wembley which had helped me with the challenges of editing the tracks within my EP and the mixing of the whole track. I had contacted Jay in advance of when I needed my tracks done by because after this, I had to work on the promotion of my EP which included editing my album cover and uploading my music onto the digital platforms. Also, by contacting the producer in good time, this had left enough time for additional sessions as it wasn't possible to complete 3 tracks in one 3 hour session. This required another two sessions.
Following on from this collaboration in the production side of my project, I had also collaborated with musicians for the recording of the tracks within my EP. Firstly, in Caravan I had asked a pianist in my group to play the chord progression on the piano for the rhythm section of the standard. The rhythm section is the part which acts as an accompaniment to the melodic instruments within the standard. This had progressed with the pianist learning the chords and the bass line, however there was no rhythm to the piano part as in the original version of Caravan - this is shown in the week where I worked on the arrangement for Caravan. This was one downfall of the piano part that this pianist had created. Together with this, due to to this classmate dropping out of the recording sessions due to other commitments, I had terminated these collaborations as as this would have had a negative impact on my project.
Subsequently, as I still had enough time for recording the piano, I had asked one of my tutors to record the piano part for the C section of Caravan. I had chosen to have the piano playing in the C section of the standard rather than in the C and the F section as this had created contrast within my arrangement of Caravan which the other versions on YouTube have not done. Creating contrast with the piano dropping in and out adds to a differentiation in texture for my version of Caravan and it sounds quite like a 'break'. Especially during the solo section, the at 1:36, most of the attention is on the flugelhorn rather than the piano coming in with rhythms that take away from the flugelhornist's 'time to shine'.
In a jazz performance the instruments in a rhythm section usually decrease their volume when it's the time for a musician to perform a solo and this jazz technique is reflected in my version of Caravan. This way that I have arranged the jazz standard shows that I have not only learned a whole new jazz standard, but I have implemented this into my arrangement. Therefore, this demonstrates the range of skills I have learned and adapted throughout the project to gradually become a more versatile female
brass player.
The biggest challenge I have come across when completing my EXP was the learning of new pieces and new styles in the time frame that I had available. Usually, I would spend more time when learning a new style and look in depth with different aspects of the style. In last year's project, I had looked into learning Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' on the flugelhorn and one week I would focus on my articulation by conducting daily practice routines and on another week I would focus on my tone to re-create the sound of the vocals in 'Human Nature'. However, within this project, learning to play in a group of different styles for a 3-track 'Escape' EP, consisted of more areas to focus on within each track rather than a single Overall, I believe that this was a challenge for me, however, due to my time management of the different tasks of my project, I have managed to create 3 contrasting tracks where in each one, I am demonstrating a new skill or technique. Developing a new skill or technique links back to the idea of my project as I had chosen to work on 3 different fusions in order to explore my versatility on the flugelhorn and express this through a fusion EP.
However, when planning my project, I had experienced a challenge where I didn't know where to
However, as I was recording in the college using the access time available,
There was not enough slots in the recording and rehearsal rooms at college therefore I had to use the roundhouse regularly to find somewhere to record and rehearse
My original plan was to create a music video alongside my EP which I planned on connecting with the audio to upload to YouTube. This may have worked well with my project due to the ideas of fusions that are emphasized throughout my EP. As an idea, I may have decided to present myself as a female artist which links to my project which is to help me to become a more confident trumpeter/flugelhornist. According to the research I had done into females and playing the trumpet from my case study on Alison Balsom, one of the ideas of promoting female brass players that I had
was to listen to and support the music made by these females. Therefore by creating this music video which people would watch and listen to, this could have helped to promote female brass players in the industry. As a result of this, my aim would have been to encourage female to continue their playing of brass instruments or begin playing a brass instrument. Confidence comes in here as the more females in the brass section of the music industry, the more confident we would feel. Being able to play the trumpet whilst being feminine, not having to 'play like a male' is an idea which I support.
To conclude this, my idea of this has come from looking at the successes of different female brass players before starting my project which had provided me with an idea to continue with this concept as in the future, I aim to continue my studies on the flugelhorn in the BA music course at Middlesex University where I plan to play as part of a band where building my confidence throughout this course will be essential. Also, other ways that I have built my confidence in music is through improvisation on the flugelhorn and by connecting with other female brass players.
Under the heading 'presenting your work', I have outlined the alternative method of presentation I have used in oppose to this music video.
I had began my planning into my music video where I had looked at writing a creative brief. With music videos, I had planned to work with a media student from the college so that it would be convenient as they are also working on their projects. I had began the planning for this using my bullet journal which has helped me in other parts of my project. In the bullet journal,I had combined my ideas for the video from different aspects, such as dress code ideas, influences for the video, the audience in the image. However I had visited the department and, due to the unavailability of the students in the department at that time of the year, I didn't get the opportunity to collaborate with anyone to film music videos. This could have been a lengthy process as I was planning to have the videos filmed at different times.
I hadn't reverted to other ideas as I had gained a new idea of having a photoshoot for my project instead. This photoshoot had contributed to the cover EP and could also relate to presenting the same ideas I had about the music video.
The structure of the tracks within my EP are...
1. Spain
2. Caravan
3. Polka
According to my EP, the track which I believe is suitable for the start
of the EP is 'Spain' due to its upbeat Latin rhythms combined with jazz.
When I listen to 'Spain' it makes me want to dance. The first song in the EP was successful as 'Spain' gives an upbeat introduction to my EP, capturing the listeners attention prior to listening to the rest of the track. Structuring an EP means that the songs will be able to flow with artistic direction. Therefore by putting a song first in the order, this will be the song that the listener hears first. This links to one of the purposes of Latin music which are dance able rhythms which people can 'move to' and my choice of backing track impacted this.
However I could have improved the structure for my EP:
Having two jazz standards following each other in the EP could have been improved because having songs with similar structures nearby each other could cause the lack of variation. The major similarity between 'Spain' and 'Caravan' are their structures. A jazz standard is structured
The listeners could
When I create an album or EP n the future during my studies at Middlesex University, I will ensure that I have organised the songs within my EP to avoid having a 'bad order' or ending up with an EP 'with a disjointed series of songs'. (Mcdonald, 2019)
To continue evaluating the song orders of my EP, I will be asking a listener to listen to my EP to gain feedback. From this, I can find out whether my assumptions of how I have structured my EP are actually correct.
Have you completed all of the work you intended to do?
As my project was based on recording for a flugelhorn fusion EP, I had lightly touched the topic of microphones in my project. To be able to record the flugelhorn onto Logic, I had to use a suitable microphone which would also give me a 'quality' sound.This is supported by the statement 'Microphones are the “ear” that hears sounds and translates them to electrical signals'.(Royer Labs, 2019) In the recordings I have previously done for the trumpet and flugelhorn in 'unit 8' of the course, I had made use of the SM57 microphone. This dynamic microphone was recommended to me by the producer at the college who had said that 'this microphone is good for the trumpet'. However within this project I wanted to research further into the use of microphones with my instrument through trial and error. This would have allowed me to discover the effect that different microphones have on the sound of my instrument in a recording, therefore linking to the idea of 'giving me a quality sound', I could have be able to find out which microphone does this for me.
I recorded a grade 6 classical piece called Chanson Napolitaine where I used the SM57 microphone to record. This is what the result of the record trumpet part sounded like before the mixing of the track. The features of this microphone may affect the type of sound which I got from recording Chanson Napolitaine is not what I am aiming for when I record Allen Vizzuti's 'Polka'. The original version didn't have reverb due to the limited noise in the surroundings affecting my recording.
I had stated on my time plan that I will be 'experimenting with microphones' in the week before the recordings start (5th April) and I had looked online at a list of microphones recommended for the trumpet on the article called 'How to record a trumpet'(Joff, 2018).
In advance to this, I have thought about the availability of equipment to prepare myself for any alterations there could be to my choices of microphones. The reasons for the microphone not being available at the college could be due to a range of disadvantages such as the expense of the microphone.
Referring to the list of microphones I had generated through online research and past recording experiences, I have spoken to the producer about these microphones being available. The list I had was originally as follows.
This is the list which is stated on the website: (Joff, 2018)
Neumann U87 - Large diaphragm condenser
Electro-Voice RE320 - Dynamic
Sure SM57 - Small diaphragm dynamic
Sennheiser MD421 - Dynamic
SE Electronics R1 - Ribbon
As evident, there is a combination of condenser, dynamic and ribbon microphones which provides a variety to experiment with.
However some of these microphones were unavailable. The Neumann U87 and the
The two alternative microphones that I have been given are still a large diaphragm condenser microphone (Sontronics STC-20) and the Dynamic microphone (Shure SM7B).
After speaking to the producer about using these microphones, he got back to me outlining the microphones that are and aren't available which would alter my list. Firstly, he suggested an alternative for the Neumann U87 for the Sontronics STC-20 due to it being unavailable. Therefore with these microphones not being available, I would have only been able to experiment with the other microphones.
After making amendments to the list, these are the list of microphones I had wanted to try out
Going into more detail with the Sontronics STC-20 microphone, I will outline some of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of microphone against the microphone I had chosen on my original list (above).
Throughout my recordings for the flugelhorn in 'Spain', 'Polka' and 'Caravan' I had made use of the SM57 and the SM58 microphones because they are suitable for 'loud' instruments like the trumpet.
However, I believe that I could have researched further into the use of microphones with brass instruments like the trumpet and flugelhorn. Together with this, n experiment with different types of microphones would have been ideal.
After I complete this project, I would like to carry out an experiment with microphones to make sure I am using the best microphone for the sound I am aiming for.
The process they had used in order to experiment with these microphones was placing each of the mics on a telescopic boom mic stand and having two of the microphones positioned 'slightly to the left of the player' and the other three microphones 'slightly to the right' (Joff, 2018). It was also important to take into account of the sensitivity of the condenser and ribbon designs as playing the trumpet into these microphones could damage the microphone. This is because the pieces of ribbon inside the microphone are very fragile and you should 'avoid direct blasts of air into the ribbon element'. These 'direct blasts of air' could come from the trumpet as it's a brass instrument, played with the air supply from the body. Therefore, the more air that is put through the instrument, the larger that the 'blast;' effect would be. This could also come from 'air conditioning systems' as they have 'strong gusts of wind' as said in the article. To conclude the delicateness of the ribbon microphones, 'ribbon mics may not be able to withstand as much abuse as dynamics, they are still some of the most durable mics'. (Music-production-guide.com, 2019)
However 'are ribbon mics as fragile as people think?'. Many people say to 'Don't use ribbons on loud instruments','whisper in the presence of ribbons' and 'shutting a door will destroy your ribbon mic'. However looking after a ribbon microphone, can apply to ANY microphone.
The SM57, the more robust dynamic designs was placed close to close to the centre of the trumpet player.During this experiment, it is also important to take into account of the position of the music stand and the microphone so that the positon of this microphone is placed whre it will not be damaged.
This website outlines it suitability for the acoustic guitars and vocals, providing a high end shimmer which enhances the guitar sound (the male and female vocals, acoustic guitar and other plucked instruments, guitar amp, percussion, drum kit, piano)- Meaning it's a very versatile microphones to use in the studio. These microphones being more suitable for the guitar and vocals is something I could look into during my experiment as the instrument I want to record is the flugelhorn. By experimenting, I can find out if the same effects that occur with these instruments also can occur with brass instruments like the flugelhorn.
Band playing
At the Roundhouse, I got in touch with a vocalist who was in search for trumpeters/flugelhornists to
make up a band. Seeking new opportunities to collaborate with other musicians, I had emailed Adam to schedule the first rehearsal.The band leader, Adam holds the rehearsals at the Roundhouse twice weekly.I would have been getting involved with band performance on the 10th June to play in a gig held by a London Venue in Camden called. Participating in this gig in Camden would have given me experience as a session musician.Therefore I would have expanded my skills in styles which I haven't included in my EP and linking this to my previous research, being a genre-fluid musician rather than being a classical trumpeter will open more playing opportunities for me at university band afterwards.
My journey throughout college was to let go of my classical playing techniques and explore different techniques to hear the sounds of other styles on my instrument.
The first session included going over the structure of the song and listening to a previous performance of the song without the flugelhorn. In one of the rehearsals, I was able to use my improvisational techniques when I was asked to improvise in am original 'Better' which was R&B and pop inspired. This was a success in the way that I transferred my techniques into another style.
The vocalist had sent me the songs so that I am able become familiar with the song outside of rehearsals. In particular there is a crescendo in the build up of the song and the vocalist had suggested that this would be a good place for the flugelhorn to play in to add to the build up of the song. Here, the vocalist plays an octave higher than the beginning of the song.
I will be improvised with the flugelhorn in the key of E minor to an R&B original. As the vocalist was unable to tell me the key of the song as he didn't have knowledge with transposition. I had to work out the key myself by playing towards the chords. To
begin my improvisation, I found the key of the song by using my ear to
then experiment and play around with the notes to see what scale the key
is based on. Overall this gave me experience of working in a band
environment where I have to take responsibility with my playing rather
than relying on others.
Problems
During the project I had experienced issues with my range when playing my grade 8 piece, Polka
At the beginning of my playing of the piece,
Polka, I had experienced difficulties with playing at the the top G
that appeared frequently in the piece. I had noticed that I struggled
with controlling the notes above the stave and this would occur with
each the Gs I would play. Therefore I practiced a technique I was recommended by my previous trumpet tutor with the 'ee' sound when reaching higher notes and the 'aa' sound for playing higher notes.This had improved my playing of the higher ranges on the trumpet and by the end of the project, I was able to reach a top C above the stave on the flugelhorn. This improves my skills and techniques as a flugelhornist as I will be able to play extended exercises which reach higher ranges. Also when I am learning new pieces or songs solo or within a band setting, I will be available to more opportunities due to my wider range on the flugelhorn. Therefore this allows me to become a more confident and skillful flugelhornist.
From a case study, I had
practiced different warm ups throughout my project. This included exercises without using the actual instrument such as buzzing the lips
and buzzing using the mouthpiece. I had also linked my warm up to my grade 8
exam. In the exam, I will have to play a scale a to two octaves twice.
In one of my warm up routines I had played the G major scale to a twelfth
twice. I felt like this had improved my breath control as well as
warming up the embouchure and all of the other muscles required to warm
up because the air required to last this length of playing without
taking a breath is challenging. Therefore throughout my warm up routines on the trumpet, I have improved my breath control on the flugelhorn which is an important technique when playing the trumpet as the air comes from the diaphragm.
Also the drummer that had recorded the drums for me in 'Caravan' had been way too rhythmic during the trumpet solo section. This is because I hadn't made the structure clear to the drummer and he played off of what he had heard in the scratch track. In my solo where the instruments in the rhythm section are supposed to decrease their volume, I heard continuous rhythms on the drums however, I had wanted a simple groove on the drums during this section.This was solved during the editing of my tracks with the producer. As I had aimed for a simple groove during the solo section, I had asked Jay to copy and paste this part where it was required. In the end, I had a solo section where most of the focus was on the flugelhorn which is a characteristic of jazz which resulted in a well structured jazz standard.
When taking the pictures in the photo shoot for the cover of my EP, the weather had impacted this. In
the week where I had the photo shoot, I had predicted that the weather
would be suitable for my photos on this day due to the time of the year it was (June). However
due to this climate change happening in London at the moment, this was
the opposite. I had researched into a book called 'The busy girls guide
to digital photography'. This book and also looking at some other
examples of EP covers had made me realize the importance of lighting
when carrying out a photo shoot.
However, luckily the sun
had come out and we had some light to take a picture with natural
sunlight. Linking back to the book, it had said that natural lighting
was the best option and this was evident in how the images I took before
without the lighting and then with the light. I believe that I hadn't advertised my EP as effectively as I could have because it hadn't been shared on the platforms that I was going to upload it to.
An important aspect of creating an EP is This could have helped to target certain groups 12 weeks out from release - Announce EP to social media and to press / online. https://www.radarmusicvideos.com/blog/article/496-The_album_is_dead!_Introducing_a_timeline_for_promoting_an_EP_release
It’s essential to get your album up on as many streaming and music store platforms as possible. The majority of your listeners are likely to find your music there, and you may be able to net some new fans if one of your tracks ends up on a popular playlist.
This is so obvious it may not seem worth mentioning, but social media is going to make up a huge part of the promotional plan for your album. There are many platforms out there, and each one is going to need a strategy.
Project conclusion
This project has furthered my understanding of my own musicianship as my progress on the flugelhorn throughout the project has provided me with skills and techniques which will be essential for my future in performing and producing. I have also looked at many of my strengths and weakness which I can now learn from. This has impacted me as I am now on the journey of finding my own sound and uniqueness as a flugelhornist.
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