I am writing this blog because I am over the moon!
It is exactly one year ago today that I auditioned for my place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's (RBC) Postgraduate course.
Today, I received the news that I am the winner of the 2020 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Postgraduate Pedagogy Prize.
This prestigious honour is awarded to those postgraduate students who demonstrated 'outstanding commitment to and achievement in pedagogy* and/or community engagement' during the year.
The RBC is the Midlands' premier music teaching establishment, aiming to produce the highest standard of musician in the country. However, they are not simply focused on the elite; the development of grassroots musicians is woven through dozens of community and outreach programmes that they run.
During my time at RBC, I had the pleasure of working with several of the outreach team, and they do some really incredible work over a very large region. For me to be recognised as making an achievement in this area is a real honour.
I want to say 'thank you' to everyone who has been involved in this year at the RBC:
to the tutors and my classmates at the RBC, for allowing me to realise how much I still have to learn and how much I want to learn it;
to my family and friends, who helped in the background to allow me the time to study as well as everything else;
and most of all, to my students and their families for their dedication and commitment throughout the difficulties of 2020.
*method and practice of teaching