About Me

Hi, I’m Arman Talebi, a third-year BA Music student at UVic. My path in education has been a mix of formal learning and figuring things out on my own. I got into music production during high school, mostly watching YouTube tutorials and messing around with free versions of FL Studio through trial and error. That hands-on, self directed experience really stuck with me and shaped how I think about learning now. I’ve always been more drawn to creative, tech-based ways of learning than traditional classroom structures where you have less sense of freedom.

Social Media and Education

Social media is a big part of how I learn now, even if I didn’t really notice it at first. I follow a bunch of producers and music creators on social medias such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. I’ve learned a lot just from short clips and breakdowns people post and have learned even more from long form tutorials on YouTube.

The downside is it’s also super easy to get distracted. One second I’m watching a tutorial, the next I’m watching unrelated stuff for an hour. If you can stayed focused, social media can definitely make learning more engaging.

Personalized Learning & Digital Literacies

Being able to work at my own speed helps me stay motivated and engaged. If i want to learn a specific skill I can just go look it up and focus only on that. There’s not waiting or sticking to someone else’s plan making it easier to stay interested and keep improving.

When learning anything on social media or online, digital literacy matters. You’ve got to know which sources are worth trusting, how to avoid sketchy downloads, and how to stay safe online. When I first started, I didn’t think much about that stuff. Over time I’ve gotten better at telling the difference between useful info and low-quality stuff.

Managing My Digital Identity

Since I post music online now and then, I’ve started think more about how I come across digitally. I’m not super calculated about it, but I do try to be respectful and consistent with what I post and how I interact. You never know who’s going to come across your work, especially in creative fields like music. A good impression online can open doors, even if you’re not actively looking for them yet. I also keep most of my accounts private unless they’re meant to show something I’m working on.

There’s a balance between showing personality and keeping things professional. I would like to be real online, but also want to make sure there’s nothing out there that could make someone question my work ethic or professionalism. I’ve seen how a careless post can change someone’s view of you, and it’s something I try to avoid. Whether it’s classmates, future collaborators, or even employers checking out your profile, it’s worth putting in the effort to make sure your digital footprint actually represents who you are.