Today marks my first day of work experience at Eastside Radio. I’m Isla, a year 10 student at the International French School of Sydney, and I chose to do work experience here because of my continued love of the media. I have always been invested in journalism, and there has never been a time in my household where I can remember the radio being off. My parents have always supported this love of information and knowledge and are part of the reason I find myself here today, writing this article.
As a young child, my school offered music lessons, though admittedly they never really got through to me. I did however play the violin, and ended up joining the schools band, aptly named “Four Nation Army”. This was the first place we were introduced to some of the most iconic songs in music history, like Blondie’s “The Tide is High”, and The Beatles “Let it Be”.
Upon entering high school, I quit Four Nation Army, and went solo, meaning I reduced my performances to one-woman shows of broadway musicals in my room. My mum has always loved stage shows, so my love of musicals was inevitable. There was something so attractive about them as a small child, with the sparkling sets and catchy show tunes, and now I’m older, that magic still hasn’t faded. I also began listening to music as a hobby, enjoying the works of musicians like Billy Joel, beabadoobee, Laufey, ABBA, and Queen.
Music has always been extremely important to me. Words often fail to convey emotion in its entirety, something music always seems to. As someone who aspires to write in the future, I hold great admiration for musicians and songwriters. I hope to gain knowledge of both the way a professional workplace functions, and the way in which people respond to music in my time here. Everyone I’ve met here has an appreciation for the work they do and the art they get to take part in every day, as well as being extraordinarily kind and welcoming. I’m excited to see what happens next.