Looking back on summer at Settlement

After a summer spent interning in the Communications department, Brad Davis reflected upon his experiences working at Settlement and penned this before returning for his final semester at the University of Delaware. We wish him all the best and anticipate hearing stories of post-graduate success.

A reflective moment outside Settlement's
Mary Louise Curtis Branch

In many cases, an intern will go to work, be seen and not heard, perform countless chores, and establish zero meaningful relationships along the way. I’m happy to say, as an intern at Settlement, the opposite was true for me. I know I’ll look back and value my summer internship experience and appreciate the people with whom I’ve worked.

Of course, like any internship experience, mine was not without moments of adjustment.  My first week at Settlement came during a minor transition period, which saw Kirsten, former Executive Assistant, take her talents to the Chester Children’s Choir.  In the weeks following, prospective candidates would wait outside of Executive Director Helen Eaton’s office, which happened to be directly behind my cubicle, until their names were called.  It was only a minor distraction, kind of like listening to music while studying. (“Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles has always been my go-to study song.) So when the interview process was underway, I began to loosen up and became even more efficient with the work I’d been given.

The “knowledge is power” metaphor is sometimes overused by people involved in the business of education.  However, after editing numerous video clips from the Kaleidoscope Pre-K, which featured lively classroom interactions and fun, yet challenging musical instruction and dance exercises, it was the only metaphor that did justice to the experiences these kids must have had.  While watching those videos, it occurred to me the teachers in the Kaleidoscope program accomplished something extremely difficult and made it look easy.  They’d made learning seem cool.   Education is always useful, but the Kaleidoscope program makes it hip and exciting, which is no small feat considering the lightning-quick attention spans of young children.

Publications manager Dave Allen
(left) and Brad Davis

What I most enjoyed during my time at Settlement were the people I’d worked with.  They understood my position as an intern, but treated me with the respect of a full-time employee.  As Ron Burgundy would say, “We weren’t just coworkers, we were co-people.”  Dave Allen, my supervisor, was especially welcoming, and would check in with me periodically to make sure I was adjusting alright.  One of the great things about Settlement is that everyone enjoys their work.  Left to themselves, they work passionately and diligently to meet deadlines, organize fantastic events like Summer Jam and coffeehouses, while maintaining a somewhat relaxed business atmosphere.  Isn’t that the ideal working environment for any individual? 

Of course, the terrible thing about internships is they have to end.  Ultimately, I think what’s clued me in to Settlement’s sustained success is that people have and always will love music.  The teaching aspect only furthers this love, because people can maximize its outreach by instilling in others a better appreciation of what music is and how it can impact their lives.  It’s certainly impacted mine.  I’d like to thank Settlement Music School for giving me the opportunity to intern at in the Communications department, and, more specifically, Communications Director Kris Parsons for initially considering me for the position.