Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I'm most proud of my service learning hours because I actually dedicated my time to something and got a lot out of it. Not only that but it was really interesting and fun.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

P- or AP+ because I was really nervous and went through fast through my presentation but I feel I knew my topic well and addressed issues that applied to my EQ.

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

AP, because although I feel I did a good job on my components, many of them were turned in late.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project? I liked going to talk to people and do service learning because I got to learn new things.

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project? That the hardest components were all bunched up near the end and many of  the components were not explained thoroughly and I hadn't the faintest idea of what to do.  

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples. 

I was made to look for service learning which could help me when going to look for a job or things where I lose the fear of going to places to ask for certain help. I learned much more than what I knew in instruments and repair which might push to try and be something related to music. 

2-hour presentation

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8mc-eCHfGOzRzh2ZExrWnlQNVk

Blog #25: Service Learning

Content:
(1) LIA Response to blog:

Literal

Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asmc-eCHfGOzdGQxMWRrM1VFMGlvRjQ5cEtMZEN1bkE

Contact Name & Number

Chris Butter
(909) 484-3550

Interpretive

What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

There are lots of things that I gained from this experience, but I belive the most important was finding my 2nd and 3rd answer. The answers were basically handed to me because I was surrounded by guitar information and helped me see that maintenance is eky in a musicians career.

Applied

How did what you did help you answer your EQ? Please explain.

I believe my service learning ties into my EQ because in my time being there I learned that practice and maintenance are two key components in becoming an accomplsihes guitar player.

Blog #24: Independent Component 2

Literal
(a) Statement saying: “I, Max Torres, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Explanation of what you completed. For my Independent Component 2 I decided I would do something that isn't musical about guitar. I went looking for a repairshop where I could do service learning. I was able to take in my own guitar and fix it up. That includint removing any piecesand replacing and filing. This I what I did for my independent component. Guitar after guitar.

Interpretive

Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.

Knowing how to fix your guitar comes in handy to any musician. Whether it be from just the basics like restringing or more advanced like maybe fixing a broken neck. Having this experience taught me things baout guitars I never knew before.

It takes a lot of work to be able to fix a guitar. Each guitar took me a good few hours, only because I wasn't that good. I worked at a slower place than my instructor because he could estimate closer to the measurements than I could making me take my time.

Applied

How did it help you answer your EQ? Be specific and use examples.

One of my answers to my EQ was that proper maintenance is one of the best ways to ecome an acconplished gutar player. It ties directly into my EQ. I learned proper guitar repair which can then benefit me later on.

 

Blog #22: Answer #3

• EQ = What is the best way to become an accomplished guitar player?
• Answer 3 = Making a proper practice routine for yourself
• Evidence 

1. During my time with my service learning instructor he told me that to him practice is what helps a guitar player the most. He told me that nothing else matters if you don't know how to play right thats why practice is the key.
2. My first interview was with the person whom I did my independent component with. He is the leader of the choir that i played in. He always told me that practice was essential and would become frustrated when people wouldn't pay attention during practice. He said that you have to practice if you don't want to make a fool of yourself and the choir when you perform.
3. An article by Tom Hess that shows what to practice it and how. He explains the importance of practicing but also to not over practice and discourage yourself.

• Source = My sources were my service learning instructor, my first interview and and articles from the internet on good practice routines and the importance of it.

Blog # 17: Interview 4

1. How can a guitarist benefit from playing alongside other instruments?

2. What must you focus on learning the most? (repair, music etc.)

3. How might knowing guitar repair help you along the way?

4. Who or what can you go to when you want to learn the basics or more advanced guitar repair?

5. How can a broken or badly maintained guitar affect the musician?

6. If you don't have the means of getting a guitar instructor what can you do on your own?

7. What can you focus on when you sit down and practice guitar?

8. What is the biggest obstacle faced when playing alongside other instruments?

9. Do you have a practice routine? If so, what does it consist of? If you don't have a routine then how do you practice?

10. When you began playing guitar did you have experience playing any other instrument or along your career?

11. Did you learn everything from and instructor? If not, then how?

12. What would you say is the most essential part in playing the guitar and why? (not including guitar itself)

13. What is your definition of an accomplished guitar player?

14. How expensive would you say all your tools add up to? How long did it take you to collect them all?

15. How many years of training in repair or guitar playing until you can say you play well and why?

16. When you're replacing all pieces of a guitar, where would you start first and why?

17. When you first began playing guitar was it your mindset to make a career of it?

18. Do you think that playing guitar is something that can be learned or does it just come to certain people?

19. How do you help your students with practice or playing in general?

20. What do you think is the best way to become an accomplished guitar player?

Blog #16: Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

CONTENT:

 (1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

• I will be repairing guitars at the Sam Ash guitar department. I'm going to take old or broken guitars and fix them up.

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

• Guitar repair can take time and I will be repairing more than just one guitar.

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?   

• My EQ relates to my Independent Component because to be an accomplished guitar player you have to know how to fix your own guitar to save time and money.

Blog #20: 2-Hour Room Creativity

Content:

(1) How do you plan to address the room creativity expectation?
I plan to place guitars that I know laid around the room and cut out music symbols and hang them from the ceiling and place them on walls. I'm going to have a PowerPoint as well.
(2) What activity ideas do you have for answer 1 or 2?
1: Learning how to play alongside other instruments. Bring different materials like paper rolls and tissues boxes and have them build a little band and play to show playing together even tho it will sound nothing like the real thing it's the meaning behind it.
2: Knowing how to properly maintain your guitar. Make small replicas of broken instruments or actual guitars and give them the materials to fix it. I would teach them how to doit during my presentation and then I'd let them try lit themselves.

Blog #21- 3 Column Chart

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asmc-eCHfGOzdHlURlJFWWJJeW1WY21QMl9oUVM3NUE#gid=1

Blog #19- Answer 2

EQ:
 What is the best way to become an accomplished guitar player?

Answer 2:
 Guitarist don't play along the rules of it's the player not the guitar. There needs to be an equivalent amount of effort required from the two. That's why I believe that learning how to properly maintain your guitar would better allow someone to become a more accomplished guitarist.

Evidence:
• As I did my research I found out about all these things having to do with my guitar that could potentially affect it's playability. I learned about truss rod adjustment and how that can bend your guitar too much or too little. Knowing something like this can really help someone out.
• I think one of the most essential things one needs to know is how to properly remove and put new strings. Seeing as I own both a classical and electric guitar I had to learn how to do both. As I learned I found that it can either be easy or a pain in the neck depending on what tools you use. Knowing what strings and how to place them can end with a much better sound.
• I learned that pieces of guitars have to be replaced such as the nut or saddle of guitars. I learned how to remove nut and sand them down to the right size providing correct string adjustment and maximum playability.

Source:
For my information I used 2 sources mostly. • My main source that I register my information was my service learning. I work under the wing of a guitar repair man you can call him. He has 30 years of guitar playing experience and he is teaching me what he knows. I learned that maintaining your guitar is one of the main things every accomplished guitarist needs to know.
• My second important source was a book I had been using with my service learning mentor. It is a book that explains all about guitar repairs that you can do on your own and how to do it. this book really helped me a lot because it gave step by step and exact measurements.

Conclusion:
Becoming a guitarist isn't all about just knowing how to play chords and sing songs with it. You need to be experienced all around to be at your prime condition. That's why I believe it is essential to know proper guitar maintenance because without a working guitar there is no great guitarist.

Blog #18- The Product

     As of March, my product is having a wider knowledge of guitar playing and the guitar itself. Throughout the senior project so far there have been components that have given me knowledge I didn't once posses and also practice time to better hone my skills.
      The Independent Component 1 helped me further my playing skills by playing alongside my choir and have 30 recorded hours. I noticed that little by little as I applied myself more it became easier to play along others and learn what my leader was teaching.
     My science fair project allowed me to research and understand the physics side to guitar. This was something I would have never thought to look up on my own and knowing about how a guitar actually works. I learned all about the sound and how vibrations created and how you can easily find a strings frequency speed and wavelength.

This is a picture during one of the choir practices.

     

Towers

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asmc-eCHfGOzdENYdlYxbVRuSzdlcGw1NEFyLUxCMnc

Blog #15- Independent Component 1

I did not do a calendar but have a time log with the signature of my choir leader each day.

Literal
(a) Statement saying: "I Max Torres have completed my Independent Component which consisted of playing within my church choir, ad I have completed the assigned 30 hours."
(b) All I did was go to the choir practices and being there to okay every mass which took lots of time and ven patience because 10am to 3pm is a long time.

Interpretive
Being in a choir is not easy, I got my hours by working non stop every time I have allotted for each day. If were not carrying equipment or setting up which takes a short period of time I was either playing during a mass or I was in practice with the choir I am in possibly practicing for an upcoming event or to learn new songs.


Applied
My independent component has allowed me to further answer my EQ by proving my first answer to be correct. My first answer was that playing along with other musicians will allow you to further become an accomplished guitar player, and it's true. I had to play along with a bass, a piano, other guitars. There has been a few times in which I needed to play along with an accordion player and even a flute. All these different experiences allow you to better master your talent because it allows you to feel comfortable with other people and playing styles. All of this furthers your knowledge in music whether it be playing styles, music genre, etc.

Blog #13- Answer 1

Content:
(1) What is answer 1 to your EQ? 
     My answer is that learning to play along with other people will help most to become an accomplished guitarist. Mainly because it helps you broaden your knowledge, make you feel comfortable playing and learn different styles. That would further help you become an accomplished guitarist.(2) What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

• Mainly because it helps you broaden your knowledge, make you feel comfortable playing and learn different styles. That would further help you become an accomplished guitarist.

(3) What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?

     The source is personal experience after playing 4 years in a choir along with other instruments.

Working Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asmc-eCHfGOzdE02c0tFUEVwTXZuLVRKQW5EVnFmekE

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asmc-eCHfGOzdE02c0tFUEVwTXZuLVRKQW5EVnFmekE

Blog #12- Service Learning

1. Where are you working for your service learning?

     I'm going to be doing my service learning at a Sam Ash guitar area at Ontario Mills.2. Who is your contact?

     My contact is a guitar tech that works in the back fixing guitars and things of that such.3. Summarize the services you have performed to complete the 10 hour requirement

     I have done 0 hours4. How many hours have you worked?

     0 hours

Blog #11- Third Interview Questions

1.  What pushed you to start playing guitar?

2.  How did you begin to play? What was your first move in starting to play?

3.  What has been the most essential piece o knowledge that you received since playing guitar?

4.  How important do you see your job when it has to do with being a guitarist? why?

5. What qualities are most needed when wanting to be a guitar player?

6.  What types of help did you have in your musical career until now?

7.  In your opinion, do you think that having a music instructor in necessary to excel?

8.  Does the type of guitar affect the playing or does the guitar play no part in that?

9.  What are some obstacles that you might encounter when learning how to play?

10. What can one do or where can someone go for help when they encounter a problem?

Blog # 8- What I've Learned So Far

1) What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?
      I haven't really learned much from my research other than that there is a plethora of different guitars it varies greatly. I've also learned the histories of different guitar playing styles and guitar shapes themselves.
2) Post evidence of this accomplishment.  It can be in the form of a picture, video, document, etc..
     I have no evidence that can be showed because i haven't learned to do anything of much yet it's more of knowledge I'm getting like history and stuff.
3) What research helped you to do this and how?
     I can't say there has been any specific research that has taught me more they have all taught me different things and i find them all equally valuable.