MUSIC
Welcome to my portfolio!
About me
Hi there! I’m Kai, and I’m a year 2 student at Temasek Polytechnic currently studying Pharmaceutical Science, which has always been a deep passion of mine. I’ve been playing the violin for quite some time now, and had my interest kindled after receiving the opportunity to attend a performance of the piece ‘Concerto for Two Violins in D minor’, by the great Johann Sebastian Bach. Since then, I’ve aspired towards learning as much as I could about music so I would be able to continuously hone my musicality!
Although I have been exposed to music my whole life, I had never dabbled much in music theory as I had always had the perception of it being difficult and convoluted to learn, with many rules and notations to remember and understand; People even joke that students studying rocket science are taught that it’s ‘not as difficult as music theory’! However, I am determined to embrace the challenge as I believe that if we put our minds to anything, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.
I’ve always been interested in composing my own pieces, as being able to play something that you created has always yielded a special kind of satisfaction for me. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and approach a challenge that I hadn’t dared face before. When I was presented with the chance to study music theory through Guided Learning, I initially felt a bit overwhelmed by the perceived complexity of music theory, but I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up; So here is my portfolio containing everything that I’ve learned throughout my Guided Learning journey!
About my project
My project has three primary deliverables, each serving a different purpose in helping me achieve my desired goal of understanding music theory better.
- My first deliverable was 2 short pieces that I would compose myself, both of different musical periods and in the styles of the revolutionaries of each era. This would set the basis of what I would need to learn in order to produce an acceptable piece; I would also have to learn the differences between the types of styles, techniques, melodies and even range of notes used in order to appropriately begin my composition, as well as the unique styles of the composers I would take inspiration from, effectively covering all the important aspects of music theory.
- My second deliverable was to perform my composition. I believed that this would further reinforce my learning as I would have to familiarize myself with the different fingering and bowing techniques involved with different eras, as well as dynamics and expressions.
- My final deliverable was to write reflections on what I learned and how I felt about the whole project, both overall and at different stages of progress. I felt that this would provide me a summary of everything I learned and recap on all the important learning objectives covered throughout my Guided Learning journey. In writing the reflections, I would also learn about the history behind the revolutionaries’ lives and the musical eras, giving me a deeper insight into their compositions.