Carmina Burana – 1st Movement ‘O Fortuna’ (Carl Orff) – Experimental Harmonisation Cover

My Cover of 'O Fortuna'

Link to Video of Cover
Upon reading through my blog, I noticed that I talk a lot about a major interest of mine – Music. However, I realised that I haven’t displayed much about it, and therefore I have decided to cover something one of my instruments. This time I have chosen to cover on the piano. This is a cover of the first movement of Carmina Burana, which is more commonly known as ‘O Fortuna’.

About ‘O Fortuna’

‘O Fortuna’ is the first movement from the orchestral cantata, written by Carl Orff. A ‘cantata’ is a dramatic or expressive piece of music that has been created around a medival poem, often found manuscripts of abbeys. Most cantatas have a religious or ecclesiastical ‘feel’ about them, however ‘O Fortuna’ and Carmina Burana, are based on the themes of – Luck, Life, Loss & Fortune. ‘O Fortuna’ is written by German composer – Carl Orff, reknowned for his work with expressive time signatures and dramatic compositions. The cantata is most known for being part of the score of many movies, or “the song from the X Factor, when the judges walk out”, however, for some previous Junior Cert Music students like me, it is known for being one of Set C’s Set Works!!

What have I done with ‘O Fortuna’

I wanted to create something very different, but still recognizable from the original piece when I went to cover this song, and therefore I decided to learn the piece from ear, without any sheet music. I first of all worked out the main melodic ostinato (repeated sequence), and then lay down an extended D Minor (Dm) Octave chord, (which also repeats throughout), before starting to work on ‘Experimental Harmonization’. This is when I tried to harmonize my base line that I had gotten earlier, with corresponding intervals. The intervals were in 1sts, 4ths, 6ths and 8ves (Octaves – 8ths).

I was extremely proud that I had learned this piece in slightly over an hour, when it was originally meant for a full scale orchestra!

Link to Video of Cover

 

Finishing My First Work Experience!

Me and my little sister Dearbhla, pictured just after my last day at work experience at her "Big School"

Yesterday, I was very saddened to have finished my first placement. I had been in this placement over the past 13 weeks, and was really sad to say goodbye and get ready to start on my second work placement.

Since September, I have been lucky enough to work in my past primary school – Scoil Naomh Pádraig in Drumfries. There are only about 60 – 70 students in the whole school, and therefore  I felt like I had grew to know them all well and had built up such a great working relationship with each and every one of them! I was even able to teach my little sister Dearbhla (pictured above), who had started “Big School” this year.

I was extremely lucky to be allowed to actually teach the children in the school music, as it is a major interest of mine. Every Wednesday I went to my work experience and from 10-11 I taught the middle classroom (1st, 2nd & 3rd classes), from 11:15-12 I taught the  infant classroom (Junior & Senior Infants), and from 1-2 I taught the senior classroom (4th, 5th & 6th classes). It has been one of the most insightful experiences that I have had so far in my TY, as it is amazing to see children who may have had very little music knowledge, comprehend and engage in lessons and activities, quickly develop music skills and understand theory!

On top of getting the chance to teach every single student in the school, I was also asked to help to arrange the school’s two annual Christmas plays. This year the senior students have been preparing for a play called ‘Cinderella Rockerfella’, which is essentially, a pantomime styled version of the play – Cinderella. The junior students have also been very busy practicing for their own adaptation of ‘The Nativity’. In this aspect of my work experience, I was asked to teach all of the students their songs, that they will sing in both plays, as well as coordinating students when there cues are to go on and off the stage. And if that wasn’t enough I was asked to create a backdrop for the plays!

Whenever I am not teaching music to the children, or wasn’t organizing a school play I was either working in the office or I am providing assistance in the classroom. These were both as enjoyable as teaching music. I believe that this placement was a unique opportunity as I have essentially done three placements at once – an office placement, a teaching placement and a placement that deals with music. It was safe to say that there was never a moment when I was bored on my first placement.

I would like to thank all the staff of the school for their continued support, constant dedication, accommodation and appreciation of the work I carried out throughout my thirteen weeks.

 

My Work Experience So Far!

Work Experience

Music Education, Classroom Assistance & Office Work

One of the aspects of my Transition Year that has appealed to me the most, so far is my work experience! I am lucky enough to get the chance to attend three different placements, over a period of eleven weeks, each Wednesday throughout the whole of my Transition Year. 

Right now I am just over half way through my first placement and have another five weeks to complete, before I start my second placement. So far, this placement has surpassed all of my expectations of it. I am really enjoying my placement and I am really thankful that I was allowed to take my first placement in my past primary school – Scoil Naomh Pádraig, Drumfries. 

I am extremely lucky to be allowed to actually teach the children in the school music, as it is a major interest of mine. Every Wednesday I go to my work experience and from 10-11 I teach the middle classroom (1st, 2nd & 3rd classes), from 11:15-12 I teach the  infant classroom (Junior & Senior Infants), and from 1-2 I teach the senior classroom (4th, 5th & 6th classes). It has been one of the most insightful experiences that I have had so far in my TY, as it is amazing to see children who may have had very little music knowledge, comprehend and engage in lessons and activities, quickly develop music skillls and understand theory!

Whenever I am not teaching music to the children I am either working in the office or I am providing assistance in the classroom.nthese are both as enjoyable as teaching music. I believe that this placement is a unique opportunity as I have essentially done three placements at once – an office placement, a teaching placement and a placement that deals with music. 

  

Drumfries N.S. Website: http://www.drumfriesns.scoilnet.ie 

Transition Year Coffee Morning in aid of Foyle Hospice!

Foyle Hospice Coffee Morning

Today in TY, my class were hosting  a coffee morning in aid of the Foyle Hospice.We have been organising this event over the past two weeks, with the help and under the supervision of our Transition Year Co-Ordinator, Ms Bradley. We had been given a lot of responsibility inside the school, as this coffee morning has been a major success in my school and in the local community, over the past three years, since the Trasition Year Programme began in the school in 2013.

There was a lot of organising in the hosting of a coffee morning. A rota was put in place, where I had been given numerous jobs at different points in the day, including, Meeting & Greeting, Desk Servicing, Washing Up Dishes, Waiting Tables, Managing and helping anyone who was under a bit of pressure or was extremely busy!

I also got a chance to perform music at the coffee morning! I really enjoyed this as, music is of a major interest to me. I brought in my guitar and I accompanied Mary, another TY student. We performed songs like ‘Back to Black’ by Amy Winehouse and ‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison. We tried to choose songs that would be ‘easy listening ‘ and that would not be to loud. We came to the decision that we would perform Jazz/Easy Listening songs. I also worked on a playlist that would be played during the morning. Myself and Mary, once again recorded some songs for the playlist. I played some pieces on the piano and the guitar, where I sang along with them. Mary also recorded some songs.

The coffee morning was a very different experience. TY’s were entrusted with a great responsibility, and I thought that it had paid off. We have still to work out how much we raised for the Foyle Hospice. We hope that we will be able to support this very worthy cause!

Foyle Hospice webpage: http://www.foylehospice.com

  

Transition Year – Week #2 – Update Blog!

Instead of posting various smaller blogs of encounters that I’ve had during the week, I’ve decided to have an ‘Update Blog’ for my 2nd full week in TY.

Art or Robotics?

Over the past two weeks in TY, my class has had the chance to sample an art and a robotics class. We sampled these classes as we had to choose which we would study for the duration of Transition Year. I really enjoyed sampling both these subject, as they were both of major interest to me. I had studied Art and Technology for my Junior Cert, and I felt like the two subjects had set me up well for either of the TY programs. It really was a very hard decision for me, as I really had an interest in both areas. In the end I put my name down for Robotics, however, we have not been given our classes yet! If I had the chance, I would have studied both Art and Robotics in TY!

Enterprise ~ Mini-Company!

One of my favorite modules of the Transition Year course so far, would have to be enterprise! In this module we get the chance to learn about the Business World & Entrepreneurship. Through this we are asked to set up a ‘Mini-Company’. I think that this is an amazing opportunity for me to learn about starting a company in a a more practical manner, than in normal business subjects studied at Junior & Leaving Cert. I am in a group along with 3 other boys in my class – Adam, Denis & Aaron. We are almost certain that we have an idea for our company and we hope to get started on Market Research and Product Research over the next few enterprise classes.

Piano Grades

Although my piano grades are not taught inside the Transition Year course, I thought that I could include it in this blog as they will happen during my TY year. I am playing the piano for a good few years now and I have always found it hard to balance school work and music, however this year I feel that I will have more time to focus on my music. Hopefully, sometime before Christmas of this year I will be sitting my Grade V in piano, (which will leave me three grades away, from when I am able to teach the piano !) I really appreciate that I can get the chance in TY to work on my music. Music is a major interest of mine, and is a possible area that I could be studying when I go to college. I also play the guitar, and I have already noticed that I have time to enjoy music and to learn what I want to learn on the guitar. TY has given me amazing opportunities to work on my music, such as my work experience where I am teaching music as well as the extra time I have to work on my instruments. I hope to get back out gigging again, thanks to the extra free time I now have in Transition Year!