A Year of 2017: Summary

I can't complain too much about 2017 as its been enjoyable for the most of the time but also stressful. I'm not feeling all too deeply reflective as I wanted to today, to be able to write properly about how it has been as a whole. Uni work and college stuff took up a good chunk, even during the holidays and one thing I know for certain is that this year has been key. I feel like it was the right time for myself just over two years ago to make the decision to get back into education. I'm probably reflecting back further than I need to, but had I not been away from it all I don't think I would have valued going back as much. I do still have an ounce of regret for not continuing my studies when I was younger for many reasons, included in which is the mucking around and having to potentially search elsewhere for my BA, which reminds me I still need to sort out my UCAS. Urgh. I hope they have updated their website.

For the most, I feel like I've learnt a lot. Admittedly, there are still things I'm pretty shit at but some things that I've learnt are still very new to me. Recording is the easy job, mixing is a bastard and yes, I'm still salty about my grading before Christmas but at least I know what to improve.

I'm still continuing to develop my little home studio. I brought myself a new pre amp at the beginning of December. I'm hoping to pick up some new monitors before we reach Spring, but I'm trying to build a pedalboard as well. My latest toy is the Boss DD-500. I still need to play with it properly and without a doubt it will be used in-band now we are functional again. There is nothing to hide. We had a small conflict between us which lead to an unnecessary argument, cancellation of gigs but mostly just a delay of everything. We were all stressed and needed a break and we have learnt and grown from it. We have experienced a lot in the short time we have been together. Name change, three gigs, recording, part-break-up, reformation and now we are stable again, ready for the new year.

In other news, I have been enjoying this Christmas break a little too much and have not started on any written stuff due it the week after we go back. They're nothing big so I'm not particularly worried. I will start them this week though at some point, I'm just trying to save myself some stress. Its been a nice break and I can already sense that January will be hard. Not only with deadlines, but getting out of the do-nothing habit. The January blues will hit hard as soon as I'm back in college. This year will not be the same as the last.

Last year had it's fair share of hard times and at these times when things were bad, they were made better by being reunited with old friends I had before now, lost contact with. I'm also thankful for all of my new friends I gained last year, some of which have become amazing, supportive friendships but what I'm mostly thankful for in my Uni experience on a whole. Okay, it wasn't a brilliant start and things were a bit shaky at the beginning but I got through it and my overall grades show how much I have progressed.

I achieved most my goals from last year with ease because I'm such a good student but that doesn't mean everything was easy. I managed to balance my Uni workload with work somehow. I naturally ended up collaborating with other students to help with their assignments, then there was also the dub project more recently and there was and still will be The Nottingham Improvisation Club. All of last years events are cherished and I will let them savour in my memory. I passed the first year of my course with pretty decent grades and now I'm into the second year, I'm not sure how I will feel when I finish this year as everything seems different and I have some big decisions ahead of me. I'm glad I finished this year with a bang!

My resolutions for this year are a little more simplistic than last year, with my main one being simply to eat a little healthier. My college being sited right next to a Lidl store has given me bad habits to live off their doughnuts for the last few months so I'm going to try to cut down on sugar mostly and start going to the gym regularly again to remove some puppy fat.

And Finally, for those that were a part of 2017 and my readers, thank you and Happy New Year!!

A Taste For The Theatre

So, last week saw me helping out in a new department (well, new to me) and made me open my eyes a little wider to the ever shrinking creative techies... and creatives in general to be fair. I finally was introduced to Georgia properly by Melissa, the new gal on my course. Even though I'd seen her through my first year, I'd never met her properly before. She's the only one doing the BA this year (in Theatre Tech, I believe) also teaching on the side and needed a hand peeping for a performance. Ok, all I did was help set up a few raised platforms and chairs but it was fun and hard work, paid of with thanks. I didn't mind being a spare pair of hands and it was nice to feel useful. I'll probably end up helping them again at some stage.

After this was more band practice with the level 2s. What a way to tire myself out. We played a gig full of catchy original songs yesterday to end the year and what fun that was. I treated my band to some cowboy hats and decorative materials to celebrate the debut of our No. 1 hit "Christmas in the Country." God, that song is so fun to play. Not a straight face in the room. I already know when I'm due back in January to resume helping them. They are amazing to work with.

Now, deadlines are catching up with me but I'm still on track. The big-ass Foley project is due in by the end of this week as well as our group mixing project, all just before we break up for Christmas. We gave our presentations today for our realise proposal. I'd say I did well to say I had no confidence in what I was talking about yesterday and did well, to blag my way through. Seemed to last long enough too, I thought it would be much shorter. It did actually go well and I think I know what I want to do more than I think, it's just taking it from my head and realising it.

These last few days will be the last push before the break. I've still got a little bit of work to do but not much. I'm fairly content with how I've managed my workload this term, even though I have managed to stress myself out a few times. I'm hoping I finish the Foley stuff completely by tomorrow so I don't have to worry about it on Friday. I've enjoyed the project and it's been a new recording/mixing experience but we weren't half thrown in the deep end.

I need to get into the habit of blogging regularly again. I had forgotten how therapeutic it was.

Switch

I'm not sure if the stress has finally caught up with me, but I'm finding myself to get annoyed by the littlest of things today. As I arrived in a car park, another car was taking up to spaces. The car park was almost full and I debated leaving them a note. The woman arrived back to her car as I was about to leave mine, so instead I walked past her and muttered under my breath "fucking idiot" deservedly. Before she looked at me with judging eyes for me judging her of her disgraceful parking.

I nipped to ASDA and another thing happened whilst queuing. The guy behind me, pushed his shopping right up, towering over my divider on the conveyor belt. Ever heard of personal space? Christ. The irony was when the next shopper behind him placed their shopping over a foot away.

I'm sat in the library now and all of these things are still niggling at me, along with the unnecessary chatter of the library and the racket of others keyboard mashing. It puts me off my own rhythm for typing academic work. On top of all of this, I have another deadline due tomorrow. It's not a biggie, but I still have a fair bit to do on it, including referencing. How does one reference ones ears? Hmmm...

In other news, I brought myself a new tool for procrastination Sunday morning, making the most of works double discount event. I only have one game at the moment; Zelda. The best, obviously. I'm enjoying it so far. I forgot how much they changed the appearance of the Great Fairy. That caught me of guard yesterday whist discovering upgrades. I'm thinking of maybe getting a new game nearer or after Christmas depending, but I also want some new effects pedals to play with, Logic and a digital console.

A Tough Week

This last week and then some has been very difficult with deadlines to meet and band politics in-between. I handed in my first report for the term this morning with around 2500 word, more like just over 2000 minus quotes and referencing. I made a start on it a couple of weeks ago but didn't really hit the ground running with it until Monday. In my first entry I managed to total around 700 words and within the last week I've added approx 1800 (inc. referencing and quotes). I've been busy, but I've enjoyed it and been lavishing in feeling headstrong for the first time in months. I feel as if it helped having a stressful weekend, for things to return to the not-so-normal life of uni and just get on with it.

I keep forgetting what I'm missing though and when I remember, it hurts. I've had a lot of distractions to keep my thoughts at bay and only recently realised I must have gone without thinking about some things for at least a week. I'm getting stronger from it, but I'm not afraid of the tears. My only fear is if the tears were ever to show seemingly random whilst at college.

My band is currently held together by two fine threads with one missing; we will be looking for new members soon as things have gone a bit "tits up" as they say. It's been a good run and it's a shame. Everything felt right and now it's as if its barely anything again. At least this gives us a chance to start from the ground up, but for now we are keeping the same name and it have become more of a project all over again.

I have another deadline for next week, a presentation to prepare and a short film score to write (complete with Foley sounds which are almost all recorded) both to be handed in before the Christmas break. It's doable, certainly and I'm definitely in a good position. I'm wanting to make a start on reports that will be due in after the Holidays while I'm in the right frame of mind, but as I write this I can sense my thoughts telling me that that isn't going to happen, not at least while I have another assignment due.

The dub project was also finished today... I don't think I've mentioned this yet in my blog. I was doubtful at the very start, almost the classic "Matt's just getting us to do what he likes" but, I've come to like it and have enjoyed the group project more that I thought I ever would. I will upload the track we performed today as our submission later next year when it is clear I can do so without being told off. I'm really proud of what we've achieved and can't wait to showcase it. Who knew delay pedals (et all) could be so much fun!!

A Good Deed, Indeed.

That's my good deed of the day done.

I was driving home behind a lady who hadn't switched on her lights. It was as dark as it is now. I flashed my lights at her several times, I think she noticed but couldn't work out what I was trying to tell her. At the lights just down from Waitrose in Wollaton (headed towards Ilkeston), I headed for the right lane as she entered the left and as we were both stoped by the red light, I got to tell her using some form of vague sign language for lights and mouthing words like, "Switch your lights on."

She switched her lights on, waved thank you and I let her go first to continue her journey safely, also saving her being stopped by the police!

Exciting, Stressful Times...

I have my first presentation of the year tomorrow. It is ready, I keep telling myself, but I can't stop thinking about adding extra bits and potentially over doing it. I've been in the studio again today, with guitarist Jake Marriott working on our band's EP. We were just working on guitars today and managed to get through all the tracks. We were a little pushed for time and we're probably going to spend at least another day on Jakes guitar, for the solos and doubling up the tracks.

In other exciting news, I'm starting to get pumped about rebooting The Nottingham Improvisation Club, so much so that I've started designing a vague website that other students can use. I have a new idea with this, that I'm still unsure of, that'm not going to announce yet as I still need to be in contact with the right people at college to sort it and organise it. For now, I can only wonder of the possibilities. I feel like I'm in a strong position. All the hard work from last year paid off and I feel respected, if not slightly awkward because everyone talks to me. Social anxiety gets the better of me sometimes as I experience on my first day back, but after getting in conversation with some of the level 2s, this could work.

I think I will end my night with a little GTA. I've been working myself hard today, both recording and producing in the morning, to working on assignments this evening. I stayed in the college library until 6pm today. I'm happy now I've sussed the login and they have full versions of the essentials installed again, plus my favourite: Microsoft Publisher. You have helped me make many logos my friend, including my bands and the clubs and others which were great, but refused.

Anyway, GTA!

DUB Project

So, one of my fast approaching deadlines for practical work is becoming an easy target. I knew this particular project would be easy, considering what I contribute, but it feels like after yesterday we now have more structure which I seem to lead with my guitar. I brought my SY-300 in yesterday which helped make a difference. It kept the skank of the guitar, but added a synth tone, the one I selected wasn't too harsh and seemed perfect. I came up with a simple melody line which followed the bass and ended with a harmonic note with a pitch bend. When it all gets caught up in the delay it sounds fantastic, but it's very easy to lose timing over all the delayed notes if the drum track is removed, even using Logic's beat counter is difficult to find a way back.

This is quite positive to say before I had doubts about this one and now I'm quite excited by it. There are two groups and I think its fair to say we are the most prepared. The others we not in yesterday and we now have two attempts recorded, the second being far superior. Ali brought in his dub siren too, which makes some fun noises. I can't wait to perform this one now. It is mostly improvised and that is the beauty of it. The delay responses are happy accident and the music is mellow and relaxing, the perfect sort to forget about other assignments.