june-november 2020
My ultimate goal was to use our platform and unique voice to truly resonate with our audience, on a different level than the average parent or music teacher would. We were the cool and talented older kids—who better to encourage young musicians? Sure, all the boxes were checked of topics we had to cover, but I believe the most impactful elements were the subliminal ones.
Our comments about how jamming together is so much fun, the insights on being creative and expressive with an instrument, or the tales of impressed females attracted to my guitar.... the little things are what rubs off on kids, and since most of these benefits are often under-emphasized in music classes, we felt them more essential to our videos than anything else.
I think the process of planning videos, brainstorming ideas, and writing the scripts went very well. I was able to collaborate with volunteers on how to present ideas in the best format, keeping the videos informative and fun. We always ended up having something insightful to say and a unique way to present our ideas.
For the first few videos, it took a while to adjust to the video editing software and learn the ins and outs, but I ended up becoming proficient in the basic features. Two months in, however, my laptop stopped working and I had to put a hold on the project for a few weeks. I rebounded from this delay, but wasn't able to finish before school started, and ended up having to balance schoolwork and the project, which proved to be a challenge. Nonetheless, the project was finished and distributed to our audience by the fall.
There were two major changes to the project: reordering the phases and consolidating multiple topics into one video. Initially, I had planned on writing all the scripts first, approving them with the beneficiary, then filming and editing each video. However, I decided that it would be more efficient to complete a video in its entirety before moving on to the next. I felt this allowed for more adaptation and freedom when creating a video.
I also planned on creating around 20 videos, covering one topic each. Once I started writing scripts and understanding how much information could be conveyed in each video, I was able to reduce the number of videos by half while still covering the entire curriculum.
The volunteers helped with both musical and logistical tasks, including editing our scripts and managing our online presence. This required giving out deadlines and finding the confidence to give direct instruction to my peers. I was challenged to apply my leadership abilities under unusual circumstances, but I managed to successfully carry out the project despite the many uncertainties this summer. In the beginning, it was off-putting to "be the boss." I had never before given orders to my peers and definitely not my friends, but I gained confidence over time and found a leadership attitude that made the process enjoyable for everyone. Combined with their enthusiasm for the project, my casual but persistent demeanor as a leader helped emphasize the project's reliance on collaboration, so that everyone felt they played an important role in the process.
Each volunteer demonstrated a willingness to help and follow instructions, which helped build confidence that I was doing something right as a leader. They were all impressed with the final presentation and outcome of the curriculum, and many continue to share ideas for future videos with me. I learned that volunteers needed to be passionate and enthusiastic about the project to reach maximum productivity, ingenuity, and enjoyment. To achieve this, I made sure to frequently emphasize how our work would be helping young musicians, and I think the beneficial results of our collaboration are evident in the videos.
Our comments about how jamming together is so much fun, the insights on being creative and expressive with an instrument, or the tales of impressed females attracted to my guitar.... the little things are what rubs off on kids, and since most of these benefits are often under-emphasized in music classes, we felt them more essential to our videos than anything else.
I think the process of planning videos, brainstorming ideas, and writing the scripts went very well. I was able to collaborate with volunteers on how to present ideas in the best format, keeping the videos informative and fun. We always ended up having something insightful to say and a unique way to present our ideas.
For the first few videos, it took a while to adjust to the video editing software and learn the ins and outs, but I ended up becoming proficient in the basic features. Two months in, however, my laptop stopped working and I had to put a hold on the project for a few weeks. I rebounded from this delay, but wasn't able to finish before school started, and ended up having to balance schoolwork and the project, which proved to be a challenge. Nonetheless, the project was finished and distributed to our audience by the fall.
There were two major changes to the project: reordering the phases and consolidating multiple topics into one video. Initially, I had planned on writing all the scripts first, approving them with the beneficiary, then filming and editing each video. However, I decided that it would be more efficient to complete a video in its entirety before moving on to the next. I felt this allowed for more adaptation and freedom when creating a video.
I also planned on creating around 20 videos, covering one topic each. Once I started writing scripts and understanding how much information could be conveyed in each video, I was able to reduce the number of videos by half while still covering the entire curriculum.
The volunteers helped with both musical and logistical tasks, including editing our scripts and managing our online presence. This required giving out deadlines and finding the confidence to give direct instruction to my peers. I was challenged to apply my leadership abilities under unusual circumstances, but I managed to successfully carry out the project despite the many uncertainties this summer. In the beginning, it was off-putting to "be the boss." I had never before given orders to my peers and definitely not my friends, but I gained confidence over time and found a leadership attitude that made the process enjoyable for everyone. Combined with their enthusiasm for the project, my casual but persistent demeanor as a leader helped emphasize the project's reliance on collaboration, so that everyone felt they played an important role in the process.
Each volunteer demonstrated a willingness to help and follow instructions, which helped build confidence that I was doing something right as a leader. They were all impressed with the final presentation and outcome of the curriculum, and many continue to share ideas for future videos with me. I learned that volunteers needed to be passionate and enthusiastic about the project to reach maximum productivity, ingenuity, and enjoyment. To achieve this, I made sure to frequently emphasize how our work would be helping young musicians, and I think the beneficial results of our collaboration are evident in the videos.