2nd December 2009

Today we submitted the work we had to do yesterday. It was about music history, and I think we saw some of those problems before in Grade 9. Some people forgot to do it and things were really hectic with everyone trying to cram the time they had before class started to finish the exercise. We also learnt the rhythm of notes 1, 1/2, and 1/4. These notes were, respectively, pronounced "tan", "taka", and "tikitiki". We did exercises with them, and it was very hilarious, especially with Mr Herry tapping a pencil behind me. We also did some exercises on rests (hm). The rhythm we did sounded a lot like dangdut hahaha. There will be a quiz on this next week.

1st December 2009

Today we studied a brief (ok, not brief, it was back to back) history of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Afterward, we had to do a miniquiz on him. It was VERY HARD since we can't fit a back to back A4 page block of text to our mind in 15 minutes. Actually only the last few questions were hard, most others were easy and general knowledge. Then, Mr Herry and Mr John distributed us these handouts on music history... They were A3 size each and there were about 5 of them I think. Mr John and Mr Herry made us memorise the Kodaly hand signs, and most of us laughed at "si"

25th November 2009

Today we did our real quiz. This one is the one that gets recorded, so I was pretty nervous. I quickly reviewed my notes before the test, and that helped me feel better. I noticed that this is actually one of the papers in previous grades, but I did it anyway. I think I did much better in this one, since we had some space to write scales in. This is the assessment for music notation. After that, Mr John announced the scores of the singing assessment Gundul Gundul Pacul. I was quite shocked because my score was much higher than expected, I thought I was gonna get a bad score for my performance, but I'm grateful that I got quite okay marks.

24th November 2009

Today Mr John announced our scores for the last quiz. I got a very bad score, just like my hunch. It was only 50 something if i remember correctly, just barely passing. I was really ashamed of it, but I think it's a great chance to improve, since we'll be re-doing this quiz. I felt like I must really learn and work hard so the re-test would have a much better score, the one that will be recorded in our report. Mr John explained more, especially on the difference between major 7th and dominant 7th. Although I understood the concept of the triads, when I looked at my answer sheet it turns out that I made mistakes not in the triads but in the intervals. I once again forgot that B to C and E to F is only halftone and that reduced about half my marks. I also learnt that 2 sharps do not change a note's position, but adds an "x". This is done, (as I was answered by my friend), to keep the chord's basic structure (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) If I change the position, it wouldn't be 1st 3rd 5th but 1st 4th 5th. I didn't really understand it, but it seems like I should avoid it. Maybe I will understand once I learn more music theory. We also did the singing assessment of "Gundul Gundul Pacul" If I'm not mistaken

18th November 2009

Today Mr John taught us about diminished and augmented chords. I think I quite understood the concept. Then we did a surprise test. It was very surprising, and in the end I think I did lots of mistakes. I got confused at making the sharp and flat chords... like A#major for example. After we submitted the test, Mr John gave us the right answers. Although I forgot most of my answers (yeah I have horrible memory), I had a hunch right then that I got a bad score. Afterward, we saw Ian perform since he was absent last time. His breath in playing saxophone was quite long, and very impressive. Then we started the performance assessments for singing "Gundul Gundul Pacul". I didn't understand the lyrics at all but it wasn't so hard to memorize them, since it was a short song and the melody was really catchy. Since there wasn't enough time, only 2 pairs performed, Ade & Jayne and James & Budi. They performed very confidently and cheerfully, I still remember James' funny dance moves hahaha

17th November 2009

Today we continued the other performances. Aryo and Emir from guitar didn't perform last time, so this time they did. The woodwind class also performed. They were all really great. I fear for my performance grades.. must be really bad. We were also asked to do the reflections on our Finale compositions. I finished it quite quickly since I had quite a lot to write about.

11st November 2009

Today most of us played our compositions. However, the woodwind group didn't do it since there wasn't enough time. I saw everyone's performance and was very amazed, they all did very great. Their compositions were awesome, and I really enjoyed listening to them. When it was my turn, not only was I nervous, I also didn't practice enough. Thus I performed very poorly.

10th November 2009

Today we did final practice of our own compositions. I practiced by myself. However, I made a mistake and didn't really practice hard. This would result in a bad downfall.

4th November 2009

Today we completed our final drafts of our compositions. I didn't have much changes in my composition (I know it doesn't sound so good, I just don't have the inspiration) so I finished quite quickly. I added in the lyrics, took me quite a while to do so. Then I asked Mr John to give chords to the composition. He was very impressive, he did it quickly and then when I heard the new sound it's much better than without chords, Mr John's really good at it.

3rd November 2009

Today Mr John gave us the blank sheet music again. We had to copy our composition from the music book. I already had my composition, but it took me quite some time to copy it since I'm not so used to reading music notes yet. However, once i got the A and B done, i just copied and altered A for A'.

28th October 2009

Today we sung "what a wonderful world" assessment. Afterwards, Mr John gave us the reflection paper. Since he said it would be doing the same work twice, we just refer to that paper for today's reflection.

27th October 2009

Today we didn't learn so much. Mr Herry took a lot of our class time by scolding us to pay attention and tuck our shirts in. I think he's quite right about us lacking discipline, but the things about corruption was kinda out of topic. Then we got a test to check our understanding about the major scales, its 7th chords, and their inversions. The singing assessment of "What a wonderful world" is pushed back tomorrow so that we'll have instrument class today.

21st October 2009

Today Mr Herry checked who already did the midi project. He also checked whether or not our Finale functions are working well and if we know about them or not. Then, we sung what a wonderful world again. The song was slow but good. Then we reviewed on the C major scale, its major chords, and its inversions. Mr Herry asked several students to write the major scales of respective notes. We will learn the indonesian song "Gundul gundul pacul" and "what a wonderful world" for our assessment. The singing was ok since the whole class was singing together. I finished my AA'BA' composition, but i haven't done the lyrics and chords yet.

20th October 2009

Today we didn't do much. We just practiced singing La Bamba. However, we also got a blank music sheet to notate our composition in. It has a nifty line where we are supposed to put its lyrics.

14th October 2009

Today we continued singing La Bamba, but this time we did it by groups divided based on instrument. I think most of us are starting to remember the spanish lyrics. The spanish lyrics were getting easier to memorise. After that, we watched Mr Herry sing "What a wonderful world" to show us how to sing it.

13th October 2009

Today at school we got the sheet music for "La Bamba" and "What a wonderful world". We only sang La Bamba though. It was accompanied by Mr John's guitar and Mr Herry's piano. The notes were luckily in my range, but the rhythm is kinda hard, with triplets and whatnot. The song was very nice and it had a cheerful melody. The mexican style is very prominent and fits well with the song. Next week we have to sing it with its real spanish lyrics.

7th October 2009

Today we reviewed the musical forms we learned yesterday. We focused on the difference between A and A'. It turns out that the difference between no accent and accent is usually in the last bar. We also got a lot of work for the next session. We have to make a 32 bar AA'BA' composition (not limited to AA'BA' though, we are also allowed to use AA'BB' or ABB'A. For the time signature we can also use 4/4 or 2/4. This piece will get lyrics and chords), download and install Finale 2009, download 5 midi files from the internet, composed by a composer whose name has the same initials as us. After that, we have to transpose it into .mus file using Finale.

6th October 2009

Today is our first music lesson after the term break. At first we discussed about why we use clear folders. Then, we learned about the musical forms. Mr Herry composed a melody and we had to identify similar rows of bars. It turns out that the 1st, 2nd, and 4th row are very similar, with the 1st one being different by only a note at the end. The 1st row is called A, while the 2nd and 4th are called A' (A accent). The 3rd row, which is the one different from the rest, is called B. This is one of the many pop musical forms, and it's called AA'BA'. It is the most commonly used, so we discussed this more. We also did AA'BB' and ABB'A. Each of these have a different effect on the listener.

8th September 2009

Today we submitted our individual reports on the genre our group picked. I forgot to laminate my work and so I submitted it in the split session after recess. After we discussed about the G-Clef, how to draw it, and what 1 sharp, 2 sharp, 3 sharps mean, we had Steven perform for us since he was absent last class. Melvin was also supposed to perform but his hand was injured so it's postponed for after Lebaran. Then we looked at our recorded performances, and I think mine wasn't as bad as I thought it was. The classic pose still looked like a frog though. Throughout my performance there were some people laughing and I heard Mr John singing a note, but it was all great for a laugh.

2nd September 2009

Today we learnt about the chords usually used in pop and jazz songs. They are as follows: Triads (Major and Minor), 7 Chords (Major and Minor), 6 Chords (Major and Minor), 69 Chords (Major and Minor), and the Dominant 7 and Minor 7 chords, which haven't been discussed yet. Mr Herry tells us the formula of getting these chords from a scale. At the beginning of the lesson, I was distracted since I was talking to my friend, so Mr Herry reprimanded me. Luckily, I was also listening to the lesson at the same time, so I could answer his question. Next time I will need to be more careful and not get distracted in class.

1st September 2009

Today we were assessed on our music solo performances. We each played a piece that we learnt from instrument class. I was nervous and didn't perform well, while the others all performed well. I hope the classic pose (even though it looks like a frog) will get me more points. I think i can improve by practicing performances in front of people so I wouldn't be as nervous.

26th August 2009

Today at music class we had the group slide presentations. Our group, pop rock, got the first turn. There were some miscommunications, for example 3 sound samples were not even used. I think we can improve further by gathering between the group more often, using the mp3 in the presentation itself, using videos, putting the timeline, including the 80s, omitting unrelated things like the heavy metal "Iron Man", and we should also delve deeper into the subject.

25th August 2009

Today we didn't really have a notation class. Instead, we discussed about the group presentations tomorrow. Our group was pop rock, and I already got the mp3 samples, all that's left was to crop them. After that, we had some of the better players from each instrument to play in front, and they did so without getting nervous. We were reminded of next week's solo performances. Then, Mr Herry told us to put up the reflections in www.blogger.com, and we could also use last year's blog.

19th August 2009

Today at music class Mr John was absent, so the notation class was taken over by Ms Melvina. We learnt about chord inversions, this time for both the triads and the 7 chords. It was pretty clear, all we had to do was to move the lowest note up one octave for the 1st inversions. Some students were asked to write inversions on the board. After some time, we had some more time to discuss about the group presentations. We divided our roles, James, Mark, and Andrew will research, I will get the sound samples, and Steven will compile the presentation. We also brainstormed about popular Pop Rock artists.

18th August 2009

Today we didn't have music class since it was a holiday.

12th August 2009

Today we received the lyrics to "Hari Merdeka" and "Berkibarlah Merah Putih", these were the two compulsory Indonesian songs. It was also in the theme of Independence day, just 5 days away. After practicing a bit, we got some time to plan the group presentation.

11th August 2009

Today we practiced the 7 chords again. We also started on the inversions, but we tried it on triads first. It was quite simple, just move the lowest note up one octave. We were also notified of our group slide presentations to be held on the 26th of August. We drew lots to decide group topics, an I was in James' group with the topic of Pop Rock.

5th August 2009

Today we sang "Heal The World" by pairs for our assessment. At first Mr Herry told us to sing solo, but after we reminded him that he said to sing in pairs before, he agreed. Since most of us memorized the 1st part, we weren't allowed to look at that part, but we could read the second part. The second part had a part in which the range is very high, and it was fun to watch each other try to get the high notes. In the end it wasn't as dreadful as I expected it. I think I can improve my performance by rehearsing more and being more confident.

4th August 2009

Today we studied the 7 chords better. They were exactly the same as their triad counterparts, but for a 4th note added. This note is the 7th note in its corresponding scale. For example, Cmaj7 chord would have the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th note of the C Major Scale. At first, I didn't really understand, but after it is explained again, I understood better. We also practiced singing "Heal The World" for tomorrow's assessment.

29th July 2009

Today in music class we started learning about basic notation all over again. We learnt about scales, one by one, starting from the C Major Scale. We formed chords from the notes in the C Major Scale. The chords were of 2 types, Triad and 7 chords, but we mainly studied the triads first. After that, we sang "Heal The World" in pairs. Next week we would have to be assessed on "Heal The World"

28th July 2009

Today in music class we continued learning "Heal The World". We sang the song together as a class. I moved to guitar class and I found out that Bayu also moved. Carlo moved out of music entirely. "Heal The World" was accompanied by piano by Mr. Herry

22nd July 2009

Today in music class we were grouped into different instruments. Firstly, each student was asked what instrument they played/or had at home. This was the initial grouping. However, too many students were in the guitar and the piano group. So, we had auditions to narrow down the better players (just like last year). The new students were really good, and the students who weren't in music last year were also really good. Unfortunately, I got nervous and played the song too fast, and so I was eliminated, along with 2 other students. After that we got the lyrics to "Heal The World" by Michael Jackson.

21st July 2009

Today we had our first music session in the whole year. It was very exciting. We mainly got introduced with each other, and there were a lot of introductions between old students, new students, and teachers. Then the music teachers gave us an overview of the curriculum which lays ahead of us. Unlike last year when we learnt about Classical vs. Popular Music, now we delve deeper into jazz. We will also be taught about the 7 chords. I don't think we did too many activities today, and it was mostly passive.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Today we learnt about chord inversions. The highest 2 notes stay and the lowest one moves an octave higher, and this makes the next inversion.

Monday, 11 May 2009

Today we practiced our own compositions at the front of the class. I think everybody did great. My pants were torn and it showed a vulgar image

Monday, 20 April 2009

Today was the music assessment day. All of us from the music section performed a classic song with their respective instruments. I think everybody did a great job. However, I think my performance of Romance 'D Amour was not so good because I was so nervous.

Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Today, we learnt about how to use and how to download Finale 2009. We got the url to download it from and also the keygen.

Term 3 Reflection

This is the first time I took music as a subject. Before this, I never took music subjects and the seriousness of the class shocked me.
I learnt about the differences and similarities between Classical and Popular music. I learnt about the time periods and we made projects as groups and also individually.
The projects were very challenging, such as a presentation about Classical vs. Popular music for at least 5 minutes, and an individual report about the same topic. We did a lot of research to finish these projects, even gathering sound samples.
Overall, I learnt a lot in both music theory and instruments class. I feel like I have improved a lot in guitar playing, we learnt how to play scales and form chords from scales. I also learnt new chords and scales and learnt how to play "Hotel California" accompaniment. I have to improve my knowledge about music notation.

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Today we exchanged questions that we made in theory class. I learnt about musical notation from http://www.teoria.com.

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

I have learnt and discussed about what we learnt in the presentations of the groups. We learnt a lot of things such as the classical and popular music differences. I also learnt about many composers. I think next week we will start on music theory (notation).

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Today the groups did presentations about "Classical vs. Popular Music". I learnt a lot from all of the presentations. Our group also did a presentation. I think in the next class we will have a re-cap of the presentations.

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

Today, Mr. Herry taught us and gave us an introduction about "Classical vs. Popular Music". I think that in the next class we will discuss more about what we learnt.