PLATFORMS

DIGITAL TOOLS I USE IN MY DAILY WORK

I am a classical guitarist. I use different tools for teaching like the ZOOM app which allows me to teach online lessons. I use OBS for multicamera purposes. I use HD multi camera, high-definition sound, Newzik app for scores with annotations in pfd throughout the lesson. I record the lesson for student reviewing. I also make videos of my performances. I edit the videos and sound with software like Logic and Final Cut. I am in the process of implementing a social media strategy. I only use Facebook and YouTube right now. 

5 DIFFERENT DIGITAL TOOLS I COULD BE USING IN THE FUTURE IN MY WORK

Instagram

I could use Instagram as a platform for showing my work and creating a personal brand as a musician. I could make videos showcasing my performances. I could also make pedagogy videos with tips for guitar issues. I could also use this to promote concerts with flyers and videos. Instagram offers several features like stories, reels, photos which allow several possibilities for advertising an independent musician like me.

Tik-Tok

TikTok is a very fast-growing platform. It offers a good opportunity for musicians to showcase short videoclips of their performances. This could be a tool I could try to share guitar performances and help me to grow a fanbase. I could link my new tik-tok page to other social media and generate more traffic and visitors in general.

WIX

Wix is a platform for creating websites. It offers free and paid options. This could be a good option for a place to build a personal website as an independent musician. I see they offer several templates for musicians and after doing this course and making this blog I now have some experience on how to work on this kind of environments.

Blogger

Blogger allows for creating blogs. After this course I am really motivated to start a blog for discussing topics related to my job. I can do it here in Blogger, WordPress or maybe start one in my own personal website. Building a blog can help a lot to share ideas, discuss with people and build a community. 

Linked In

I have a profile in LinkedIn, but I don’t use it very much. It has been years since the last time I entered in that website to my profile and checked what has been going on. I think this platform offers a great opportunity to be in contact with colleagues and in general to share things about my own personal work. This way networks can be built and maybe some new work opportunities and jobs can result from this new interactions.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media can be very beneficial with the appropriate use to any person. It can enhance work life, help create businesses, and build networks and communities. It can help people to share knowledge and others to learn. Entertainment in many ways can be accessed and many art forms are available one click away. I also allows to communicate with peers, colleagues and friends very easily. People can inform themselves and communities can organize and cooperate more efficiently. 

But the bad side is complicated. People can isolate and generate wrong ideas and values about life. It can trigger addiction and generate compulsive behavior. Dangerous ideas, fake news, hate speech and many other issues can arise and really can turn to be very dangerous. Education to individuals on how to deal with these issues should be imparted and some regulations without affecting free speech should be implemented. 

WHY I CHOSE THOSE  5 DIGITAL TOOLS IN THIS ASSIGNMENT

I chose 5 digital tools (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Blogger and Wix) thinking about my professional development. The future is turning out to be more and more digital and an independent musician like me can take advantage of these tools. The music industry uses social media today more than ever.  A musician with the correct social media marketing strategy and good quality content can give a boost to his career with the help of these digital tools. 

THE ELEMENTS OF SUCCESFUL USE OF DIGITAL APPLICATIONS

I consider that the elements of successful use of digital applications are related to knowing what these tools can offer in the different aspects of life and what are your goals. These can be professional, personal and even romantic goals. It is very easy to waste time behind a screen and avoiding the real world, meeting real people and doing real things. This I consider is more important than being behind a screen. Digital tools in my opinion should only help to create a better life. 

SELF-EVALUATION

This assignment made me think of other digital tools that I don’t use right now that could help me improve my professional life. I am going to be implementing a social media strategy for myself as a musician very soon and making this course gave me a lot of ideas. To begin, I will work with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. After one year I will check the established goals and check the marketing tactics to see if using other social media platforms and digital tools in the future can help me achieve better results.