SWOT Analysis
Strengths- One of the strengths i hold is that i can perform on a stage with confidence and excitement rather than just nervousness. When i first started performing on stages i was constantly nervous and afraid that i wouldnt do well which would then make me mess up as i was thinking about it to much. Now that i have gotten more used to performing on stage as i am part of GRLBND i find it so much easier to perform on stage with confidence, i still do get some nerves still but the excitement overpowers it.
Another thing i feel that i do well is working as part of a team, whilst both in college in a band and also at work with my fellow colleagues. In my opinion you must be able to work as part of a team to succeed in most work places plus in the music industry. Whilst in college i have been part of a few different bands so have had to adapt to the way other people work quite a bit which can sometimes be challenging. Although it can be challenging the most important thing to do is always speak up to the people you are working with if you need help or are unsure on what to do.
Lastly i feel that an important strength to have within yourself is the belief that you are good enough to be doing what you are doing. For example if you are performing on stage and dont have the belief in yourself, it is likely that you dont look very confident and always look nervous while performing. This was something i struggled with in the first year of college but this year i have found so much more confidence and belief within myself and through having the right people around me telling me im doing a great job. I can now perform on a stage confidently knowing that im going to do a great job because i know that i am good enough to be up on the stage.
Weaknesses- One of the weaknesses that i have is that i struggle when recording in the studio along with setting the equipment up. I dont struggle recording vocals in the studio i find the music tech side to it quite difficult, im not very strong at using logic for example so usually need someone to help me while in the studio. Another reason i struggle is because i just havent used logic very many times, along with setting up the equipment to use in the studio.
Another thing that i struggle with sometimes is getting started with things by myself as i am so used to always working within a band or as part of a team. This is something i really do need to improve on as for my final major project i think i will be working by myself on my own music. Another reason i find it difficult is because i dont play an instrument though i recently got gifted a keyboard so will be teaching myself whenever i find the time. Eventually as i become more confident playing the keyboard i think it will become much easier for me to make songs by myself and not with a whole band. Overall i feel like this is one of the weaknesses that i can quite easily overcome with my own personal practice.
One of my biggest weaknesses is that i struggle to keep on time with coursework deadlines, not because i am not doing the work but because i lose track of where i am a lot of the time. I also find it hard in general to find the time to get the work done due to balancing a part time job with college all at the same time. I feel that i definitely need to try and set myself up some sort of timetable for when i will do my coursework as a lot of the time i do end up cramming a lot of work usually at the last minute. Overall i feel that i could have tackled this issue much sooner if only i had made a timetable and done a bit more work on more of a regular basis.
Opportunities- A good opportunity that could arise would be either releasing my own music or GRLBNDs music, it would be amazing if we could record some of our songs to potentially get them on BBC Introducing. This would give the band the push it needs i think as we are already booking quite a few gigs and are now just looking for more exposure and as much promotion as we can get in order to be seen.
Another good opportunity for me would be to use my FMP in a way that will impact my future no matter how that may be. I would like to do something by myself for FMP in order to show what i can do as a solo artist, i am planning on writing a few songs and recording and releasing them if all goes to plan. This would be a great opportunity for me as previously i have only really performed as part of a band, doing this will give the confidence to not only perform alone but to release more of my own music hopefully after my final major project.
Threats- One of the challenges i face at the moment is that i am not confident playing any instrument so as of right now i havent been doing any solo stuff ( writing my own music). Although i know a few people who could play instruments for me i would like to learn and be able to do it for myself. As i said previously i have recently been gifted a keyboard and intend to learn to play it with confidence, to begin i will learn the songs that GRLBND and i wrote. I have learnt the chords to shes mine (the first song we wrote) and can play it now but just need more confidence in myself while playing it though i have only been playing it for about 2 days now.
Another thing that stops me from being able to do things such as go to gigs is the fact that i live outside of exeter. This means i have to travel an hour each way when i come to and leave Exeter so this makes it sometimes difficult for me to support other local bands at gigs which i would love to be able to do more often. Due to also working a job i often dont get the chance to make it to gigs as i often end up having to work so unfortunately end up having to miss out quite a bit.
Lastly another threat i face is that im not very confident producing/making music on logic. I have previously mentioned this but this is something that i struggle with but will get better at with experience. Due to not owning a mac this isnt something that i can improve on at home so i would have to work on it at college, this would be difficult for me aswell as i have still got other deadlines to focus on. If i can find the time at all i will attempt to use it more often to become more confident with not only the making music side of it but also recording vocals and other instruments in the studios.
Smart Targets
What do i want to accomplish?
By the time that i have left college i would like to be at the stage where i have released at least one of my own original songs. For my Final major project i think i will write and release one or two songs so this seems like a very doable thing for me to accomplish. When i leave college i want to be at the stage where i am able to potentially release an EP, i will post clips of my songs on social media in order for people to start following along on my music journey. One day in the future i hope to have a fan basis who love to listen to my music, i want to be able to make my income just from doing music related things.
Why is this goal important?
I feel that this is a very important goal for me to have as i will have to work very hard for what i want to achieve, although i know it will be difficult i think that i can definitely do it if i really put my mind to it.
What limits are involved?
Overall to achieve what i want to achieve i dont think that there are to many limits that stop me other than myself. Due to my confidence sometimes i dont believe that i am able to do these things even though i am fully capable. As i tend to get very nervous before performances and singing in front of people i think that i still need to spend some time working on my confidence and believing in myself a bit more than i already do.
How will i know when my goal is accomplished?
I will know that my goal is accomplished if after FMP i have a song or a few of my songs released onto streaming sites such as Spotify or sound cloud. If i am successful in what i want to do i think it will give me the confidence to write and release more of my own music which will help me to build my own fan basis.
How can i do this?
If i want to stay on track for FMP and also just in general to release my own music, i really need to work on my timings of everything. This year during college i have really struggled to stay on time with deadlines and getting things done on time. In order to improve this i will make sure that i am doing a few hours of work each day when im home from college, this should help me get back on track to starting FMP on time.
How realistic is my goal?
I think that my goal is realistically something that i can definitely achieve, as i said previously i just need to work on staying on time with deadlines then there should be no issues. As i also said when i have completed college i would like to try and release an EP which i think is something i can definitely do. The only thing that might make it difficult will be the fact that i will likely have to pay to get into a recording studio, studios are usually priced depending how well known the studio. It can range from around £20- £100 an hour.
Does this seem worthwile?
Yes i believe that this seems worthwile as in the long run if i release some of my own songs it will get my name out there hopefully gaining me more followers and a slight fan basis. Also doing this will help me with my own confidence, i want to prove to myself that even though it might be difficult that i can do it.
What deadline should i set myself?
For starters i need to make sure that all my outstanding coursework is complete in order to start focussing on my Final Major project.
What can i do a month from now?
In a month from now, my coursework will all be complete and i will be ready to begin working on my Final project. After completing my FMP i can then continue working on my own music and hopefully when i am ready i will be able to release an EP. In a month i would like to have a rough idea of what want to write my songs about, i like it when my originals tell a story, i want the audience to feel the emotions i felt whilst writing the songs.
What can i start doing a week from now?
In a week from now i will hopefully be a lot closer to finishing all my outstanding coursework, my aim is to have finished all the work that was due in a few weeks ago. If i manage to do this i can start to think more about my FMP and potentially think about weather i will need any help from anyone or collaborations.