It’s hard to believe I’m already half-way through my internship with More Music, the time has flown! Although I’m always eager for Wednesday to come around, the day we have a marketing team catch-up, I’m conscious not to wish the time away and to take in every moment of the internship over the next few months.

Reflecting on when I was about to start the internship, I remember being excited but apprehensive. The thought of meeting so many new people after a year of Covid-19 restrictions felt a little overwhelming and surreal, especially as the internship began remotely on Zoom. There was of course nothing to be apprehensive about, from the moment I met the team I was put at ease as everyone was unbelievably warm and welcoming.

I have been fortunate that Covid-19 restrictions have eased over the last couple of months which has made it possible to go into More Music, rather than working purely remotely. Personal connection is an important part of More Music’s work, and this is something I have both experienced and observed through meeting the team in person, observing the ‘On The Beat’ session and assisting with the live streamed Girls Can gig.

It seems almost impossible to condense my experiences and learnings from the last few months into this one blog post, however I would like to share three of my highlights:

1. The Girls Can Gig

The Girls Can Gig was a live-streamed event organised by the More Media Collective to celebrate women in music. As well as being impressed by the talented musicians that performed, I was in awe of the More Media Collective as their knowledge and professionalism made me think they had been organising live streamed gigs for years, rather than months!

2. On The Beat

‘On The Beat’ is an interactive music class for adults with learning disabilities. Attending the session was an experience I will never forget; it truly reflected More Music’s mission to ‘build confidence and spirit in individuals and communities’. There was an indescribable energy in the room as the participants came together (for the first time this year) to sing songs and express themselves musically, and I felt honoured to be able to take part in the session and be welcomed into the group. My foot was tapping, and I couldn’t stop myself singing ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ for the rest of the day.

3. Marketing Tactical Plan

My final highlight has been the opportunity to contribute to the marketing team’s ‘tactical plan’, as this allowed me to utilise and develop skills and knowledge from my MA course. Working with the marketing team on this document has not only allowed me to understand more about marketing strategy and planning but has also developed my confidence as I have been encouraged to follow my instincts and share my ideas. This has truly been an invaluable experience and has added great depth to what I have learnt on my course.

As you can see, the first half of my internship has been fantastic and although it is cliché to say, the experience has been even better than I initially imagined. I’m excited to see what the next few months have in store!