Brandan

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: Research into sustainable goals

The goals in which I have chosen to address are goal 3 ‘good health and well-being’ and goal 10 ‘reduced inequalities’. 

Statistics are drawn from the sustainability development goals website. 

Good health and well-being:

Increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression - the opportunity for people to express themselves and do what the way to do and be who they want to be without being held back is a big anxiety release. It can also help with depression as they get to be happy being welcomed into a safe space that will express nothing but praise and love for the work that they do.

These three statistics come from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/mental-health-statistics/lgbtiq-people-statistics

- Half of LGBTIQ+ people had experienced depression, and three in five had experienced anxiety

- 1in 8 LGBTIQ+ people aged 18 to 24 had attempted to end their life almost 

- Half of trans people had thought about taking their life

This supports the point that discrimination and feeling unsafe and having problems with sexuality are leading to mental health problems, so a safe space for people to be themselves and feel comfortable will celebrate and praise them and give them some sort of happiness or feeling of calmness being able to express themselves and being able to be proud of what they have done. 

Reduced inequalities: 

1 in 5 people have experienced discrimination - this project is judgement free and allows people to be comfortable no matter their sexuality or background etc. 

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: An evaluation of my professional development during the process

Overall, throughout this process, my professional development has come together very well. I have been able to assemble a sustainable and organised project that could easily come to life. My knowledge in the business aspects such as different market research has expanded in the process and I have been able to analyse and weigh up the pros and cons of different areas of the project to make the concept more sustainable, realistic and efficient. 

This is an idea that I will consider taking further as I have grown a personal connection being a gay artist and would love to be able to give other people the opportunity that I would like as a musician. To improve this process next time I would research more into existing businesses that are similar to try and make mine more distinct, with a more niche market of its own to attract more attention and make a statement. 

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: My evolving ideas and a rationale for the creative choices I have made

My original idea was to hold a festival but due to the lack of sustainability, I went for a radio station. 

I have made mock-ups that consist of lots of colour in the business card, poster and logo, not just to represent the LGBTQIA+ community with the signature rainbow colours, but to catch the eye of customers and draw them into the advertisement. 

Originally, I was going to just play and promote music, but after listening to some radio, I have realised that interviews and conversations with the artists themselves are vital in making the radio show flow and giving breaks. Also, it allows the artists to portray their message and voice personally which provides more of an impact and relation for the listeners. 

Other ideas I considered were to do songwriting workshops, but the concept of this is more personal to me so it has allowed me to have more interest. Radio is also a sector I am not that familiar with so it has allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and research an area that I didn’t realise I was so interested in.  

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: Initial market research & business model canvas sketches

Through market research, not only is there a gap in the market for this concept, but there’s even more of one in the area of Gloucestershire. The amount of LGBTQ+ artists in the music industry is quite low with a percentage that I cannot seem to find because it is not an area people seem to care to research, so that is enough for me to want to give them the platform they deserve as much as any other person. 

Business canvas model sketches: 

Key Partners:

-My key partners would consist of...

- Pride in Gloucestershire: Responsible of gay pride events all over the county. Our businesses could sponsor each other

 ‘The Music Works’ as these are both places I can connect with artists and charities that are associated with the LGBTQ+ community. 

Key Resources:

- Studio and equipment such as microphones.

- Radio broadcasting and production software such as adobe premiere will be needed. 

- Script with what happens.

Key Activities:

- Playlist curating - consisting of the aspiring queer artist’s songs. 

- Interviews with the artists discussing their experiences, good and bad in the industry and how their sexuality may affect them. 

- Promoting charities and having advertisements for causes such as HIV/aids and for general thing in the community. 

Value Propositions: 

- Allow any queer artist of any background to feature on the radio station for free.

- Fund the artists with profits received to help with their careers.

- Streamed daily on FM radio.

Customer Relationship:

- Social media: instagram account posting updates, ongoings and promoting the artists. Engaging with listeners. 

- Phone number: People can call with questions they would like asked, or if they are interested in having an interview. 

- Email: For enquiries. And to send updates to subscribers of the email when going live and news.

Channels:

- Promoted on other stations.

- Possibly advertised at pride events as the station would sponsor them.

- Social media like instagram will promote and advertise.

Customer Segments: 

- The customers can be broken down into...

- Upcoming LGBTQ+ artists.

- Fans of the station (music and interviews).

- Radio stations and other businesses up for collaboration.

Cost Structure:

- Renting out a studio if not done at home 

- Buying equipment (e.g. microphones)

- Profit to artists career funding?

- To be advertised or promoted by other businesses

- Travelling to and from the studio

- To potentially be streamed on other platforms?

Revenue Streams:

- Advertising other businesses on the station

- Collaborating with other stations

- Cost to call in and ask questions over the phone

- Grants and loans to develop which can be paid back from other revenue 

- Social media following and interaction: live videos with opportunities to donate and send gifts. 

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: Enterprise reference points and relation to my project

Enterprise reference points in which I have taken inspiration from consist of radio stations that are doing the same type of thing that I am.

The first station is ‘Black cultural radio’. ‘BCR is a global radio station featuring the best in Music and Discussion for the Black Community. Whether it's Soul, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae or Amapiano.’ This station gives the black community a platform to celebrate the successes within and discuss the ongoings in the industry which is exactly what I look to do but with the LGBTQIA+ community. 

https://www.blackcultureradio.com/ 

Another one I looked at was ‘Gaydio’. This is a radio station specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UK, broadcasted in Greater Manchester. 

https://www.gaydio.co.uk/

An interview they did with Ronan Park has given me inspiration and an idea on the types of questions that would be asked on a radio show for general conversation and about the artist and songs they release. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4DHB2Pk1Jk

Also, I came across this station which plays music for especially for people with dementia called ‘M4D Radio’ which has influenced this project into playing the type of music that the target audience of the gay community want to hear, in amongst the music of the upcoming artists. 

https://musicfordementia.org.uk/news-and-media/blog/2020/06/m4d-radio-launches/#:~:text=m4d%20Radio%20is%20free%20to,of%20the%20day%20or%20night.

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: The Sequence of Creative Development

To be able to bring my idea into a whole project, it required a lot of development and changes for it to work more efficiently. I started off researching the types of things I could do for queer artists to have a platform such as a festival, radio station, concert/event etc. 

Originally I was going to do a festival but realised that it would only hit in audience within a small space, so this drove me in the direction of choosing a radio station since it hits a wider audience and is not just a one off thing but something that can be on everyday and constantly reaching to further audiences and more people, in the hope the artists work would receive more love and attention. Also there are a few drawbacks when it comes to sustainability such as the effect of pollution and noise pollution on the environment which a radio station in comparison would not emit. 

Due to being an overall music lover, the station would be open to all genres from people of all backgrounds. I want it to be as inclusive as possible. I knew I wanted to do something that would help lift up upcoming queer artists at least a little closer to mainstream heterosexual artists as there is not much recognised representation out there and like I have said, I feel passionate about it as a gay artist and want them to get an opportunity I would like if I pursued an artistry route. 

[brandaann]

MD6322: Sustainable Music Practice: Initial Plans and Ideas

My initial ideas for this project were to be something revolving around equality. Contributing towards equality is something I am really passionate about so I wanted to do something that can help people who are discriminated - in particular because of their sexuality. I wanted to create something that gives LGBTQIA+ artists the chance to promote their music and discuss the struggles that they face in the industry because of their identity. 

As a gay man this is something that I would personally benefit from so I want to be able to give others the chance and platform that I personally would like. As much as this being a project idea, I feel like this concept would be great if it was actually carried out. 

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 11: Final Performance + Manifesto

Today was our final performance and as nerve-racking as it was, it went very well and I enjoyed watching everyone else also. We managed to give the exact aesthetic we wanted to give from the very start and from the help of our feedback we have recieved throughout our previous performances, I believe we have finally nailed it and gave the calm, chilled out, peaceful aesthetic and atmosphere from our staging, vocals, outfits, presence etc.

When it came to the staging and the presence we gave, I think we were successful in giving the chilled out raw emotion aesthetic. The layered harmonies and interaction we had were each other payed off very well in creating the comforting atmosphere for the audience.

We sat on stools either side of the piano all close together, dressed in all black to draw more attention to the performance and vocal rather than what we are wearing. Josh in the middle on the piano wore white to show he was the instrumentalist and also since we are ‘The BAJRS’ we wanted to give the colours of an actual badger which I think was unintentional at first but smart now I think about it. Our layout reminded me of Fifth Harmony’s performance on X factor where they all sat on stools and just sang to the audience, them sitting gives off the calm aesthetic which works well with the song - and that is what we were going for.

With visuals we started off with a cute photo of us all together smiling so everyone can see our strong bond and understand us as a group before the performance, with the set itself proving it. It then faded into some clouds which changed colours throughout to not make it boring with the same colour and to once again contribute to the calm and peaceful aesthetic we were going for.

With the lighting we picked a colour scheme of pink, blue and white to match and compliment the visuals and because these colours are pretty to look at so it keeps the audience comfortable in relation to the aesthetic.

I made sure I was smiling and looking at the other singers a lot to show how enticed in the song we all were and I made a lot of eye contact with the audience as if I am singing to them and getting them involved into the stories our songs told. I would close my eyes sometimes to show I was really feeling the emotion. All of these things were crucial to giving off the correct stage presence that intertwines with our music.

Overall I am very proud of our performance and happy with the performance I gave myself. I feel like we managed to collectively come together and give a performance that gave multiple elements of the aesthetic we wanted to give and I believe we were successful in making the audience understand our aesthetic and know who we are as a group and our style.

Here is the link to our final performance:

https://youtu.be/RO5LXCvOlxU 

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 10 - Create, Practice & Refine

This week, we focused on writing and getting our third song together for our final performance.

We wanted to use our Christmas song but not have it as a Christmas song. So I went away and wrote a verse, pre-chorus and chorus changing the theme to a love and relationship song called ‘Not our time’ which is about being in a toxic relationship and you feel like its just not your time yet and there’s a lot of growth needed for something to work. Everyone liked the lyrics and I finished them off in the rehearsal room with assistance from everyone else. Rose and Sacha helped a lot with the structure and chaining parts up. We also collectively decided this song should be more upbeat than the Christmas one was as our other two songs for our performance are kind of slow so to differentiate it a bit we sped it up.

Here is a link to a run through of the song:

https://soundcloud.com/brandan-396174615/not-our-time/s-FodJiRExZE6?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 9 - Developed Performance (3)

This week was our 3rd performance of the semester that had to be developed from previous feedback.

I thought the performance was one of the best we have done and vocally we all sounded great. I manage to control my nerves and it happened to be one of the best set of vocals I feel like I have shown. I am not as much of an experienced singer and tend to focus more on lyric writing so hearing the improvement feels great.

The stage looked great, and you could really see the bond between us all close together around the piano. I feel like we gave off the chilled, calm, loving aesthetic we were going for.

The songs sounded way better with the different arrangement we went for and after so much practice they sounded a lot cleaner. Also having Josh back to play piano pulled everything together; he was our missing puzzle piece. The harmonies sounded great too. I think a bit more interaction with each other such as smiling at each other would benefit in future with the aesthetic.

Unfortunately our performance video had over half of it cut off due to the technical difficulties which were noticed too late so we couldn’t fix it but from 4:29 it works.

Here is the link to the performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSHCVDFTgpI

Here are links to the 2 songs we ran through in the rehearsal room just before the performance:

Couldn’t see a chance of change:

https://soundcloud.com/brandan-396174615/couldnt-see-a-chance-of-change5th-april/s-6PJqatiFGof?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I built a wall: 

https://soundcloud.com/brandan-396174615/ibaw-5th-april/s-5iN6cXqK4Ei?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Here is our feedback from this performance:

‘This was a successful performance that was well-rehearsed and planned. It is clear you have developed ideas and techniques throughout the module and it is good to witness the engagement with previous feedback.

The vocal performances were all very good and well supported with the piano. The level of confidence is evident and the group worked well together. The harmonies have been well designed and help create a sense of timbral progression and audience engagement.  

Aesthetically this was a step in the right direction with all performers visible and a sense of balance across the stage. This helps to increase the stage presence, audience engagement and sense of confidence. The 2 level approach with high singers and low pianist could be developed or balanced further, more space on stage could help this and although impractical for this performance it could be worth moving the drum kit for the final performance.

The use of visuals was also good, providing a textural bed without detracting from the presence on stage.’

I am very happy with the feedback we received and I am glad that we are starting to get a better aesthetic understanding with the performance.

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 8 - Stage Planning and Development

After our last performance, our group are determined to make this one a great one by reacting to the feedback we were given and taking it onboard.

Visuals:

From receiving feedback on our visuals, we were advised to have different ones for each song rather than the same one throughout. Sacha created a visuals video that would play with different types of clouds to keep the theme but change it up a little. We have also included this cute photo of the 5 of us to show off how close we are and give the audience an insight into our connection between each other.

Staging:

For the stage layout, we wanted to keep it comfortable for us to perform on so we decided to have stools to sit on around the piano, two on each side which is quite pleasing to look at, and puts us all in the spotlight as a collective. We also held the mics for more freedom of movement and to give off the relaxed vibe and aesthetic from us personally as well as from the staging itself.

Songs:

We changed a lot when it came to the songs. First of all we decided to change the order and sing ‘Couldn’t see a chance of change first and ‘I built a wall’ second.

The first song, Rose added in a lower harmony for the chorus and we also added an acapella chorus to the start of the song without the piano. I now sing the 2 verses before the chorus while Anya harmonises with me. Another thing we did was change the end of the song to say “I now have myself to blame, that you don’t feel the same, was it worth all the pain?” which ends the song perfectly.

For the second song, 2 of us would take a verse, with one singing one line, the other singing the next and harmonising on the third line. I had verse 2 with Sacha and also sang the first two lines of verse 3 “I love to hate and I hate to love, I just feel I’ve had enough’ with Anya joining in on that second line with a harmony and finishing off the verse for a bit more differentiation in the way its performed. We also took out the bridge as it was too much; the instrumental was enough.

Outfits:

Our outfits was something we needed to think about because we haven’t coordinated much in our performances. We decided to wear all black to keep it simple and not distracting.

Overall, I believe these changes were very successful and vital to making our performance much better. I hope we can be more confident for our next performance and that I specifically can calm my nerves.

Here is our stage plan and tech spec (channel list) for our performance:

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 7 - Performance 2

This week we practiced two of our own songs and performed them with visuals to assist in the aesthetic impact.

I was in a group with Anya, Josh, Rose and Sacha and we are known as ‘The BAJRS’. Unfortunately, Josh had an accident and was unable to attend the performance, so he sent over a backing track for our song ‘I built a wall’. Anya played the piano for our other song ‘Couldn’t see a chance of change’ and I am so proud of her for stepping up to do it even though she was not very confident in doing so.

The performance happened to not go very well. I have anxiety that comes at random times and I happened to be having a panic attack throughout the whole performance so I struggled with my vocals and at one point struggled to sing a line, but Anya stepped in and saved it. We used visuals of clouds to give the performance a calm feel and space like effect and I think it payed off. The instrumental for ‘I built a wall’ happened to be a lot slower than the original so I struggled with singing it.

We chose to not have any lights on us which did not work out the way we expected it to. You couldn’t see us at all but we just wanted it to be subtle. Lighting is definitely something we need to think about when going into our next performance to help with the aesthetic and the presence in which we give off.

Here are links to our performances:

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_GizbVoaE

Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGKj4s9sYYM&feature=youtu.be

Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BORORbjgUrU

Part 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9SrZOvN7dQ

Here is our feedback:

Liked aesthetic clouds; stand within visuals next time?

Change up singers at times and double up.

Increase tempo

Be more confident and show it

Include dancing

Dress code

Do a tech spec before performance

Acapella?

Overall, there is a lot of room for improvement and I did not give the best performance I could due to anxiety and nerves. We need to reflect and reconsider a lot to help with our aesthetic awareness to the performance.

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 6 - Visuals

Today we looked at experimenting with different types of visuals to potentially use in our performance.

First of all, my group of myself, Anya, Rose, Sacha and Josh experimented with putting coloured dye into this water solution to create an interesting image that to me kind of looks like an eye ball.

Here is a photo of it:

We then went outside with a camera to take photos that we could potentially use for our visuals. It was quite fun to do but I don’t think they are photos I would like to use for visuals.

Lastly we used this software to play around with images and add on different effects to make it look cool to look at.

I really enjoyed in experimenting with different techniques to create visuals today and I will definitely try them again in future.

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 4 - Tiny Desk Inspired Performance

This week we gave our first performances of the module. I used up my spare time last week rehearsing with Lucy, Tyler, Ellie and Ed for this performance.

We performed the song ‘High and Dry’ by Radiohead. As the song is very chilled out we wore some comfortable clothes that were subtle. I wore a dull green t-shirt and black trousers to blend in with the stage aesthetic.

Lucy and I shared the main spotlight to illuminate us as the vocalists. Ellie played violin which added a calm yet sweeter sound to the song to match the acoustic aesthetic we want along with Ed playing guitar and Tyler playing bass which successfully did the same. I introduced our band with our name ‘waiting for Lucy’ and the song we were singing and went straight into it, keeping it simple.

Overall, I am very happy with how the performance went as a whole. I think to help with the aesthetic we need to think about trying to coordinate more with clothing to make it nicer to look at for the audience and look like we are all together rather than separate performers. A bit more free movement and interaction with each other may also have helped us give a bit more emotion and presence on stage. I really enjoyed working with this group and trying a song out of my comfort zone, it helped me realise that I am capable of switching it up and it feels good to do so. I also think Tyler and Ed should have been in a position where they are more visible as they were in darkness and it would have been great for the audience to see their facial expressions and how much emotion they put into their playing. Everyone also worked hard and well together.

Here is a link to the performance: 

https://youtu.be/4aYO8rSErLM ​

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 3 - Visual Identity

This week focused on depicting our personal aesthetics when it comes to performing and why people have their own aesthetics. A big example is David Bowie who’s aesthetic appears very complex and androgynous with the extreme colours and patterns.

It is very important to have your own aesthetic in the sense of your clothing, presence, visuals, set up, genre. Its even more important due to how competitive the industry is right now so originality and uniqueness are two key feature in being recognised and remembered.

We looked at many examples of performance set ups and one of them that I thought looked great was Doja Cats performance of ‘Woman’ at the ACL Music Festival. The set was very tropical and summery with plants and flowers which complimented the upbeat song she was performing. Her outfit was very unique yet revealing to go with the summer festival vibe, and it was something I haven’t seen before and from the performance I could see the type of unique artist she is.

We were then sent off to create our own Pinterest boards of the aesthetics that we would incorporate in our own performances.

Here is the link to mine:

https://pin.it/2LjCoq5

For my aesthetic I wanted to go for a chilled out type of vibe with a performance that gives a vocally orientated set up with just a grand piano and spotlight. I wanted to wear my own style which is simple but cute with an oversized t-shirt and jeans as I don’t want my clothes to become a distraction when it comes to the performance. Also some nice jewellery to make the outfit complete. Id like a bit of smoke to set the mood in amongst the darkened stage with the subtle spotlight. I like the acoustic type of setup where everything is natural rather than electronic.

For my performance next week, I am planning on wearing some black cargo trousers and a dull tone graphic t shirt to keep it simple but also give the chilled out vibe that compliments the song choice and acoustic setting we are going for.

This weeks session was very helpful and I now have a lot more knowledge on what makes an aesthetic. It never used to be something I thought too much about, but after this session it is now something I will always think about. Ive realised that the aesthetic as a whole plays a huge part in making the performance successful and giving off the type of vibe and mood you want to portray.

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 2 - Tiny Desk

This week we looked deeper into the 5 most important aspects that in a performance, which are:

Discuss how music is played

Stage presence

Presentation aesthetics

Emotional aesthetics

Overall impression

We then went on to watch some tiny desk performances from the likes of Billie Eillish, Anderson .paak and the staves.

After discussing our thoughts on these performances, we were set the task to go away and choose a tiny desk performance and  think about the 5 important aspects of performance. I chose Camila Cabello’s Tiny desk performance.

Here is the link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7wIRxQEetc 

And here are my thoughts:

The music is played by instruments very traditional to her Latin roots and it makes it sound very authentic. The collective of many brass instruments sounds amazing. The acoustic is very chilled and played back compared to the original tracks, and the songs gradually become more upbeat throughout.

She was very interactive with the camera and maintained a lot of eye contact while dancing along to the music. She also for one song, she really spoke to the camera with powerful facial expressions like she was singing it to someone specific.

It took place in her home and she had the instrumentalists and backing singers playing around her and was wearing a very cool outfit with a head scarf/ bandana thing, it was very fitting to the chilled out element of the music and was her own style.

The songs performed were very relatable and came from a place where you could tell they were personal. Also the songs were very vocally prominent to draw the emotions towards the lyrics.

Overall, I thought this performance was incredible, despite having a sinus infection at the time. She managed to portray a Performance and image that went hand in hand with the vibe of the music. The Latin pop aspect intertwined perfectly also.

Our task set after this session was to get into groups and perform our own tiny desk performance of a cover song. I was in a group with Lucy, Tyler, Ellie and Ed and we chose to perform the song ‘High and Dry’ by Radiohead. We discussed a few different songs but mutually agreed this is the one we wanted to go for. It’s a different vibe of song to what I am used to so I’m excited for the challenge and to experiment more with my vocals through this genre.

[brandaann]

MD5320: Music Performance: Session 1 - Sector Map

For our first session, we started off by looking at our assessment and looking at the criteria in detail. We all got to know Ben and Teddy and they told us about their experience in the music industry and what they’ve done.

Our task was to create mind maps. One on ourself as an artist, and one on an artist who inspires us. I chose Kiana Ledé as I am very inspired by her songwriting and style of music as a whole, and I love how she incorporates her own vulnerability and personal experiences/struggles in such a creative way.

Here are the mind maps I created:

Kiana Ledé is an artist I really like at the moment mainly for er R&B style of songwriting. I love how vulnerable she is with her songs and she really shows it off in her performances. I love how passionate she is too and how she goes into political areas too such as Black Lives Matter. Her acoustic laid back aesthetic is something i’m obsessed with and would love to have. She is very much about female empowerment which I think is great and I look up to her and how much of an impact she has.

Myself as an artist is something I kind of struggle with. Lyrics are my main focus of trying to embrace the personal, emotional, chilled out aesthetic I go for. I am mainly inspired my female R&B artists and focus a lot on projecting and vibrato. I am not very experienced as a singer so I am still learning who I am.

This session was very helpful in making me realise a bit more the type of artist I would like to be and the type I already am.