Reflection (Evaluation)

THIS IS IT. The evaluation process is the last process that we go through in this design cycle. We performed as a class, as a group, in front of an audience, which was the whole year 8. We practiced, we learned, we shared, we struggled, we played (music of course) to show the others what we have been doing for the semester. We have practiced these past few weeks, to make sure that we can show our best and to make people know what we have been doing in the 'Design Cycle Class'.

It was yesterday when we performed in front of the whole year 8. We played three songs, Hey Jude, Superstition and Thriller. We had fun, we enjoyed the moment we went on stage. It was amazing to see all our hard work, combined into one and I hope that the audience could see through the performance we did.

We have tried our best, but there were still quite a few disappointments and errors, which is a part of the design cycle for us to evaluate our performance. When singing 'Hey Jude' the audience couldn't hear the singers clearly and the guitarist (me) and bassist stopped during the 'Na na na' part. I think they were both nervous and forgot their part in the 'Na na na' part. Also, it was quite disappointing when Keizar introduced the songs with only two words, when the others spoke about 3-4 sentences long.

All in all, we did our best to create a great performance, and it turned out ah-mayzing! The most important thing was to have fun, and we did. This is the last process of the design cycle and after this, we will be heading to a different class.  This is sad..... Thank you so much, Ibu Megan for teaching us in this past semester. We hope to see each other again next year!

Reflection (Create)

During the creation process, we started to divide ourselves into groups of two and chose what song were we going to learn first. I chose 'Hey Jude', along with the other girls in the class and the boys AND AMYRA (she's a girl) started to work on 'Superstition'. It came out awesome and we only needed a few classes to manage to get everything sorted out.

My favorite part of the creation process was when we started to practice the song because at that moment, we get to see everybody's weaknesses and strengths. At that moment also, people gained confidence, especially in singing. It was amazing to be able to see and hear us play as a group and it was a great experience.

We decided on the third song, which was 'Thriller'. At first, we weren't sure whether we were able to do the song because of the time limit that we had. In the first practice, it sounded quite good, for a first practice. During the rest of the practices, we have come to realize that the drum part was really hard to match with the backing track (a thing that we have decided to use for backup), so we got rid of it.

The creation process was one of my favorite part of the design cycle because we got to play the instruments and play together as a class.

Reflection (Design & Plan)

In this stage, we have decided on what song to play and how we are going to play it. We started to search for music notes, tutorials, chords, etc. We have decided to play songs that were sung by legendary musicians and singers from different decades. We chose artists such as, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson who are all legends in the music area.

To pick the songs, our class decided to close their eyes and raise their hands once when they hear the title of the song that they like. Our three songs that we have decided to play are, Hey Jude, Superstition and Thriller.

During the first week of practice, we have managed to find the chords and started to practice, horribly, BUT we have made a LOT of progress by finally being able to work together. We struggled to work together at the beginning, but at the end, we managed to fill in each other's weaknesses and created....................a masterpiece (too dramatic..?)

PROCESS

SO, tomorrow is the day of our performance (yay) and we have made a huge progress on all of the songs *applause*

The things that we need to improve on are;
- To match and to follow the beat on superstition because the kolintang are too fast and the drums are unstable.
- In Hey Jude, we need to raise the volume up on the choirs, especially the baking vocals because the guitarists, drummer and pianist couldn't hear you guys, let alone the audience.
- For Thriller, it's hard for the drums to match the beat because the backing track could not go any louder and we have decided to get rid of the drums.

Reflection (Investigation)

The investigation process was a process when we brainstormed, did some research and gave ideas on what we are going to do for the many weeks of the first semester. We decided to do a live music performance in front of the whole year 8, but the problem was that we needed to pick a few only. The solution was, to divide us into groups, in order to pick a song form different categories.

What went well was, how we chose the songs because almost all of us had the same music taste and a lot are experienced in playing instruments. The difficult part was, when we had to narrow down the songs and some of us had different opinions.

I think some of us felt a little confused and uncomfortable when we knew that some of us weren't able to play instruments, sing or do anything in the musical area, but we overcame it by suggesting them that they could play the kolintang (we did it in year 7) or do some stuff "behind the scene".