19 May, 2014: The Lounge

The morning did not start well for me as my black shirt was soiled as I was getting ready and so I had to create a completely new outfit as it was the only shirt appropriate for the colour scheme that complimented the black and red checkered trousers I planned to wear and there was not enough time to wash, dry and iron the black shirt.

This unexpected and unfortunate occurence delayed me so I informed the group I was going to be late and alo explained why. I selected a red and brown shirt and black skinny trousers with a smart sheen look; which I accented with brown checkered braces, brown boots (which I polished) and the same necklace I would have worn with my original ensemble. I consider the soiling of the original shirt a blessing in disguise as my second outfit had much more flair and was preferred by the group - which was a relief.

I arrived shortly before 10:00 a.m. to find the rest of the group (minus Stefan and Luke who arrived not long after) rehearsing in a classroom with no PA equipment or staging as the equipment was unavailable to us due to a music class going on concurrently. We were not told to expect this the previous Friday at the end of our penultimate rehearsal, when we were advised by our tutor to rehearse from 9 a.m. and thus assumed there would be a room and appropriate facilities for us to utilise. This was not the case however as the girls had to go in search of the room we used initially.

I picked up a bass immediately and resumed rehearsal of the basslines Kian had taught me for The Smiths' "Big Mouth Strikes Again". Sleeping on it had helped and I was able to play both well which boosted my confidence and eagerness to show the others and layed to rest any concerns about delivering in the show.

Furthermore, I ran my performance of "Fire" repeatedly as we all focused on our solo performances independently. I walked through the choreography to ensure that both Serena and Stefan were clear on what I wanted and to ensure accuracy. As usual, they sounded great vocally on the track and really complimented my pre-recorded background vocals with their own fresh additions to the vocal arrangement.

I also offered to return the favour by running through Stefan's "Hey Lady" on which I was due to perform backing vocals, but he felt confident enough in his knowledge of both his original compositions; "Ghetto" and "Hey Lady", to not rehearse them during this time.

After a few hours of rehearsing, we took a break at approximately 12:30 p.m. as Crystal and Serena departed to Costco to purchase produce to sell at the show, having received and reviewed my budget plan the day before.

At 2:00 p.m. (an hour before we were allowed to access the venue), we learned that the music room was finally free and so we scrambled to get in there and set up microphones, stands, instruments and amps so that we could run the group songs as much as possible before migrating to Milton Keynes Christian Centre.

At 3:00 p.m. we migrated; myself, Elica, Tamara and Kian walking straight to the venue accompanied by our tutor whilst Luke and Stefan stayed back at college to collect and transport lights meanwhile Dylan stayed with the equipment which included; microphone stands, microphones and amps, which Joe the Sound Technician was coming to transport in a van.

We arrived at MKCC to find helpers already setting out chairs for the audience and asking how'd we like the stage to be set up, eliminating the major task of setting up the venue, giving us time to focus on other tasks such as bringing all the equipment in, which Joe and Dylan set up mostly.

At approximately 4:00 p.m. Crystal and Serena returned with the food produce and a set of fellow college students; Anais, Luke, David, Scott, Dylan and Leila, who had agreed to help assist us in setting up followed shortly after. Crystal made a quick trip home to retrieve a laptop amongst other things, so I could project the The Lounge logo I designed and featured prominently on our poster and tickets directly on to the black curtains for the entirety of the show, thus displaying the motif in a different format.

Here is the image I wanted to project:

By 5:00 p.m. Crystal had returned with the laptop and the refreshments tables were set up at the back of the venue, near the entrance doors. We were now almost set to commence soundcheck and by this point I was desperately trying to find ways to transfer Serena, Elica and Tamara's backing tracks from their phones and onto Crystal's computer to play them from their so the all the backing tracks could be played from a single source. 

As I'd already had my backing track for "Fire" in a range of easily accessible formats (USB disk and Google Drive) since the first time I  rehearsed "Fire" for The Lounge a month prior, I was irritated that 2 hours before the show, I was having to sort out the backing tracks of everyone else who was using backing tracks (except Stefan). It was their responsibility to bring the tracks in on Friday - which they all agreed to - so that we I could make a CD on Friday with the tracks in chronological order. Yet there I was in the kitchen trying to solve the mess caused by their technical incompetence - instead of using the laptop to project The Lounge logo on to the curtains as planned. All their songs which required backing tracks were are risk of being cut completely from the set list with soundcheck pending and their phones (two of which had low batteries) being the only means of playing their songs.

I took a quick break from the laptop to join the group on stage for the first song in the soundcheck, before going back to the kitcken as to get some water for my voice and conduct a quick warm up as there was at least 1 song in the set list before my next song.

As frustrated and dissapointed as I was, I sacrificied time I could have used to warm up my voice to solving the issue, opting instead to boil some water for a quick fix. Just after pouring myself a mug of boiling hot water, I hear people calling me to the stage and so I cautiously make my way to the stage with the mug, at which point Kian, Dylan and Luke launch a verbal attack at me for walking too slowly to the stage and wasting time. 

It is key to note that it was one of the girls who were due to perform next on the set list, but because their backing tracks were not yet playable, the decision was made to skip and go straight to "Sunshine of Your Love" - one of my solo performances.

I responded to the guys by saying "don't rush me" and before I got a chance to explain why I said that or why I was not running to the stage (due to me holding a mug of boiling hot water), Kian - who was already getting increasingly agitated by our tutor's constant prompts of what the time was - got irate with me, shouting and swearing at me in an outburst that was witnessed by the entire group, college tutors, college helpers and staff of the venue. 

This was incredibly embarressing and infuriating considering the awful irony that the reason I was in the kitchen in the first place was to sort out the backing tracks which resulted in the decision being made to skip straight to my song. This is the exact sitaution I was making every effort to avoid by arranging to make a CD of the backing tracks the week before, but bringing a backing track on a USB disk or emailing it proved too difficult for some.

After being screamed at, I simply turned around and left the venue feeling defeated, mistreated and unappreciated after the extra effort I put in to ensure others could still perform their solos at the expense of my warming up time. I deserved that outburst the least of anyone in that room. Not only had I been fulfilling my assigned job roles but I had also taken on other tasks that day due to other people's incompetence and I was rewarded with a tirade from the project manager.

Unwilling to undo all of my hard work, I humbled myself and returned to the venue as the soundcheck was in its final stages, slotting straight back into the rehearsal as if nothing happened. As upset as I still was, once I returned to the venue I (for the most part) acted with the utmost decorum to ensure there was no more drama.

Unfortunately my departure meant that I missed the opportunity to soundcheck "Sunshine of Your Love" properly along with my other solo peformances - but I did not feel comfortable going on stage with Kian immediately after his furious rant, which was simply the result of stress from a variety of sources which had nothing to do with me. Knowing this, I accepted his apology before the show, despite still being somewhat resentful that I sacrified my soundcheck, for the sake of the group and the show.

Approximately 20 minutes before show time, we had a group discussion in which I expressed that I wished to cut "Sunshine of Your Love" from the set list, as I relinqushed the opportunity to soundcheck the song properly after the argument; plus it only conjured up bad memories of  it and without a proper warm up and soundcheck, all my fears about the performance from the day before were now heightened rather than calmed. For some reason at this point, Serena and Tamara followed suit cutting Jamiroquai's "Little L" and Emeli Sande's "Next to Me"; which they both were using backing tracks for, whereas "Sunshine of Your Love" would have been a completely live performance with Kian, Dylan and Luke accompanying me.

Doors opened shortly before 7 p.m. and the show started a few minutes later, by which point the venue was only half full with audience members. Stefan stepped out to introduce the show, but the room's main lights were still on which concerned me as I was unsure if they would be turned off in time for the first song or at all during the first half of the show. Thankfully, as we stepped out they were turned off and the show commenced.

Ironically, both Elica and Tamara's performances were interrupted by the sound of the laptop and the phone which were used to play their backing tracks, bleeping to indicate low battery which was undeniably audible above their tracks for a second or two. This diminished the technicial quality of the show and made it appear amateur - exactly what I was trying to avoid. 

Despite this and all the preceding drama, the show was a success and the venue was virtually full by the end of the second song as people were still arriving by that point. We breaked for a 15 minute interval at 7:45 p.m. and played through until 9:00 p.m. before packing up and leaving.

I was surprised and delighted by the audience turnout and their resounding support of all of the performances. They also became more vocal and interactive as the show progressed - Kian even had a moment of banter with an audience member towards the end. This is evidence that we did truly create a lounge atmosphere in which the audience felt relaxed and comfortable enough to interact with us. Furthermore, I am proud of myself for finding the humility to perform professionally despite how I was feeling emotionally and mentally from the mounting stress and pressure of the day and all the drama that occured within it. Lastly, I am proud of  the group for uniting in the end to put on a show that was very well received and enjoyed.

18 May, 2014: Bass Masterclass

Today I shared a budget plan with the group via Facebook, detailing how much money we've made, how much we could potentially make and how much should be assigned to each aspect of the show,  in advance of the food (our last, planned expense) being purchased tomorrow, so that those buying it will have a guideline on how much to spend and why.

This evening I went over to rehearse with Kian and Dylan at his grandparent's house as I was concerned about my performances of "Givin' Em What They Love" and "Sunshine of Your Love" which I felt were under-rehearsed.

After running the songs repeatedly I felt more at ease about performing them in the show. Kian then asked if I wanted to try playing bass guitar on his performance of The Smiths' "Big Mouth Strikes Again" and in response I insisted he teach me the bassline. He taught me a slightly simpler bassline which I picked up quickly, though I struggled initially with the song's tempo and the rhythm of the strumming that Kian demonstrated.

After a few minutes I was able to play along with them both and so Kian then taught me a different bassline for a short section of the song. This one was more complex as it required very quick fret changes which I was determined to master so I sat playing it repeatedly until I could play it at the tempo Kian was playing in.

Dylan and Kian shared some really helpful tips and pointers on how to hold the bass guitar and where and how to position my hands and fingers. These techniques made it much easier to play and towards the end of the evening I was able to play the song through, mastering the first bassline to the point that I could look away from the guitar as I played it without error. The second bassline sounded a little more sloppy however and I wasn't consistently nailing it with each run; but there were times when I played it accurately which spurred me on to keep rehearsing and practising it.

Whenever I made a mistake or struggled with the bassline, I would simply improvise a simpler melody using the same notes so that I got accustomed to doing this for the live performance if I didn't master the second bassline by then. Though I rehearsed the second bassline as much as I could, I wanted to ensure that in the event of me not being able to play it properly during the actual performance, I'd be able to effectively improvise a simpler bassline without the performance being disrupted and the audience noticing (unless they were very familiar with the song).

This last minute rehearsal was the most fun rehearsal I've had in a long time and has spiked my excitement for the show tomorrow. I am very grateful for the opportunity to play bass and Dylan and Kian's impromptu masterclass. I'm also thrilled that I managed to play alongside them repeatedly without lagging behind or playing discordant notes and so I am not concerned about playing bass before a live audience as I felt very relaxed. Tomorrow's final rehearsals will confirm for definate if I do play in the show depending on my performance and mood in rehearsals - but I'm sure I'll do fine as I'm very keen to show the rest of the group.

I'm most concerned about "Sunshine of Your Love" as the stress of the past week has taken its toll on my voice which is more hoarse and tires easier than usual. With this, there is also an increased tension at times when I sing that I do not normally experience, whether this is down to actual physical changes in my throat or simply nerves I am unsure of but it is causing me to struggle with the vocal arrangement of the song.

During the rehearsal I did improvise different melodies and arrangements, but they still felt far inferior to the renowned original. Additionally, with the song being so revered I would rather cut it from the set list rather than change it too much and the performance not being well received by the audience. I will evaluate my performance in rehearsals tomorrow and converse with the rest of the group to gain their opinions also before making a decision to peform the song in the show or cut it.

16 May, 2014: Penultimate Rehearsal

Unfortunately, though I brought my backing track via USB and uploaded it to my Google Drive account - which I can easily access whilst at college to download the track - my efforts were not matched by Elica, Serena and Tamara who simply downloaded their tracks to their phones. This was not any better than lining up multiple tabs on an internet browser (as we had done before) to play the tracks from YouTube. At least when we'd done that, the aux was plugged into the computer throughout and did not have to be switched around from phone to phone as we had to during this rehearsal.

The failure to do as I requested meant that it was pointless of me to bring in the CDs to burn the playlist to and an opportunity to run through the set list seamlessly before the show date was squandered as a result. This also means that this CD will now have to be created on the day of the show which was what I was absolutely trying to avoid considering how busy we'll be executing final rehearsals and organising other tasks which can only be done on the day; such as purchasing food, getting into the venue and setting the up the staging, PA equipment, chairs and finally soundchecking.

More positively, the addition of costumes set a great atmosphere which was more professional than previous rehearsals and thus the transitions were quicker and the general attitude of everyone was much more focused. Whilst running the set list, we did rehearse the group songs which the run through revealed required more attention; "Golden Brown" and "Kiss From a Rose". This added time and also meant that the run through was not a seamless one. Our half hour break seemed to rob of us some focus and when we returned at 1:00 p.m. we were somewhat tired. We then needed to vacate the room which was pre-brooked for a lesson an hour later, but were allowed to stay where we rehearsed until 4 p.m. with varying levels of focus.

As today was our penultimate rehearsal before the show date, I opted to record as much of the rehearsal as possible via one of the college's Apple Mac computers as blogging throughout the day would be too time consuming and I wished to focus solely on rehearsing and perfecting the performances. The audio quality of the Mac recordings is atrocious however and so below I've uploaded a video I recorded with my mobile phone of what was the most enjoyable performance of the day:

Serena and Kian rehearsing Jamiroquai's "Little L" with improvised accompaniment from Will (one of our tutors):

15 May, 2014

Today we ran as much of the set list as possible before our timetabled break, though setting up could have been executed with more haste. After our break we continued but unfortunately without Tamara for the majority of the last portion of rehearsal due to an audition for a HND course.

To conclude the rehearsal, we had a discussion were I insisted all those using backing tracks bring or upload their track on a format - such as a CD, USB disk or alternatively the sharing mediums; email Google Drive or Dropbox  - from which it can be transferred to one of the college's computers. From there I will compile a playlist on iTunes with the backing tracks in the order of which they appear on the set list and burn the playlist on to blank disks which I will provide. A blank disk will then be given to the sound operator named Joe - a friend of Kian, Luke and Dylan's with experience as a Sound Technician for gigs at the renowned Craufurd Arms - on the day of the show so that all the tracks are arranged orderly on a single format, dramatically reducing the risk of error.

This playlist will also help our last rehearsals as we won't have to waste time switching the aux connection which we use to play the backing tracks in rehearsal from phone to phone - which would be technically unnacceptable in a professional live event. The creation of this disk is essential in ensuring our show flows seamlessly without disjointed and extended pauses.

We also agreed to come in full costume tomorrow and start promptly at 9:00 a.m. so that we can delve straight into running the set list from beginning to end as many times as possible. We were also  unanimous in deciding to stay at college beyond our timetabled end. The unity of the group and the shared desire to make The Lounge the greatest success that we can is reinstating my faith in this process and the group.

14 May 2014: Little Progress Made

I attended with a positive attitude, hoping to salvage the best out of a bad situation. All of us - excluding Kian, Dylan and Luke who were being chastised individually, one-by-one in meetings organised by the college - attempted to run the set list as best we could.

Luke, whose meeting was first came back first and initiated a vocal warm-up by playing the keyboard in preparation for Kian and Dylan's return. Once the full group was reunited by Dylan and Kian's return we had lost even more hours of valuable rehearsal time but soldiered on with rehearsing the group performances of "Time Will Tell" and "Golden Brown" regardless.

Luckily, "Time Will Tell" ran with relatively minor errors but the inclusion of claps in "Golden Brown" was a source of confusion which we spent time correcting. I believe the 3/4 time signature was difficult for a few group members to clap to at times as they are not accustomed to performing songs outside of the standard common time (4/4) bar set up.

Overall, I feel that little was achieved today due to the meetings that took place in the first half of the day which robbed the group of rehearsal time. Despite this, I'm making every effort to stay optimistic and positive so that the little rehearsal time we have is as productive as possible. I've contributed far too much work into this final major performance to give up now or simply settle for the bare minimum because I'm terribly stressed by the decisions of others.

13 May 2014: Unfair Punishment

Today was incredibly frustrating as we were informed that Kian, Dylan and Luke were not allowed to rehearse with us until they have a meeting with college tutors about their unauthorised absence last week. Considering we've already lost a week of rehearsing with them, I find it ludacris that the rest of the group is being punished for their decision to go on holiday. With The Lounge commencing in less than a week, it is essential we utilise as much rehearsal time as possible, especially considering that all but one of our instrumentalists have been absent for the past week - 2 weeks before the show date might I add.

I feel the college I attend has made a critical error in banning Kian, Dylan and Luke from rehearsing with us until it is decided how to punish them. In doing this, they jeopardise the success of our event even further by robbing us of rehearsal time that we are already very short on. Myself, Serena, Crystal, Stefan, Elica and Tamara did not book a holiday during term time and we do not deserve to suffer from the added stress caused by this decision at such a critical time in our rehearsal schedule and course as a whole. Our show will most certainly be impacted by the loss of another day's rehearsal - there's only so much we can rehearse to pre-recorded backing tracks. This decision has made me very resentful as it's caused unprecedented levels of stress that are affecting my ability to rehearse effectively and fulfill the responsibilities of my job role.

Furthermore, when we attempted to commence rehearsal without them, we had to waste more time looking for a room to rehearse in which I feel is completely unnacceptable considering this was a scheduled lesson.

With tension and stress levels high we did not do much rehearsing other than giving feedback to Elica who performed her solo, "Read All About It". Instead we discussed our plans for the food and refreshments we'll be selling on the night along with entry frees.

After today I am very concerned about the outcome of our show as it has become apparent that our college clearly does not have the group's best interests at heart. This is implied by the college's insistance on punishing Kian, Dylan and Luke at the expense of the rest of the group who have done no wrong; possibly jeopardising our grades as the quality our final performance will certainly be impacted with even more rehearsal time lost - not to mention the lack of rehearsal space.

9 May, 2014: Technical and Visual Progress

We spent the day organising the visual and technical aspects of The Lounge as oposed to the audio.

I brought in the outfit/costume I intend to wear for the show so that I could compare it with everyone else's costumes to ensure we look like a well-presented and cohesive unit on stage. As we previously agreed on a red and black colour scheme for costumes, I brought in a black, collared shirt, red and black checkered trousers, black shoes and necklace. The response from the group to my outfit choice was universally positive as it met the colour scheme whilst also looking smart - fitting with our sophisticated lounge theme.

I loved Serena's inclusion of a bright red head wrap to her simple black ensemble as it invoked the spirit of Erykah Badu's style during her first albums Baduizm and Mama's Gun. The head wrap will also add a more worldly to our overall apperance on stage as its a very common piece of attire worn by African women.

Elica brought in her 2 cordless microphones and accompanying kit for us all to see as we'll be using them in the show. They'll be a great aid as they'll encourage and allow for a greater range of movement for those like myself who have either specific choreographed movement or just intend to explore the stage during their performances beyond the confines of the microphone stand and cordless mics - which will easily get tangled and become a safety hazard with the number of microphones we will be using.