Reader 6- food for thought.

Reader 6- quick questions


After going through Reader 6, I thought it would be useful to blog some of the thinking points, to gain feedback of anyone else who is researching similar topics.

  How is professional inquiry similar to other professional activity in which you are involved?

   As a freelance performer, it is important to carry out research in order to stay ahead of the game, knowing what work is out there and how I can create more opportunities within my professional life.
   When beginning to work within care and residential homes, I asked many other performers who do the same thing, for advice and tips for how to set things up. This is an informal way of collecting data as I was almost interviewing them with questions that would help me within my area of work.
   I also looked up other companies who entertain within residential homes, to grasp pricing, times and structures of their business in order to fit in the market, whilst being a competitive price for shows.


   Do you search and review sources from literature, gathering information for decision making?

   I often look at articles about music therapy, blogs and magazine articles both on and offline to gain more knowledge about my chosen line of work. Whilst I do not formally review them, I take notes of anything I feel will be beneficial for me. For example I am now looking to expand from just shows, to more interactive classes and sessions incorporating dance and song, therefore I keep up to date with groups such as the Parkinson's dance group in association with the English ballet. They post interesting articles that would help me understand what is involved in their sessions and how I will be able to set them up myself.

Do you collect differing points of view in order to have a balanced viewpoint for which to make decisions?

    Obviously the more people you talk to, the more opinions you hear, the broader your knowledge. Although I do have my own thoughts, I am always extremely open to hearing how others work and their opinions. I pride myself on being open minded as I feel you need to gain a balanced viewpoint to help you be more adaptable within your chosen field.

How is it different?
 
Before BAPP  course! the researching and data collecting was quite spontaneous and informal- doing things as and when they come along.  Since the inquiry, my skills have become more focused and structured, with the module readers helping me hone in on exactly what data to collect and which tools are helpful in gathering information.