Day 9

01/12/2009

I went to my lesson and played my pieces. Mrs Frost saw/heard that I did not like playing the “Mazurka” so she suggested that I played a different piece called blue potato.

This would mean buying a new book called “Tuber music Bass Clef – Brass Wind”.

I will have to take the piano part for the mazurka.

I need to practice my Bb minor scale

Next week I won’t have my lesson but it will be transformed into a brass group lesson with Alex, Miriam and maybe Jacob.

Mrs Frost wants me to do a concert as a recital after I have done my grade 5. 

Day 8

I spoke to Mrs Frost about thementoring agreement and she gave me some paper saying:

Creative and media diploma

Extended project

- Gr. 5 tuba

- Recital to friends/family/music class/ brass group

- Take a leading role in schl. Brass group rehearsals – get group to perform in your recital & invite other soloists

- Get people on course involved in recording recital

Concert

1/. Date/time – Feb?

2/. Venue

3/. Programme - Who is playing – Write prog – accomp – timings. 40 mins

4/. Audience – invitations – posters – emails

5/. Costings - Raise money for brass grp music

6/. Sort out recording of it

7/. Get rehearsing – Weekly practices – Dress rehersal

Day 7

I have started writing the sheet which i was given. It is quite hard because i don't know what some of the questions are asking me. I will show Mrs Frost on Tuesday and she will tell me what she thinks. I have another sheet so she can write her own.

Day 6

Yesterday I asked if there were any guidelines regarding the criteria for this extended project. Mrs Price gave me the mentoring agreement sheet which needed to be filled out by both me and my mentor.

I shall give this form to Mrs Frost in next weeks lesson. We had flexi day this week so my tuba lesson was cancelled.

The questions on the sheet are :

1. What type of assistance does the partner want from the mentor?

2. What expectations does the mentor have of the partner?

3. What expectations does the partner have of the mentor?

4. How often will you meet?

weekly for tuba lessons. A proportion of the lesson to be spent on mentoring.

5. For how long?

30 minutes

6. Who will be responsible for scheduling our meetings?

n/a as its timetabled weekly but I am responsible for turning up to them

7. What will be the basic guidelines for your discussions?

8. If problems arise, how will they be resolved?

9. How will you know when the mentoring process has served its purpose and needs to be terminated?

10. We have agreed that our initial meetings will focus on these three topics:

a) Working towards grade 5 tuba

b) Organising a recital/concert to involve Alex and the school brass group soloists

c) To take a lead Role in brass group rehersals

11. Any additional areas/ issues you wish to discuss?

Partner signature....Alexander Cox... Date....20/10/2009..

Mentor signature.....Emma Frost...... Date....20/10/2009..

Day 5

Today I played my piece, Stomp Off and started off by humming the tune and then i played it backwards starting at the piano bit and up to the forte then the piano to forte to mezzo forte.

Then I played Mazurka ad hummed the tune again and then played it by playing the first line then then the second line then the first and second line and so on.

I looked for the pieces on you tube to see how they go but couldn't find it

Day 4

Today I made a letter to use as a cue for when I ask Mrs Frost if she would be my mentor. I asked her and she said that she would need more information so I will make a sheet stating the criteria of whats needss to be done.

Day 3 (with day 2 cont.)

Day 2 cont.

Yesterday I had my tuba lesson, I spoke to Mrs Frost (my tuba teacher) and she told me what my pieces were. Some pieces i am playing for grade 5 are "Stomp Off", "Mazurka" and some scale exercises. The lesson started with me playing "Stomp Off". I did the first line and Mrs Frost told me that I was "huffing" the notes instead of tonguing them. So I started again and concentrated more on the tonguing technique which is what I should be describing to you in thins blog but is hard to put to words.

Day 3

When i got home I did some practice, i started with the scales Bb Major and minor and G Major and minor and then played "Stomp Off" and remembered to tongue. Then I went to band and played some pieces there.

Day 2

Today i have started to plan what i will do.

What is my extended project?

Grade 5 tuba

How is examiner going to mark my extended project?

show them this blog a recording of me playing my tuba grade 5 pieces

What evidence can I hand in?

as above

How can I present my extended projected?

Diary - blog – real life save to memory stick and printed out

To include in the blog;

- How well it went – what? The exam, this project, the practice, the lessons, everything

- aural – ask for help – what’s needed – Mrs Frost, Mrs Mac, Miss B

- names of pieces – which scales – what theory and aural

- date of exam – entry form – scan it

- letters to…Mrs Frost (to be a mentor), accompanist for the exam

- How to pay for it – paper round, how many weeks ‘til I have enough to pay.

- Practice – what I did – how I think it went – how long I practiced for – concentrate on certain pieces/bars

- Mentor – Mrs Frost – Tuesday – how the lesson went – photos? (slouched/not slouched) poise – what she said – how well I’ve been practicing – improvements

- Results form – scan to blog

Day 1

My name is Alexander Cox, I go to Worle community School and am in year 11. I am doing an extended project to get my creative and media diploma