So What

Friday, 9 August 2024, 10:24 PM

What follows is my response to a prompt on my experiences in Arts Education field practice.

I am a person who has always wanted to be a learner first all my life. It’s necessary for my life now as I am a student but with respect to my personal interests, it has always been the case. These personal areas of interests of mine are English (language and literature), Education, Computer Programming and Music. English is a subject that I’ve been learning professionally and plan to do so further. Education is a field I have wanted to work in as a professor and is a dream I’ve had since 9th grade. Programming is a passion I’ve independently pursued since 11th grade and have been fortunate to study on campus as well. Finally, Music is a field I’ve been in since 7th grade. I’m a self-taught instrumentalist who is keen on working in this field as well. 

As mentioned earlier, education and music are the two specific zones I would like to work in. These are fields which have seen growth and potential over time and more so in cities like Bengaluru. I have had the opportunity to work in music education under an internship and have discovered the love I have for that space. After a talk with Evan, I’ve also realised fields like music therapy, music research and such projects are also interesting to work in. Again, Bengaluru has a lot of such opportunities for me but I would like working elsewhere as well. If I were to zone in on organisations, I would say a place like Bengaluru Creative Circus or Shanti Bhavan would suit me well in this stage of my life. If I were to explore elsewhere, I would go for places like The Indian Sonic Research Organisation as it’s a different approach to music than I’m used to. I also participate in the performative aspect of music as well. Art institutions provide such spaces or projects for me. In these aforementioned spaces, I think I would be great working as a performer, facilitator or researcher in music. If I were to go on the education side, I am passionate about language education as well as music education. It is also possible for me to work in an intersection of the two. 

Over these three weeks, I’ve been able to first-hand witness how the work of educators and facilitators make differences on the ground. Depending on the age-group I work in, my work could help lay the foundation at an early age in the arts to work in advanced studies regarding music and/or language. I’ve discovered the joy of working in these fields being able to contribute whatever little I can. Be it 90 minute classes for university first-years or two week camps for school children, as a facilitator I can engage them in the arts as a space they are not familiar with or take them further in that very space to see what lies beyond the basic and fundamental. These small steps can help them engage in creativity/artistry like never before and also open new paths in their life and career. Some important things that I’ve picked up from my field work here are trying to make art sustainable while keeping its aesthetic value, innovative learning experiences for students, and everyday impact of art like in metro stations. As a facilitator, these skills empower me to work in limited spaces to practise my art, diversifying learning methodology to meet varying student needs and working better in the field of public and community arts.