A turn in the road

Now that second semester of Genius Hour has begun, many ideas have changed and then changed again. I have decided to create a song for Annie's play that will fit the mood. As a mentor we plan to ask our choir teachers for advice on making a song and creating a good play. More updates to come!

Reflecting

         So far this semester, Claire and I have set out what we need to do, spoken with the principal, and researched getting a license. To continue being successful with this Genius hour project, we need to create our website/ podcast, find a teacher to help us, and purchase a liscense. A good idea would be to meet with Mr. urban again to discuss how to really take action. On a personal note for this project, I need more research on creating songs. I wonder not how to make a song, but what creates a good song? How can I make the most out of the song I create? What melodies will make the song more appealing to audiences? Considering goals for this project, I am unsure of what Claire and I are doing regarding making a class at school. We have yet to find a teacher that is able and willing to teach the class if it ever became one. For second semester my goals are to have a song written, a plan for the radio station, wether a class will be created or not, buy the correct license, and where Claire and I will stand to proceed with the radio station if it is created. Having a plan for the radio station will involve meeting with the principal and others many times to discuss our plans of action. Speaking to teachers that are willing and able to teach a class is a big key to our success. Hoping that plans work out at the end of the year, Claire and I will be able to run the radio station and say that we started a tradition leaving a legacy behind to be continued for many years to come. This would be such an honor and huge opportunity. Claire and I are determined to make this happen.

Gaining Knowledge

         The next step for Claire and I is to learn how to obtain the licensing to play music and run the station. This link shares answers to frequently asked questions about the radio. Frequently asked radio questions Another great place I found to learn about licensing was the Federal Communications commission. Many kinds of licenses The next huge question to answer is how to set up a website. Creating a website will allow Claire and I to share our podcasts since we are starting out small. This website shares all the information I need to know on how to create a website. Creating a website  Based on the feedback I have received, people are thrilled to listen to our station when it eventually begins. Claire and I will need to find creative ways to promote our station when it comes time. A big factor to make the radio station possible is finding equipment and the money to pay for it. This website lists resources for radio stations. Resources Once our website is established the next step will be to create podcasts to post on our website. How to create a podcast The podcasts will be posted to my blog also to keep you updated.

The Next Step

            Today Claire and I received very useful feedback during our meeting with Mr. Urban today! We discussed our ideas and the potential of having a radio station. Mr. Urban was all for our idea and he was thrilled to help us get things started. By December we will have the research and information we need to present the idea of having a radio broadcasting class at the high school to the school board. Mr. Urban also said that starting off small would be best. A website that broadcasts the station will be a good place to start. Then from there Claire and I will be able to research getting a license to have our radio station actually broadcasted on the tune in radio. I have accomplished the first step of speaking with the principal. Now, Claire and I can speak to teachers at school that might be willing to help with getting things running. Stay posted for what happens next! 

                                                                                         Danielle

Overview: blog #1

      My name is Danielle and I have a true passion for music. For my genius hour project in english, I am working with Claire. We want to discover how we can create a radio station for the school. We have many resources and a pretty good idea of how this project will go. During this project I am going to try to write a song. Depending on how the song turns out Claire and I might play it on the radio station depending on how successful we are in creating the station. Some motivation towards this project was that other schools have radio stations and with our school being so big it would be very realistic to create one for ours. Throughout the year I will be using to blog to keep everyone posted on how our project is going! Our big focus will be how are radio stations run and how can we create one for our school? To start it off we will try to speak with teachers that might be interested and able to help us. Then we will speak to Claire's parents and possibly workers at a radio station. This project excites me because I love to sing, listen to music, and play the piano. My passions motivate me to express what I love with others who may share the same interests. Below I will share a link that explains how wonderful music can really be.

Why music feels so good