Week 7 - Composing music

On the first lesson of week seven we added all the recording of the voice snippets on our music piece. then we mashed everything up together and listened to see if the music sounds good. We had some minor errors that we fixed. We then asked if Ms.Cross could have a listen and pint out what we could improve on. She said that the music sounds good except that some of the instruments such as the xylophone had to stand out more. She also mentioned that the voice recordings could have a better Rhythmic pattern and the instruments could blend more and balance out each other. So first we decided to used the xylophone in the beginning to make it stand out. Then we could play a voice snippet of Donald Trump saying something against feminism. The we had a short pause in between. Finally the music started to go slow and then build up as it goes. In the background there were works and quotes that represent feminism. We used Michelle Obama a d other famous feminists for the voice recordings. We named our composition Out of the Blue, This is because the music is very abrupt and shocking. 



Here is our Final Composition:

Week 6 to 7- Composing our music

We decided to change our type of music. e thought that serialism would be a bit too challenging and we decided to do minimalism.  After that we immediately started to discuss our ideas on our piece of music. When we were doing serialism we were sort of confused on  what to add because we had limited options. Whereas, in minimalism we had many options and we also were clear with what we were doing. On Wednesday, we decided that i would go over to Ari'a house to work on our music because we had to catch up. In her house we decided to use the guitar. Aria played the guitar chords. Then I played notes on the piano. Then we decided to add voice snippets about feminism. Sow we looked at speeches and quotes said by many inspiring and famous people. Then we put all the recordings together to crete our music. I think our picture could relate to the music because of the colours and pattern used. 

Composition task in Music- Week 5

During this week we looked at three different artworks by kandinky and analysed them. We discussed as a class about what they meant. When we were discussing we also talked about how it could relate to real life scenarios. We also discussed about what type of music the artwork would suit. Then we had to choose 1 of the artworks and talk but why we choose it and what it personally meant ot us. This would lead to our main task. Ms. Cross told us to go in pairs or threes with someone who has the same opinion and thoughts that you do. So Me and Aria were together. We decided to create a pice of music one the first artwork and we used serialism for this artwork. We decided to do something challenging and different from the others. So then we decided what editing software we would use to create our music. We choose garageband, as it was the one we knew how to function. on the second lesson we stated to play our music on the piano. We decided to only use piano and not any other instruments. We decided to add many different layers to make a complex texture. We decided this art work because we thought that it suited our music type. Later, we stated to record us both playing chords on the keyboard and it was kind of hard since both of us didn't have that much experience with a keyboard. 

Serialism in Music- Week 4

It is a type of compositional technique in which a fixed set of notes,particularly the twelve notes of the chromatic scale, are used to produce the harmonic and melodic basis of a piece and are subject to change only in specific ways. The first fully serial movements appeared in 1923 in works by Arnold Schoenberg. The notes used are c, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B. It had roughly been used since WW1. A serial pattern in music is merely one that repeats over and over for a significant stretch of a composition.

In class we first looked at a powerpoint that talked about serialism. After the powerpoint Ms. Cross also explained how serialism works. Then we received a sheet that helps us create our own serialist music. Ms. Cross explained to fill in the worksheet. 

From the first bar we had to pick the same notes but arrange it in an order that you wish. Then you fill in the table by first writing you order on the first rows then write inversion or reverse on the first column. then using the serialism method we had to fill in the table. At first, I was confused but then I got then hand of it on the second lesson. I used the help from Ms. Cross and some of my fellow classmates to fill out the table. First I used a keyboard to fins the position of the note. But then I used the bar on top of the worksheet. It think the keyboard was not very helpful because you could mess up easily or make silly mistakes.

Minimalist music - Week 3

Minimalism is a style of music which originated on the West coast of America in the 1960s with composers such as Steve Reich, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.

 Features:

• Layers of ostinati ( a rhythmic, melodic that are repeated a lot)
• a complex contrapuntal texture
• Constantly repeated patterns that are subjected to gradual changes
• Interlocking repeated phrases and rhythms
• Diatonic (using notes that belong to the key rather than notes which are outside the key) harmony

We listened to 3 different pieces of music that are played by musicians known for minimalism and they are Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

2nd Piece, It's Gonna Rain, Steve Reich:

This pice is very different from others it's repetitive and very catchy because its the same thing throughout the whole piece. There is a bit of layering of texture but is is not very noticeable since all your attention is on one part of the layer. So this piece is less harmonical. However, using the phrase "It's gonna rain" adds a whole new vibe to the music piece since it represented in different formats or ways. This also symbolizes freedom and shows that music doesn't always have to go by the rules. Instead its about thinking outside the box.

3rd Piece, Different trains, Steve Reich:

This piece of music was my favourite, it utilized many sorts of texture to give it a capturing visualization. as you listen to the music you can identify that many sorts of rhythmic patterns have been layered to create a complex texture. You will also hear a phrase that sounds like "From Chicago to New York". This means that he has recorded snippets of train announcements and added that to his music piece. This not only is catchy but also gives a good rhythm and beat. The background music to go with that compliments the voice recordings. This shows that you can use real life scenarios and  apply that into music. This also gives an insight of your personal life and it also has a meaning. 

Ciphers in Music- Week 3

A "cipher" is a method of transforming a text into a secret code. The idea is to create a code system using letters of the alphabet and the notes of a scale to create melodies from words and phrases. (See diagram below).  In class we learnt about different methods of using morse codes to create a pice of music. You could use morse codes for music depending on the notes played on an instrument. It is a unique and different way of representing music.

Each dot, or short sound, will be played as an eighth note.

.

dot

short sound

eighth note

Each dash, or long sound, will be played as a quarter note.           

-

dash

long sound

quarter note

My Cipher using morse Codes:

Art Unit Reflection

Video of my Performance

First performance

Second Performance

Week 6

We worked really well together by being cooperative and contributing. We split the work into different parts for each member of the group so we would have equal amounts of work. To make sure that we were all clear we had a group discussing to make sure that we are clear about what we were doing, we also answered any queries of the other members of the group. Zainab and I came last lunch to make sure the puppets are done and we also had taken some of the puppets home to modify and improve them.

Week 5

drawing the final design

Background of Mountains

The draft design of the bed

Using books about animals to create myhtical creatures

The deign og a tree

Using inspiration from booklets and other sources to create the designs of mythical creatures

Drawing the final design of the mythical creatures

Drawing of the three headed lion

We used these sources to come up with ideas for the mythical creature

I have improved my work by:

• making my puppets more detailed and intricate
• adding movements to the puppets or making it articulated
• adding joints to some of the puppets
•  use unique ideas to make the puppetz

Reflection Week 3-4

• I think we can improve our work by making our drawings more details, Because when performing the puppets should be identified.
• We could also make our drawing bigger, because when the puppets are behind the transparent sheet it might become smaller. Especially, since you have to position the puppets a little bit away to show the puppets clearly.

After drawing the draft designs, we used some inspiration to to create the drawings

We have made a list of what we need to draw. We have then discussed who is going to design or sketch each picture. We have decided to finish the final drawing for next Thursday. Our group have also decided that we would make 2 designs for some of the characters. This is because, if we make 2 designs we can check the design specification to see if the drawing has met the level. I think the next stage of the process is to focus more on the Phantasmagoria's side of the performance. So that means to create the scary pictures and the projector. However, we might struggle when combining shadow puppets and phantasmagoria together. Due to this, we have to make sure that our group is clear with what their role is and to be organized

Reflection Week 2-3

During week 2 we first combined ideas for the final story. We decided our story to be scary at the start and end happily. We added the roller coaster effect by changing the mood set with a steady flow. For example, the story could start scary and become more tense and then suddenly become scary and this mood keeps repeating till the end of the story. The rollercoaster effect is good because it makes the audience engaged and more curious.  We decided our story is going to combine elements of Narnia and peter pan together. So we decided to have mythical creatures and the setting of Neverland in Peter Pan. 

This is our Story Board:

Page 1 of story board

Page 2 of story board

In brief, our story is about a girl home alone and she drops her book under the bed. When she picks it up, the book sucks her up into a magical jungle. She is trapped and she has to find a way out. the she meets a mythical creature and he tells her a way to escape. She had to climb a mountain, cross the scorch desert and fight the three headed lion. Finally, she wakes up and she found out it was a dream. We developed and transformed our ballad/horror story for a family audience by adding mythical creatures to our story. This is good for kids because kids generally like mythical animals and creatures. We also made this story for a family audience by making the story less scary. However, we would have some tense scenes in our performance. Children usually get scared if the story or performance is too frightening. We also made the story very clear and easy to understand. If the story is complicated then the audience would be confused. During the creative process, everyone was included. We all shared our own ideas and we also included all of them. To make the amount of work fair, we decided to split the it. To make sure everyone is clear with what they are doing, we discussed and answered any queries. Everyone also put effort equally and contributed as a group. In music, we are using  live music and sound effects to make the story come to life. In art, we could do live puppet show and photos to make the story come to life. We also decided to have optical illusions, Visual effects and finally 4D effects to make the story come to life. 

Research on Phantasmagoria and Indonesian Shadow Puppets:

Phantasmagoria was a form of theatre which used a magic lantern to project frightening images such as skeletons, demons, and ghosts onto walls, smoke, or semi-transparent screens, frequently using rear projection. The projector was portable, which allowed the projected image to move and change size on the screen, and multiple projecting devices allowed for quick switching of different images. It was invented in France by a Belgian physicist in the late 18th century. It gained it's popularity through most of Europe, especially England, throughout the 19th century.

A video about the history behind the Phantasmagoria Light show

Shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling  and entertainment which uses flat jointed figures  to create cut-out figures which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen . The cut-out shapes of the puppets sometimes include translucent color or other types of detailing. A range of effects can be achieved by moving both the puppets and the light source. Shadow play is popular in various cultures; presently there are more than 20 countries known to have shadow show troupes. Shadow play is an old tradition and it has a long history in Southeast Asia.

An Indonesian Shadow Puppet Performance

A Performance on the Gamelan music

Reflection Week 1

To make the powerpoint the teacher had told us to to get into a group of four. I was with Rozita, Tereza and Zainab. We had to first do an activity about what skills we had used during art, music and english and we had to write them down. Then we shared our ideas to the class. After sharing our ideas we had to create a powerpoint with your group that is about skills we used in music and art for phantasmagoria and shadow puppet show. In the powerpoint we also talked about what skills we used in our english horror story and english ballad. we had about 3 lessons to create the powerpoint. the teacher also had provided a sheet with ideas for the powerpoint and the proper layout to create the powerpoint. The sheet had detailed instructions on what needs to be included in the powerpoint.

WORK IN PROGRESS

                                      typing up the information and adding finishing touches 

discussing and sharing our ideas for the power point 

Researching about Phantasmagoria and watching many videos about it

Phantasmagoria/Shadow puppets Powerpoint

Week 1 - Rotating & Finding out the new unit

My name is Kalyani Nambiar and I'm in year 8, this is my MYP Arts Process Journal. On this blog you will find documented evidence of my learning through The Arts | Drama | Music. This term I am going to be in Arts. My strongest subject is Drama and I want to develop my skills in Art.

Interdisciplinary unit : The Art of Story Telling English Visual Art Music 
 Key Concept: Communication 
Related Concept: Narrative 
Global Context: Personal & Cultural Expression 
Statement of Inquiry: Symbols and conventions used to convey meaning to audiences are influenced by time and space 
Inquiry Question: What is the relationship between arts and audiences? 
ATLs:  Social collaboration, research: media literacy, self-management: organization/affective skills

Stage Combat Tutorial

Melodrama Titanic Video and Reflection

Link to my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdUgPRDo6qQ&feature=youtu.be

The members of my group (excluding me) were Aria, Mario, Jad and Jackson. We wanted our plot of the act to be a romantic revenge story. 

Our story has 5 characters:

1) The villain - the villain is the captain. He is an evil, jealous and intolerant man. This character is played by Jad

2) The henchman - the henchman is the captain;'s assistant. He defends and supports the villain in any situations. He is also bossed or controlled by the Captain. This character is played by me.

3) The Hero - the hero is a very successful and rich politician. He is a handsome and charming. This character is played by Jackson.

4) The maiden - is a beautiful and young school teacher. Innocent and humble. This character is played by Aria

5) The fool- Is a poor Mexican cleaner who is working in the ship. He is in his fifties. He has a silly personality and is unwise and foolish. This character is played by Mario. 

The story begins with a conversation between The captain and his assistant. Then the maiden and the Hero are introduced. Suddenly the maiden and the hero bump into each other. The hero falls down and the maiden helps him up. He maiden and the hero start flirting and eventually fall in love. The sailor notices them two flirting and starts getting jealous, since he was also in love with her and wanted to marry her. So, the assistant and the sailor make plan to ruin their relationship. They decide that on the next day they will crash into an iceberg nearby to make ship sink. However, when they were discussing the plan one of the cleaners overhears them. The cleaner decides that he should go and them that he heard them discussing the plan. So, the cleaner went to them and told the captain and the assistant that he heard them talking about crashing into the iceberg. Then they pick up and argument and the captain kicks the cleaner out. Since the captain doesn't want anyone to find out that he has come up with this evil plan he decides to frame the politician.  The captain and the assistant inform the politician that he is trying to sink the ship because he wants the maiden to be dead. However, the maiden overhears the conversation and after the politician left the conversation the maiden creates an argument with the sailor and the assistant. The maiden said that the politician was lying and he wanted to make the politician look like he is the villain. The assistant slaps her and takes her to a small chamber/box and puts her inside. Then the captain convinces the maiden to marry him. The cleaner see them torturing her and goes and informs the politician. The politician gets angry and fights the assistant and the assistant is punches and falls down. It was getting too late while the politician and the captain were fighting the assistant crawls to the bridge of the ship and stops it and the ship suddenly hits the ice berg. the ship starts sinking and the politician, captain and the assistant die. The cleaner rescues the maiden. the maiden finds out the politician is dead and she commits suicide. Finally, the cleaner ends up surviving.

To show my character:

• I had a very strong British accent
• I wore a suit vest 
• I used body language and gestures

I think the performance was successful But I could have Improved on two things:

• I could have stayed in character since I laughed in one of the scenes
• When the scene were captain and I were having a conversation with the politician I could have sailed the ship since there was no one doing that

Props for Melodrama Act

I am going to be using this blazer/ suit jacket since I am going to be the henchman or in this case captain John smith's assistant. I chose this item because usually sailors wear a blazer which is white but I didn't have one so I used a black one. This blazer shows my character because a blazer is usually worn by a captain of a ship. But they blazer also have embroidery and a badge.

Melodrama Video and Reflection

This video shows a melodrama act. There are characters like the hero which is played by Jackson, the villain by Jad, The villain's sidekick by me, the fool by Mario and the maiden by aria. The story starts off with the maiden being fancy and pretty. Then the villain whispers to the sidekick to go tell the maiden that the villain want to kiss the maiden. So the sidekick walks up to the maiden and whispers to her that the villain wants to kiss her. The maiden slaps her and the sidekick chases her and ties the maiden's hand with a rope. The maidens floppy hat falls onto the ground. Then the sidekick grabs the maiden and ties her to the train track (in this case we used blocks). The maiden cries and screams and the the villain and sidekick circles around her. Then the fool who walks by sees the maiden and the hat and goes and reports it to the hero. Then the hero walks towards the sidekick and punches him and the sidekick fall down and dies. Then the villain and hero have a gruesome fight and the villain dies. Finally, the hero and the maiden hug and they live happily ever after!

Melodrama Stock Characters

The Hero: 

• usually saves the maiden/damsel
• Handsome
• Manly
• believes in justice

The Maiden/Damsel:

• Beautiful
• Saved by the hero
• Innocent
• Courageous

The Villain: 

• sneers behind the back of the victims
• has a evil laugh
• long moustache that he curls
• comes up with an evil plan
• well dressed
• lacks integrity

The Aged Parents:

• Weak
• deaf
• rich
• usually blackmailed by the villain
• Sophisticated
• Parents of the damsel/maiden