Completing the Unit X: FMS Live assignment has been a unique and engaging experience, this unit has allowed me to express myself not only as an individual but also in a group. I believe that my final blog reflects my opening rationale and meets the requirements I set out to fulfil. I was able to give people information about upcoming bands and artists in the alternative, rock and metal scene as well as building their knowledge on current bands and artists. I informed people about upcoming shows and the latest album releases. With this being a live unit I feel that it was important to keep up to date with what was going on in the alternative music word and to get the most relevant and current information out there.
If I were to do this task again there are a few things I feel I could improve on. I would try to include more interactive media for example, videos from shows that I have attended, music videos from new albums and interviews with the band so the personality of the band or artist could really be portrayed through my blog. I would also include quizzes and questionnaires for the blog readers so they could feel more included and I could get feedback and see what I need to improve on.
In regard to audience and pitching I feel that I managed to target the right audience with my chosen writing style and the tone of my blog. If I were to change anything in terms of audience I would have included a more varied genre of music, for example include posts about folk bands and indie rock, by doing this I could have attracted a wider audience as well as educating my target audience on new music, therefore fulfilling another one of my original goals that I mentioned in my rational.
My engagement with the unit could have been improved when it came to lectures and seminars, I find it difficult to speak out in front of larger groups and pitch my ideas openly. Unit X however did help me overcome this fear slightly as we had to pitch our blog post ideas to our seminar groups. It also brought me somewhat out of my comfort zone working in groups with people I hadn’t been previously familiar with. Our group dynamic worked well and we each contributed very different and innovate ideas. As a group we decided that with this being a live unit it would be best to meet once a week. We all agreed to meet on a Wednesday to discuss the information we would include in our infographics and the content of our blogs. During the last couple of weeks of the unit a member of the group wasn’t able to attend a meeting, to get around this obstacle we created a WhatsApp message group to carry on the discussion and exchange ideas without having to physically meet. We had a professional group dynamic and we were able to work through challenges together, for example if we had conflicting ideas we found ways to include parts of each of our conceptions and resulted in a more original idea than we once started with. From this group working experience I have learnt that I am able to work effectively and efficiently with others. I have also learnt that I naturally take on a lead role when asked to work in a smaller group. I have found that I enjoy helping others come up with new concepts, working in a group has also helped to improve my communication skills.
This unit has helped me to further and improve upon my writing skills, it has taught me to write in a more creative fashion and what tools to use so that blog posts engage with the audience. Working on this unit allowed me to develop and research my own personal interest all while learning new skills such as pitching ideas to a group and writing in a more relaxed yet informative style. Elements of this unit relate to my future ambitions of one day writing for a music or film magazine/blog. Creating and working on my own blog was a very hands on experience that allowed me to understand the basics of how things work and the demand on fresh, current content.
Collaborating with other members of the group started off as a challenge, it is significantly different from working individually. With individual work you are able to go froward with your own ideas without having to consult anyone else. Working as part of a group means making sure everyone is on the page and agrees with all contributions so that the idea can move forward. A positive aspect of working in a group however is the exchange of new ideas and the ability to look at things how you wouldn’t normally working individually.
Overall I feel that Unit X is a very innovative working experience that not only helps to better your personal skills and meet learning objectives but also helps to improve team working skills.
The Sound 