Participant to Project Manager
My Journey from participant to Music Leader and Musical Inclusions Officer (Project Manager).
Name: Samantha Walker
Job Title: Musical Inclusions Officer
Job Role
Coordinating a consortium of established organisations including 3 music Hubs and 2 music Charities across the North West Midlands. Supporting the partnership to ensure the success of Musical Communities, a commissioned 3 year strategy designed to create a musically inclusive England and strategic working.
Where did your Community Music career start?
I first became involved with one of the Musical Communities key partners, Make Some Noise (MSN), in 2005 when at the age of 14 I participated in a 2 year project delivered by MSN in my rurally isolated local area.
At the end of the project I kept in contact with MSN who soon asked me to become a MSN Youth Ambassador. This provided volunteering opportunities on multiple projects and I was asked to present at various meetings, away days and an event at the Houses of Parliament. I hugely embraced and loved the opportunities offered, enjoying attending sessions and getting involved where possible.
Over the years I was able to see young people develop and the impact of the projects undertaken. This gave me the drive and passion to work within the Community Arts sector.
By involving myself in project participation, volunteering and observing, I was able to learn how to facilitate sessions and gain vast experience. In 2011 I was offered an Apprentice Music Leader role, providing excellent experience in planning and delivering a range of projects for disadvantaged young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Due to the Musical Inclusion Breakthrough commission and with support from Make Some Noise, I embraced the opportunity to apply for funding to set up, manage and deliver a new youth choir for a local arts venue in Burton-Upon-Trent.
Alongside my work with Make Some Noise in 2010 I gained a position within Staffordshire County Council developing a wide range of skills which gave me a working knowledge in a variety of areas including HR (policy development, Learning and Development within organizations, TUPE, restructures and formal investigations) , Social Services (Care Planning and Court), Education Transformation (Supporting schools in Special Measures or Requires improvement through development plans and training) and IT Development Project (Software developer and Tester in development of a CRM Social Services Database) . This gave me strong foundations supporting my Music Leadership role and desire to develop into Project Management.
In 2012 I embraced a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform in the opening and closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
What are you most proud of?
Being an extremely rewarding career, it is impossible to choose one particular moment that I am most proud of as every time a project takes place a potentially life changing moment takes place for a young people. An occasion which will remain with me forever, however, is when I was working on Soundpots, there was a young boy who refused to make eye contact with other participants, teaches and session leads. You would see him engaging when no one was looking at him but when you made eye contact to give praise he would shrink back. Throughout the sessions he didn’t like contact and refused to hold hands for social songs however, when I entered the session late due to discussions with teachers outside, he saw me, moved over in the circle and tapped the floor for me to sit next to him. That was a huge step for him and a rewarding moment I won’t ever forget.
I know that if I hadn’t participated within my first project I would not be where I am today. I would not have knowledge of this role or business area and I am doubtful I would have gained this role without that starting point.
What do you think are the most important skills for someone in your role to have?
I believe in any community role you require strong communication skills, approachability and versatility.
Communication is critical as well whether it’s to initiate negotiating between partners around where a provision should take place or altering your language/instruction to a young person to help them understand the task at hand.
Approachability is vital as, if you do not appear to be approachable, interaction with the students is impossible.
Versatility is important whether it’s to tailor a music session to meet a young person’s needs or to meet a business requirement in the back office.
Without the above this role would be extremely difficult and the outcomes for young people wouldn’t be as positive.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone seeking a career in Community Music?
Get involved with your local community music charity!
Take every opportunity possible. Embrace and put forward every crazy idea and see it through. It leads to wonderful memories and skill development which you wouldn’t normal gain within work, university, college or school. That is the moto I have taken throughout life and continue to strive towards – even within this post as it is a 3 year contract I am continually looking for CPD opportunities.
Where next?
I am currently studying towards my HNC Business Management course (part time) alongside my full time job. This year I hope to pass this course and continue onto the Foundation Degree and BA Top-up degree in Business Management. I am also investigating the different avenues available to me to achieve my Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner qualification and NEBOSH General Certificate.
I hope Prince2 will improve my project management knowledge and challenge my current practice thus highlighting areas I can improve. NEBOSH will increase my Health and Safety awareness, something which is critical when working with everyone, I hope this qualification will help me to highlight and address any concerns when project managing public activities/events.
Once this position has come to its end I hope to continue within a Project Management role. I am also investigating how to create a music based CIC, supporting local young people and adults.
I just want to say a massive Thank You to Make Some Noise and Youth Music. Without Make Some Noise's support and Youth Music's funding I would not be where I am today and for that I am hugely grateful! I am so pleased to have gained this position within Musical Communities and I can't wait to see where this new partnership takes us!