Of course, I didn’t have the greatest involvement in this project due to my absence, which is something that will not be happening again thankfully. I would also say that I didn’t take on as much responsibility as I perhaps should’ve done, so in future I will endeavour to do just that. This could be down to how tiring it was to get back to college after the summer, but I still believe I could’ve done more; I won’t have this as a factor for future projects so it will only be my mentality that I will have to consider – although I am sure my mentality will work with me rather than against me.
One specific point that I wasn’t pleased with was my attitude to what I was given to do as part of the performance. As I didn’t have time to practice a performance with a bass/guitar, I was given the role of percussionist and, at first, I was really averse to doing this as it didn’t feel great to have such a position. I did manage to get along with it and make the role into something I wanted to (which I am proud of) but I should be more open to ideas and new roles moving forward, as they can bring about great possibilities, like we saw with this project.
In general, I would say I made the most out of the limited time and responsibilities I had. I took my percussionist role and transformed it into a more showman-style role at the front, I assisted our team where required, and I also managed to take on a leadership position on the night of the performance.
In regards to my performance, I believe I handled it very well and gave a great account of myself, working in tandem with the band to clearly transition between sections to showcase a smooth arrangement of Adventure of a Lifetime. It was unfamiliar territory being onstage with no instrument, made much more uncomfortable by the fact I was even singing, despite having no discernible vocal talent – however I persevered and still put out one of my best onstage showings, which I am very proud of.
My role in the preparation stages was limited but I still made sure that I was available to help and offer assistance; from the point I returned to college I was ready to be in the team again and do what was asked of me, which I believe shows responsibility and a willingness to work towards a common goal, despite not having as much invested into said goal. I also led a solid crew in regards to parking, I don’t recall any major issues, and any slight issues were resolved efficiently and with care.
Overall, this isn’t my best work, that’s a given due to the circumstances, but I can still be proud of what I achieved personally (leading a crowd, singing, taking on leadership roles) and what we all achieved as a group, putting on a fantastic showcase that went ahead with no issues of any real consequence. The night was a brilliant realisation of the work everybody put in and, although my contribution wasn’t as large as I would’ve liked, it was still important and helped bring together something everybody enjoyed, which is the most important thing.
Going forward, I can see myself using the skills I learnt in audience engagement to become more of a leader onstage in future events, whether that’s as a band performing in care homes like we plan to or as a solo act performing in the style of my final project last year. Also, the interview at BCB Radio was a fantastic experience which could open doors for future projects as this is something I have great interest in, I’m not certain how exactly this would manifest but it is something to be looked into. Finally, for the final showcase at the end of the year, I would like to take on more responsibility, I enjoyed the preparation work that took place this project and can see myself getting much more involved next time, I believe it would be an excellent step in my progression to gain further transferable skills which have limitless uses in the industry.