I have chosen to create a cover of the song Even When it Hurts by Hillsong United. The music and lyrics for this song were written by Joel Houston, and it is performed by Taya Smith, with band members of Hillsong United.

While completing this project, I expect to face several challenges. For example, I have a difficult time with chord changes on the ukulele. I hope to develop the skill to make these changes quickly and with ease. I have also had issues in the past with strumming patterns on both guitar and ukulele; I hope to develop my skills with strumming patterns so that I can make my cover more interesting for my listeners. Lastly, I have never played a melody on any stringed instrument; this will be a completely new challenge for me. This part of the project will require me to gain knowledge of scales on the ukulele, and I will have to develop the skill to play melodies in time and with confidence. I look forward to facing these challenges with an open mind.

Cover available for viewing here.

     This project taught me a lot about myself. I discovered how I learn new instruments and how my future students may learn their new instruments. The process of this project began with me learning how to tune a ukulele properly; I then learned some basic chords, just as an introduction to the instrument. Next, I chose a song that really meant something to me; I made this decision because I knew I'd be working with the song quite a bit, so I wanted to work on something that I would enjoy. Once I chose my song, I looked through the chords; after this, I looked up the tabs for the chords and learned them quickly. As far as the arrangement of the tune, I didn't change very much. With that said, I took my own liberties in how I played the chords (as far as timing/strumming patterns/etc) and changed only one chord in the song because I felt that it fit just a bit better. However, the challenging part for me in this project was the transition between chords/fingerings, which has always proven to be my biggest struggle when it comes to stringed instruments. For this reason, I really spent time working through the transitions slowly and as efficiently as possible. For me, this was the most effective way to approach the tune; I think that this is true for many people and may be true for my future students. I think this project helped me to come to terms with who I am as a learner and how I can help my future students. If they are struggling with chord transitions, for example, I now have my own experience to pull from when helping them.
     I think technology and the technological advances we've made in terms of music really helped me accomplish this project. For example, when I needed to figure out the chords to the song, a simple google search got me the answers I needed. Then, when I needed visuals (for me, these were tabs), another google search helped me figure out how to play. I was even able to document my experience thanks to technology. Thanks to modern technology, creating video diaries is a very simple process; this can be done on a phone, computer, tablet, or camera. These diaries were also incredibly useful for tracking my progress. If a future student does not have access to these technologies, they can always track their progress with audio recordings or a written diary. This project helped me to see how useful technology is in situations of contemporary musicking, and it's helped me to consider how I can use that technology to aid my future students in their learning.

The performance can be viewed here!

                When approaching this project, my partner, Kaylee, and I first went through the list of Billboard Hot 100 songs. We listened for songs that we enjoyed, were neither overly simple or overly complicated, and songs that we could see having many different instrumental lines and arrangements. Once a song was decided, Kaylee and I discussed our strengths and which instruments and parts of the song to play based on those strengths.
                To learn the song, Kaylee and I found sheet music as well as chord charts. We learned the guitar chords first, as this was the biggest challenge both Kaylee and I faced. Next, we examined the sheet music to determine which parts of the song could be changed into woodwind sections. For example, we changed what was originally an electric guitar solo into a melody for the alto saxophone. In the bridge of the song, we were able to create a chord reduction and pull bass notes out to be played on the clarinet. For percussion, we listened to the original song and attempted to duplicate what we heard, with some minor simplifications. Vocals remained relatively true to the original, apart from our improvised harmonies. To notate the arrangement, we chose traditional notation for vocals, woodwinds, and percussion combined with chords written above each measure. To record, we chose the website Bandhub. Beginning the recording on time with a backing track proved rather difficult, but once we got it, we were successful. Recording took several takes, but nothing is perfect on the first try.
                I firmly believe that this project made me a better musician. Because we had to play woodwind instruments in concert pitch and notate said pitches, we were forced to learn to properly transpose instruments. This is a process that I previously understood in theory but now understand in practice. This project also forced me to practice my new instruments: guitar and alto saxophone. While I have learned and practiced these instruments throughout the semester, this project forced me to truly become acquainted with them. In order to play the song straight through for recording, I had to play almost without flaw.
                Finally, I believe this project helped me to become a better learner and a better instructor. This process has helped me to understand myself better; I now know how to practice new instruments in a way that best fits my learning style. Because of going through this process, I’ve also learned what struggles my future students may encounter when learning a new song on their own, learning a new instrument, or when transposing instruments. I can now identify with their issues and facilitate their learning.