jordans blog week 12

Week 12 – Tuesday 17th September – Young creative’s Filming sessions Today we filmed a local Nottingham duo called “Heavy Heads” the young people have now became confident to take control with no problems. I’m happy to support my young people like this because I know no longer see this session as just a support session, I now see it as a production team who are ready to take on their next local artist and continue creating videos so that they can post online and view their work.

jordans blog week 11

Week 11 – Thursday 12th September – Artist management This was my first artist management with my new young person along side Michael. Our young person made a start and completed his first track called “hometown glory”, during the time with this track our artist took on feedback that myself and Michael had given to him, this was good because it showed that his is willing to try and correct his mistakes and improve on areas that needed shaping. Our artist then went to re-record the track with these improvements. He also went onto make a start on another track with our support. This session went really well, and the artist seemed very pleased with the start of their sessions. They left with some work to do for next artist management for the next week.

jordans blog week 10

Week 10 – Tuesday 3rd September – Arts award training We had our arts award training today. It was very different because in the past I have done couple arts award projects so I was aware of the process from a young person’s prospective. But this time I was seeing it from a leader’s prospective, so right now I feel as if I’ve progressed from student to teacher. It was a lot to cram in for one day but it was all very useful and help I’m glad I was booked onto the day course because I had learnt a lot of information that I needed to know, this shell help me with fellow sessions that I lead that involve the arts award system. Wednesday 4th September – The Phill Mullian training session My second phill mullian session went even better than last time. I picked up a lot of techniques plus teaching attitudes towards groups I may be leading whether it be a group of well behaved children or a group of half focus children. Last session I learnt the keys on the piano, this session I learnt the rest of the basics of all the chords (Minor and Major) used to play the piano. I am grateful for this because before it seemed so confusing and now it just seems so obviously, I am grateful because he didn’t have to show me how to play these with the length of time we had he could had simply showed me in a way that I could still be lost. I always had a go at playing the guitar, with a couple more guitars sessions I could begin to involve it within my sessions along side with piano. Friday 6th September – Open mic The second open mic event which was held downstairs in the performance room. Went much better then last months which was what I had intended. We had more new performers then expected which went extremely well because this was an opportunity to grab more young people to our sessions plus scout who would benefit from artist management sessions. We had more of an audition and they stayed to support the whole event, which I was proud of because I aim to make everyone aware that we must respect each other and support each other through our success and struggles so it was nice to see everyone helping each other. Next month I would like to be able to have access to the outside area of NGY, so that we can have more space for the audience and performers. If it is possible I’d like to get local up coming DJ’s involved, this could be a good idea for rappers involved within the open mic also.

jordans blog week 9

Week 9 – Tuesday 27th August – Young creative’s Filming sessions My session was cancelled but although it was cancelled my young people had already came in and due to the fact that they had made the effect and were prepared for the session I decided to give them a shorter session today. The artist that had came to be filmed I got them to have a run through practice in the performance room so that the young people could see what the artist was about and what ideas they could come up with for the artist if they were to have an official music video created. Even though this was just a one off session I believed it went really well, and none of the young people were annoyed that the original plans for the session had been cancelled.

Jordans blog week 8

Week 8 – Monday 19th August to the 23rd August – Stage school This week myself, kiddus and Naz did our sessions at the school of Arnold Hill for the YMCA day camp. This week was different from last week because the young people we had this week were all above the age of 10. It was very good and an experience to work with an older group this time because I had already worked with children of primary school ages and it went really well, so now it was secondary school ages and yet again it went really well for my first time. All of the young people that attended my sessions came back everyday, a couple of them admitted to me that they would have never though that they would actually like taking part in any form of drama and thanked me for showing the good and helpful side to it the art itself. This touched me because I was just expecting to run these sessions and that’s would be it, but the effects that I had going into and coming out of both weeks of stage school made me feel so needed and greatfully used.

Jordans blog week 7

Week 7 – Monday 12th August to the 16th August – Stage school This week was the start of me teaching drama to a class, I was working a long side kiddus and our volunteer Naz at the Rushcliffe leisure centre on the YMCA day camp. In the first day I made an impact on the group and I felt really proud because these were younger children and your attitude can attack them in one or two ways, one they could grow towards me and two they could just dislike you, lucky for me they just liked me I guess. I found it very easy to work with them because children from 5 onwards their minds are so creative and fun to work with. Each day we had even more wanting to join our classes because of previous young people were mentioning how amazing our classes were. I enjoyed just teaching the young people drama skills, and directing them I truly believe I have found what I am good at doing as a teaching preference. They just took direction from me with no problems, they understood everything I was doing and explaining and on top of all of that they just behaved and made my job so easy. At the end of each day we gave out awards to the young people who deserved them, it was so hard to choose because they all did well so I had to choose the ones who had opened up the most during the session that day. Wednesday 14th August – Artist management In this session my artist wanted to have all the songs that he had done in this session completed production-wise. This artist has come along way in and outside of these sessions, I believe this artist could have something that needs to be shared with the industry. After their tracks were completed they went straight into recording their new track for their L.P, although they didn’t get to finish the track I learnt from this artist. The technique that they use in the studio when recording their vocals was so interesting it showed both energy and breath control, at first it seemed weird but different and then after talking to the artist about why they record in that way it became so obvious and impressive.

Jordans blog week 6

Week 6 – Monday 5th August to the 9th August – Music Mayhem Week 6 was the start of music mayhem this week was the test for me to use what I had learned from the Phill Mullian session, because it was working with music a side that I’m not so confidence with but I enjoy running through it with a young person as long as they are ok with me explaining how things are done. Shockingly this was made very easy due to having my co-workers there to help support me just in case I needed that extra bit explanation but I didn’t need that. The young people that came down were just so intrigued with how the production side is done, and I was just so intrigued in how both my self and the young people could get into the production together. During this week me and Michael also ran vocal and writing sessions, these sessions where very good and useful with the young people in groups it also tested our ability to throw extra sessions into the criteria. With two young people we created a song, Michael played the guitar whilst all four of us wrote the lyrics. We were so impressed with the song due to the fact that there was so much put into the lyrics and the content for there age that Michael and I wanted to record it down so that they had a rough copy. Tuesday 6th August – Young creative’s Filming sessions Today’s session was a quiet simple session the group got down into the videos that we had filmed in previous sessions and began editing them. A young person realised that they had become very skilled with the editing tools and become very happy within them self.

Jordans blog week 5

Week 5 – Monday 29th July – Young creative’s recording sessions Week 5 we had a young person come down to do some work experience so I decided to share my role with them, they took on the role of register whilst I took down the young people who were interested in performing for open mic. I actually like the fact that a fellow young person was sharing part of my work with me because it shows that the young person is doing something different, shows that we all have a trust bond. This is how I started, I asked if I could help and Ben said yes and then a while later I gained the responsibility of being worthy of being a music trainee leader. I am hoping to work with some more new faces due to the open and also during music mayhem. Friday 2nd August – Open mic The first open mic event held in the café area in NGY went really well. We had a decent amount of young people that offered to book a slot to showcase their musical talents. My self was very impressed and proud of all of my young peoples due to the fact that I had watched them start from no confidence and experience to build up that confidence to go on stage and overcome that fear that I told them would be the scariest part of their experience. We also had couple new members that took part in this event; my self and everyone else were highly impressed and made them aware that we would love for them to perform next month. And then last but not less I gave a little quick performance only because I was requested by majority of the young people that performed, this was really pleasing to me because it’s almost as if they see me as their youth worker that has also helped them. What I am hoping to achieve for next month is to continue this event because it brings all of the young people together, and it gets them to showcase their work that they have put a lot of time into. Recruit some more new acts plus get the same young people to perform so we can see the improvement from this month to the month. And change the venue, either do it outside in the back or down stairs in the performance room.

Jordans blog week 4

Week 4 – Monday 22nd July – Young creative’s recording sessions Week 4 for me has been really pleasing for me because so many of the young people that I have been working with and coaching them came into the booth one by one and recorded their tracks. It was so nice to come into work and just see that they had been taking on what I have helped them with in a short space of time, and they had improved so much so it was just nice to witness. The young person (Y.P.A) that had performed in front of me for the first time last week came to his recording session and had his first studio experience. It was good because he went in and just got on with what he needed to do, and now he has taken another step and has started to understand what goes into mainstream artists schedules. The young person (Y.P.A) has taken a copy of his track. This is so he can go over and see where his mistakes are and where he can correct himself so he can redo it again. Tuesday 23rd July – The Phill Mullian training session I had a session lead by Phill Mullian this session was based around how to manage teaching young people within your music classes. This session was really useful because there were a lot of things that I knew and that I felt seemed obvious but it was the fact that he pretty corrected what was already in my head and also gave me some extra knowledge towards being a music leader. Even though I’m not fully skilled with an instrument he helped me to understand that I don’t need to be someone amazingly skilled with an instrument to incorporate an instrument in a lesson, as long as I know enough to be able to pass on to someone and get a groove running around the group everything and anything is possible. We later on had a musical jam, in this session I learnt my keys on the piano, so now I can play from C back to C for now that’s alright. Thursday 25th July – Artist management Today with our artist we did some research into radio stations and which shows benefit our artist. Our artist started understanding the importance of this task and actually came out with a lot of suggestions and details for shows that he would like to reach out to. After his first hour researching radio shows we then went into the studio to lay down another track for his L.P. I was very impressed again with the track that our artist produced called “off the record” because it was almost as if you could feel the emotion that he had been reflecting back on when he wrote the lyrics.

jordans blog week 3

Week 3 – Monday 15th July – Young creative’s recording sessions Week 3 the group that came for the first time came again, but this time they wanted to have a go at playing instruments (piano and drums). This really impressed me because you never know what who can do or want to be able to. One of the young people said they could play the piano and began playing it, so I asked them to show me how to play a little bit and they did. This was good because … I can’t play the piano and just to have a sense of what’s what was very useful especially if a young person has taken their time out of their time to show a fellow leader what they can do. After this the young person that came last week and claimed he wasn’t ready to perform on the mic asked if he could have a word with me, so we went outside. He asked if he could present some lyrics to me and give him some help for progression due to the fact that it was going to be his first time doing it in front of anyone else, I took this as a compliment because he could have gone and asked anyone else. He performed his lyrics to me and I was impressed because it was another step that he had taken and adding to that he is actually a good writer obviously areas to improve that I had mentioned to his but that’s the thing with these things there is always space to improve in, he took everything I said on board. We sat down and found an instrumental for him to write to and then booked him in for a recording slot next week. What I would like to do next week is see how far my young person has gotten with his writing and performance. Thursday 18th July – Artist management My first artist management was with a local known artist. In this session myself and kiddus wanted to see what was this artist intension within these sessions so that we could see how we could work with him to get them to achieve this goal. The artist stated that he wanted to have a completed L.P with 10 – 12 tracks on and hopefully push the tracks out and get radio plays. The artist started and completed this first track of his L.P called “Hustle”. what I think me and kiddus should do for next session is get him to search up radio stations and begin getting in contact with them and get some tracks on radio.

jordan's blog week 2

Week 2 – Monday 8th July – Young creative’s recording sessions Week 2 was pretty much similar to week 1 till a group of new young people came that were not sure if they had a full interest within the music area so I decided to take them on a tour of the basement. Once I had finished taking them on their tour of the basement they became interested within the music area and decided to break off into two halves, one half going with Kev into the classroom to have a go at creating beats and the second half wanted to come into the performance room and have a mic session. To me this was really good because with it still being my first official weeks, being able to bring in new members and explain everything that we can offer and have them understand gives me extra communication skills and makes them aware of who I am. I also encouraged one of the young people to get up onto the mic, they decided to stop before doing a full verse and said that they weren’t ready to perform with a mic. To me this was alright because just by attempting and starting means that they have broken stage one of becoming ready to perform in front of the mic. What I would like to do next week is have another music jamming session with the young people because I believe that this helps build confidence to the shy people with an interest in music. Plus if I decide to get involved with them, they don’t feel as if they are being watched and forced.

Jordan's blogs week 1

Week 1 – Monday 1st July – Young creative’s recording sessions I came in for my first official day working as a music trainee leader, was working alongside Kiddus and Kev. Due to the fact that I had already taken on the responsibilities of doing the register and checking up on the young people before this date I decided to continue with it. All of the young people that had came down, came into the recording room so as a unit myself and my fellow young people analysed the artist and the artists style in the booth. This was so that whether they had experience with music or inexperience with music it was something we all could do and progress together so that no body was left out. What I would like to do next week is to find out from which young people who would like to work on some of their own material and then work from there depending on how many manage to turn up.

28.06.13

today i started off my

Jordan's blogs