ATAR Notes: Forum

HSC Stuff => New South Wales Education Discussion => The HSC Journey Journal => Topic started by: angewina_naguen on February 02, 2018, 09:13:41 pm

Title: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 02, 2018, 09:13:41 pm
02/02/2018

Hey, guys!

This is my first entry for a HSC journey journal that I was suggested by user beatroot to start. I figured with my first week of the year over, I would like to look back on my journey with fondness and sharing my experiences with you all! My subjects are Extension 2 English, Modern History, Society and Culture, Visual Arts and Music 2. I will be documenting my journey with, in total, THREE major works (although it isn't technically regarded as major works, the core performance and composition for Music 2 might as well be xD I'll get to that towards to the end).

I had been advised by many teachers to avoid having two major works by the time I came into year 12 and I'm sure any of you who also have to balance two or more have had the same experience. I heard all the different arguments;

"It's too much work."

"You're not going to be able to balance two!"

"You're going to destroy yourself and burn out!"

"Better you only have one major work, and get top marks for that, than half-hardheartedly complete two."

Funnily, I ended up doing so well in SAC and VA, and pretty much everything else, that I ended up dropping Mathematics to pursue three creative-purging subjects. I find a thrill in projects and investigations, something of which many people are still reprimanding me for. In fact, it has only increased with me picking up Extension 2 English. All of these subjects are notoriously harsh- they're as subjective as subjects can get. Already at the beginning of year 12, I have had my doubts and concerns.

"What if they don't get my poem?"

"What if my drawings aren't band 6 standard?"

"What if my PIP topic has been overdone and I don't offer anything knew?"

However, I have found myself compelled to the challenge and have been inclined to testify for anyone else who also knows the struggles, but more importantly, the rewards, of having major works. I want to prove to not only others, but myself that this was the best decision for someone like me, who is an artist of a hundred kinds, could have made.

That'll be the aim of this journal and I will be updating as frequently as a pivotal moment comes at me. At this stage, I have completed my introduction for the PIP, started my draft for the first poem in my suite and will be commencing my BOW in two weeks when my materials arrive. I will also post bits and pieces on Music 2 which has been a turbulent ride on its own and share my thoughts and feelings about HSC performance, composition and musicology.

Thanks for reading this super long introduction but I look forward to getting to know all of you and sharing more of who I am. I love what these subjects have to offer and I believe that this will be an incredibly fun adventure ahead!

Toodles!
Angelina  ;D

UPDATE- I actually did four :) I was unsure about Music 2 being counted but it is. There were three areas for the Major Works essentially BUT I will count the whole subject as one :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on February 02, 2018, 09:21:51 pm
More journals to read! Keeeeeen ;D

The Music major works totally count - You're in for a busy year! But I bet you'll smash it, keen to read all about everything ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: beatroot on February 02, 2018, 09:54:01 pm
Welcome Angelina to the HSC journey journal board!!! Words cannot describe how excited I am to read your updates on your majors, especially for VA and SAC. My BOW and my PIP were my little babies during my HSC year ahah. Anyways, hope to see some fabulous progress on your major works in the future ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on February 02, 2018, 10:15:32 pm
woooo welcome, welcome!!! so excited to read another journal and your journey throughout year 12. it's always interesting reading journals of people who did/are doing majors, because i didn't do one!

best of luck for the rest of year 12. :-)
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: katie,rinos on February 02, 2018, 11:15:12 pm
Welcome! Keen to read your major work updates! I did major works for music 1 and extension history and (like Bea) my majors were my babies!
What instrument do you play and piece are you doing (how many pieces do you do in music 2)?
Good luck for the rest of year 12  :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: Caitlynk_22 on February 03, 2018, 04:35:56 pm
Oh wow! Three majors that's so many! I'm only doing one and I'm already stressed. Good luck!
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 03, 2018, 06:02:47 pm
03/02/2018

Lots of warm welcomes already!

I'm super excited to work on my majors for all my subjects and have been progressing quite well so far. Before I introduce my precious babies in the making, I'll answer Katie's question first  :D

I study classical singing and have been doing AMEB since year 8. I'm currently in 4th grade! I'm also in 4th grade for theory and will be taking my exam at the end of the next term (unless HSC gets very busy and I don't complete the course in time hehehe). In saying that, I'm a vocalist! I will be doing the core performance, the core composition and for my elective, I believe I will be choosing musicology (which means another essay to write)! I thought long and hard about whether I should have chosen to do another performance but when I looked up the elective requirements, they actually want us to do another TWO. My brain just went "nope" so I'll more than likely be settling on musicology  ;D For the core performance, I am singing "So Much More Than Me" from The Hatpin Musical and my partner, Alex, will be my accompanist! He's currently a student at the Conservatorium so he's more than qualified and willing to help me with my HSC major!

On to introducing my major works!

My PIP- My PIP is on interracial relationships and how accepting multicultural societies, such as Australia, are of these relationships. I chose this topic because I am in one myself! My partner's Australian-Chilean and I'm Vietnamese. It's been quite interesting learning about other people's experiences with interracial dating and I'm looking forward to compiling it altogether into one beautiful research paper  :D


My suite of poems- My Extension 2 English major work will be a suite of jazz poems! I'm amalgamating two of my favourite arts areas, music and English, to create poetry that is inspired from the 1920's genre. I will be using the rhythmic and structural features of jazz music to compose poems that reflect the Harlem Renaissance's innovative hub of culture. There's more to my concept and I could go on for hours about what I intend to do but that's the basic premise of it!

My BOW- And finally, my BOW! I had a hell of an experience at the end of last year when my BOW concept was actually rejected by my teacher! She wasn't a fan of what I originally planned to do, which was sculpture, because she believed that I could achieve so much better if I did drawing. Although I was apprehensive, I took her advice on board and here I am with my new concept.

I'm doing two large, mural-style drawings with the top being a waste dump and the bottom an abstract recreation of the Milky Way. My work juxtaposes consumerism with space and all its vastness. I wanted to make my drawing unconventional so I will actually be stippling but then using a soldering iron to burn bits and pieces of my work! My teacher wanted to add this touch to have a more symbolic layer to it; fire represents both creation and destruction so in destructing consumerism and waste, the audience can choose to create a more meaningful life and look at the bigger picture. I think it'll make a lot more sense when I write my statement of intention xD

So those are my different major works in process and I'm quite surprised that I haven't already been stressed. I think that when you have so much to work with, you just manage to find time for them all! My schedule has been moulded around the times I've designated to specifically working on these subjects.

Thanks for all the lovely welcomes and I hope my journal will be an interesting read for you all!  ;D
Toodles,

Angelina  :)


Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: beatroot on February 03, 2018, 09:02:30 pm
On to introducing my major works!

My PIP- My PIP is on interracial relationships and how accepting multicultural societies, such as Australia, are of these relationships. I chose this topic because I am in one myself! My partner's Australian-Chilean and I'm Vietnamese. It's been quite interesting learning about other people's experiences with interracial dating and I'm looking forward to compiling it altogether into one beautiful research paper  :D


Excited to see your PIP progress! I'm curious to see what other people's opinions are on this matter.
My BOW- And finally, my BOW! I had a hell of an experience at the end of last year when my BOW concept was actually rejected by my teacher! She wasn't a fan of what I originally planned to do, which was sculpture, because she believed that I could achieve so much better if I did drawing. Although I was apprehensive, I took her advice on board and here I am with my new concept.

I'm doing two large, mural-style drawings with the top being a waste dump and the bottom an abstract recreation of the Milky Way. My work juxtaposes consumerism with space and all its vastness. I wanted to make my drawing unconventional so I will actually be stippling but then using a soldering iron to burn bits and pieces of my work! My teacher wanted to add this touch to have a more symbolic layer to it; fire represents both creation and destruction so in destructing consumerism and waste, the audience can choose to create a more meaningful life and look at the bigger picture. I think it'll make a lot more sense when I write my statement of intention xD


I am excited to see your BOW progress too! I really like your concept ;D It's an interesting take on the nature of consumerism I believe. Who is/are your artist/s of influence?

Good luck with your majors!!


Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: Lumenoria on February 03, 2018, 09:45:11 pm
Holy crap, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult 3 major works would be to manage - I'm struggling to stay on top of one haha! Good on you, you have a good mindset which I'm sure will fuel your success in the long run! :)) Welcome, am keen to read about your challenges/ideas/whatever!! xx
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: Mada438 on February 03, 2018, 09:51:56 pm
OMG 3 Majors!!  :o :o
Wait isn't it 4
1: Society and culture-PIP
2: Visual Arts-BOW
3:Ext 2 English
4: Doesn't music 2 have one??
Regardless, you really are in for a full on year, i can't wait to hear more about it!
I wish you all the best!  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 04, 2018, 03:05:14 pm
04/02/2018

And I'm back again  :D Makes me excited when everyone else is excited with me  :D I love answering questions so I'm going to kick start all my entries with them!

Excited to see your PIP progress! I'm curious to see what other people's opinions are on this matter.
I am excited to see your BOW progress too! I really like your concept ;D It's an interesting take on the nature of consumerism I believe. Who is/are your artist/s of influence?

Good luck with your majors!!


My artistic influences are all Asian artists! I was really drawn to my most recent case study which was on Social and Political Commentary in Art. We had an entire focus study on Chinese Contemporary Art and after visiting the White Rabbit Gallery, I was mesmerised! I went and had a search for some artists that would help me develop my concept and I found;

Lindy Lee- She's a Chinese-Australian artist who inspired my soldering iron technique! Her artwork "Tenderness of the Rain" is my primary inspiration and my art teacher actually adores her work so it was a win win!

Cai-Guo Qiang- He's another Chinese artist who does some amazing "gunpowder drawings." His work inspired my idea of having fire as a symbolic choice for my material practice and I just love the crazy things he does in his artworks!

Midori Furze- She's a Japanese artist I studied in year 7 and I remember being enraptured by her work. I have always been quite drawn to abstract art and hers have been a recent favourite. I revisited her artworks and her depth in concepts really helped me think more about my own work.

Along with these artists, I was inspired by a few other works that interlink with my other studies. I'm doing Robert Gray in Advanced and one of my favourite poems is 'Flame and Dangling Wire.' This was how I got the idea of the waste dump! I loved his imagery and I incorporated lots of his descriptions in my planning to recreate the feeling I first had when I read his poem. I read a lot of Jean Paul Sartre's works on existentialism in year 11 when I was going through a creative block and it broadened my horizons towards the bigger picture in life. I realised so much about my own materialistic desires and how I never stopped to observe or wonder about why or how things are. I chose the Milky Way as my second drawing because I have been fascinated by space but never have really been much of a science person (hence all the Humanities calamities xD). I merely loved the aesthetics of it so I wanted to focus my audience to the universe and away from little things we worry and strive towards to just appreciate where and how we are   :)

OMG 3 Majors!!  :o :o
Wait isn't it 4
1: Society and culture-PIP
2: Visual Arts-BOW
3:Ext 2 English
4: Doesn't music 2 have one??
Regardless, you really are in for a full on year, i can't wait to hear more about it!
I wish you all the best!  ;D

I believe music 2 isn't generally referred to as one, at least my teachers don't say they are! I do think the core composition might as well be, considering it's done over a few months. I'll say it is but for the sake of this journal, I'll refer to my other three main ones more  ;D When the composition starts to become more of a big deal I will regularly update on that too  :)

Short one for today but I finished my PIP introduction!  ;D ;D I had excellent feedback and help from users beatroot and Mada438 on the PIP Thread earlier this week. I showed my SAC teacher who said it was perfect structure-wise and that there wasn't anything to fix  :)

Cutting down from the original 650 words I had to that 500 mark was one of the most excruciatingly painful experiences I have encountered my whole life. I found it ridiculously hard to do for my proposal to keep it at 500 so adapting it was a challenge. I ended up having to take out a whole section where I introduced what each chapter in my central material would be about  :'( It was the saddest backspace I have ever done  :( :( Regardless, the introduction is all done  :D I am still conducting interviews but I will more than likely be finished by the time my half yearlies come around so I can spend the last two weeks of school compiling all my research together  :D Knocking out that introduction has really propelled me forward!

That's it for today's update and I'll be back once my next milestone comes around!

Toodles,

Angelina  :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: Opengangs on February 04, 2018, 08:47:39 pm
Reading these journal entries makes me very unaccomplished. I see all of these hard working students busting their ass day in day out, while I'm just lying in bed binge watching the All Stars Hell's Kitchen.

Keep up your hard working ethic throughout the year! 😃
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 09, 2018, 09:59:02 am
09/02/2018

Yesterday was the first day I decided to halt all my work and just take a break. It was the best decision I've made to date. I think with the vigorous work that comes with having the majors, as well as balancing content across those and all my other subjects, was starting to surface to the point where I just needed a break. I had a day off, watched 'Lucifer' with my partner and my sister on Netflix and listened to some new songs that I want to perform with my partner over the year. It gave me the rest I needed and today, as I sit during my free period, I have regained a far greater degree of energy than I EVER have regardless of how much sleep or rest I had before.

The draft sketch of the waste dump is coming together nicely. I'm halfway through and hopefully, it'll be finished by mid next week. It's looking great! Time-consuming, yes, but rewarding nevertheless. It is incredibly satisfying to look at stippling drawings from afar and to realise that I somehow did it was an amazing feeling. My teacher returns next week so I can actually start the BOW on Monday.

Extension 2 has been good too. I've made progress and am planning to start drafting in a fortnight's time. I just want a bit more research completed on my context to make sure I can produce poems that are authentic as possible. I also made a decision to have two journals; one for my research on form and context, and one solely for drafting, experiments and evaluations. It keeps my work ordered and organised which I think is key for a subject that is very self-driven.

PIP has been a bit eh this week. I read another article on Interracial Relationships in the U.S for my case study but my work for SAC this week was more for the Belief Systems topic. I'll probably get back on track next week.

Having that break was a nice way to reflect on my progress across these subjects and step back from studying. I think this was what helped me get through year 11; having my partner and sister there to just relax and wind down with. I don't feel any regret for taking it off and I'm super excited to continue pushing on. That'll be all for today and I hope you guys have a great day!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 17, 2018, 04:39:10 pm
17/02/2018

Hey, all! It's been a long week but everything is coming together quite well. I have some unfortunate news about VA- I won't be able to start my major work for another two weeks possibly because my paper is taking its time getting here... In saying that, I am continuing to develop my technical skills by doing a draft of what my drawings will look like. I will continue to work on it until my paper arrives and I can start on the real thing!  ;D

Unrelated interjection but Weimar Germany is basically learning a whole new language and politics simultaneously and it's both interesting and confusing.

I also finished another few interviews this week for the PIP but am looking for more participants. I've created a new topic on the SAC child board so if anyone is interested in being interviewed and has experience with interracial dating, I'd be really grateful for volunteers! I edited over PIP introduction again just to fine tune a few grammatical errors so I will have a look at it at the end of every week from now on to keep it developing.

Extension 2 research has also finally finished! I have begun doing some creative stimulating activities over the last few days and discovered how great it is as a relaxation exercise before bed. I have a lot of ideas for how I want to structure the suite and will need to sort that out once I am more focused.

This week will be smooth sailing with three days off at camp with the little year 7's so I will do my best to take it easy and work consistently over the next few days before I head off for a break. It'll be a busy but productive next few days and I'm looking forward to getting more work completed! That's all for today's entry and have a lovely day!

Toodles,

Angelina  :D



Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 05, 2018, 06:42:10 pm
05/03/2018

Hey, everyone!

I'm finally back with an update on where things are. It's been a busy last few weeks, lots of tears were shed and stress hit me all in one single go but I'm all good now and pumped once more to work.

My BOW idea has been almost entirely scrapped. My teacher had suggestions for my BOW which were much stronger than the ones I had so I decided to keep my soldering iron idea but will be revising my presentation and practice. I am currently undertaking a crazy week of experimentation to catch up to scratch but I'm sure my new idea will be worthy of a greater mark.

Drafting for Extension 2 has begun and I'm excited to share some preliminary work with you from my major work journal that has been dispersed with creativity.

I finished my first chapter of the PIP last week and will be revisiting it in a few days just to edit it a final time before I submit it for review by my teacher. It was the most hectic one because it was primarily secondary research-based information I had to write up so referencing it all was really time-consuming. Nevertheless, the hardest part has been done and just needs to be fine tuned closer to the date!

I hope to write a longer update some time soon when I have more time but for now, that'll be all from me  ;D ;D ;D Have a great day!

Toodles,

Angelina  :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 18, 2018, 08:51:30 pm
18/03/2018

Hey, everyone!

Busy times ahead with exams in week 9 and 10 for me so this week is going to be a final planning process for the commencement for my BOW, Extension 2 Major Work and finalising PIP interviews!

First off, ARTPEXPRESS LEFT ME SHOOK. I went to see the ARTEXPRESS works in Homebush and at the AGNSW and a part of me is still recovering from how overwhelming it was to realise they were all created people only a year above me. It did one good thing and that was motivate me for my own BOW. I found a BOW which resembles what I wish to achieve in my final pieces and I'm looking forward to doing it! I also have a title that is yet to be pitched to my teacher but I am looking at 'A Promethean Freed'. My idea to allude to Prometheus really captures the essence of my BOW where fire is both a symbol for destruction and creation. I think that encompasses the fire within us as humans, to make a difference and to leave a mark as I am doing with my burnings. I hope this gets approved because I'm quite attached already  ::)

I finished all my planning for Extension 2 English and will commence the poetry in week 11! It's super exciting to think about and I can't wait to have all these exams out of the way so I can focus on working on these. Not sure if I've mentioned this before but I experience the greatest creative outbursts when I come out of a period of stress and hopefully, I stress heaps in a good way I guess  ;D

PIP has also moved steadily! All my surveys have finally been completed. Seeing "50 responses" was the highlight of my day today and I finally was able to close the surveys! I just need to finish off my interviews, conduct my focus group and I will be progressing forth with it. It feels great to have this one on track because the others have been really slow due to my own factors but also my teachers advising me to change things here and there. I look forward to finishing the PIP towards the end of the second term and only refining it as the due date becomes closer  :) :)

That will be all from me today! To anyone who has half yearlies coming up, all the best and thank you for reading my entry for the day  ;D Have a great evening!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 19, 2018, 12:10:26 am
Continually amazes me that you've signed on for four major works (composition definitely counts ;)) - Sounds like you are doing amazingly!! Loving your updates ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 10, 2018, 06:09:21 pm
10/04/2018

Hey, everyone!

Half yearly exams are done and while everyone else is celebrating a break, I'm celebrating a break that I can use to work on my majors! I had some major (pun intended) changes to my works and reflected on my progress for all of them to bring you this entry today  :D :D

MY VISUAL ARTS MATERIALS HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!  ;D I was the happiest chicken today in the class when I walked in to hear that my box of materials had come. Lots of inks to work with for my abstract drawings, solvent and a blender pen for my text transfers and a funky stack of paper to project weeks of experimentation on as my surface for the BOW. I am incredibly motivated to start and will be heading in during the holidays with my teachers to work on it for full days.

I had a point of conflict with my Extension 2 major work  :'( The planning had been completed, research all ready to go but something was holding me back and it took me until yesterday to realise it- the major work was mine, but I was not my major work. I realised a lot of my aims had been to imitate and replicate the jazz style of the 1920's but it was off because it was not me. It was me writing about the experiences of other people, of another place and another time. I came to think of what made me most happy in writing and it was the ability to share a snippet of me as an artist in my work. I instantly thought of Sylvia Plath and how her works make her biographical events more, how she amplifies them to reconcile with them and come to terms with them. I believe that by personalising my major work more I can not only reconcile with my experiences as a musician, but also as an existentialist. It will become an authentic, healing process that way and I'm excited to see where it takes off.

Finally, I polished up my first chapter for the PIP and only have to finish the referencing before I can move on. I intend to finish my focus group questions this week and arrange for it during the holidays or first week back. I will consolidate the rest of my primary research in the mean time which was officially been completed  :D It will be a tedious process but I am certainly driven to do it.

That's all for this entry today!
Continually amazes me that you've signed on for four major works (composition definitely counts ;)) - Sounds like you are doing amazingly!! Loving your updates ;D
I also commenced planning for my composition in Music 2 which has been quite the fun! I'm looking at swing music and evoking from Sydney's urban scene to create my found sounds. It'll have to wait a but until after my other majors kick off and I am confident in juggling it too. Thanks for reading and have a great evening!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: dcesaona on April 10, 2018, 07:10:03 pm
Wow! It's intimidating yet motivating to see all of the work you're putting into your majors and how well they're coming along. I'm undertaking two major works this year (Drama theatre reviews and Art BOW) so, to some extent, I understand how you feel. I succumb to the pressure often because I feel like I don't get enough done! I will definitely be working on my majors during the holidays and I'm so nervous! Do you feel semi anxious to start your BOW knowing that it's going to be THE ONE??? Like I feel like I'm not ready to start it yet but I just have to push through ugggg. Anyways, well done so far on all your hard work! Looking forward to read more progress from you.
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 11, 2018, 06:26:07 pm
Wow! It's intimidating yet motivating to see all of the work you're putting into your majors and how well they're coming along. I'm undertaking two major works this year (Drama theatre reviews and Art BOW) so, to some extent, I understand how you feel. I succumb to the pressure often because I feel like I don't get enough done! I will definitely be working on my majors during the holidays and I'm so nervous! Do you feel semi anxious to start your BOW knowing that it's going to be THE ONE??? Like I feel like I'm not ready to start it yet but I just have to push through ugggg. Anyways, well done so far on all your hard work! Looking forward to read more progress from you.

11/04/2018

Hey, dcesaona! I'm always anxious over everything but at least with these creative outlets, I can channel that anxiety into art! I think that is what appeals to me most about the major works; I feel like I am immortalising some aspect of who I am in them and it's both frightening to think that it's going to be THE ONE, but also super exciting! The feeling of not being ready to start characterised my Extension 2 major work which I did yesterday and it has been so much fun for me  :D

I'd love to hear how your majors are coming along too! Feel free to update me in this thread because I'd definitely be interested  ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 18, 2018, 09:47:49 pm
18/05/2018

Hey, everyone!

I hope you all have been having a great start to the new term! It's already proving to be fast-paced and I am excited to see all of my works progressing forward.

I have reached 35/50 of my pieces for VA finished! The BOW has been moving very quickly for me and I have managed to finished more than half of my total BOW in less than two months. I have been staying back until 6pm for a few days during the last three weeks to get to this stage and I'm very satisfied with the result. I have attached a photo of the 30/50 stage which I have refined some of the pieces for but here's just a sample of what it looks like!

My Extension 2 Report was handed in on Monday and I received my notification for the draft Major Work and Reflection Statement the day after  :'( I cannot believe it is due in Week 8 but I'm sure I'll power through more of my poems in the upcoming days.

I have my focus group for the PIP next week before I finish my research once and for all. I polished my first chapter, which only needed secondary research and the other methodologies, and will be continuing my second chapter over the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to conducting my last bit of research before crunching down the PIP  ;D

Music has been coming together pretty well too! My musicology essay will be investigating the use of text painting in Schubert's 'The Erlking', one of my favourite art songs of all time, and I have all my research, listening logs and critical evaluations finished  ;D All I have to do is draw up the draft  :D My composition idea is coming together as well! I scrapped the swing music idea and I'm thinking of doing a hybrid of Western musical theatre and Vietnamese Cai Luong theatre music for my topic instead to explore the conflicting identity of a second-generation Vietnamese-Australian, such as myself  :) I have found that personalising my composition has given me a new motivation to work on it. I look forward to working on it!

That's all there is for me today  ;D I can't wait to update next already with more progress updates! Thanks for reading my extensive entry and have a great evening!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on May 19, 2018, 03:26:37 pm
18/05/2018

You sound so on top of things it isn't funny!! Looks like your BOW is coming along really nicely, good work! ;D

Looooove your idea for the composition for Music!! I think having personal motivation is such a huge help - Either that or having the motivation given to you (I did Film Music for one of mine for Music 1). I'd love to hear some snippets of it as it progresses as well!
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 20, 2018, 07:08:54 pm
You sound so on top of things it isn't funny!! Looks like your BOW is coming along really nicely, good work! ;D

Looooove your idea for the composition for Music!! I think having personal motivation is such a huge help - Either that or having the motivation given to you (I did Film Music for one of mine for Music 1). I'd love to hear some snippets of it as it progresses as well!

20/05/2018

Hey, Jamon!

Thank you for the comments  ;D Made my day! I will definitely find some way to share my composition work in this thread once it develops a lot more :D

Today's update is to simply tell you all about the origins and meanings behind the different titles of my Major Works (other than Music which I am still trying to conjure up something funky for).

My PIP is titled 'It's what's on the outside that counts', which plays on the saying 'It's what's on the inside that counts'. This title came out of pure coincidence; I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two girls sitting across me in the food court and when I heard one of them say, "It's what's on the inside that counts!", I knew that it would have made a great title for my PIP, investigating into the acceptance of interracial relationships in Australian society.

The Extension 2 Major Work is heavily informed and shaped by my musical background and looks at the existentialism that exists in being a musician. I titled my suite of poems 'Vivace- Jazz Ignites', capturing the extended fire motif I use in all the poems and the way music allows one to live, and how we live in music. My poetry is sectioned off into three parts; 'The Cinders Suite', 'Symphony Ablaze' and 'Conglomerates of Conflagrations'. They all reflect the three periods of music I have chosen (Baroque, Classical and Romantic) and the musical forms I was inspired from (the Baroque suite, the Classical symphony and assorted Romantic compositions).

Finally, my BOW is titled 'The Promethean Gift' and I have attached the statement for my BOW to this post which explains the meaning behind it  ;D It was probably the most difficult to come up with but has a nice poetic touch to it which I wanted (as well as a Greek mythology allusion- something I knew I wanted already but had to do a bit of research for to come up with the name).

That's all for today's entry! Have a great evening  ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: beatroot on May 20, 2018, 07:53:05 pm

Finally, my BOW is titled 'The Promethean Gift' and I have attached the statement for my BOW to this post which explains the meaning behind it  ;D It was probably the most difficult to come up with but has a nice poetic touch to it which I wanted (as well as a Greek mythology allusion- something I knew I wanted already but had to do a bit of research for to come up with the name).


"There is a science in art and an art in science" -this is so beautifully expressed.
I love your artist's statement! Very straight to the point and every sentence is so beautifully written and it's so evocative! I seriously cannot wait to see your BOW Angelina!
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on May 21, 2018, 12:19:35 am
Super fascinating to see where these titles have come from!! The titles and themes of the EX2 pieces make me super excited to read them in final form ;D

Today's update is to simply tell you all about the origins and meanings behind the different titles of my Major Works (other than Music which I am still trying to conjure up something funky for).

Has to be better than the goofy funkiness of my Year 11 composition, "Step Back and Watch Us Swing," a swing band piece  :o especially in comparison to my Year 12 pieces, "Prohibitum Amor" (guitar quartet, latin for Forbidden Love) and "Together" (film score, the final line of dialogue spoken by Harry Potter before he finally defeats Voldemort). The mood change in the titles was so drastic, my teacher was like, "Um, are you alright?" ;)
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 21, 2018, 06:26:52 pm
21/05/2018

Hey, everyone!

Aiming to be more consistent on this thread with my posting  :D I'll just be replying to Bea and Jamon's responses today to keep it short and sweet  ;D

"There is a science in art and an art in science" -this is so beautifully expressed.
I love your artist's statement! Very straight to the point and every sentence is so beautifully written and it's so evocative! I seriously cannot wait to see your BOW Angelina!

I'm glad you like the statement! I remember showing it to my teacher and my legs were shaking from fear of rejection xD She loved it and was proud that I was able to articulate the concept on paper much better than when I tried to explain it to her in person. I'm looking forward to posting more progress photos on this thread which can be almost like my second VAPD  ;D ;D I'm going to struggle cutting this down for the final submission though but for the progress interview in a few week's time, this will definitely do  ;D

Super fascinating to see where these titles have come from!! The titles and themes of the EX2 pieces make me super excited to read them in final form ;D

Has to be better than the goofy funkiness of my Year 11 composition, "Step Back and Watch Us Swing," a swing band piece  :o especially in comparison to my Year 12 pieces, "Prohibitum Amor" (guitar quartet, latin for Forbidden Love) and "Together" (film score, the final line of dialogue spoken by Harry Potter before he finally defeats Voldemort). The mood change in the titles was so drastic, my teacher was like, "Um, are you alright?" ;)

And I love your Year 11 composition title  ;D Swing music is one of my favourite things to listen to! The HSC ones sound so cool as well  :o I hope I can come up with something as cool as the Latin one  ;D I was thinking of titling my work half Vietnamese and half English just to have that juxtaposition effect but I'll wait for it to come to me  ;)

That'll be all from me today! Things are looking up and I'm dedicating the rest of this evening to my babies  ;D Have a great night, everyone!

Toodles,

Angelina   :D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 26, 2018, 12:27:46 pm
26/05/2018

Hey, everyone!

Random entry today for two purposes! Firstly, something short and sweet. I'm going to VIVID Sydney tonight to enjoy myself! I have been waiting for a chance to just take a break and a night of lights and vibrant colours seems fitting for the occasion!

My second point is something I have been reflecting on for quite a bit the last few days as a few of my drafts are being due for the major works. I would firmly like to argue that Society and Culture is the most demanding, of the subjects I have, in terms of major works. I came to realise that with the core, two depth studies PLUS a PIP which constitutes to 5000+ words (which is more than the Extension 2 Critical Response), it is easily the most demanding subject there is. While Music 2 came a close second, with my performance, composition and musicology essay, the content covered in Society is incredibly extensive and having to balance my notes with the PIP has been tough.

I think this opinion is partially due to how less demanding the other ones seem to be in my eyes. The BOW has been something I have consistently been working on and staying back after school has definitely helped me progress far with it. Art theory and history has always interested me (in fact, the reason why I chose VA was because of the 50% theory aspect) and I knew my teachers would help me out with ideas for my prac so I could maximise my marks even though I was less confident with completing a BOW. The content for VA has never been a challenge for me because I already had an interest in and writing about it has never been difficult. It's always been more revision, than studying, for me.

Extension 2 doesn't have any content; the content is what you design it to be in your research. I think that was the most desirable aspect of choosing the subject for me and I have immensely enjoyed researching into my form and concept over the past few weeks. Writing it has not been a challenge either- it's more about managing time and finding room for it amongst everything else.

In saying all of this, the PIP is definitely the most demanding major work of the ones I have. This doesn't mean it is one I would turn people off from choosing. Society is one of the most unique subjects and I have found a new appreciation for my religion after learning about its history in the course, as one of many examples. The content covered and the chance to research into something you have interest in is indeed rewarding and I look forward to seeing where the PIP journey takes me in the next few weeks. I would love to hear what other people think and if any other major works are equally as challenging as the PIP!

That'll be all from me today and I look forward to updating you all next on my update. Have a great weekend!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 03, 2018, 09:32:18 pm
03/06/2018

Hey, everyone!

Today marks the final day of calm before the storm  :'( I have an assessment for all my subjects except Music 2 in a span of two weeks so this week will be me frantically trying to get as much done as possible before I have my BOW progress interview on Friday. I'm super nervous, but at the same time, very proud of my progress and I hope that the external marker coming in is friendly  :-\

For BOW, I made 5 panels leading up to last Friday and I have attached an image of them! I have another one finished at home and one more in progress so I hope I can submit 8 completed panels in total for the interview. After discussion with my teachers, we have decided to frame my BOW in wooden boxes which I can then do more chemical fun stuff with to add to my BOW! The frames will also juxtapose nicely with the silver boards I got for mounting the work. It's coming together very nicely and I am excited to see how the work will finally look.

On a more awkward note, I finished my Major Work Reflection Statement for Extension 2 before I finished my actual Major Work  ::) Ironic that I'm reflecting on my Major Work journey before I have even finished it. I have around 700 words more to go before I am finished with the poems so it's just a race until that draft deadline right now  ;D

PIP progress has been slow lately but once the interview is over and my draft is handed in, I will head back to prioritising it. Of the major works, it is due first so while I feel guilty for pushing it aside, I also need to work on it in one big go once everything else has been cleared.

I look forward to jumping back with more updates once the wave of assessments passes! Have a great evening, all!  :D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 23, 2018, 10:17:51 am
23/06/2018

Hey, everyone!

And the storm is over! It's been a hectic few weeks but I have finally finished all my assessments for this term. I have plenty of updates to share about my progress for the Major Works!

First off, PIP has made more progress! I finally finished the second chapter of my PIP and have three more to go. Although that may sound like a fair way, the first two chapters were definitely the longer ones of my central material so I have knocked out the more difficult chunk of the PIP. Our progress task is next term first week back so it will be hard work to make sure it is completely finished by then!

I also had my BOW interview on the 6th and was over to moon to receive full marks for it! The third marker loved the work, said it was "awesome" and boosted my confidence in the progress I have made. She suggested to "classify" my BOW pieces and naming them like a scientist would to bring out the greater science aspect of my work. I loved the idea and have been looking at Latin words for naming all the pieces. I finish my 10th panel next week and move on to the final piece- a long piece which goes across as a spectrum of all the colours in the other panels. Attached to this entry is a photo of my submitted 8 pieces completed! I look forward to seeing where the BOW goes from here on and will continue to update with photos of it.

After a sustained process of writing and periods of creative blocks, I submitted my darling baby Extension 2 English on Thursday! My draft for 'Vivace' being handed in marks the end of my Extension 2 assessments and from here on, it will only be working towards the final submission for NESA. I was able to finish 'Vivace' on Tuesday and touched up all 3000 words on the Wednesday. Handing it in was the greatest relief and I hope I went well for it!

The next few weeks will be a grander focus on my music assessments for the portfolio submissions for composition and musicology. I need to make more progress for composition which will be intense over the next few weeks and to touch up on my essay for musicology. I have neglected these works for long enough and it is time to go full steam ahead for them.

Thank you for reading today's entry and I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!  ;D ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 03, 2018, 09:27:22 am
03/08/2018

Hey, everyone!

It's been over a month since my last post due to the frantic major works frenzy period that has been these last few weeks. I had been scrambling to get whatever is left of my drafts done for the written submissions and am proud to say that I am finished with most of the hard work!

It hit me beginning of this week that the PIP is due on Monday! I knew it was coming up but my goodness, it was a shock to see how fast time has flown. I finished it up already and am now just tidying up it with a last round of editing tonight. It's amazing how quickly time moves when you're busy and I look forward to handing it in. I actually ended up revising my PIP title to 'Colouring in Between the Lines' which makes a nice pun for interracial relationships and the investigation I did on acceptance. It's exciting but also a little sad to see that it is almost time to hand my first baby in for marking. I hope everything goes well with that on Monday.

My BOW has also reached its final stages of completion. I decided to add three more panels to my work which I will take photos of once they're done. It's crazy seeing how much work has been put into them. I think I saw too much of it that I couldn't see the progress anymore  ::) I feel much better about how it is coming along.

I received my Extension 2 Major Work draft back with extensive feedback and have cleared all of it up. I'm in my final stages of editing for that as well and will submit it on the last day of trials (I know ;-; It's very bad timing). I am very proud of 'Vivace' and the hours of creative bursts put into the work.

And finally, I handed in my draft submissions for Music 2 last week! I have revised over a few areas for my essay and added more material to my composition which I will need to finalise soon. The title for my composition is still tentative but my musicology essay's is 'Synergies of Sound', exploring how instrumentation in Romantic art song can realise the narrative. I cannot wait to submit these babies in and to have all my major works finally done.

It's coming to a really bittersweet time for me with these submissions. I have been so attached to all my works and to realise that one of them will be submitted for marking on Monday is almost too hard to believe. I will end today's submission by saying that I am feeling good about these submissions and cannot wait to surprise NESA with my numerous submitted works  ;D Thanks for reading today's entry and have a good day!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: beatroot on August 03, 2018, 12:30:11 pm
Quote
It's coming to a really bittersweet time for me with these submissions. I have been so attached to all my works and to realise that one of them will be submitted for marking on Monday is almost too hard to believe. I will end today's submission by saying that I am feeling good about these submissions and cannot wait to surprise NESA with my numerous submitted works  ;D Thanks for reading today's entry and have a good day!

I can relate to this very much in the sense, this time last year I too cannot believe I have to let go of my babies (my BOW and my PIP) and submit them to NESA. It is absolutely amazing that you have managed to create and produce four FANTASTIC major works during your HSC year and you need to commend yourself for this amazing achievement.

Good luck with the rest of your hsc year Angelina! ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 03, 2018, 09:20:30 pm
I can relate to this very much in the sense, this time last year I too cannot believe I have to let go of my babies (my BOW and my PIP) and submit them to NESA. It is absolutely amazing that you have managed to create and produce four FANTASTIC major works during your HSC year and you need to commend yourself for this amazing achievement.

Good luck with the rest of your hsc year Angelina! ;D

Hey, Bea!

Thank you so much for suggesting this thread to me  ;D I was able to make an online portfolio for all my major works here which has been amazing for me to share my journey with everyone on ATARNOTES  ;D As promised, I have an update of my BOW which I actually made three more panels for! I accidentally cut my wooden frames wrong (whoops) and had twelve pieces too short to use. Still a bit attached to my soldering iron and inks, I decided to spontaneously add another three works to my composition! These pieces contrast the other ones because they have a brown-monochrome colour scheme, as opposed to being rainbow like the others, are square instead of rectangle, and will be centred differently (still subject to change). I think they are quite cute  ;D I am still in awe that I pulled this off in a week and look forward to showing the last few photos of my BOW before I submit it. Not ready to part with it yet  ;) I'll make sure I do you proud  ;D ;D

Angelina  :)
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 06, 2018, 07:14:47 pm
06/08/2018

Hey, everyone!

My goodness, it was an emotional day today. Handing in the PIP was exactly as past students have described it. I felt like a huge boulder was lifted off my shoulders, but proceeded to feel quite bittersweet about submitting my first major work in for marking. It was particularly sad to see my file change from 'Personal Interest Project' to just my student number and "PIP" following afterwards. Although not much has changed, losing that control over it felt more real once I converted it to the PDF  :'(

Just a short entry today as I will be back on track with studying for trials. My next hurdle is Extension 2 English which is due on the last day of my trials  :'( My Major Work itself has been finalised but the Reflection Statement is at a standstill. I hope this will become more clear to me why during this week before the exams come flooding in. Have a great evening and thanks for reading!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 06, 2018, 11:03:42 pm
06/08/2018

Hey, everyone!

My goodness, it was an emotional day today. Handing in the PIP was exactly as past students have described it. I felt like a huge boulder was lifted off my shoulders, but proceeded to feel quite bittersweet about submitting my first major work in for marking. It was particularly sad to see my file change from 'Personal Interest Project' to just my student number and "PIP" following afterwards. Although not much has changed, losing that control over it felt more real once I converted it to the PDF  :'(

Congratulations Angelina!! Amazing accomplishment - Your major year just got a tiny little bit less major ;)

Good luck with Trials and with that EX2 Reflection, bet it will flow soon! Just let your brain churn it in the background ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 07, 2018, 04:11:58 pm
Congratulations Angelina!! Amazing accomplishment - Your major year just got a tiny little bit less major ;)

Good luck with Trials and with that EX2 Reflection, bet it will flow soon! Just let your brain churn it in the background ;D

Hey, Jamon!

Thank you very much  ;D I still have some more major submissions to go before it's over but it definitely has just become a little less woah  :D I'm excited to get Trials out of the way too so I can get ready for the big exams. It'll be a big relief to hand Ext 2 in as well at the end of all of that. Big scary times ahead but I'm looking forward to it  ;D Have a good one!

Angelina
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 23, 2018, 02:35:33 pm
23/08/2018

Hey, everyone!

With my final Trials exam tomorrow in the morning, it has finally occurred to me how quickly all the Major Work deadlines will be coming along after this big exam block I have just had  :o More importantly, Extension 2 English is due tomorrow!  ;D

My Major Work has finally been complete and is ready for a final edit tonight before the big day tomorrow submitting it in after my Extension 1 English exam in the morning  ;D ;D Writing 'Vivace' has been an incredible journey for me. I have been writing poetry ever since I first fell in love with the medium in Year 9. I had a brilliant teacher who saw my potential to write poetry and it was his belief in me that I chose to make the decision to do Extension 2 English. It was because of him that I was so motivated to compose my own suite of poems and I hope to send him a copy of it. Although he no longer teaches at my school, his words and impact on me was what made this Major Work possible!

I also want to mention close friends who have willingly read my Major Work over the course of its creation and helped me learn more about myself as a person and a writer. One of the biggest challenges for me was bringing a part of myself into the work because initially, I wanted to write from another persona's perspective. Choosing to write from personal experience, especially about music which is such an important part of my life, was a large fear I had from becoming too attached to my writing. In saying this, the attachment I have to 'Vivace' is now everlasting. It has been a long process of research, creating and refining but perhaps this is what made the course so liberating for me  :)

To finish off my entry today, I just want to wish all other Extension 2 English students good luck with their Major Works and I hope the experience was just as life changing as it was for me  :D My conclusion of the Reflection Statement summarises my experience very well.

"My Major Work encourages spontaneity and a primeval instinct inherent to the audience to surface - to live in art. The process of reconciliation in my Major Work will serve as an aide-memoire of the creative trajectories offered in music. In essence, ‘Vivace’ is a microcosm of the musician that, regardless of how difficult it may be to hold permanence in guiding the spiritual fire for others, has achieved what Alfred Corn inspired for me to strive for when embarking on this course, that “before all else, (the poetry) at least (been able) to please the author.”"  ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on August 23, 2018, 03:24:19 pm
Love it, Angelina -- it's been great following your Major Work journey! Hope all goes well.

Best of luck for Ext 1 tomorrow, you'll smash it!
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 24, 2018, 09:14:17 pm
Love it, Angelina -- it's been great following your Major Work journey! Hope all goes well.

Best of luck for Ext 1 tomorrow, you'll smash it!

Hey, fantasticbeasts3!

Glad you've been with me all the way  ;D Extension 1 went quite well! I liked the essay question even though it was very specific  :o :o The creative stimulus also fit with mine really well and only a few minor tweaks were made  ;D

My BOW is almost there and my Music Major Works only have a few more things to tweak before submission  ;D Handing in Extension 2 English today was perhaps one of the greatest reliefs ever and I will be happy to post it on AN once I am informed of how it goes  ;D ;D Have a great evening, everyone!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 03, 2018, 03:37:17 pm
03/09/2018

Another monumental day!  ;D I finally finished my Body of Work for VA and submitted it with half an hour to spare  ;D ;D I'm currently over the moon with this done but am also starting to face the reality that my last Major Works for Music are looming in closer. It'll be the end of an amazing journey for me  ;D

I would like to formally introduce The Promethean Gift which is my pride and joy! I have poured a ridiculous amount of time into this BOW which consists of 50 rectangular pieces layered into ten piles, 15 square pieces layered into three piles and a long spectrum with two layers  :o It sounds heaps more than it appears but I hope that will be something the markers know instantly from looking at it  :)

The materials I used in this include Stonehenge paper, coloured inks, spray paint, bitumen, salt, baking soda and an assortment of found objects (beads, computer chips, screws, LED lights etc.) I also had a soldering iron as my main instrument for burning the papers which I am sad to have parted with after months of working with it  :'( When people asked me why I chose to do this for my BOW, I responded with the honest truth.

I'm not a science/tech person and I never will be but there is definitely something incredibly aesthetic about substances and the changing role of technology in our world. If I was ever going to take a scientific investigation or research process, it would have to be something like this  :D I had immense fun experimenting with my materials and designing unique pieces of work that reflect the world today. I wanted my BOW to look familiar and yet foreign which I believe I have achieved  ;D

I have modified my concept multiple times but have narrowed down my Artist Statement which I think encapsulates everything. I have written it up below for those interested in reading it  ;D I'm going to take my well deserved rest for the day before getting back to Music tomorrow  :D Almost there at the end  ;D Have a good evening!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D

There is a science in art and an art in science. Prometheus’ gift of fire to humanity instigated innovation and my Body of Work investigates the inherent blaze that exists within the mortal spirit, the ignition of a chasm. A series of experiments, The Promethean Gift conveys the excessive, intrinsic struggle to find answers, reducing matter to pigmentation and disarray in layers piled upon one another.

However, my Body of Work advocates for a therapeutic treatment of the self through the removal of material insufficiency and the insertion of a conflagration. The motivic interaction with fire, expressed in the interspersed placement of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, presents the thematic commonality of science uniting my Body of Work and interweaves this intellectual search for meaning throughout. The Promethean Gift captures an incomplete state of burning, cleansing and reforming, suggesting that audiences should aim to be charging towards an ongoing enquiry into what truly lies beyond the layers of existence.
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 10, 2018, 09:22:41 pm
10/09/2018

And the final day is over! I had my HSC Music 2 Submitted Works and Practical Examination today which marks the end of my crazy Major Works journey  :'( :'( How surreal it feels right now can not be captured in words. I was sitting outside the examination room just reflecting on all the work put into my majors, including Music, and realising that I am heading into the HSC exams with just under 50% of my total HSC already finished was fantastic  ;D

For today's performance, I think the sight singing went alright. My pitch has never been a problem because I do AMEB Classical Singing but rhythm has always been a point of difficulty. I prioritised getting the pitch right a tad too much which was at the cost of rhythmic timing but I am about 99% confident I got all the notes right. If I'm lucky, the markers will not penalise too much for being off with the rhythm. On a more positive note, I have never given a better performance my entire life!  ;D My partner Alex and I have invested so much time into this piece and to see it executed exactly as I envisioned surged me with adrenaline for the whole day. The only downside was that the only people there to witness it were the examiners but I hope Alex and I can find an opportunity to perform it in front of a bigger audience because it was incredibly enjoyable  ;D

My composition involved into something quite enigmatic. I titled my final composition 'The Traffic Jam' and emulated sounds you can hear on the roads for my submission of Music of the last 25 years. It ended up being something I was proud of, despite not being much of a composer, and I hope it marks well with NESA.

I submitted my Musicology essay last week in advanced because I had it finished completely at that point. What was perhaps most important to my Major Work journey was realising that I can not live without research, projects and challenges. The Musicology essay plunged me into all of these aspects and I was able to come out with a sense of pride and love for the 1500 words I gave birth to over nine months of work. I hope to study Musicology in university as a major and to simulate the experience through this elective reaffirmed my aspirations for the future.

While today's entry concludes with my final Major Works submissions, I intend to continue updating with any creative pursuits that may lie ahead from now until I receive my ATAR. I also look forward to answering any questions and possibly even writing a full length response on my insane decision to undertake so many Major Works in the next few weeks. I entered my final year of high school with concerns for how people would think of me choosing to subject myself to this monstrosity of a year's worth of work. Sharing this journey with everyone on ATARNOTES has made me feel less alone and almost excited to have an audience to come back to  :) I'm grateful for all the support I have received on this thread and hope to keep it active post Major Works.

That will be all from me! Have a great evening, folks!  ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: kauac on September 12, 2018, 04:25:07 pm
Awesome, Awesome, Angelina! What a satisfying milestone to reach.

Coming from someone who specifically didn't choose any major work subjects, I really admire you for rising to the challenge in tackling so many of them!
Btw, your BOW is stunning!
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on September 12, 2018, 06:26:35 pm
Amazing stuff Angelina, you should be so proud!!

Get in touch if you ever want to write about your experience doing so many major works for our articles section, I think you have an insight into it that almost no one else has
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 13, 2018, 01:35:41 pm
13/09/2018

I’m having withdrawals from post Major Works. As relaxed as I am, writing all my cards, purchasing gifts for teachers, ready to graduate and dance my legs off at the formal, I miss the pressure of having so much to do. The HSC is indeed around the corner and my revision will commence next week but there seems to be a huge void I will need to somehow fill.

Awesome, Awesome, Angelina! What a satisfying milestone to reach.

Coming from someone who specifically didn't choose any major work subjects, I really admire you for rising to the challenge in tackling so many of them!
Btw, your BOW is stunning!

Thank you, kauac!

I have had immense fun with them, as much as they were a challenge  :D Amid all my personal intentions to choose subjects I loved and would excel in, a great reason why I chose to do so many was to reduce the stigma placed on them  :) I know people who have dropped subjects off the fear of having major works and I wanted to revise the idea of Major Works being scary or demanding. Indeed, they are, but the rewards certainly outweigh the challenges  ;D I hope to advocate for people who have any of the ones I undertook to go forth with them and hopefully allow them to share similar experiences of elation and content.

I’m also very proud of the final BOW aesthetic  ;D Hopefully she marks well with NESA because the BOW was a product of immense planning, experimentation and artistic design. I’m glad you like it  ;D ;D

Amazing stuff Angelina, you should be so proud!!

Get in touch if you ever want to write about your experience doing so many major works for our articles section, I think you have an insight into it that almost no one else has

And I certainly will! I’ve been thinking about writing articles that summarise my journey and possibly even tips for the 2019 cohort on how they can tackle Major Works. I hope I can perform well in them to offer credible assistance  ;D

That will be all for today’s entry. Time to head back to the books   :D Have an awesome day!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 25, 2018, 01:15:48 pm
25/09/2018

Hey, everyone!

With formal on today for us (I know it's heaps early for most people but I actually quite like having it now before everyone flies to Spain or something after exams), I wanted to finally show off one of the group corsages and boutonnieres we handmade  ;D Talk about a mini BOW with all the Visual Arts kids in the six of us getting together to make them  :) This was the closest thing to having a Major Work in the last few weeks and I am very satisfied with how they turned out  ;D Looking forward to partying hard tonight before it's back to the books  ;) That will be all from me today! Have a great day, folks!

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: jamonwindeyer on September 25, 2018, 06:35:24 pm
Enjoy your formal Angelina!! Have fun ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on November 08, 2018, 11:56:42 pm
08/11/2018

Here I sit, listening to my favourite Celtic Thunder songs (it's been forever since I listened to anything but classical music or Aviencloud playlists for "friendly study music"), reflecting on thirteen years of high school.

My exams actually finished last Wednesday and I have been having my share of freedom. It has been a rewarding year and call me crazy but I am almost ready to receive my marks back so I can finally part with the HSC. I'd love to know how my Major Works went externally and whether they will all come back in one piece (I'm looking at you, my BOW).

This is yet to be my goodbye to this thread. I refuse to part just yet until my results all returned  :) I have, however, decided to announce that I will be continuing my creative endeavours post high school and will be looking to a uni journal or a creative corner thread to share my future projects. After the exams, I felt massive exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to simply sleep. However, the inclination I had to continue writing, to fold some origami cranes, to find new repertoire to learn with my partner and to just create was not something I could ignore. I think the Major Works this year are only a start to what is going to potentially be a lifetime of creation and artistic pursuits. I am excited to share this all with you  ;D

Leading up to the HSC results coming out, I will be doing reviews on each of the Major Works I completed and finalising my thoughts before saying farewell to it all. I will also be attending the AN meetup for NSW 2018's so I am pumped to meet all the wonderful people who have supported this thread and inspired me as an audience for my creative journey this year  ;D

That will be all for this slightly emotional and bittersweet post. I would like to end the entries of this thread with fondness and reflection as an advocate for the amazing opportunities that Major Works can provide  ;D Have a great evening, all!

Toodles,

Angelina  8)

Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on November 12, 2018, 03:22:24 pm
12/11/2018

Major Work Subject Reviews

Subject: Society and Culture

Major Work: Personal Interest Project (PIP)

Form: Written

Weighting in External Assessment: 40%

Major Work Contents:

- 500 word Introduction
- 500 word Log
- 4000 word Central Material
- 500 word Conclusion
- Annotated Bibliography
- Appendix (Optional)

Documentation:

None was formally required, other than the teacher periodically checking your progress. I did create a Logbook for myself to retain all my research, which helped later on when I needed to do the dreaded annotated bibliography (I'll get to that later).

My Major Work

For my PIP, I investigated how accepting multicultural societies are of heterosexual, interracial relationships  :) I originally intended to look at relationships overall and do a cross comparison with homosexual relationships in a case study but it went significantly over the word count so I narrowed it to this particular scope. My cross cultural investigation looked how different cultural pairings are received in contemporary, multicultural societies and I did a case study on agenda setting interracial relationships, more specifically white American-Asian pairings. I observed how there are still continued prejudices towards interracial couples but due to multiculturalism as a common agenda in these societies, changes in attitudes and thoughts can be perceived over time  ;D

Research:

Conducting research is what made the whole PIP experience a fun one! I loved putting what I had learnt in SAC into practice to really see and understand how the concepts in the subject applied to research in the real world. It simulates research processes well and grants the opportunity for students to engage in a project that they design for themselves  8)

What primary research methodologies you choose can make the difference in how you enjoy the PIP experience. I did surveys, interviews and a focus group which gave me a diverse range of responses from both objective and subjective scopes. My favourite methodology was definitely the focus group because I had the fortune to facilitate a group discussion on my case study. I found that the participants were more willing to engage in conversation because it wasn't so confrontational as a one-on-one interview and would highly recommend the focus group methodology if it's appropriate to your topic.

I really enjoyed doing secondary research for my topic because there was a great range of resources available, from feature articles on popular culture websites to PhD theses written by people in the field of research that I had chosen. I was exposed to a variety of resources and learnt how to discern bias, reliability, credibility and validity across them. I think these skills are so important in research and can assist in reaffirming your observations or even challenge them, encouraging you to create a more well-rounded discussion. I started the PIP with a focus on exposing the prejudices of interracial dating but came out of the course realising that there is a positive future ahead for them.

Construction:

Writing up the PIP itself was no walk in the park. I started writing my PIP the minute I finished my survey and watched it develop all the way until the day before the draft was due. My focus changed slightly in the middle of the year which threw me off course but I was able to get back into it with the help of my teacher.

I'm not someone who complains about footnoting (as weird as this may sound, I actually like seeing them pop up because it makes the doc look so fancy and professional) but an annotated bibliography is something I'm glad I won't have to do again for a while. I absolutely hated the annotated bibliography because I had a ridiculous amount of resources to categorise, put into alphabetical order and then individual evaluations on the resources' impacts in my work. I spent a solid four hours on this (not exaggerating) and it sucked the life out of me  >:( >:( If I could have it my way, I'd prefer just putting the evaluation in dot points (I could've saved maybe two hours) since the PIP isn't as formally expressed/written as an essay (I found it super weird using first person at times) but that's not what was required and it made the last few days before the draft submission laborious  :'(

Other than that particular section, I found writing the PIP itself not as difficult. I liked writing certain chapters more than others, I will have to admit, but I was satisfied with the overall result and finished it entirely the day before it was due  ;D

Advice based on experience:

- I can not stress this enough but check the requirements from NESA for submission as soon as you start writing. I forgot about the margin, size and font requirements until two nights before my draft was due which freaked me out. If I had remembered earlier, I definitely would not have overreacted. I had to reformat my whole PIP and find all the pages numbers again for my contents page. This was not an enjoyable experience. When it comes to submitting the draft for marking, you would not want this to be something last minute to do.

- Continuously footnote when you are writing the PIP. Leaving the footnoting until the end will be a tedious process. Whenever you designate time to do your PIP, either footnote as you are referencing your primary and secondary research OR allocate a few minutes (remind yourself) to add the footnotes for that day in. It will make everything easier in the long run.

- Check if you are adhering to the ethical research practices and social/cultural literacy guidelines throughout the PIP. These aspects of SAC are crucial to your success as you are applying research methodologies with them in mind. Always make sure you are following by their expectations and your PIP will be a reflection of them.

- Try to get as many people to read your PIP as possible. This doesn't have to be the whole thing in one go. Send sections out to different people who might know more about specific areas (research, writing, grammar/punctuation etc.) and can target them in smaller chunks. Different people will see different things so it is important that you maximise proofreading as a priority.
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on November 30, 2018, 11:39:05 pm
30/11/2018

Major Work Subject Reviews

Subject: Music 2

Major Works: Core Performance, Core Composition, Elective (Musicology)

Form: Practical/Composition/Written

Weighting in External Assessment: 20% each

Major Work Contents:

- 4 minute performance

- 2 minute composition

-1500 word essay

Documentation:

There was no documentation required for Performance. All I did that was close to it was record throughout the week when I had rehearsed my piece. I aimed to at least have four hours a week (due to busy assessment schedules, commitment to extra curricular activities and so forth). For composition, a portfolio is to be kept, documenting all research and experimentation during the process. The musicology essay also had a portfolio to document all research and drafting for the major work.

My Major Works

For performance, I sung 'So Much More Than Me' from the Australian musical 'The Hatpin.' Musical theatre is my one true love and even though it deviates from the more classical boundaries of Music 2, I had immense fun with this number. It signals one of the most climatic moments in the musical and explores ideas of determination, strength and empowerment. My partner Alex accompanied me on piano for this assessment.

My composition evolved entirely throughout my major work journey but I ended up titling it 'Traffic Jam', using different stylistic techniques for the instruments to imitate honking horns, sirens and the ticking sound from the traffic lights for crossing. I was really satisfied with how it turned out, considering composition has always been my weakest area.

The musicology essay I wrote was on Schubert's instrumentation in his lieder (German art songs) allow audiences to realise tragedy in his musical narratives. I chose Music of the Nineteenth Century for my Additional Topic and investigated his works because I have had the pleasure of studying many of his in my AMEB Singing course. He had a very interesting life and his music is amongst some of the greatest in the Romantic period.

Research:

I did research for the composition and musicology essay to build my portfolios and create my major works. Having background research and understanding for each topic (Australian music of the last 25 years and Music of the Nineteenth Century respectively) was essential for my major works, especially the composition which had the more obscure topic of the two. I was able to find new ways to create music and to understand music in my research stages. For my musicology essay in particular, I had been opened to a whole new academic world of resources and critical readings which I had never had the right reason to explore before. I read more Schubert critical readings than I had read critical readings for my English subjects (and I did a LOT of them). This is largely why I am hoping to major in Musicology at university; I fell in love with research and independent investigation. My portfolios also had checkpoints where I marked any changes in my research scope, evaluated my progress and made intended plans until the next designated checkpoint. They helped me keep on track.

Construction:


I'll talk about my composition first because it was the most difficult for me. Online notation is both the most convenient and yet tedious function we have invented. I used Noteflight for my notation software because it was the only one I knew how to use prolifically. It helped that I knew the software quite well, especially towards the last few days before submission when I was making frantic, last minute edits to my composition. I worked really well under pressure and found it easy but the overall process was very time consuming  :'( I was proud of my final submission but also unsure of how it would be received by the markers. It could perform exceptionally well or quite the opposite depending on how they view it  :-\

Not much construction was needed for my performance, other than to rehearse and fine tune (haha music puns yay) my interpretation of the piece. The real challenge was putting it altogether with my partner who accompanied me on the piano. There were many clashing notes that I sung with his accompaniment part which presented a lot of grief for us in trying to ensure I was pitching the notes correctly. There are also a ridiculous amount of time signature changes throughout the piece and we initially found it difficult to adjust to. Overall though, the piece was one of my best in my performance repertoire. I delivered the most powerful performance I could have and I hope the markers liked it  :)

The musicology essay's construction consisted of many drafts, revisions and stressful breakdowns. I conducted extensive research but for some reason, I initially found it a challenge to actually write. Essay writing in music is not touched on until Year 11, at least to this extent, so I was not used to the style and was constantly changing my structure to try and ensure I wasn't approaching it like every other subject. I struggled with finding an identity for my essay but after stepping back from it, I found myself being able to really power through it. Integrating the score and audio excerpts throughout my essay gave it an appearance of professionalism which made me very proud at the end of writing it. It was visually pleasing to see finished and ranks the highest of the academic essays I have written throughout my HSC. I hope it performs well in marking because I have the highest hopes for it  ;D

Advice based on experience:

- Start drafting the composition as soon as possible. Even if it is just a bunch of chords, at least there is substance to work with and prove that you have been engaging in the composition early on. I kept changing my ideas wished I had started drafting earlier to really show that timeline of change. I had little records and evidence of these changes in my portfolio which affected my internal performance. I would strongly recommend documenting anything remotely related to the composition and drafting immediately, even if it means that you don't follow through with it long term.

- Perform what gives you confidence and motivation. Music 2 is really a course tailored towards classical musicians and I found this hard to reconcile with because my performance experiences had largely been in musical theatre. I was reluctant to pursue this at a HSC level but I was able to choose a piece that reflected the topic, whilst still showing who I was as a musician. This was so important in the long run because I grew to be more confident and comfortable with who I was as a musician and was motivated to rehearse more frequently. If I had followed convention and chosen a classical piece to sing, I don't think I would have produced such a performance worth treasuring for the rest of my musical career. Finding a piece that resonates with you is crucial to success.

- Keep a balance between primary and secondary research during the musicological research stage. Primary research in musicology is key and I did not realise this until it was midway through my research process. I crammed a lot of listening logs for my piece and mass annotations over two weeks to ensure this balance but it definitely should be something to consider doing from the start. Secondary research is easy to find; it's searching for the motivation to analyse and interpret the piece yourself that is the challenge.
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 10, 2018, 12:22:44 pm
10/12/2018

Major Work Subject Reviews

Subject: Visual Arts

Major Work: Body of Work

Form: Practical

Weighting in External Assessment: 50%

Major Work Contents:

The contents and requirements for BOWs differ depending on what medium you choose. I submitted mine under Collection of Works so I followed those guidelines.

- 11 Mixed Media pieces

Documentation:

A VAPD is required for this Major Work to document the BOW progress. This ranges from research, experimentation with the medium and photographs of the process in creating the BOW. In my VAPD, I also assigned monthly checkpoints to keep myself updated and to make checklists on what to complete in the following month.

My Major Work:

My Artist Statement details the major premise of my BOW;

"There is a science in art and an art in science. Prometheus’ gift of fire to humanity instigated innovation and my Body of Work investigates the inherent blaze that exists within the mortal spirit, the ignition of a chasm. A series of experiments, The Promethean Gift conveys the excessive, intrinsic struggle to find answers, reducing matter to pigmentation and disarray in layers piled upon one another.

However, my Body of Work advocates for a therapeutic treatment of the self through the removal of material insufficiency and the insertion of a conflagration. The motivic interaction with fire, expressed in the interspersed placement of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, presents the thematic commonality of science uniting my Body of Work and interweaves this intellectual search for meaning throughout. The Promethean Gift captures an incomplete state of burning, cleansing and reforming, suggesting that audiences should aim to be charging towards an ongoing enquiry into what truly lies beyond the layers of existence. "


For my BOW, I completed a Collection of Works comprising of ten rectangular box frames, each containing five layers of Stonehenge paper stacked and elevated with foam cubes for a three dimensional effect. I also had a 2m piece of wood which had two long layers of Stonehenge paper. Materials used to create this BOW include coloured inks, spray paint, baking soda, salt, bitumen, watercolours, printer ink, citrus solvent, a soldering iron and an assortment of found objects (beads, computer chips, screws). I wanted to make my BOW Postmodern and to play with an unconventional style of artmaking in my practice  ;D

Research:

I conducted research into different ink techniques for abstract art and discovered chemical reactions which I incorporated in my BOW. I also researched into different transferring techniques to transfer my poem's text onto the layers of paper. My VAPD contains all evidence of my research, both on my conceptual intentions, such as the cultural associations with fire as a symbol, and practical investigation. Other than that, most of my research and findings came from actually doing my BOW; the Major Work was a series of experiments after all and I learnt more of the different artistic properties available for me to create with as I played around with the materials.

I also researched into two artists for my Artist Influences: Lindy Lee and Lou Jordan. I was inspired by Lee's gorgeous artworks, notably the ones where she used the soldering iron to create intricate, dot patterns on paper. That was where I got my idea from to layer the pieces and burn holes to almost let it look as if the pages are slowly deteriorating away  8) Jordan's ink art gave me the idea to experiment with different substances in my BOW; he used alcohol in his so I took a step further and tried baking soda, salt and bitumen. The research I conducted gave my BOW a unique style and appearance which is one of the greatest parts of it!

Construction:

Imagine staying back at school for 3-4 days a week until 6pm from commencement of the Major Work to finish it. That was basically my BOW journey in a nutshell  :( I started my BOW a lot later than I intended to but powered through it from staying back as many afternoons as I could. I was also involved in numerous extra-curricular activities and missed out on every Friday double period lesson (which we used for prac) for a whole term. Staying back was my only way to compensating for that. My teachers also held holiday workshops so I came in during the holidays for full school day lengths of time to finish my BOW. With my beloved Westlife playlist and occasional outbursts into musical numbers, I ended up finding a way to be productive and have fun at the same time  ;D

Little note here on the text transferring technique I used. I printed my poem onto plastic sheets and rubbed citrus solvent on them to transfer them over with a blender pen. I then had to use a spoon to transfer all the remaining parts that weren't directly transferred over with the solvent. It was the most painful thing I had to experience during my BOW process. I had burnt myself here and there but nothing compared to that constant hand action I had to have to get the text printed on my papers  >:( It was well worth the effort but I wouldn't know what I would have done without hand cream during those times  ::)

After all the pieces were made and layered, I was having difficulty hiding the foam cubes and needed to find a way to display my artwork. One of my teachers suggested wooden frames and I loved the idea. I was very lucky that they were able to source some wood for me, as well as me scavenging myself in the old VA store room and we made 11 beautiful frames from scratch. We also found a long 2m piece that gave me the idea to make a spectrum piece that followed all the colours of the other boxes. It ended up being my favourite one  :D

Creating the BOW was no easy task, especially with all my other commitments for study, extra-curricular and three other Major Works-based subjects. That being said, I would not have changed anything during my journey. It was all one important learning experience for me and all I can hope for now is a good mark from NESA  :) :)

Advice based on experience:

- Find your strengths and play with it. I was a rare case in that I much preferred theory over prac in Visual Arts and struggled to find something that I could excel in. I wasn't a good painter, drawer, sculptor, or a good anything really. It took me weeks to find out what I was able to be successful in and I am glad I searched for my strengths, instead of going with what everyone else was doing. This is the best advice I can give anyone doing VA. Doing what you love and what will maximise your performance for the course will help sustain motivation and keep you looking forward to that final submission, rather than dreading it.

- Working on the BOW consistently is optimal. It is preferable to start on it as soon as possible but I personally wasn't able to properly start mine until the end of the second term of HSC (Term 1, 2018). What is important to achieving success is productivity and working on the BOW with discipline. Even during stressful periods of assessments, I would highly suggesting designating at least two or three hours to continue doing it. A lot of people I knew would neglect the BOW and their majors during assessment periods which is not ideal because it takes constant work and effort to really produce a quality work. It also helps you finish it faster so you have plenty of time to refine and organise any last priorities such as how it will be displayed for marking and packaging.

- Regularly touch base with your teacher. I was lucky to have a shared class with two teachers to compare and contrast advice and feedback from. The benefits were evident in my BOW which was a product of my own creativity and their combined guidance. Art teachers can give great insight and constructive criticism to assist you in achieving the best you can for your assessment. Making sure they are on the same page as you with your intentions for the BOW is important.

- This links from the previous but learn to realise that feedback on your BOW is never personal. I remember being slightly upset once because I thought that my BOW wasn't reaching the standards that my teachers had set for me and that I had failed them. I learnt to understand that their constructive criticism was highly valuable, indicating that they were willing to help me succeed and achieve the best possible outcome, as opposed to demotivating me and my hopes for the course. The feedback that teachers may give you, whether it be for the BOW or any subject, may be harsh but it will ultimately assist you in reaching your goals. Accepting feedback is a highly beneficial skill and it will be most evident in your final presentation.
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 12, 2018, 09:22:00 pm
12/12/2018

Major Work Subject Reviews

Subject: Extension 2 English

Major Work: Suite of Poems

Form: Written

Weighting in External Assessment: 50%

Major Work Contents:

The contents and requirements for Major Works in Extension 2 differ depending on what form you choose. I submitted mine under Poetry so I followed those guidelines.

- 3500 word Major Work (Suite of Poems)

- 1500 word Reflection Statement

Documentation:

A Journal is utilised in Extension 2 to document the Major Work progress over the duration of its completion. I used my Journal as a place to compile my research, collect stimuli for my creative writing and to keep my annotated drafts. Like I did with my other majors, I assigned monthly checkpoints to update my Major Work process and to make checklists on what I had to do in the following month.

My Major Work:

For my Major Work, I composed a suite of jazz poems titled 'Vivace' that recontextualised Western classical music forms. I wanted to combine confessional poetry with a style that I was particularly versed in (hehe poetry puns) and that would allow me to gain some kind of closure in completing it. Each musical form I chose, whether it was a symphony, gigue or a nocturne, applied the conventions of the form with stylistic interpretations to be recreated into a literary work. I drew from my varied experiences as a musician and explored the emotional extremities familiar to those who invest in the arts. It was a liberating Major Work to complete and although was largely autobiographical, the poems were a reflection of the pressures, hardships and yet magic that comes with loving music  ;D

Similar to my VA Major Work, I interweaved my fascination with fire as an artistic symbol in my Major Work. I knew I wanted a common thread to connect my poems together and this did just that for me  ;D I initially presented fire from my persona's perspective as a menace and an agitated entity, before transitioning throughout the suite towards viewing it as a sign of passion and ambition. I found myself being highly empowered by this and was able to make great connections with something so foreign to music with ease  8)

Research:

My research endeavours ranged from Youtube videos on poetry to academic essays. I wanted to create a Major Work that was comprehensive and flavoured which was accomplished from my research. I started off deconstructing some poems that I had studied throughout high school and locating key compositional techniques that I wanted to apply for my own writing. I also did readings on psychology in music and found myself discovering a new way to understand myself. My concept grew from being just a suite of poems on musical nihilism to a personal narrative. Researching allowed me to realise that.

It wasn't until the Viva Voce task that I came to the conclusion that I needed more form-based research  ::) I ended up purchasing two books that significantly impacted my poetic practice by Alfred Corn and Robert Hass. I investigated into the poetry form in more depth than I thought was possible and learnt to appreciate every minor detail in every poem I read from then, to the greater picture that the poets wanted me to see. I definitely think form research is overlooked sometimes in the course and I was guilty of that myself but it does serve an important role in how the Major Work will turn out  :)

Construction:

Writing the Major Work itself was an interesting process. I was heavily invested in my Major Work and almost lost myself in it many times when the HSC was difficult. I used my Major Work as an avenue for personal release and to help me feel more than who I was. I once envied poets because they were able to do one of the things I loved most for a living and I felt like I would never have that kind of power. 'Vivace' proved to me that I had the ability to do just that and all I needed to do was commit to it. And commit I definitely did  :)

This might be a strange point to raise but it was one that was pivotal to my Major Work. I actually didn't end up using my journal for drafting my Major Work much; I used it more to keeping annotated copies but not physically writing any of my poems. I found something far more convenient for me in the Major Work construction process to utilise technology (i.e Google Docs). It was more efficient for me to correct mistakes, revise previous drafts and to write my poems online. I had to compensate this with more extensive journal entries and detailed evaluations on each poem to still fill it up with content. When it was finished, I was very pleased with how professional it looked and I printed myself a copy of it to keep for myself as evidence of a year's worth of writing done by my own will  :D

During my writing process, I was really fortunate to have a lot of support which I had not realised I had before. I had always kept my creative writing a secret because I was made fun of a lot during my junior years for being too nerdy and didn't want to share any of my poems. However, after becoming more comfortable with my writing in the HSC, I began to want more opinions and perspectives on my poetry. I showed many people I trusted and it reaffirmed the importance of having a supportive network in my life because during periods of writer's block or stress, they were there to assist me. Writing the poems was invigorating and nothing mattered more to me than being able to share that with others. It was something I was new to but more than willing to experience. It made the construction that much more engaging. I'm hoping to do well for Extension 2 because I poured a big part of myself into it and would like to see my hard work, as well as the beliefs others had in me, pay off  ;D

Advice based on experience:

- Embrace the possibilities of writing spontaneously. In a course which many would perceive as requiring organisation and discipline, me suggesting to be spontaneous may come off as invalid. I was also under the assumption that the whole process would be linear and needed to be cohesive but it was quite the opposite; I ended up writing poems based on impulse, as opposed to following their chronology in the suite. I wrote my last poem earlier than most of my poems because I knew exactly how I wanted 'Rhapsody' to play out. It was my big finish and I maximised my time to perfect it because of this. I also wrote one of my climatic poems in the centre of the Major Work first because its placement in the poem was crucial. I would highly suggest the writer to write what they feel would be best to do first and build from that momentum to fill in the gaps. It allows you to fully experience the intensity of the course and to love it  :)

- Be experimental with form. In reference to my earlier point on the benefits of technology for writing, exploit the many possibilities you can consider with formatting and typesetting for your Major Work. I loved playing around with structure and layout for my Major Work which made it both a visual and written experience for the reader. For example, I had letters scattered all around the pages, changed some words into bold or italics and incorporating images of jazz musicians throughout my Major Work. Doing this granted me the opportunity to expand on the limitations placed on the assessment and to create an original atmosphere to my writing  8) 8) Although there is the font prescription restriction, feel free to be creative with the way your Major Work looks and how you can convey more with the form itself to enhance the content.

- Personal reflection and evaluation throughout the Major Work journey is strongly encouraged. I completed a series of evaluations after I made any significant changes in my Major Work. This helped me reflect deeply on my choices and assess if they were appropriate for my form and concept. Evaluating your own work can enable you to identify strengths and areas of improvement and should be an ongoing process, as opposed to being wedged all at the end in the Reflection Statement. In fact, my regular evaluations were bookmarked so that I was able to return to them and see the most influential points of my journey and easily write the chronology for my Reflection Statement in the long run. I think this is the most effective way to experience Extension 2 holistically and take away many important skills from the course  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 14, 2018, 04:40:19 pm
14/12/2018

And the fated day has arrived  ;D With the HSC results and ATAR finally out, I can't help but admit that I have been on a constant high since receiving them. I was thoroughly impressed by my performance and completely underestimated how I would go. It has been a long but meaningful journey for me with the major works and to see them be rewarded so highly was fantastic!

I'll start with Music since it had the lowest score subject-wise. I was predicting an 80 for Music 2 based on my internal performance and was happy to see an 83 HSC mark  :) It was a struggle for me competing against seasoned musicians and I'm glad that all those extra hours of study leading up to the HSC made the difference in the end. I am curious to see where the marks were rewarded so I hope I can access those results somehow (preferably without having to pay a ridiculous amount for them).

For Visual Arts, I scored a 93 which also exceeded my expectations of a predicted 90! I was worried about my BOW not receiving a Band 6 worthy mark because my teachers both thought it would be a hit or miss with the markers so it was a massive relief to see that score  ::) I'm pleased to know that I was capable of receiving such a mark despite having little practical talent joining the course in Year 11  :D

Society and Culture was twinning with VA with a 93 as well! I definitely think most of my marks came from the PIP because I know I lost a few in the exam from silly mistakes. I was over the moon to see myself getting Band 6's in them because I worked ridiculously hard to balance these two in particular with the gross amount of content that came with their subjects ;D

Finally, let me just say that 'Vivace' was superb! I was particularly pleased with my Extension 2 Major Work receiving a 48 exam mark because I feared the poetry markers for NESA greatly. It was great to feel validated by the markers as to the quality of my Major Work. I had always been writing poetry in secret and to see it perform so well was surreal. I ended up scoring a 46 after averaging with my assessment mark and got a solid E4 for a subject I was told I would not succeed in initially by a lot of people  8)

That's all from me today about the results! I hope everyone is happy with theirs and is getting into the course they aim to get in. I will continue updating in this thread on my activities until university commences in which I will then shift elsewhere to continue sharing my creative journeys! Have a great weekend, all!  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 20, 2018, 08:25:23 am
20/12/2018

Big day for everyone with UAC offers coming out so I'll keep my entry nice and short today 8) I am more than happy to inform you all that after a long wait and thirteen years of schooling, I have decided that I want to only return to high school and pursue teaching! I was offered a place at the Conservatorium of Music which has been my dream university ever since I first visited campus many years ago. It has been an intense few years cramming music theory to accelerate myself into a position of potentially being considered, despite not starting music from an early age, and pursuing numerous essay writing subjects to prepare me for tertiary study. I can now say it has all been well worth it!

I will be studying the Bachelor of Music (Music Education) (BPMUMEDU1000) course full time and was recently informed that I have also been offered a scholarship of $6000 for my first year  ;D ;D This was based on my surprise of an ATAR, as well as the quality of my Musicology essay that I submitted in my portfolio as a requirement for my application. I was thrilled to hear that I was offered and just confirmed my acceptance now  :) All I have to do now is wait to enrol and I'll be on my way into a new chapter of my life  8) Exciting times ahead! I hope everyone else got into their courses  :)

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: katie,rinos on December 20, 2018, 10:02:52 am
Congrats on your offer and scholarship!!  :D

Very excited to read your uni journal!  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on December 20, 2018, 10:14:29 am
Amazing stuff Angelina!!!! Congrats, so well deserved x
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 20, 2018, 12:38:25 pm
Amazing stuff Angelina!!!! Congrats, so well deserved x
Congrats on your offer and scholarship!!  :D

Very excited to read your uni journal!  ;D


Thank you so much to the both of you!  ;D I’ll definitely be keeping a journal. Jamon gave me the idea of titling it Conservatorium Crusades so I’ll more than likely go with that for it  ;D I’ll commence it on my start day on the 24th of February  8)
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: beatroot on December 20, 2018, 01:41:42 pm
Absolutely fantastic Angelina!!! Congratulations on getting an offer and a scholarship as well ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on December 20, 2018, 02:18:42 pm
Absolutely fantastic Angelina!!! Congratulations on getting an offer and a scholarship as well ;D

Thank you, Bea!!  ;D Vis Art and SAC represent  8)
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on January 05, 2019, 07:18:31 pm
05/01/2019

Hey, everyone! I hope your new year has kickstarted brilliantly and that you're in for an amazing 2019  :) Today's entry is something I have been wanting to share for a long time. This journal was a huge part of my HSC experience and gave me a reason to strive through even the toughest of times. Unfortunately, I haven't been very honest with you all. Saying that all my major works were all fun and enjoyable to do would be a massive lie. Although I haven't told it, I might as well have been by not telling you the truth about one of my subjects. There was one particularly subject that caused me immense grief and stress during the HSC, something that I haven't been transparent about in this journal because I felt ashamed to admit it. However, I feel like I owe you all the truth as thanks for supporting me and I would like to share one of the biggest reasons why I am choosing to pursue music education.

In case I haven't explicitly mentioned this before, I studied Music 2 through correspondence. It was a decision I made very early on in Year 10 to pursue Music 2, and not Music 1 which was offered at my school, because I knew I wanted to study music academically. I had always been a hardworking and productive student, considered a role model amongst my peers for work ethic and it was a persona I was quite proud of. I had never had major incidents of procrastination and when it came to studying, I was inquisitive and asked for help without fear whenever I needed it. That remained the same in Year 11 except for in Music 2.

Long story short, I had a terrible time in Prelim. My assigned teacher, we'll call her Ms R, was absolutely useless. She was unhelpful with explaining content to me, often would go weeks before responding to any of my emails which were urgent questions on assessment tasks and whenever we did manage to schedule in call lessons, it was largely her telling me I wasn't suited for the course and that I should drop to Music 1 because singing students wouldn't excel in Music 2. I began to realise how vastly different the syllabus for Music 2 was from Music 1; there was nowhere near the same degree of freedom in what you could study, you were restricted to only performing a certain style of music and unless you had years of training and theory knowledge up your sleeve, you stood no chance in the course. Did I know this when I signed up for it? Yes. Did I think having a good teacher and a strong work ethic would be an effective counter for that? Yes. It always worked out that way for me.

I was proven wrong. As my teacher started to be more and more distant (pun intended), I began to be less motivated. It was a new feeling for me  to not want to bother at all with trying. I still submitted my work in on time and completed all my assessments to the best of my ability, but I stopped researching for the fun of it, wanting to learn more and improve myself. I just wanted it to be over. I barely passed each assessment in my Prelim and would cry every time I received my marks back. It reached a point where I had completely lowered my expectations and began to think the subject was pointless. It was just Prelim though. I knew I had another chance in the HSC and this time, I wouldn't have a teacher who made me feel like I could never succeed in what I wanted to do. That was going to solve everything. At least that was what I thought.

During my HSC, I had many moments where I wanted to drop Music 2. Getting this off my chest was the hardest thing I typed up so far. My new teacher, Mr T, was fantastic. He was supportive, responsive and just a great bloke overall. He was proactive in arranging me workshops with a Conservatorium Composition graduate to assist me with my major work. He told me that I was one of the most worthy students to teach. This boosted my confidence up significantly and I began to enjoy going to my free periods and doing the coursework.

Everything was going fine until my first assessment task was handed back to me. 10/20. It was the lowest mark I had EVER received in ANYTHING. I had the greatest shock of my life and refused to believe it. My partner and I had worked incredibly hard on the performance and we both expected at least a 15/20. It was a slap in the face which I knew wasn't right. I contacted my teacher and told him the mark. He was completely caught off-guard because he also didn't think that was an accurate reflection of the feedback that was written for me. After sorting out with the marking team at the centre, it turns out that they marked my assessment "accidentally" out of 15 and that my actual mark was 13/20.

You can imagine how both relieved and angry I was. I was relieved that I achieved a mark that was more reasonable and similar to the feedback that was provided for me. I was more angry because it was something that never should have happened in the first place. The whole incident was unprofessional and stress-inducing and I was pissed that the centre thought it was okay to just brush it off like it never happened. I wasn't that kind of person though to make the situation more than it had to be. It was an honest mistake and I decided to move on.

It did take a blow on my attitude towards the course. I slowly started to see practices and rehearsals as futile. I began to procrastinate starting my composition because I couldn't conjure up the most brilliant idea. It no longer became compulsory to submit work in and so I delayed completing it as much as I possibly could have. I am also terrible with technology (I kid you not, it took months for me to get my head around the AN forum) which made my composition major work in particularly a tedious and the biggest ceebs project of my life.

The only part that kept me going was my musicology essay. I actually really like writing, from poems to essays, and I especially loved writing about Schubert. He and Tchaikovsky are my go-to listens in any mood I may be in. I wrote the essay on a piece I absolutely adored. It was a joy to analyse and was the only beacon of light during the darkness that was my Music 2 experience. I had high hopes for my essay and hoped my portfolio, which was the internal assessment, would show that.

I received a 15/20 for the portfolio. Bad mark? Not at all. Bad to me because I had 90 pages of content, research and drafting that I felt was worth more? Most definitely. I had praises about the actual essay but all the constructive criticism came solely from the portfolio itself. While that was a good thing, it still hurt. It was around this time that I was also starting to think about what I wanted to do at university and I was drawn to the Con's Bachelor of Music with musicology as the major. I felt as if it was a sign telling me no. It was one of the first times where I truly felt helpless and alone. I knew doing correspondence would be difficult but it began to be more like a chore.

I'll spare the rest of the story because it was basically a recurring cycle. I poured my heart into my work hoping it would translate into approval and validation. Instead, I received quite the opposite and would eventually reach a huge low. I had my Music 2 trials on the same day as Modern and almost said "let's just drop it now." I was already studying for Modern way more and at that point, it didn't matter to me anymore.

I ended up keeping Music 2 and finishing all my major works. I delivered what would be one of the best performances yet with my partner for the markers. I sat an exam which didn't entirely make me feel idiotic but not without exhausting me after two days of English papers. Despite all of this, I am glad I kept it for two main reasons. The first is because it's assumed knowledge at the Con and I'll be prepared for what may come my way this year. I have a bunch of resources that I did end up keeping from the course that I know will prove handy in my degree. The second reason, and probably the more important one, was because I learnt some important lessons from being in Music 2. I learnt that even the best of students will face periods of burnout. There was no avoiding that. What mattered was how you chose to respond to it.

I burnt out multiple times in the course and that was why I was so ecstatic to see a Band 5 because my internals had forced me to believe that I was lucky to achieve a Band 4. That essay I had high hopes for? I received so much praise for it in my interview at the Con to be selected for my course that I almost didn’t believe it was true. I did end up being able to say goodbye to the course with no regrets and here I am now, a commencing Conservatorium of Music student with a $6K scholarship for my first year, which leads me to my final point.

The success that I did gain out of Music 2 was all thanks to Mr T and my two high school music teachers who I will give a shoutout to here. Without this strange trio dynamic, I would not have kept pushing on and reaching my goals. It was because of their dedication and belief in me that I decided to become a music teacher myself. I wish to change the way music is taught at a senior level. Music should be a subject that is encouraging, empowering and inspiring. I didn't experience this much in Music 2 but when I did, it made me feel more than who I was. I was more than just another student number struggling to get through what would potentially be the most difficult year of my life. I was a vessel for a brighter future, an example of how passion will always conquer hardship. It was my calling and the Bachelor of Music (Music Education) degree was the perfect course for me.

I'm excited to advocate for a difference in music education, hoping to inspire a need for inclusion. All of the positive vibes I retained was due to the friends and teachers who gave me a reason to keep going. I want to also thank you for reading what may just be the longest confession I will ever write. It has been a wonderful journey and I will make sure I post one last time before I bid farewell to this journal. I am grateful for AN for everything and I hope to continue giving back to the forums. Here's to a year of movement, motivation and optimism ;D

Toodles,

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: HSC Major Works, The HSC- Major Work!
Post by: angewina_naguen on January 23, 2019, 07:50:46 pm
23/01/2019

Hey, everyone! This is it! I will be signing off from this amazing journal journey and moving on  :) It has been a pleasure of mine to share my Major Works craziness on this forum and to have the support of such a wonderful group of readers. You have all made me feel so welcomed and loved on the forum. I hope to inspire the same wholesome, positive vibes and encouragement in return  ;D

I will be heading on a cruise for the next few days and will return on the 2nd  ;D This is my first real trip away without family and a chance to finally celebrate the end of a chapter of my life, and the beginning of a new one. I hope to return revived, refreshed and ready for the next step  8)

As for my forum activity, I'm excited to continue sharing my love for Arts/Humanities subjects on the forum. I have been particularly active in English which I have to admit I am still slightly not over  ::) I had heaps of fun studying it, along with my other subjects, and I hope to foster that kind of enjoyment in other users. I will be continuing the HSC Poetry Thread which I started weeks ago and providing (hopefully in the backdrop of university, work and extra-curricular) more regular resources for the new syllabus. I have also been considering a University Journal and would like to pursue one once everything commences. I'm not sure entirely what this journal will entail but I look forward to opening up more about my creative and academic life on this site. I'm open to suggestions on what the journal will be about but I'll definitely think of something soon  ;D

To conclude, even though this is the end of my HSC journal, it is certainly not the end for my time on AN and for my creative endeavours. I will keep you all posted on my new lifestyle and show more of who I am in 2019. Thank you for reading my journal and for the last time here, but definitely not the final time, toodles  ;D