As a social media intern, it’s my job to manage Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages for various clients. I also provide support to account managers with a variety of tasks, such as content creation and social media audits (scorecards). To work effectively with my team and supervisor, I learned to use different online communication platforms (Skype, Zoom, Google Hangout) and made time in my day for additional tasks.
Client and Team Communication
My day starts bright and early, at 8 AM. The Qode Social and Qode Media team has a morning huddle on Skype, which usually consists of good mornings and an ice breaker question. These morning chats help the teams warm-up and get our creative juices flowing. I then proceed to login to the socials of my assigned clients for the day and check for messages and reply to comments.
Each client has a unique tone – which means I need to switch gears in commenting and interacting with their target audience. One of my clients is a specialty cheese brand, targeting individuals who love cheese and enjoy wine pairings. When interacting with their audience, I usually use formal and posh-sounding language (i.e. “Such a delectable spread!”).
We referred to this chart quite a bit in my content marketing class.
For my cheese snack client, I use informal phrases to appeal to their target audience of millennial hikers (i.e. “Looks like an awesome adventure. Hope you brought some snacks! 🧀”). As I’ve previously learned from my content marketing class, we must communicate with our audience using a consistent and relatable tone.
Indeed, there have been days where I had to deal with negative comments and messages. In response to these interactions, I would frame my reply with a “You-focused” attitude (which I learned from my business communications class) and escalate messages to my supervisor when necessary. Despite working remotely, my supervisors are quite helpful and open to chat online.
Taking Initiative
As an intern, it’s imperative to show your interest in the field and ask questions to demonstrate your drive and dedication towards your mentors and peers. With Qode Social, the quality of your intern experience depends on how much you want to learn. Since day one, my supervisor mentioned that if I ever want to learn something or take on additional tasks, I should reach out to any of the account members – and so I did.
In fact, since writing this article, I was able to accomplish the following:
Revamped the Instagram Page for a Client
Design graphics and images for Instagram Stories
Copywriting (Instagram Captions)
Conduct a social media audit (scorecards)
Draft ideas for a shot list
Assist with costume design for a client photoshoot
Account Build (Doubled the Instagram following for a client)
Working with Qode Social has been eye-opening. I enjoy being able to use many of the concepts I learned in class in actual scenarios. It’s been quite the ride so far, but I’m looking forward to what comes next!
Just last week (Sept. 24), I started my internship as a Social Media Manager with Qode Social. As the full-service social media branch of Qode Media (parent company), Qode Social specializes in creating content to help develop positive brand experiences. From day one, I was introduced to the fast-paced nature of the digital marketing industry. As an intern, I was responsible for community management and account building for the various clients of the agency.
Qode Social is the Social Media Marketing branch of Qode Media.
Community Management
Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, constantly change and update their algorithm – which is why companies need to stay in-the-know to maintain its hard-earned following.
Community management entails prompt replies to comments and direct messages; thereby, fostering a community between followers and brands. Community management also helps to humanize a brand, making it easier for fans (and potential customers) to relate with a brand.
Account Building
With many brands hopping to social media, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to build an organic following. Account building is the act of increasing awareness of a brand by reaching out to potential customers and engaging with their content.
Liking, sharing, commenting, and following target audience members are just some of the ways I engage to increase the exposure of Qode Social’s clients on Social Media.
Finding Success Despite the Pandemic
Due to the pandemic, many marketing agencies have been struggling to maintain their workload and retain employees. Fortunately, Qode Social has been doing well despite the situation and has even assisted other agencies with their clients. As a result, my internship experience has become a lot more “colourful” per se, as I get to work with clients from various industries such as consumer packaged goods (food), pharmacy, and education!
Having only started my internship a week ago, I’ve learned so much about the digital marketing industry – particularly with social media. I look forward to the coming weeks as I’ll be assisting one of the account managers with a brand-new client!
Hi, everyone! Apologies for the late update. I’ve been quite busy with classes and whatnot, but good news… The Melody Project is back! Thank you to everyone who tuned into the first episode (and survived through my fangirl ramblings). Andrea and I greatly appreciate all of the positive and insightful feedback. After some careful planning and discussions, Andrea has decided to stay on as a permanent co-host!
With that being said, thank you all for your support and we hope you enjoy episode 2 of The Melody Project!
-LaarniJane♡
The Melody Project – Podcast Ep. 2 (Running Time 24:50)
It’s been a crazy few weeks for BTS with the release of their first-ever English single, Dynamite! The group managed to top the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks – a momentous feat for the boys and ARMY.
In the second episode of The Melody Project, Andrea and I discuss BTS’ explosive impact in the pop music scene. Dynamite’s uplifting lyrics, bright imagery, and tasteful modulation was a burst of fresh air during these pandemic stricken times. Modulation (key changes), when used correctly can help elevate a piece and bring out the overall message of the song.
Songs Mentioned
Dynamite – BTS
Love on Top – Beyoncé
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
All I Ask – Bruno Mars (Originally by Adele)
Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
Off the Wall – Michael Jackson
Enjoyed this podcast? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you want us to react to or discuss next!
It’s hard to believe that it has been about eight months since I decided to “take the leap”. After graduating with a marketing degree and zero practical experience, I struggled to find a job in my field that, frankly, paid the bills. In the meantime, I continued teaching piano while working retail part-time. Don’t get me wrong, I love music and I’m especially thankful for the opportunity it gave me to develop leadership skills and independence. However, after teaching for about nine years (since high school!) I decided to work on myself and enrol into a Digital Marketing program at George Brown College.
During my time at GBC, I was fortunate enough to learn from weekly guest speakers – each of which were well-versed in marketing and job searching. As an introvert, the idea of networking and job seeking was quite daunting. However, as a future marketing professional, I knew that I needed to overcome my shyness and forge connections with different individuals.
Lessons Learned
One of the first lessons I learned is to expand my professional network! One of the speakers, Julie Vanderkloet, expressed that isn’t enough to add someone as connection on LinkedIn, instead you should strive to create authentic relationships with individuals you meet on your job searching journey. Whether it be a former employer or even a classmate, a genuine connection is with someone that actually remembers who you are.
In addition to meeting new people, it’s important to ask questions. For myself, this meant participating more in discussions in class and even at my current workplace. With the pandemic still running rampant, meetings are taking place online – meaning that we must be comfortable chatting both in-person and virtually. By asking questions, you are showing the other person that you’re interested in what they have to say. As marketers we are constantly exposed to different insights, and we must question why people are thinking or feeling a certain way so that we can create solutions to meet their needs. Being curious is a part of being a marketer, as we are always thinking of what clicks and sticks in people’s minds. While it’s great to ask questions, we should be succinct in phrasing inquiries.
“If you can get the message across in 50% less words, then do it!”
-Julie Vanderkloet, Senior Manager of Consumer Insights at Weston Foods
Be brave! Courage and resilience was a recurring theme throughout the guest speaker series. Kareem Perez, career coach and brand consultant, encouraged my classmates and I to start taking action and “fail forward” in reaching our career goals. By taking the chance and applying for that intimidating job posting, we are taking a step forward towards success. Being afraid to make a mistake won’t help you progress, but will actually hinder your ability to grow as both an individual and professional.
“If you can hit 75% of what the job poster is looking for, you should go for it. If you are a good fit they are likely to let you learn on the job.”
Thanks to the seminar series, I was able to connect with the guest speakers on LinkedIn. SEO specialist and GBC alumni, Natasha Burtenshaw-deVries has been extremely helpful on the platform by sharing stimulating search marketing content and advice.
Graham Sterling from Acadium introduced my classmates and me to online digital marketing apprenticeships. During my upcoming work term, I plan on completing an apprenticeship with Acadium to obtain more experience and grow my professional portfolio.
Kareem Perez from The Tech Effect was gracious enough to connect on LinkedIn and offer a career discovery session for us to chat about “getting myself out there”. All of the speakers were generous enough to offer their time and expertise to help us gain a better foundation going into job searching.
After continuously hearing about networking and conferences, I finally attended my first event – the 2020 Adobe99U Conference. At the virtual convention, I heard from different individuals from the creative industry. One of the speakers, Nishat Ahktar, a design professor at Portland State University, shared the importance of fully listening and not just passively looking. Ahktar referred to the act of attentive listening and appreciation as the gift of exchange. When actively listening, we gather deeper insights and stimulate creativity.
To exercise the gift of exchange, Ahktar shared a simple exercise – listen to an album from beginning to end. By taking the time to listen to each track, you open yourself up to a level of critical thinking (i.e. Thinking about the lyrics, instrumentation, emotion, key, tempo). It’s important to remember that someone took the time to create something, and as listeners, we must fully listen and appreciate the content. This conference, while primarily about design and art, reinvigorated my creative drive and inspired me to create content and share it on my blog site, SimplyLJ.
SimplyLJ was initially created as an online space for me to share my creative work. However, the site has grown to become a place where I can share a variety of content on topics that I’m passionate about, like music and marketing. As an introvert, sharing can sometimes seem difficult but as the speakers have mentioned, we need to be brave and take chances! So, I took the leap and started a music podcast series called The Melody Project in which I discuss music and pop culture, all while brushing up on my public speaking skills.
While I currently haven’t obtained a co-op, I have a list of contacts that I am planning on reconnecting with to secure a position with a marketing agency. There are many facets of marketing that I still want to explore and I believe that a work term in an agency environment will provide a diverse experience.
Are you interested in the dynamic field of content marketing? From podcasting to SEO, there is sure to be a role that piques your curiosity!
I hope this infographic inspired you to think about what role truly interests you in content marketing. Remember to persevere when job searching and make the leap! You’ll never unlock your full potential if you keep your talents to yourself. 😊
➳ Liked this infographic? Download the high-quality version here.
Design is everywhere. We see it in print, billboards, television, and online (check out the Starbucks Instagram post below). It entails the colours used in logos, the fonts used in advertisements, and the layout of an app. But what is design, and how does one go about creating a composition of visuals? The answer, strategic thinking.
Brady Dahmer, owner and graphic designer at The Central Branch, spoke about the rapid change in focus in the marketing industry from traditional to online media. With the rise in social media, many companies have reacted by jumping onto these new platforms without a clear strategy. Like any other marketing campaign, actions must be defined with a clear purpose.
Dahmer spoke about his experience with reactive-like clients and how their bandwagon behaviour resulted in failed projects. His clients would see content created by other companies and try to mimic it without a clear purpose and voice. Indeed, social media can be used as a channel of communication for brand messaging and customer engagement. However, before sharing any content or messaging, the brand must understand their values and establish a voice. Dahmer’s clients did not have a clear understanding of their brand identity, therefore lacking direction in brand messaging and design.
Pretty Pictures are Just Half of the Story…
Don’t get me wrong. High-quality images, harmonious colour palettes, and typography all play a role in brand design. However, what makes design pop and create impact is its alignment with a brand identity.
The beauty brand, Glossier, specializes in simplistic, cruelty-free products. Not to mention, the brand encourages users to prioritize their natural canvas, “Skin first, makeup second.” Glossier’s logo embodies simplicity by applying clean typography over a light pink background. The logo truly resonates with customers as its minimalist design aligns with the brand’s identity. Design must serve a purpose and help tell a story to inspire people. Without direction, beautiful visuals can go to waste and not be noticed at all.
Dahmer’s experience in advertising and graphic design is quite vast. Some brands and projects he worked on include Malvados Sandals, the Vancouver Olympics, and the TED Vancouver Conference. Dahmer’s portfolio also includes work from the medical, tech, not-for-profit, and film industries! Throughout his career, Dahmer also volunteered for a variety of organizations and events, including the Projecting Change Film Festival.
Dahmer mentioned that his time volunteering at various non-for-profit organizations taught him the ins and outs of project management, and helped him develop a diverse professional network. With all these assets, he was able to start his marketing agency, The Central Branch. Dahmer provided some words of wisdom for individuals interested in working or starting their marketing agency. When creating and designing for a client, you should:
Understand the client’s goals and objectives
Go beyond making something “pretty”
Make your work a worthwhile investment
As mentioned previously, marketing and design entails more than pretty pictures. The process of creating visuals and layouts involves understanding your client’s brand identity. What is the client trying to provide to its customers? What is their value proposition? Who are they trying to appeal to? These are all questions we as marketers must consider when choosing something as simple as the background colour of your client’s web page.
Lastly, remember that as an agency, you are using someone else’s money. Marketing agencies are hired and given an allowance to help businesses reach a goal, whether it be building awareness, sparking engagement, or even driving conversions. Not only should the resulting design be visually appealing, but it should be timeless and valuable for the client in the long-term.
The Melody Project – Podcast Ep. 1 (Running Time 21:30)
Welcome to the first-ever podcast for The Melody Project. In the premiere episode, I introduce myself along with my vocally-talented guest, Andrea Sargento. Andrea is currently a fourth-year criminology student at York University. She is also a member of Canada’s longest-running collegiate A Cappella group, WIBI A Cappella. Fun fact – Andrea and I are sisters and share a similar vocal timbre.
In this week’s episode, we discuss the evolution in pop music over the years and reminisce how our musical tastes have evolved consequently. Artists such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles have truly, paved the way for fan culture and the entrance to the western pop music scene overall. We then go on to discuss how Filipino culture has influenced our love for singing and sharing music with others (i.e. Karaoke). Notable artists of Filipino descent were mentioned, including Bruno Mars and James Reid.
Growing up, we loved watching Disney channel movies and TV series. This content introduced us to artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and the Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers reignited the general public’s excitement for boy bands with the rise of other groups such as Big Time Rush and One Direction. Andrea and I started listening to boy bands from other countries, particularly from South Korea. Girl groups and boy bands in South Korea belong to a genre called, K-Pop, which is short for Korean Pop.
K-Pop has taken the world by storm with the rise of groups such as BLACKPINK and BTS. By fostering a strong connection with fans (the BTS ARMY) through social media, and creating hard-hitting music with genuine, heart-felt lyrics, BTS was able to propel themselves to superstardom. This was a significant feat in the K-Pop industry as BTS’ label Big Hit Entertainment was not a part of The Big 3, which are the largest and most influential record companies in the country.
On the contrary, BLACKPINK is under YG Entertainment, a member of the big 3, which automatically gives them more exposure and familiarity among the K-Pop community. Despite being from a small label, BTS was able to sweep award shows and become the first K-Pop group to be nominated and win a Billboard Music Award.
K-Pop is primarily in Korean, yet these idol groups were able to foster a fanbase that includes many non-Korean speakers, which speaks to the evolution of pop music. Indeed, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you can still enjoy the genre. Pop music isn’t restricted to western music, but rather it’s a cultivation of everyone’s interests.
Special thank you to this episode’s guest, Andrea Sargento! Please follow WIBI A Cappella on their Instagram page to learn more about upcoming music releases!
Songs Mentioned:
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Yesterday Once More – The Carpenters
Sometimes – Britney Spears
Turning Up – James Reid
Play My Music – Jonas Brothers
A-G-L-E-T – Phineas and Ferb
Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
Ddu-du ddu-du – BLACKPINK
Boy With Luv – BTS
Love Myself – BTS
Enjoyed this podcast? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you want us to react to or discuss next!
“Take my hands now, you are the cause of my euphoria.”
– Lyrics from Euphoria by Jungkook of BTS
It’s 9 AM and my phone blasts BTS’ Euphoria, signalling the start of another day. On a good day, I would usually lie in bed and let the song finish. On a not-so-good day, I would jump out of bed, pick up my phone, shut it off. Regardless, I always find myself spending a good 10-15 minutes scrolling through my Twitter and Instagram feeds in bed. Why is this? When did I start developing this habit?
To answer my previous question, I thought about the time when I got my first mobile phone. I was in eighth grade when my parents gifted me with a Nokia 3500c. With my cell phone, I was finally able to send text messages and take pictures with my friends. However, once ninth grade came along, everyone around me started getting BlackBerry phones and iPods.
Not wanting to feel disconnected from my friends, I used the money I saved from my paper route (yes, I was once a paper girl) and bought an iPod Touch (4th generation). To me, this was the beginning of my mobile and social media habits. While I still used my Nokia phone to call and text my friends, I would find myself using my iPod more as I could watch videos, use social media, and of course, listen to music all with the touch of an app. Notably, I first created my Twitter and Instagram accounts using my iPod Touch.
Today, I’m happily using my iPhone 8 for many of my everyday activities such as checking my email, listening to music, taking pictures, shopping, and ordering food. It’s amazing to see how much mobile technology has evolved over the past decade. Truly, no matter what it is you want to do, there is an app out there that’ll help make things easier. On my iPhone, I currently have 48 apps downloaded that range from productivity (i.e. emailing, web browsing) to entertainment (i.e. YouTube, Disney Plus).
As a digital marketing student, I am constantly reading and sharing content on social media. Hence, it’s no surprise that a good chunk of my screen time is on social media apps. When I’m on-the-go and need information, the first thing I do is pull out my phone and Google the answer to my questions using the Safari web browser app. For entertainment, I’m usually on YouTube. My top 5 most-used apps (listed in no particular order) are the following:
Micro-moments and Pet-peeves
I want to Know
Artists I enjoy listening to these days include Crush, H.E.R., Daniel Caesar, and BTS to name a few. I remember a time when a friend texted me asking if I listened to BTS’ latest single. I was in the middle of working on a paper, but I had to take a break and check out Twitter to see if she was serious (that the song came out). Sure enough, upon opening the Twitter app on my phone, BTS was trending.
Through the tweets from other fans I was able to get the URL link to the official audio of BTS’ Your Eyes Tell. Indeed, I was a very happy fangirl when I found the news to be true and finally listened to the new song! Twitter’splatform, especially on mobile, helps users in the I want to knowmicro-moment find the latest news in pop culture. This ease of use is probably why the platform is usually the first to share trending topics (compared to traditional news outlets).
Within 3 days of release, 'Your Eyes Tell' by @BTS_twt has peaked at #1 on iTunes Top Songs Chart in a total of 96 countries so far! https://t.co/KLndTjwuhk
With the current pandemic situation, I prefer to order food in advance to shorten my time inside a restaurant. This past Sunday, while driving home from church, my family and I had a craving for Chipotle. We were pretty set on what we wanted (we were all the in the I want to buymicro-moment), and so I took out my phone and googled Chipotle. The restaurant was the first result on the SERP, so I clicked on the link and was brought to the Chipotle’s homepage. From there, I tried to place a mobile order but soon gave up as the website was loading very slowly (keep in mind the fam was pretty hungry). Slow-loading sites are one of my pet peeves!
Screenshot from Chipotle’s Website; The app was definitely faster than the website.
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed that the fast-food chain had an app. Voila! I was able to place my order quickly through the app as it offered a much smoother user interface. Overall, my experience with the Chipotle mobile app was superior compared to its website. Like most customers, when making a purchase, I want my transactions to be quick and seamless. After placing my order, I was able to quickly pick up my food when I arrived at the restaurant.
Based on my experiences with social media and food ordering apps, user experience is vital to keeping customers! If a website is loading too slowly, it may irritate users and cause them to take their business elsewhere. A dynamic website adapts to the device screen size, making it more accessible to different devices. However, a mobile app is beneficial since they usually have a smoother interface and load faster. Undeniably, marketers need to take into account the fact that consumers are changing, and mobile dependence isn’t going away any time soon.
So you want to play the piano? Or perhaps you’re interested in the guitar? No matter what instrument you choose, one of the first things you should learn is to read notes.
As a music instructor (and blogger) I felt that creating this basic guide was necessary, after hearing from friends that they wished they continued taking piano lessons. Regardless of your age or experience, it’s never too late to learn how to read sheet music and play it too.
I genuinely hope this article will help you get started on your music journey and simply play! The topics we are going to be covering are:
What is Rhythm? The first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the word rhythm is the Phineas and Ferb episode where the boys tried to get a drummer to rejoin his band, Love Handle for a reunion performance. The drummer, Sherman, was working as a librarian and claimed that, “he ain’t got rhythm”. Clearly, he had rhythm… but just forgot that he had it. To put it simply, rhythm is a pattern of sounds.
4 Basic Rhythm Notes You Should Know
A key thing to remember is that music, just like us, has a heartbeat. The beat is usually steady but can sometimes speed up or slow down mid-song for dramatic effect. Pictured below is the quarter note. This note is equal to 1 “heartbeat” or simply one beat.
Quarter note is held for 1 beat.
Notes can be short (like the quarter note) or they can be longer. The half note is held for 2 beats and looks just like a quarter note except its head (the circle part) isn’t coloured in. Here’s what the half note looks like:
Half note is held for 2 beats.
Next up we have the dotted half note. Visually, this note is identical to the half note except it has… well, a dot. This note is held for 3 beats. The dot adds half the value of the note in front of it to the total value of the note (Since the half note = 2 beats -> half of 2 equals 1 -> 1+2 = 3 beats)
Dotted half note is held for 3 beats.
Finally, we have the whole note, which is held for a total of 4 beats. Unlike the previous notes which have a stem, the whole note is just an uncoloured head.
Whole note is held for 4 beats.
Great! So you’re now a little more familiar with rhythmic notation. Here’s a familiar song that features quarter notes and half notes:
At first glance, you probably didn’t notice that this song is in fact, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. What if we added some lyrics?
Does this look a little better? Maybe. But it still seems a little hard to read. What if I added some bar lines?
Bar lines organize notes into sections called measures (or alternatively, bars). Each measure must contain the same number of beats. In the example above, each measure contains 4 beats. Organization is key in reading music.
If you can clap out the rhythm Sherman the librarian was making with his books, then yes, you have rhythm.
The Grand Staff
Now that you know how to read rhythm, it’s time to read pitch. Music is made up of low, medium, and high sounds. These sounds are notated onto a staff, which are the horizontal lines found in sheet music. The music staff is made up of 5 lines and 4 spaces:
Pianists actually have to read two staves, one for each hand. The bottom staff is played by the left-hand, while the top is played by the right. This also applies to other instruments such as the organ, harp, and marimba. Notes can be placed on either the lines or spaces of the staff, with those closer to the bottom being lower-pitched, and those towards the top being higher-pitched. The clip below showcases low to high sounds on the piano. Notice that low and high refers to the pitch of the note and not the volume.
As mentioned previously, many instruments use two staves at the same time and that is because of their range in pitch. On the bottom staff, you’ll find the bass clef, which again represents lower sounds. The top staff features the treble clef which represents higher sounds.
The combination of the two staves is called the Grand Staff. As you can see, the two staves of the grand staff are connected with what we call a brace. This indicates that the notes on both staves are being played simultaneously. Now that may seem intimidating, but it’s pretty easy (and fun) to read once you get some practice.
Let’s learn our ABCs… again!
So it may sound silly, but all music beginners have to re-learn the alphabet… kind of. The music alphabet is made up of seven letters: A B C D E F G. The first thing to remember is that we never go past G (and never reach H). Essentially, the music alphabet is just the same seven letters repeated over and over until (in the case of a piano) you reach the last key.
With the music alphabet under your belt, you can now apply it to the notes on the Grand Staff. Here is what the Grand Staff looks like with notes:
Now you may be thinking, “How am I supposed to remember this?”. The answer, by using acronyms and guide notes.
Guide Notes
Remembering the notes on the grand staff can be challenging using the wrong approach. I remember learning about the staff for the first time and being completely overwhelmed because my instructor literally had me write out every single note on the staff repeatedly until I had it mostly memorized.
While the repetition worked for me, it isn’t the friendliest way to share it with others. Personally, I find it easier (and much more effective) to memorize the notes in chunks. Here are some simple tricks to help with note identification:
Treble Clef Notes
The treble clef, being on the top staff, holds all the higher-pitched notes. To remember the notes on the lines (E G B D F), you can use this phrase: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (the first letter of each word in the phrase are all the line notes on the treble clef). Conveniently, the notes in the spaces spell out F A C E.
The bass clef is home to the lower-pitched notes of the staff. Similar to the treble clef, you can use a phrase to remember the line notes (G B D F A) on the bass clef: Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always. For the space notes (A C E G) you can use the phrase: All Cows Eat Grass.
These phrases are just a suggestion, and so you are more than welcome to change them up to your liking.
The (Fun)damental Five
Memorizing the guide note phrases can be useful when you’re just starting to read notes, but they can also hinder your speed. Music varies in tempo (speed) and can change rapidly in the middle of a song. For this reason, it’s best to memorize a set of notes and use directional reading to figure out surrounding notes. This is where the fundamental five comes in (Just a disclaimer, the fundamental five is not an official term, but it’s a concept I use to help my students build their note-reading speed). The notes that make up this group are:
Treble C
Treble G
Middle C
Bass F
Bass C
The fundamental five is made up of the 3 Cs in the grand staff along with Bass F and Treble G. Bass F is quite easy to remember as its found on the line that is in-between the two dots of the bass clef. Treble G is located on the second line from the bottom of the treble clef. The picture below illustrates the placement of the five notes.
Memorizing the fundamental five will help you read music faster as you wouldn’t need to go through each acronym to identify a note. After all, the fun part is actually playing music, not sitting and reading notes all day.
Dynamics
You may not realize it, but by learning to read music, you’ve essentially learned a new language. Reading notes is like learning new words and new ways to express yourself. Of course, it isn’t enough to just read notes, but you also have to practice conveying them so that it evokes emotion. To add depth to a song, we use dynamics, which represent loud and soft sounds (the volume in which you’re playing). This chart from Music Reading Savantsummarizes dynamics:
As you play more music, you will notice these markings pop up in some measures. Pay attention to dynamics so that the song doesn’t sound boring and dull.
Let’s Play!
Rhythm, notes, and dynamics are just the backbone of any good song. The final ingredient to any good song is a great performer. Music isn’t just notes on a page, but it’s a story.
John Lennon composed Imagine as a way to express his desires for peace and unity. An article in Rolling Stone magazine featured Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, where she commented, “”Imagine” was “just what John believed: that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out.”
Indeed, music is made for a purpose and is used as a canvas to express yourself. I hope that this guide was useful and sparked excitement to learn an instrument. Please feel free to leave a comment or question below; I’d love to hear if this guide was of any help or inspiration to you.
Insights are essentially a deeper understanding of something (i.e. people, objects, situations, etc.). Julie described insights to be knowledge that helps:
Understand a problem in a new way
Uncovers fundamental human truth
Discover underlying motivations that drive action
This deeper understanding of something, let’s say consumers, help businesses innovate ways to inspire and guide action. A great example that Julie shared was Glossier. The beauty company specializes in cruelty-free skincare and minimalist makeup products. However, it isn’t just the products that made the brand stand out, but it was the connection and community they built with their customers. Glossier didn’t start out as a beauty company; rather, it started with a blog,Into The Gloss.
The team behind the Into The Gloss blog, created Glossier after gathering insights from their readers and editors.
The Into The Gloss team consists of beauty editors that have tried and written about a variety of products. Together with their experiences, and the feedback from their readers, they were able to identify a consumer need in the beauty industry for no-fuss, simple, cruelty-free skincare and makeup. Thus, Glossier was incepted and has boasted a loyal following online (its official Instagram account has 2.8 million followers!).
As mentioned previously, insights give businesses a better understanding of their customers; which in turn guides them on their next steps. A marketer’s job is to address these consumers’ needs in a meaningful way. If used effectively, insights can aid in the following marketing tasks:
BIM Development
Brand Awareness and Equity
Building and supporting new brands
Brand refresh
Packaging design
Advertising and messaging
Targeting
Julie’s experience at Weston Foods truly showed her the value of genuinely understanding and engaging with customers. Her position as the Senior Manager of Consumer Insights exposed her to both positive and not so great outcomes.
Julie shared an instance when they tried to introduce a new product to an existing bakery brand. The brand itself was quite popular, and sold quite well; however, the new bread product was not doing quite well. Before the launch, Julie and her team researched the demand for the product, which there seemed to be. Unfortunately, once the bakery item hit the shelves, it was displayed inappropriately, resulting in customers completely missing the product. Julie showed a picture of the product to my class, and while most of us recognized the brand, none of us knew of the product. While consumer insights are valuable, they need to be incorporated throughout the marketing plan to be effective.
What’s helped her succeed?
Julie wouldn’t have gotten to where she is now, had she been afraid to speak up and take risks. She also mentioned that as a marketer, you need to have a willingness to learn and try different things, especially as a beginner in the field. This reminds me of one of my favourite quotes,
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
-Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO
Whether you like him or not, Mark Zuckerberg has a point; if you don’t take a chance to try something challenging, you’ll hinder your personal growth. In addition to learning, you need to build your network and create valuable connections with your peers and mentors. Julie advises that these connections should be authentic in order for it to be of any value. This means respectfully getting to know the person and conversing with them (rather than just shooting a LinkedIn request) so that the person actually remembers you.
Lastly, be comfortable talking in front of people. Nothing exudes confidence more than a well-spoken, composed public speaker. As a quiet introvert myself, this is something that I definitely need to work on.
Personal Insights
Like many of us, Julie had her own unique self-discovery journey. She graduated with a degree in chemistry and psychology only to find herself working in the wonderful world of consumer insights. In fact, it might be safe that through this journey, she gained a deeper understanding of herself, and better insight on what career path she wants to take. As a digital marketing postgrad student, who previously completed a marketing degree, I felt challenged by Julie’s experience. If she could get a career in marketing, then there’s no reason for me not to try.
SimplyLJ 