Research Portfolio:
The 6 subjects I am choosing to research are:
-Working safely within a music performance event
-Job roles within a music performance
-Backline for a music event
-Rehearsal techniques and preparing material
-PA system including Monitoring and Front and House
-Promoting a music event
Working safely within a music performance event:
there can potentially be many dangers or hazards to putting together a small and/or large live music event which can be caused by poor planning or due to tricky surroundings and environments. Paying clear attention to laws and leguslation is a must when prepping or planning a live event that is safe for both workers and attendants due to The Health And Safety At Work Act of 1974 and The Noise At Work Regulations of 2005.
Most accidents occur from falls, trips, stumbles over wires, DI boxes, Pedal boards, Monitors etc. Accidents can also occur in the audience such as crushing or trampling or in more enclosed venues suffocation caused by overcrowding. Traffic problems are prominant with larger venues and require more considerate thought and planning otherwise schedules can be disrupted and events and certain sections or times during events can be cancelled. A quote in a source on health and safety during live events by EcoOnline states "It's also important that traffic patterns are established before the event begins to ensure that everyone is able to get through quickly and safely" EcoOnline (2021)
Job roles within a music performance:
Although live musicians are an obvious job role when it comes to live music performance, there are many other roles in the industry that contribute heavily to planning, prepping and running of live shows. Some of these job roles include: Sound Engineer, Stage Manager, Service Jobs, Box Office Staff, Security Guard, Event Organiser, Venue Manager. Two of the most prominant Jobs when creating a great sound during a live performance are the FOH Engineers (Front of House) and the Monitor Engineers. "A sound Engineer, or sound technician, sets up, operates and maintains all equipment that transmits and processes sound during a concert" (Indeed, 2025) Whether your performing a small gig or a large concert, having a seperate person to operate PA can make or break any kind of gig, helping hone in and maintain a more presice sound easier and more efficiently. Lighting and visuals are a key componant to any live performances and are no different to live music events and concerts. Lighting Technicians are often located at the back of the venue alongside the Front of House Engineer are responsible for controlling all the stage lighting directed towards the stage as well as lasers or lights that are directed towards the audience. Lighting techs often work in small to large groups dependant on the size or qualifications of the venue.
Backline for a music event:
The backline within a musical event or practice room refers to all the instruments and technical equipment that is placed on stage for use by the musicians. This includes: Instrument amplifiers, DI boxes, monitor speakers and stands. Backline is most commonly rented to bands or already available at the venues to use especially bands are on tour. The backline is a fundamentaly crucial aspect to live gigging as it is the major dictator of the bands specific overall sound. Drumkits have all the potential to have the most difficult backline as mics and XLR racks can vary dependant on the size and pc of the kit. This is the main reason for why acoustic drumkits are the most popular for backline rental as transporting tonnes of mic equipment as well as the actual kit is often easier said than done. "A complete battery can vary significantly in size and configuration, from basic 4-piece to 7-piece kits with more extensive configurations" (E. Vasquez, 2023). Another piece of equipment that is commonly rented by musicians is Bass and Guitar amplifiers. The main reasons for this is due to the inconvenience of carrying around big boxes of varying weights and sizes dependant on the genre and preference of the musician. Amplifiers can also be easily damaged and chipped while gigging which can cause added stress and anxiety. "There are certain models and brands that present a significant challenge in terms of transportation" (E. Vasquez, 2023).
Rehearsal Techniques and Preparing Material:
Rehearsing as a full band is a neccessity for maintaining a tight performance and familiarity with each member of the band on stage. Being able to rehearse a scheduled practice that suits everyones times is crucial for creating the best possible sound on stage despite what equipment is available when and where. Everyone should have a general understanding of everyones parts and a key undertanding of their own individual parts for every song in the setlist. There are many techniques that cna be used to make each and every rehearsal effective, easy and efficient.
Starting off basic, everyone should be turning up to the rehearsal spot nearing the exact same time as everyone else as to keep the pre-planned schedule running smoothly. This should remain as consistant as possible as to drain every ounce of time selected out of every rehearsal in order to make use of as much time that is possible and neccessary. "No one likes having to wait on that one person to start practice, it wastes valuable time that could be spent making high-quality music" (Keyes, 2021). Another major problem with most band rehearsals tends to be guitarist, drummers and bassists alike noodling on their instruments while others are trying to speak, recording or tuning. Getting distracted like this can often spiral out into ages of wasted rehearsal time when everyone could instead be playing and practicing properly in unisen. "Excercise restraint on your instrument when band members are trying to provide feedback to each other" (Keyes, 2021). Keeping a level head is a key attribute to have which is relivant for most all professions. The ability to speak calmy and collectively with all of your band mates in and out of practice is monumental for expressing ideas and flattening out mistakes that you or your bandmates might be making. Another key aspect to having a successful band rehearsal space is keeping everything as tidy and organised as possible. Trying to navigate around a messy rehearsal space, stepping over boxes and coiled up wires on the ground, can create a muddy mind space and also increase anxiety and tension during rehearsals.
PA System Including Monitoring and Front of House:
Starting off with the monitor mix, the job of the Monitor Engineer is to control all the sound that the musicians are percieving on stage through either monitors placed at the front of the stage facing all corners of the stage usually with 1 or two monitors facing towards the drummer at the back of the stage. (The monitors are placed like this in order to access all the musicians present on stage). The band can also choose to use IEMs (In ear monitors) to have a closer and more consistant window into each musicians individual sound. "When going into a monitor mixing gig, knowing the artist and the gear makes a big difference in the stress levels of the gig" (LaCerra, 2006). For Monitor Engineers and FOH Engineers, understanding the performance as well as getting to know the performers and the sound and tones they prefer can be incredibly usefull as it allows insight into the equipment and the effects neccessary for holding together the best sound possible. FOH Engineers are a little bit different aside from Monitor Engineers. The job role of Front of House Engineers differs in the fact they control all the sound percieved by the audience. With the size of some venues stretching far beyond the length of football pitches, understanding and logging the acoustics of each and every venue is crucial in being a capable, responsible FOH engineer, at the end of the day, if the sound heard by the audience isnt up to standard, then nothing else matters. "He is taking what you create and translating that with the tools he has for reproduction to the crowd in attendance" (Marion, 2014).
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promoting a music event:
Promoting a show is key to selling as many tickets and getting as many people in that the venue will allow. There is a lot of pressure to being the lead promotor of an event as if the events flops and no one shows up or if too many people show up and cause issues and accidents occur, its very easy for the public at large to swiftly blame the promotional team. This is why sensible planning is just as important with this aspect of stringing togther a successful show.
Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat etc are key to marketing and promoting almost anything in the modern era with most of the sites having features designed for event promotion. The Internet is accessed by almost everyone in the world and using that to market is a very simple and easy way of getting the word out. "Facebook is a fantastic social media platform to utilise when planning to promote your music event because there is a multitude of ways that you can use its functionality" (Collis, 2024). Direct email is also a very usefull way of promoting more intimate gigs as is access to more direct communication as well as personalised messaging with access to measurable results. Collaborating with other artists is a great way to reach out to other potentially larger groups of people and can also reach selected target demographics. For example, if your trying to put together an event centered around Metal music, reaching out to local or popular metal music groups or influencers can help you reach the right people who are most likely to be interested. "Partnering with musicians who are performing at your event can be a powerful way to leverage their influence and reach a targeted audience." (Collis, 2024)
Expanding Technical Prowess (on guitar)
By the end of the year I want to have improved my technical ability expanentially on guitar. Some techniques I want to focus on are palm muting and tremelo picking as I am still struggling with creating a controlled sound when attempting a chugging guitar riff. I also want to research and practice alternative picking and being able to strike each string pricesely and effectively at varying speeds on the fret board. "Alternate picking is a critical technique for developing the precision you need to do this quickly and consistently" (Pickupmusic 2024). Another aspect of guitar playing which is featured heavily in rock and metal are slides and bends. Building up the finger strength in order to do bends in higher tunings like E standard will help me with playing scales and soloing. Off beat strumming is another techniques that I am going to have to wrap my head relating to my song "Use Somebody" which requires this exact skill as the vocals are progressing in a different rudiment than the guitar strumming pattern. Sweep picking is a technique that I want to prepare myself for in the future as it can be one of the hardest techniques within the entirety of guitar playing. The action of moving around the fret board string skipping while dragging my pick at an angle up and down the strings selectively.