Project by: Marlo Hulnick (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: Mr. D.
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Kelly
Description of the Project:
For this project I proposed to continue my Honors Project with Mr. D. from the previous two trimesters. I am planning on continuing to arrange a jazz song for the band over the course of this trimester. I will continue to work on my master score so that in the future my arrangement can be played by the band. I want to take this on because it is not only a great opportunity to showcase what I have learned throughout this project that I started in 9th grade, but because it will challenge me since it is something that I haven’t done before. I’m hoping to learn more about music theory and composing through arranging this.
Final Reflection on Learning:
Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):
The past couple of weeks I’ve started transcribing my project on Noteflight to MuseScore. It’s a more meticulous process than I expected, but it’s not too bad or hard. I’m learning the ropes of MuseScore, their different options, and how to use the program.
Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6 (include any photos or video if relevant):
Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9 (include any photos or video if relevant):
TRIMESTER 2 UPDATES:
Description of the Project:
Final Reflection on Learning:
Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):
During the first couple of weeks, Mr. D. and I resumed our work by talking about the future of this project (mostly in terms of timeline) and in relation to the Jazz Band since I am preparing this piece for the band to perform. Over these weeks and our conversations, we realized that working to perform/record this piece for the 2021 Spring Concert was not only improbable, but not a smart direction for this project to go for many reasons, including what the band had to finish/do to prepare for the concert, what I had to accomplish for my arrangement to be ready, the frequency and interruption of our Wednesday Honors Project meetings, and so much more. We began to rethink the trajectory and decided that we had to revamp the instrumentation and more.
Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6 (include any photos or video if relevant):
Despite many interrupted weeks during the middle block of the trimester, I still got a lot done. In this time frame, I focused on the meat of the musical aspect of this project- the horn section/background of the A and B sections. This is the most difficult part for me, because not only is it hard to hear how the parts mesh using automated music programs such as Noteflight, but it’s hard to transcribe what I hear the score sounding like in my head onto “paper.” Regardless though, it takes a lot of music theory, and I have to use everything that I have learned. Specifically, I’ve had to implement a lot of what I know, and even learn on the fly for things I don’t know, like using rhythm, chord tones, dynamics, articulation, cadence, and especially harmonies in terms of the song’s genre. Additionally, because I am not transcribing in concert pitch, I have to employ a lot of mental math and my ear for tone (as in pitch). It is a very time-consuming aspect of the song, but while it is technically the background of the arrangement if done wrong makes the song sound bad, and if done right, makes it amazing.
Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9 (include any photos or video if relevant):
During the third and second to last weeks, Mr. D. and I started exploring MuseScore to see if it would be productive to switch from Noteflight. After a bunch of noodling around with the program one week, we decided to give it a go and I began re-transcribing everything into a score on MuseScore (I’m still undecided whether I will re-write everything as written or use concert pitch). I think that it’ll make the process easier because it is just a better-built program than Noteflight, although it has a few more moving parts and a lot more options to explore so that’ll be pretty fun to experiment with. While I will have to learn how to use MuseScore and re-write my score, I think that it’ll be worth it. And if it doesn’t work out, I will still have my Noteflight score to go back to, and I can say that I tried. In the last week, Mr. D. and I just debriefed about the trimester, the work that we did, the work that we had to do, and more. We’re on the same page that progress is progress, and even if my physical score isn’t being updated as frequently or with as many changes as we had expected, the conversations that he and I have about theory, Jazz, and music in general are incredibly valuable and cannot be quantified.
Trimester 1 Update:
Final Reflection on Learning:
During this past trimester, I’ve learned and done so much more than I thought I could do in this time frame. I transcribed the whole melody, while granted is not that intricate, which was what I spent most of last trimester’s Honors Project doing. I’ve learned a lot about arranging in general, including writing to a specific instrumentation or band, learning how to infuse other’s ideas with your own, and I’ve learned a lot of music theory too through figuring out chord harmonies for the horn section and chord theory through the rhythm section, specifically piano. Even though my work is not nearly done, it is nice to see that some of my progress has started coming together, and it’s an even better feeling that I’ve been able to implement what I’ve learned into this project in all facets of my musical education and development.
Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):
During the first week when Mr. D. and I met, we figured out the form of the song and what form I wanted my arrangement to be. During the next two weeks, I charted the chords and transcribed the melody by ear, drawing on what I learned last trimester when transcribing Dexter Gordon’s Cheesecake. I also created a chord chart (below) for the form.
Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6 (include any photos or video if relevant):
In this time frame, after finished charting the melody and chord changes, I began finding other arrangements of the song for inspiration and ideas. I found a couple good videos, and using one I extrapolated, wrote, and began to chart a bassline, and then began figuring out the issue. Mr. D. and I discussed more in-depth the visions that both he and I had for the song such as the distribution of instruments and the form. I decided to include something I found in the other arrangement and began rotating it as an introduction, and Mr. D. and I talked about the possibility of using it as a shout chorus later in the form. Below are screenshots of my score of the melody, chords, and a little bit of the bassline.
Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9 (include any photos or video if relevant):
In the last few weeks, I did not make many changes to my project but started to transcribe some of the “intro” from one of the arrangments previously mentioned. Mr. D. and I also spent time discussing what my arrangement will look like in the future, as well as how it will look when presented to the band. Because I am continuing this arrangement and continuing this Honors Project in the next trimester, so I will have more time to work on the arrangement during winter break because during the last week or two of the trimester my time was preoccupied by finals and other end-of-trimester homework and work. Below is a screenshot of the beginnings of the intro.
2019-2020 Project Updates:
Project by: Marlo Hulnick (10th Grade)
Project Advisor: Mr. D
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Kelly O’Shea
Trimester Two Reflection:
I’m proud of the work I’ve done over this trimester, and just by watching the videos and remembering where I started this trimester, I feel very accomplished with the improvements I’ve made. I am much more confident, and I’ve learned to take improvisational risks that I wouldn’t have took prior to this project. I’m very thankful to Mr. D. for encouraging me, supporting me, and pushing me to be better. He is a great teacher and he has taught me so much. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to continue working with him.
Description of the Project:
Although the goal of the project is the same as last trimester, which is improving and exploring improvisation, Mr. D. and I adapted the honors project during the second trimester. Instead of continuing to transpose a song, we worked with a song that we both knew as I worked on my improvisation for that song using piano.
Final Product (e.g., documents, images, video, audio, poster, display, etc.):
Final Reflection on Learning:
Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):
In this video, I’m still having trouble soloing over the chords and playing the right notes. I’m not taking many risks while soloing and my comping is much more simple compared to later on in the trimester.
Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6 (include any photos or video if relevant):
In this video, it is evident that I’m getting more comfortable with the comping chords and even though I am still struggling with my improvisational skills, I am starting to take more risks while soloing. Overall, I am more confident and this is a significant improvement from the previous video.
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Trimester 1 Reflection:
When originally thinking about this honors project, I had thought that I was just going to work on playing saxophone, but after starting the project it turned into much more than that. At first, I explored improvisation through saxophone. Mr. D. and I decided to approach improvising through starting with transcriptions, so I worked on playing Miles Davis’ solo on his song “Freddie Freeloader.” About halfway through the project, Mr. D. and I decided that I would work on this project through the piano. I learned a lot about myself as a musician through the project. Since the switch to piano about halfway through the trimester, I have been working on a transcription of MIiles Davis’ “Freddie Freeloader.” This has been a challenging part of the project, but it has been interesting to challenge my weaker points such as chord changes because melodies have always come easier to me. I look forward to continuing and diving deeper next trimester.
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL:
Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?
For this proposed project I will work with Mr. D on learning how to expand my jazz improvisation vocabulary through exploring great jazz musicians, jazz standards, and improvisation fundamentals such as scales. I want to take on this project because I want to improve myself as a saxophonist because working on improvisation is such an important part of this. I hope to learn more about the history of jazz by playing different songs. I also want to learn more about scales and improvising over different songs and different chord changes.
Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?
It takes courage to improvise in any setting, and by working on musical improvisation I will draw specifically on this skill. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and improvise because there is risk to not having played this same thing before, and not knowing what is coming next. It takes even more courage to do this in front of others.
What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?
My proposed outcome of this project is to perform at a coffeehouse or another type of school assembly (maybe a concert) to showcase what I have worked on.
Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?
My goal is that near the end of the trimester I have a repertoire of at least two or three songs. My benchmarks are at the middle of November and the middle of December. These benchmarks are relative to the repertoire that I will build.
When do you plan on meeting?
We plan on meeting on Fridays during X-Block.
