Charlotte Weston (Creative Coalition) on getting to see incredible young individuals realise their potential and light up.
Having just completed my vocal degree I was excited to begin some work in an area I felt passionately about. I have never had any previous experience of delivering musical tuition however I have done youth mentoring for my church which I quickly found overlapping with this project as catering to a young person’s needs is the focus of Creative Coalition. Over the course of the project, I have been able to witness the participants growth in confidence from the first session to their final session which was remarkable. Our weekly session was centred around the participants needs and desired areas for musical development. The project covered a wide variety of subjects such as vocal health, range development, self-confidence, workshopping original music, and mental health. This project has emphasised the power of music in developing self-confidence. Participants were from very different personal and musical backgrounds, yet achieved something wonderful.
My Role & Learning
From what I have personally learned training as an emerging music leader, I am responsible for being able to accept and work through changes at any given point, offer a listening ear, and create a safe space for participants to feel comfortable to be themselves. Going into this training role I was expecting to be challenged in my own personal insecurity’s but found very early on that allowing myself to make mistakes and not know every answer was actually inviting the participants to feel confident to make mistakes and learn as we go together. Each weekly session was tailored around the participants wishes. Being able to adapt and offer a listening ear is equally as important as achieving a task. Providing participants with a safe space where they feel they can be however they need to be is what indicated to me that I was doing my role correctly. Having the skill to read participants emotions and cater to an individual’s needs I found to be crucial in this setting.
During my time at university, I was personally faced with a significant amount of physical health challenges which initially took a toll on my mental health, as a result of my own struggles I do find myself being very empathetic with any individual expressing concern or distress. I know the role music and relationships had in my own journey to becoming well so being in a job role where I was able to offer the same support and guidance, I once received was very rewarding. I wouldn’t describe myself as a particularly confident individual, so I did have some hesitation going into a mentoring role, however my own development over this project has encouraged me to believe I am good enough to be where I am.
The use of encouragement and praise I found to be huge in weekly sessions. Participants didn’t initially have much self confidence so using intentional language such as ‘You are doing wonderfully’ gave the participants praise they deserved that they may be hearing for the first time. Getting to witness the participants progress each week was an encouragement to myself that our sessions were successful and most importantly, the individuals were beginning to believe in themselves, so much so that one participant decided to apply for music college instead of a different educational route that would have been more comfortable. It was important to remind myself that each participant has different strengths and different struggles and though one may complete a task more complex that did not mean the other was not as successful in their task. Giving feedback needed to be delivered in a positive manner to ensure the individuals feel safe, comfortable, and encouraged. Giving constructive feedback in this way allows participants the motivation to develop and feel you are helping them to improve.
Reflections
I have loved every second of this project and getting to see incredible young individuals realise their potential and light up. I have been taught just as much from the participants as they hopefully have me. I am now trusting my own ability and communication skills furthermore leading me to embrace my contributions to a work setting. The participants expressed to me how far they feel they have come and the role that they believe I have played in them starting to trust in their own ability’s. They have overcome self-doubt and trusted my encouragement and have finished this project with a beautiful original songs.