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I am an active participant in both the previous MMS 173 and the present MMS 172 volunteer group. However, I would have to say that my experiences in the 172 volunteer group are quite different in comparison to the latter.
I discussed in my first blog a major contributor to this feeling, which is my beginner knowledge in the realm of audio production. I navigated each of the activities with the same amount of vigor and eagerness to learn. However, in comparison to the realm of photography where I can easily contribute without reading the modules, I find myself overwhelmed at the wealth of information present at MMS 172 — not just in the modules themselves, but in the various discussion forums present in the server and the in-depth blasts of music jargon during our zoom calls. Eventually, this excitement of mine was abated not only by the list of things I needed to learn to keep up but also because of my learning environment.
This is the term that constituted my return to the life of a full-time student/full-time worker, it's not as paradoxical as it sounds — it just means I work 8 hours a day and enroll myself at the university with full units. It was also during these months that I encountered several difficulties in life that made things much more difficult to navigate. Simply put, I was sad. I was tired, I am tired.
This is not to say that the entirety of the experience is one big ball of blue, MMS 172 had also been the most fulfilling course that I had for a while even including my courses in my previous college (UPLB, BA Sociology). I am grateful to Sir Al for not only building a community wherein I can learn and be comfortable but I'm also grateful to Sir Al for arranging new experiences that I was not only a participant in but also an assistant in its implementation. Meeting Sir Mike, and Ms. Andrea, and laying my eyes on Narra's peripherals and equipment sparked a desire to push through this slump and create once more. Much of what I learned in this course was not from the modules but rather from direct observation of one of the greatest to ever did it in the Philippine entertainment industry — it's super sweet, man.
Additionally, participating in the 2nd F2F with only five of my peers felt more like a family dinner with an academic twist. The vibes then were casual yet it was also insightful. In both instances of F2F, I have come to remember the discussions about the future of audio and consequently, the Philippine entertainment industry — an arena in which I plan to build an empire. Much reflection regarding this topic was focused on the pessimistic side of things, or at least that's how I interpreted the stories that were being told in both events. A part of me, however, as destructively exciting it sounds — sees this as a challenge that calls me to participate.
My favorite output for this course is definitely my final project, which really transitioned from a simple cover of cherry wine to a narrative exploring one of the greatest questions that man has yet to know the answer to — how do we deal with our innate capability to kill ourselves? How do we deal with suicide? It is in these questions and in what my team and I made that I find the product to be extremely valuable and close to the things I care about. Although as Sir Al puts it, he'll only be listening to the first five minutes of what we made — it still gives me much fulfillment to be able to produce this kind of work with my peers.
I have no images made for this blog specifically but I'll share a sort-of-kind-of secret. I recently began making films every month about things that I highly value, a part of what defined my August is definitely the latter part of MMS 172. The link to August '23 can be accessed here.
Thank you for reading.
MMS 172 Blog 2
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