The intern's tale part 1 - September 2018

This month we welcome Gemma into the office as our new intern.  We're really excited to be working with her.  In her first blog she introduces herself:

Hiya folks, my name is Gemma Collins and I am excited to say that I am going to be working with the amazing CMM this upcoming year. As well as working in the office I'll be going to both CMM choirs and assisting where needed, and also doing volunteer work in 2 different Primary Schools to gain some more experience with how they run things as well to keep me busy :D

I am originally from Barrow-in-Furness and for those who don’t know where that is, it’s a small town in the nook and cranny of Cumbria/Lake District…Very, very different from living here…although interestingly I am the only one out of my entire family that is a true original Burrovian (and yes, that’s how us northerners pronounce it ha-ha)!

My first encounter with CMM was at a time that I can’t remember. Roger and the team have known me since I was around 3 or 4…Over the years my family and I have been involved with countless CMM events, either in Cumbria, Birmingham or wherever they have been around the country. I think I have done all but 2 or 3 of Roger’s musicals, and most of them at least twice each. For those who know me won’t believe this, I used to extremely shy about playing my flute or singing on my own when I started. Although with help from Roger, Annie and Helen over many years I was able to grow in confidence and even learnt how to improvise. Through these years I found that music was my passion, I wanted to pursue it and help other people like they have helped me.

I went on to study music at The University of Huddersfield, I loved every minute of it, and after lots of hard work and all-nighters, I graduated from University with a 2:1 in July this year! :D

I found that before I carried on with education that I wanted to learn more from CMM; how they organise events, how it works form a business point of view, I hope to learn about the running of choirs, the behind the scenes work, to be able to grow my confidence in speaking in-front of a crowd and to arrange music for gigs. 

I am very much looking forward to this year, I have been here less than a week and I already have lots of tasks to keep me out of mischief for a little while haha…

After this year I would like to train as a Primary School Teacher in a Specialist Needs School, with the aim of using my music to help them learn and grow, although I would also like to start my own choir in the future with peripatetic teaching on the side.

Working with CMM is going to be fantastic, they are my family and I am so grateful to God that this has happened, and I get to spend quality time with fantastic people.

This is going to help towards next steps and my future!

I am very excited!!! XD xxx