Preparing Ideas

Preparing Ideas

Planning Your Concepts

• Understand the power of brainstorming in developing and refining an initial music idea
• Comprehend how mind maps can help to expand thoughts and plot the trajectory of your musical journey, from composition to performance
• Recognise the vital act of listening with intent to a variety of music genres to nurture a breadth of influences

Scope Exploration

• Realise the influence of personal experiences as a basis for the development of music ideas
• Acknowledge the significance of societal issues as catalysts for creative expression in your music
• Grasp the value of collaborative brainstorming and co-writing to deepen exploration and expression of ideas

Documentation

• Recognise the crucial role of journalling to capture ideas, refine them and trace their progression
• Understand the importance of recording rough ideas; utilise voice memos or basic demo recordings to lock down concepts, so they can later be developed and not forgotten
• Accept that in the modern era, digital tools like cloud storage and note-taking apps are valuable resources for capturing and organising ideas anytime, anywhere

Reflective Practice

• Be aware of the importance of continual reflection and its impact on the development and refining of music ideas
• Encourage a critical and reflective view on your own and others’ work, construing criticism as a learning opportunity and not an attack
• Acknowledge the importance of informal feedback from peers and mentors, as well as formal critiques, as key mechanisms to develop and strengthen your music ideas

Creative Practise

• Understand how regular creative practice sessions help in honing ideas, technique and performance skills
• Comprehend the concept of iteration, where an idea is developed, reviewed, and refined, before reviewing and refining it again, in a continuous loop
• Recognise that experimentation within and across genres can lead to the creation of unique ideas and sounds