This experience fits under the category of creativity and service. Street Art Club will be hosting a fund-raising performance next month before winter break. I was practicing my solo part. The following clips demonstrate the progress of me practicing individually at home and with the group.
Google Drive Share link (If the above doesn’t work): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ilpUtUy9uJAwZ0QKTFCfJ_2vTrkxJJ-z/view?usp=sharing
Google Drive Share link (If the above doesn’t work): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWdHWbyDKA_e4ViV4Xdq8YiUtYdTDaGh/view?usp=sharing
This experience is challenging for me because this is my first time performing electric guitar solo and practicing with a band. I collaborated with Jayden as vocal, Tim as the acoustic guitarist, and Antony as the drum player. With Mr. Lin supervising, we had numerous practice sessions preparing for our performance in December. Practicing with a group felt different from playing guitar at home on my own. I had to separate parts with Tim, so the two guitars do not contradict each other. For instance, I had to check his music sheets and adjust my own part. If he is playing the higher chords, I would play notes in a lower tone. I learned, playing in bands, has to be flexible in order to collaborate well with others. The drum leads the tempo and the vocal is responsible for the melody. Moreover, many times we had to restart because one instrument made a mistake. Each position is important in the group. Furthermore, when the key is too high or too low for the vocal, I had to be adaptive to quickly adjust by setting the chords lower or higher in order to match with the whole team. Sometimes, when the vocal could not find the key at the beginning, I would slow down the chords or play them multiple times for the vocal to get familiarized.
After the experience, I felt a sense of achievement. I found how working with others gives me a sense of satisfaction and myself enjoying the music more while immersing the melody with other team members. I also learned how I can apply these skills in other team-working situations. For instance, when a member could not do his/her part well, we should lead the person instead of blaming them. Being patient and open-minded is crucial while working with others. I have grown as a team worker throughout this experience.