1. DIARY
Baseline: 12th of November - 18th of November
Monday:
Today in the lesson we got all the information we needed to start the improvements of our
skills. I'm going to improve my breath control, my performance style, and my posture.
I started today with setting a baseline for my breath control. I sang a C for as long as I could and
I could hold it for 9.43 seconds, that's not very long but I think it was also to do with the fact that
I had a bad chest infection, and I am sure I can make a lot of improvement in this exercise.
From this moment on I will do breath control exercises for 3 times a week, on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday and see how much I can improve my breath control, and see how long I
can sing the same note after the Christmas Holiday.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Tuesday:
Today I decided to set the baseline for my posture, Hani took a picture of me and I looked at it
and looked at the points I had to improve.
Every week I will do a posture improving program, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The
Wednesday and Friday will be in the dance lessons and on saturday I will spend 15 minutes on it
at home.
In the dance lessons we are doing stretch exercises where you really have to sit up straight and
the teacher corrects you when you're not sitting the right way, and that correction is what I
need.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Wednesday:
Today I had a dance lesson. Miss Smallwood corrected my posture in the lesson. She said that
my pelvic had to be in balance, and that I had to make my back a bit longer and that's the way I
would get a better posture. In the end I found the right position, but after a few exercises I'm
sitting wrong again.
I did my breath exercises today. I sang my scales, I didn't do this for a long time so it wasn't as
good as it could be. After this I did the normal breath exercises for 4 seconds and after that 5
seconds because I felt I could do 5 seconds. Then I sang the song: In the arm of the angel by
Sarah Mclachlan while laying on the floor and I noticed that I was out of breath at some points
in the song and I'm going to work on this in the coming weeks.

2. Guitar playing: 30 minutes
Thursday
Today I didn't have to work on my posture or my breath control so I decided to work on my third
skill: Performance style. Miss Segal told me that I had to find something where I could perform
for an audience and I came up with the idea to perform at the Christmas concert on the 18th of
December, so I had a month to come up with a song and make it sound as good as possible.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Friday
I had my dance lesson today so I worked on my posture again. THe teacher gave me less
corrections then last time, my pelvic was a bit more in balance and this time I could find the
right position myself.
In the afternoon I didn't have much time so I only sang In the arms of the Angel and sang a few
scales. I felt that I still need to practise my scales to get a bigger reach, and I need more breath
for that so that's why my other breath exercise is important. The song actually went quite well,
last time I was out of breath quite a lot and now only 3 times, mostly in the chorus because
there are some long notes in it.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Saturday
Today I had to do my posture exersice. I'm sitting in front of the mirror and try to sit straight and
sustain for 5 minutes. In this way I know how it feels to sit straight, and I have to remember this
for the dance lessons, so that I can sit straight anytime.
Guitar playing this weekend: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Week 1: 19th of November - 25th of November
Monday
In monday's lesson I did my standard breathing exercise. This time I did it for 6 seconds and that
was quite easy, and last week I couldn't do that so I already feel that I improve my breath
control.
In the afternoon I did my other breathing exercises. I sang my scales this time I could reach the D
note, 1 note higher than last time so I was pleased. After that I sang In the arms of the angel
again and I feel that everytime I sing it, it gets better.
I could sing my C note for 10.57 second now.

3. Guitar playing: 1 hour
Tuesday
Today I made another picture of my posture and analysed it. I joined the choir for the christmas
concert, to get some more experience with performing, but I also want to do something on my
own, so that's going to be my project for the next few weeks.
Today I also did some songwriting and playing guitar.
Guitar playing: 3 hours
Wednesday
I had my dancing lesson today and we did stretching for a long time, I was sitting more straight
and after the lesson I had a lot of pain in my back because I'm not used to sit like this for such a
long time. I think it definately helped me a lot and I think I'm going to do this stretching
exercises every saturday as well.
In the afternoon I didn't do my breathing exercises, because I forgot about it, that's why I will do
it on thursday.
Guitar playing: 30 minutes
Thursday
Because the Christmas concert is in less than 3 weeks, I chose to sing In the arms of the angel by
Sarah McLachlan at the christmas concert. I am already focussing on this song and I think it gives
me a target date, to let it be perfect and it's something to look forward to.
Then I did my breathing exercises because I forgot it yesterday. It went quite well, I improved
my scale to an D# and I sustained the 6 seconds on the other exercise.
For the rest of the day I practised In the arms of the angel, I listened to the choir songs.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Friday
Today I had my dancing lesson, we didn't really do the stretching today so I decided to do it at
home. It went quite well, I sat straight through the whole program but after that my back hurted
a bit, but a lot less than last time.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Saturday
I didn't do much this weekend because I had a lot of things to do for my media homework.

4. Guitar playing this weekend: 3 hours
Week 2: 26th of November - 2nd of December
Monday
Today we didn't have school, so instead of doing my breathing exercises in school I did it at
home. The first thing I did was singing my C note again and time it. This time I could sing this
note for 11.13 seconds. This means I already improved 1.70 seconds since the bassline and I
think that's quite good after 2 weeks of exercises.
After I did this I did my standard breath control exercises. I sang my scales, and instead of the D
from last week I could sing an F so that was good. After that I did the standard breathing
exercise I tried to do it for 7 seconds today, and that did work out well.
Guitar playing: 30 minutes
Tuesday
I made a picture of my posture today and did the stretching exercise that we normally do in the
dance class. I feel like it's getting easier everytime I do it to find the right position and it gets
more natural every time I do it.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Wednesday
In the dance lesson today the teacher gave me a compliment about my posture. I was sitting
completely straight and she didn't have to mention it first. I think that it helps that I work on my
posture at home as well.
I only did my standard breathing exercise because I have a lot of pain in my throat and I was
afraid to lose my voice again. It went ok, but I couldn't reach the 7 seconds and went back to 6
seconds.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today.
Thursday
On thursday I did my stretching exercises and I tried my breathing exercises again because I
couldn't really do it yesterday. I sang my scales came to the F again today. The standard
breathing exercise went better than yesterday and I'm on 7 seconds again, so I was happy. I also
sang in the arms of the angel again without being out of breath.
Guitar playing: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Friday

5. Today I only did my stretching exercise in my dance lesson, I went alright but the teacher had to
correct me a few time because I have to keep my back a bit more stretched.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Saturday
Today I practiced my song for the Christmas concert and I was quite pleased with myself. I was
not out of breath at all. I think from now on I can concentrate more on the emotion I have to
use in the song instead of practising it. Next week I will think about the lyrics and see what kind
of feeling I want to give the audience.
Guitar playing this weekend: 4 hours
Week 3: 3rd of December - 9th of December
Monday
Today I did my breathing exercises. I did the standard exercise for 8 seconds instead of the 7
second from last week. I sang my scales and ended up at a G note. In the end I decided to
measure how long I could sustain my C note and I ended up at 11.48.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Tuesday
Today I took another picture of my posture and analysed it.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Wednesday
I did the stretch exercise in the dance class, and the teacher only said I had to pull up a bit more
I feel like it's getting more natural to get in the right position.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Thursday
Today I didn't do any exercises.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Friday
Today I sang my scales and came to the G note just as monday. I also did my standard breathing
exercise for 8 seconds.

6. Guitar playing: 2 hours
Saturday
This weekend I didn't do any exercise.
Guitar playing this weekend: 2 hours
Week 4: 10th of December - 16th of December
This week I focussed mainly on the performing of my song for the christmas concert, and on the
songs for the choir. I asked mr. Sanchez Brown to play my song on piano, and that's what I
practised after school, in my music technology lessons and after school. We wanted to get more
dynamics in the song, and I really wanted to communicate the meaning of the song to the
audience. On Saturday I did all my exercises, the breathing sustained at 8 seconds, my scales
sustained at a G as well, I didn't want to push it so instead of doing the A note this week, I
decided to do this note next week. I also sang my C note, this one suprisingly went better then
last week with almost 1 second, it's 12.33 now. I didn't take a picture of my posture this week
but I did my exercise in the mirror and the only correction I made was my neck which wasn't
straight.
Week 5: 17th of December - 23rd of December
Monday
I practiced for the Christmas concert with mr. Sanchez today and at home I didn't do anything
because I had to make my other homework.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Tuesday
Today was the day of the christmas concert and I didn't have time to do my exercises. We
practised in the church after school, and in the evening was the concert. The singing went well.
Guitar playing: 30 minutes
Wednesday
Today I did the stretching exercise again, and the only thing I had to correct was that I had to
stretch more, which made me sit more straight.
I only did my standard breathing exercise. For the standard one I did 8 seconds again because I
can't do the 9 seconds yet.
Guitar playing: 1 hour

7. Thursday
Today I analysed the video of me at the christmas concert.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Friday/Saturday:
Friday and the rest of the weekend I didn't really do anything because I had some things to do
for christmas.
Week 6: 24th of December - 6th of January
In the Christmas Holiday I didn't do a lot of exercises because I simply forgot about it. That's why
I give myself a week after the break to get to the point I ended up before the holiday. In the
weekend of that week I will set an end point.
End Point: 7th of January - 13th of January
Monday:
This week in the lesson we worked on the Arts festival we have to organise for Unit 2 because
we are a bit behind.
I decided to set the end point of the different exercises this week. First I did all the exersices
because I didn't do it in the break. I did the standard breathing exercise for 8 seconds and even
though it wasn't easy to hold it, I did it so I was still on the same level as before the break. The
scales went quite good as well I even improved it to an A note and I decided to take that as my
end point.
I also did the stretching exercise and I was sitting straight from the beginning on and I didn't
have to correct myself. I still think I need to make it more natural because in daily life I'm not
sitting straight every moment.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Tuesday
Today I set the end point of the standard breathing exercise, because I did 8 yesterday I wanted
to try 9 and that did work even though I took a lot of strenght and energy.
Guitar playing: I didn't play guitar today
Wednesday
I had dance today, and I noticed myself that I was sitting straight with all the exercises. I was
very pleased afterward and I didn't have pain at all.

8. In the afternoon I didn't do any exercises because I already set the end points of my breathing
exercises.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Thursday
Today I practised the C note and came to 12.34 second, tomorrow I will set the end point for
this exercise, I hope to get around the same amount of seconds I had today, maybe a bit higher.
Guitar playing: 2 hours
Friday
Today I set the end point for the C note, at the moment I can sustain the C note for 12.42
seconds, almost 3 seconds more than my baseline.
Guitar playing: 1 hour
Saturday
Today I made the final picture of my posture and I analysed it afterwards.
Guitar playing this weekend: 1 hour