PCET: The first week of placement

The first week of placement is done and dusted and I have to say I couldn't hope to be in a better facility with experienced and supportive staff encouraging and guiding me along the way. The University I am based in is brilliant! the facilities are of industry quality, the students have a thirst and passion for the subject of Music Technology, and on top of which I have been made to feel like part of the team. All in all I can see this shaping up to be a rewarding and exciting year.
In terms of teaching, things are moving a little slow, getting involved here and there but the university had been out of action over the last few weeks due to a symphonic orchestra recording. However, I did get a chance to teach a full lesson, which was assessed and as well as some excellent and encouraging feedback, I also received some brilliant advice in terms of development. I loved every second of it, the learners were engaged, so much so that they still stop me in the building to talk to me about the topic and the session, which is flattering.
This placement is going to have its challenges though. For example, the music industry has a vast selection of equipment and audio recording systems, each more different than the last. The interface used at the university, Pro Tools, is one which I have had little experience with, and none for over 3 years. However, after bitting the bullet and investing in a copy (£240 cash!) I have been using the last few weeks to brush up on my skills and feel more than confident enough to use it in a teaching environment. That being said, Im not expert, but complications are part of the recording industry, i guess if any equipment fails on me then the learners will be having a crash course in problems solving.
Im actually impressed by the welcoming the University has provided for me. In the past I have been on placements within secondary schools (which I won't name), which not only we unwelcoming at times, but extremely brutal in terms of feedback and support....in short, there was none! Admittedly this impacted on me as I entered this placement with my guard up. However, it is quite the opposite here, full support and full involvement in the environment, even to the extent of being invited to head of faculty meetings to discuss changes to the curriculum.
Ok, Ive gone on a little here, largely because this week has been excellent! I am reading up on subjects I haven't thought about in years, and as a result, I forgot how much I loved. Its hard to see this as a work environment, Music Technology is my hobby and passion, after a long day on placement, I tend to go home and carry on with my own practice.

In closing - I am very excited to see what challenges and learning experiences the next few months have to offer!

UWTSD BBC building: Placement for the next 7 months