Homework Assignment #1- 2 Minute Pattern in C Major
Homework Assignment #1- Reflection
When beginning this assignment, I will admit to being very unsure of how well it would go for me. I was surprised to find out that finding the correct pitch on the tuning fork was a lot easier then I expected it to be. With that being said there were of course still some things that I found difficult and felt that I need to put more time into. For example I found it difficult to do the correct hand symbols for the solfege while singing. I felt that because I am not confident in my sight singing abilities that it was hard for me to focus on that extra element. In terms of having trouble with different intervals I felt that throughout these videos I struggles with finding the correct pitch for re whenever the pattern switched. I would second guess myself each time and ended up having to re-record multiple times. For me, I think the easiest parts were the do, me , so patterns because it was already familiar to me because of a pattern I learned last year in sight-singing class. I am proud of myself for making these videos because I was very nervous that I would not be able to do them properly but I feel as though I have done well with what I know so far and I hope to improve as the course goes on.- Olivia Houle
Homework Assignment #2 - Exercise 18
Homework Assignment #2- Reflection for 18 For #18- I found the descending major second interval to be very challenging and it is something I am definitely going to have work on in the future. When I was recording the second part of the video I found it much easier because I was listening to what I had previously sang in headphones and was able to tune up to myself fairly easily. I also found this assignment quite challenging because I am sick and have lost most of my voice so it was difficult to get the notes out let alone stay in tune.
Homework Assignment #2- Exercise 19
Homework Assignment #2- Reflection for exercise 19 For #19- I found this one difficult because the top and bottom line were different and I really had to focus on what I was supposed to be singing at that time. The good part was that although the lines are different I was able to stay in tune relatively well because I could hear the notes in the key because one part was always singing notes that I would be singing next. Again, I struggled to sing the so's because of my voice but I felt I did relatively well in tuning up to myself, staying in time and staying in key. Some things that I will have to work on is singing more musically, slowing down the rhythms so that I am not rushing to finish, and making sure that my solfege is clear and consistent.
Homework Assignment #3- On The Moor Canon
Homework Assignment #3- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I had a surprisingly easy time with this.This was probably one of my favourite ones to record because I really enjoyed the pattern I was singing. One thing that I did find challenging was going from the normal So to the low So because I was not yet comfortable doing so. I found this assignment fairly easy to record and tune up to myself because it was always repeating the same pattern.
Homework Assignment #4 ( #132 from classical canons)
Homework Assignment #4- Reflection I found this homework assignment to be quite challenging. This canon had quite a few jumps that I am not comfortable with but hope to learn to be more comfortable with. I also found this challenging because I had a hard time keeping in time with myself and tuning up to myself. Because of all of the leaps that I was not comfortable with, the tuning was not what I would have liked it to be. As I continue to do these assignments, I need to really work on keeping in time and work on better techniques for tuning.
Homework Assignment #5 (#82 from classical canons)
Homework Assignment #5- Reflection I found this homework assignment to be fairly easy to record. I enjoyed the canon so I had a fun time recording it. Some challenges I faced were staying in tune, and not making it sound musical. I find that when I am recording a homework assignment I focus more on singing the correct pitches and saying the correct solfege instead of trying to actually make music. This is something that I am working towards changing so that my recordings start to sound more musical and clearer.
Kodaly Assignment #6 (#84 in 8 Parts)
Homework Assignment #6- Reflection When recording this canon I really enjoyed it but had difficulty because it was in 8 parts. I found it challenging to make sure that everything stayed together in time and that it was properly tuned to each other. This was very difficult when singing in 8 parts because there is so many instances where something could go wrong. I also found it challenging to hit the La because it was a fairly large jump that I am not used to singing. With that being said, after I recorded this and listened back I found that for having the challenges the I did, the actual recording sounded fairly good and I am proud of what I have produced.
Kodaly assignment #7 ( Bonjour in 4 parts, Major and Minor)
Homework Assignment #7- Reflection I found recording this extremely difficult. I found it very challenging to switch from singing major to minor. I had to record this assignment multiple times because I would either singing it minor both times or major both times. Because I am not used to singing in minor, I found hearing the correct pitches to be very difficult. On the other hand, I found singing it in major to be fairly easy but I still had difficult tuning and making sure that the faster sections were in time and that I wasn't rushing.
Kodaly Assignment #8 ( Annie, 4 parts, Major and Minor)
Homework Assignment #8- Reflection I found this homework assignment to be challenging but also very rewarding. When given this assignment I was not sure that I would be able to switch easily from major to minor because I did not think I did well on the previous video when switching from major to minor. In this video however, I felt that I did a fairly good job switching from major to minor and I was better able to tune to myself and sing more musically. I really enjoyed this song and felt that I did a good job recording it. this is one of my favourite recordings that I have done thus far. Although I had to record this assignment numerous times I am very proud of the finished product.
Kodaly Assignment #9 ( #38 in 3 parts)
Homework Assignment #9- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found it very challenging to stay in time so I had to resort to using a metronome. Using the metronome helped to keep me in time and I was able to focus on tuning. Because of this, I felt that my tuning was quite good and that although I recorded it in 3 parts, it still seemed to sound good. I really enjoyed singing this canon because I really liked how full the piece sounds when all 3 parts are singing together. Some challenges I encountered were singing the Me's because I always find them to sound out of tune and especially in this piece where you have to jump from lower Me to a Higher Me which is something that I had never done before. All in all, I found that I was able to sing this canon fairly tune and have it sound quit musical besides having to use a metronome.
Kodaly Assignment #10 (#41 in 3 parts)
Homework Assignment #10- Reflection When recording this homework assignmentI found the singing the first part to be quite easy and I really enjoyed how it sounded. When I added the second and third parts although I like the final product, at times you can hear that some parts are not in time with the others. This was challenging because we are starting to look at more "Advanced" rhythms so Would focus on singing each part well and less on having them match up with each other. This is something that I am going to have to work on in the future so that the recording does not sound off. With that being said, I did enjoy this canon because it was challenging but still had some simplicities that were quite fun to learn and sing.
Kodaly Assignment #11 ( Who Killed Cock Robin with tonic drone)
Homework Assignment #11- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I had a fairly easy time with it. Because we had to record the tonic drone it made everything else easier to tune. I enjoyed this because when I was singing I knew that I could relate everything to the tonic drone. For example, anytime that I had to sing the tonic (La) I could already hear it so I knew that I just had to match the pitch to stay in tune with myself. I also really enjoyed this song and the way the melody sounds. One challenge that I had was leaping from the low La, to the high La. Although I had to do this once before in a previous recording, I still found it quite challenging.
Kodaly Assignment #12 (classical canons #49 in 3 parts)
Homework Assignment #12- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found it to be very challenging. I had a hard time with the key that we were told to record it in because it was a little bit out of reach for me which made the whole piece challenging. One part that I ad a very difficult time with was the ( me, fi, si, la) passage. This was very difficult to tune and to hit the correct pitches because they were very high for me. With the being said, I found the beginning section of the piece to be quite easy to tune. I enjoyed singing this piece but I think if I were to do it again, I would record it in a key that better fits my range so that all sections are the same and that their isn't some that are not as good as others.
Kodaly Assignment#13 (Christ Child's Lullaby)
Homework Assignment #13 - Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found recording each part to be fairly easy but once you put them to together it was difficult to make sure that they were in time with each other. I had to record this multiple times and even in the finished product you can still hear some minor time issues. With that being said, I think that it was tuned relatively well and that it sounded fairly musical. I really enjoyed singing this piece but I need to work on timing and being sure of my solfege.
Kodaly Assignment #14 (In class 3 Part Dictation)
Homework Assignment #14- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I had a fairly difficult time. Somethings that I found challenging were the key I had sing it in, and tuning. Because of the key, I found it very difficult to tune. This key was pretty far out of my range which made tuning next to impossible. It was challenging for me to hit the correct pitches which I do not believe that I did properly and then tuning them was impossible. There are times in this recording that I believe it sounds very nice but for the majority of it I am not very proud of this recording. If I could do it again, I would sing it in a key that better suits my range and then work on tuning from there.
Kodaly Assignment #15 ( We wish you a merry Christmas in 3 parts)
Homework Assignment #15- Reflection When recording this homework assignment it was easier to remember the solfege because this is a Christmas song that I have sang before so I knew how it was supposed to sound. I felt that the melody line was fairly good as well as the two accompanying parts. With that being said, there was still a few times in this recording that you can hear that a couple of my pitches were off and I tried to get them back on. I enjoyed this recording although there were a few problems because I still believe that the final product was pretty and I liked the way that the three voices sounded together. When you are recording each part it is difficult to see how it is all going to fit together but once all three are put together you can finally hear the song and how the parts are supposed to sound together. I believe that I need to work on being more consistent in terms of pitches and making sure that my pitch doesn't waver throughout.
Kodaly Assignment #16 ( Lo, How a rose in 4 Parts)
Homework Assignment #16- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found it very difficult. There are times when I listen to the recording that I think it sounds very nice and that I did a good job, but at other times I think that the timing is off and that I was guessing at some of the pitches. I need to work on being more sure of my pitches so that the pieces I record don't sound off. In terms of tuning, there are times where I think I s found very in tune throughout the parts but when the times come where I am not sure of the pitches then the tuning sounds very off. One thing I am proud of myself for is that if I mis-pitch something that I always seem to get back on shortly after.
Kodaly Assignment #17 ( Once in Royal David's City in 4 Parts)
Homework Assignment #17- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I had some difficulties with it. This is a piece that I sang when I was younger and this seemed to both help and hurt me. Because I new the melody line I felt that it was fairly strong and secure. Because of this, I felt that I struggles with the other parts because I was not familiar with them and I found it difficult to place them in the piece. I do not think that I did very well with this piece. I felt that the tuning was not very good and that I was guessing at a lot the pitches in the 3rd and 4th parts. I need to work on getting the pitches down before I record the piece so that all parts mesh together nicely.
Kodaly Assignment #18 Disney Song With Solfege ( A Whole New World From Aladdin)
Homework Assignment #18- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found it to be fairly easy. Because we were told to pick a Disney song, chose one that I really enjoyed. This allowed for me to have a lot of fun with this recording. I also felt that I did fairly well in terms of hitting the correct pitches and saying the proper solfege ( with a few mishaps). I really enjoyed recording this because it felt less like anassignmen and more of like a fun exercise.
Kodaly Assignment #19 ( What Child is This? ) (In 4 Parts)
Homework Assignment #19-Reflection When recording this homework assignment I felt that I did fairly well in terms of tuning. I found it challenging when I was recording each part but once I put all of the parts together and it started to sound like a piece, I really liked the finished product. There were still times of course where there were some tuning problems and pitch issues but I feel like I am finally starting to get better at these recordings and enjoying my final products.
Kodaly Assignment #20 (Away In a Manger) (In 4 Parts)
Homework Assignment #20- Reflection When recording this homework assignment I had a lot of fun with it. This is a song that I have sang numerous times before and it was fun to learn the solfege to it and sing. At times I found tuning to myself challenging because I had the melody so stuck in my head that those were the pitches that I wanted to sing. I felt that I did quite well with this recording and I am very proud of my finished product.
Kodaly Assignment #21 (Angels we have heard) (in 4 parts)
Homework Assignment #21 - Reflection When recording this homework assignment I found some aspects to be quite challenging. I found recording the first 2 parts to be fairly easy but I had a lot of difficulty with that tenor and bass parts. I found it challenging to hear where the tenor and bass parts fit into the piece and this really made me struggle when recording. I felt like I would be able to do the part and then when I was recording it I could still hear the alto and soprano parts so my tenor and bass parts would be off or not the right pitches. I had to record it numerous times until I finally felt like I succeeded and I could post it. If I were to sing this again, I think I would do the tenor and bass parts first so that the soprano and a lot parts I not already in my head. I think in doing that, that it would really help me to sing there right pitches.
Kodaly Assignment #22 Yonder come day (in 4 parts )
Homework Assignment #22- Reflection.
When completing this homework assignment I was very proud of what I had accomplished. For me, I feel that this was a lot easier to record than previous videos because I was singing lyrics instead of solfege. Although my solfege has been improving over the course of the year, I find myself more able to add musical elements when I am singing lyrics. This song was just fun to record in general, I had a really good time with it and find myself still wanting to sing it even though I have finished my recording. I really enjoy the way the parts work together and the sound that is produced. I will definitely be using this canon in the future when I teach.
Kodaly Assignment #23- 2 Part Rhythm
Homework Assignment #23- Reflection
When completing this homework assignment I found it quite challenging to stay consistent. I have problems with counting rhythms like this properly and with differentiating between the speeds that triplets and sixteenth notes require. I felt that I did this well and I am proud with the product that I have completed. If I were to do this in the future, I think I would focus more on not having it seem like I am accenting with one hand throughout the piece. This can be challenging because your dominant hand typically hits harder then your less dominant hand. All in all I really enjoyed recording this video.
Kodaly Assignment #24- 3 Part Rhythm
Homework Assignment #24- Reflection
I found this extremely difficult to record. I didn't find the singing the pitches to be challenging but instead I found singing the rhythms in time to be difficult. As previously mentioned, I have trouble with counting more challenging rhythms especially in a time signature that I am not used to frequently using so this assignment was difficult for me. I like the product that came out of it but I had to record this video numerous times and it was never perfect. I can still here that the three voices are not together at all times but no matter how many times I tried to record this video I wasn't able to get it. This is the best of the videos that I recorded and I am happy with the progress that I have made even just on this one video.
Kodaly Assignment #25- Menuet
Homework Assignment #25- Reflection
I found this homework assignment to be challenging but really fun. I really enjoyed how the piece sounded upon completion but having to decide what solfege I wanted became quite difficult for me. I ended up having to pick solfege that worked for me and allowed me to sing the correct pitches. I thought that this piece was really beautiful and had a really fun time singing it. It took me a while to get the second section in my head but I believe that I was eventually able to sing it successfully.
Kodaly Assignment #26- Siyahumba
Homework Assignment #26- Reflection
I found this homework assignment to be easy but also had some challenges. Because I knew this piece already, singing the words and the correct pitches seemed to be easy. What brought challenges was when I added the solfege. After adding the solfege I had a harder time tuning to myself and trying to sing the right pitches. In general. I think this piece is a really awesome beginner piece and I am definitely planning to use it as a learning tool for my future students. It is easy to sing but also beautiful and really fun. I really enjoyed singing and recording this piece.
Kodaly Assignment #27- Bartok
Kodaly Assignment #27- Reflection
I found this assignment to be quite challenging. Because we sang this piece numerous times in class I did not find that I struggled with the first section. It was after that where some problems started to arise. Having to change the solfege was really challenging and seemed to mess with my mind when I was recording. This meant that I would have to try and record this piece several times. This piece still was quite fun to record and I think this piece is really beautiful. I really enjoyed working on it and am happy with my finished product.
Kodaly Assignment #28- Pop song with solfege
Homework Assignment #28- Reflection
I really enjoyed this assignment. I loved being able to choose a song that I really enjoy singing and then finding the correct solfege for it. This was probably one of the easier assignments because since I have already heard this song numerous times before, I already know how it is supposed to sound. I also have really enjoyed the improvements that I have noticed not only in my singing, but also in my ability to find the correct solfege.
Kodaly Assignment #29- Steve Reich's Clapping Music
Kodaly Assignment #29- Reflection
I found this assignment to be really enjoyable but challenging. It was difficult to make sure that the two separate parts were being played/clapped exactly when they were supposed to be. I had to record this numerous times because in my first couple of attempts the two parts were not ending together as they were supposed to. So, although I ad some challenges when recording this one I love the finished product and really enjoyed recording this piece