Over the past couple of weeks, the project has gained a lot of direction. We’ve agreed on a framework to measure the impact of ECAs, which has made the reading feel far more purposeful. With a clearer direction, we’ve begun the literature review, and I’ve been focusing on the benefits of music-related ECAs in particular.

Our entire group has also started working on the longitudinal study, which will track the impact of ECAs over time. Beginning to translate our research questions into something more real has made the whole project feel more focused. There’s a stronger sense now of where the work is headed and how it might be used in a real-world context, which has genuinely been very motivating.

By sheer coincidence, I was asked to play drums for a local primary school’s production of Oliver! - a completely unexpected but very welcome break from the library. It was great to see how much the students enjoyed performing. They were genuinely talented, and watching the performance made the research feel far more concrete. It was a nice reminder of how these activities can really shape young people’s confidence and creativity.

After the show, I had a chance to speak with (and formally interview) the school’s head of music. We had a great conversation about how music programs are run and evaluated, which offered some useful context for the research I’m doing.

Outside of the project, things have continued to be really nice. Spending time with other scholars - whether making food together or meeting up for drinks - has been a big part of what’s making the experience so rewarding.