The Rewards of Music by Elizabeth

The Rewards of Music by Elizabeth - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

At MusicWorks, a non-profit music school, I was a summer camp counselor for kids with a variety of skills and disabilities from ages ranging from 5 to 15. My typical day at MusicWorks was never typical. I would assist different teachers with their lessons in such musical avenues as keyboarding, drumming, and voice. My responsibilities were not only to help with the musical aspect but turn the energy of the children into a positive event by defusing any quarreling among the students or encourage an individual to get through a personal struggle.
Another daily task I had was to organize a craft project. This involved planning to ensure I had enough supplies and a location for them to tackle their creations in our tight quarters if the weather was not cooperating. I discovered that often things don’t go as planned and I had to improvise a new direction seamlessly without frustration. I learned every child moves at a different speed and some needed more instruction than others. At times during the craft, I had multiple pairs of eyes waiting for my next move and instruction. This is when I had to remember patience while we all waited for all the students to complete one task so we could move on together while still keeping the others busy.
Lastly, every Friday was the big show for the parents. For some, it was stressful waiting for the time to approach as the children worried about all the things that could go wrong. I had to quickly lighten the mood and promote positive energy. I encouraged them to work together and have fun because jointly, they could make the music come alive.
I chose to volunteer at MusicWorks over the summer because I wanted to combine my love of music and love of children and wanted to make a positive impact in those children’s lives. From this experience, I learned organizational skills, how to think on my feet and how to be a respected leader that was patient and firm. I became accomplished at encouraging others to be respectful to each other and their differences and work together as a team. My experience of volunteering at MusicWorks and the knowledge I gained can be used in any career in my future as well as everyday life. These fundamentals make for a strong foundation to build a life upon and I am entirely grateful that MusicWorks taught me that just from the single principle of people helping people.