Songwriting

Esimene tund oli õnneks sissejuhatav, kohe meid klassi ees laulma ei pandud (küll aga tuleb sellega tulevikus hakkama saada). Seltskond, kes Songwritingu valisid on tore ning üsnagi etteaimatavalt on seal põhiliselt mulle juba Musicianshipist tuttavad näod. Põhiliselt räägiti sellest, millest meie kursusehinne moodustub: kaks lugu etteantud kriteeriume järgides ning kokkuvõttev essee. Ei jaksa kõike tõlkima hakata, aga kopeerin siia need juhendid, mille seast me endale sobiva valima peame ning mille põhjal siis oma lood kirjutame.

Assessment Part One – Song A (40%)

You are pitching musical ideas for ONE of the following projects:

Brief One: Just Another Ordinary Life is the title of a new HBO drama due for broadcast in 2013. The programme presents a series of narratives told from the perspective of people who are becoming social outcasts. This includes people who have committed crimes and are being prosecuted in court, people who have betrayed loved ones / relatives and people who hold beliefs generally considered extreme or offensive in polite society. The programme does not seek to make heroes or villains of the protagonists, simply to tell a story from their perspective, examining real human lives and the consequences of people’s actions. Themes include Alienation, Exclusion, Predestination and Redemption. The drama takes its cue from the recent BBC programme The Accused, which took a similar dramatic perspective and proved extremely popular with critics and audiences alike.

The producers require two pieces.

Just Another Ordinary Life single. This song will be released as a single to coincide with the first broadcast. The song should encapsulate some of the themes and concepts presented by the programme itself without presenting as overly literal or interpretative. The song should in fact work both as a standalone piece and when considered as part of the Just Another Ordinary Life project. You should carefully consider every aspect of your work including arrangement, choice of vocalist etc to resonate correctly with some of the themes identified. LENGTH: 3 ½ Minutes.

Theme Tune: Instrumental version of the Just Another Ordinary Life theme. This is the piece that will play at the top and tail of the programme. It will be recognizably the same TRACK as the single but will feature no vocals. You should consider adding other elements (melodic) to this track to provide interest in the absence of the lead vocal. You also need to edit this down to: 1½ minutes.

Brief Two: Words, Image, Music is a new Channel 4 programme set for broadcast next year which commissions new artists to interpret classic poetry through the mediums of song and digital art. 

Each edition runs approximately three and a half minutes and is broadcast each night at 9pm during National Poetry Week. Digital artists will create animations inspired by text and musicians will create new songs which interpret the same text. 

You have been approached to pitch for a slot, which celebrates the work of Scottish artist and poet Ivor Cutler with particular reference to the poem For Sixpence. The producers are requesting a song based on the words of this poem to accompany a mysterious, surreal animation. You may interpret the poem in any way you wish, either as a straight musical setting or by deconstructing the words and forming a ‘pop’ lyric from them. You should make yourself aware of the work and philosophy of Cutler, and while your work need not refer stylistically to the artist it should remain true to his spirit. Finally, the song and its production values should work for a broad audience, bearing in mind Channel 4’s agenda to make poetry accessible to all.

Length: 3 ½ minutes.

You should also submit an INSTRUMENTAL EDIT:  The instrumental edit should be recognizably the same song / track as the main theme but with additional musical elements distinctive from the vocal version.

For Sixpence is available in the ‘Assignments’ section of Moodle.

Brief Three: In 2014 Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games, which includes a programme of cultural activities taking place across Scotland and the UK. Scotland's Commonwealth cultural programme showcases its expertise in dance, visual arts, photography, poetry and music. To qualify for the official Commonwealth Cultural Programme for 2014 participants must adhere to the core Commonwealth values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny. Creative Scotland, Scotland's national agency for arts, screen and the creative industries is responsible for the cultural programme in Scotland and is commissioning artists to produce original material for the nationwide cultural programme.  If successfully commissioned, your contributions would be broadcast across the various BBC platforms and would form part of the opening ceremony.  Creative Scotland is looking for original compositions with contemporary Scottish resonance that reflects the core Commonwealth values. The composition should give some sense of various national traditions whilst avoiding predictable Tartan, Haggis and Shortbread imagery. The commissioners suggest that an upbeat approach to rhythm and performance is likely to aid in integrating the music into the opening ceremony and point to the eclectic exuberance of Danny Boyle’s production of the Olympics 2012 opening as a reference point.

MAIN VERSION: full version of the song, approximately 3 ½ minutes in length 

INSTRUMENTAL EDIT: This edit should be recognisably the same song as the main theme but with additional musical elements distinctive from the vocal version. 

Assessment Part Two – Song B (40%)

You should choose to work from ONE of the following briefs:

Brief One: You are a recently signed recording artist writing songs for consideration for your debut album. Your record company, while happy with the quality of material you have stockpiled, have asked you to go back and write a stronger contender for a first single to lead off the Radio, Download, YouTube / Social Media campaign. Your task, then, is to create a new song, which captures the essence of your own expression as an artist but has value for a wider market. 

You should write a song of approximately 3 ½ minutes in length, recorded to a technically high standard for presentation to potential producers. 

Brief Two: You are a self-employed songwriter, developing new songs to pitch at artists and bands that are seeking material for SINGLE release. 

Your publisher has requested songs for one of the following artists:

Kylie Minogue. Kylie requires STRONG SINGLE material that references her past hits while carving out a clear contemporary sound. 3 ½ minutes

Rebecca Ferguson. Rebecca requires material that is resonant of the following artists - Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin – but which allows her own strong vocal signature style to come through. The song need not be upbeat in tempo but must have potential as a single release. 3 ½ to 4 minutes.

You should prepare demo recordings to the highest standard possible. It is important that you consider the presentation of the vocal in this brief. Publishers will want to hear the song presented with some similarity to the intended vocalist. It is important that you are acquainted with both the past recordings of these artists and the standard of production required by mainstream media.

Keda huvitab ja lugeda viitsib, näeb, et teemad on päris põnevad ja kindlasti pinget pakkuvad (eriti mulle, kes ma varem ühtegi lugu kirjutanud pole). Ühtlasi on teise loo puhul tegemist üsna reaalsete pakkumistega, mis praegu ka päriselt ringlevad, David Scott, kellel on muidugi tutvusi küllaga, lubas, et kui keegi meist peaks midagi geniaalset kirjutama, edastab ta selle hea meelega õigetele inimestele. Hindamiseks tuleb esitada lugudest korralikud lindistused, kuid kuna enamik meist on tehnilise poole pealt täiesti abitud, pannakse meid paari RFM-i õpilastega, kes siis meie vaimusünnitised üles lindistavad ning ühtlasi sellega oma oskusi praktiseerivad. Lisaks nendele lugudele antakse meile iga nädal loov kodune ülesanne, seekord tuleb poolel klassil kirjutada uued sõnad ning poolel uus viis loole "Empire State of Mind". Minul tuleb siis kuidagi Jay-Z räpile mingi asendus leida, õnneks või kahjuks võib kirjutada täiesti teisel teemal, saab siis imet näha, mis ma suures hädas välja mõtlen.

 Pärast tundi alustasime kohe Emmaga oma CMS-i projekti, mõtlesime oma plaadifirmale nime välja (Rockit Frog Records) ning tegime endale meiliaadressi ja tumblri lehe (see on rohkem mõeldud meile endale päeviku pidamiseks, mitte ametlik firma lehekülg). Esimese nädala kodune ülesanne on seega peaaegu tehtud, peame veel natuke kinnisvaraportaale kammima, et endale kontoriruumid leida. Kohe tekkis tahtmine ka päriselt selline firma asutada, kõik see organiseerimine on nii põnev, annaks keegi vaid meile need kujuteldavad 60 000 naela päriselt kätte...