Briefly explain to the group about the importance of certain guidelines, as this allowed them to play together well as a group. Refer to the fact that drums are being ‘played’, and discuss the difference between work and play, referring to the fact that the drumming sessions were in fact ‘playshops’ and not ‘workshops’.
Explain to the group that you as a facilitator are not ‘strict’ or ‘harsh’ like teachers at school may be, it is important that there are still guidelines, to ensure that everyone enjoy their time together. Create an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard, within boundaries.
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State that you are going to briefly discuss a few guidelines with the group. The purpose of these guidelines is to ‘stay in tune’ with the group, and help the drumming circle to stay ‘in the groove’ together. Discuss what ‘in the groove’ implies, ‘in tune’, ‘in rhythm’, ‘in
harmony’, ‘gelling’ together. Introduce the following five guidelines: 1. Treat each other with respect.
2. Do your best to join in and play along.
Try to understand the rules and objectives of a game or activity. Join in wholeheartedly.
Have fun!
1. Listen to the others, and play with them, not against them. 2. Don’t play on your instrument when someone is speaking. 3. Help someone if he/she is struggling.
Discuss each guideline, and use the following method to aid in acceptance and
internalisation of the rules and boundaries. After speaking about the first guideline, elicit the group’s ideas on what it means to play together and join in. Check that everyone understands the first guideline, and if everyone does, beat together, once on the drum. Facilitate the group to drum one beat, together, in unison. Repeat this for each guideline, first discussing the guideline, eliciting ideas about it, and then finally let them beat two beats for guideline two, three times for guideline three, in an attempt to convey their understanding and agreement.
Objectives
The objectives of this discussion is to include the setting of appropriate boundaries and limitations. If boundaries are consistently maintained in a clear and simple way, without being overly restrictive, provide adolescents with a sense of security and stability, in the process reducing anxiety and freeing the participants to explore their own creative, emotional and social processes.
140 5. Ritual Closing
A Journey
Accompany the group in an imaginary journey back to the “real” world and to daily life. Start by guiding the participants to play softly with their fingers on the rim of the drum. Propose that you are walking through a deep valley. Assist the group to move into a gradual crescendo. Explain to the participants that you are climbing over a steep hill. Lead the group into a decrescendo, and explain that everyone is now descending into another valley. Initially the facilitator will guide the “travelling” group through the valleys and hills. Eventually the group will be able to “travel” by themselves to and from their village. The jointly created rhythm will lead the group. Once everyone has “arrived”, thank them all for their participation, and allow them to thank each other for sharing this special time
together.
Objectives
The closing activity (used ritualistically to close each workshop) serves to bring psychological closure to the participants as they prepare to leave the drum circle, and return to their “normal lives”. Emotions are settled, and the participants are grounded in reality.
Affirmation: “Ek is amazing!” Objectives
The energetic finale serves to end the session on a positive “upbeat” note, and further provides the participants with an encouraging message to take with them. The lively rhythms and powerful collective playing are likely to be remembered and internalised.
141 Workshop Two “Welcome in our village” 1. Ritual opening
Welcome
Participants are asked to wait outside the classroom and only enter the drumming room when they hear “waka waka”. The facilitator provides the call from inside the drumming room on one of the drums. As the group provides the appropriate response to the call, they are allowed to enter the room and take a seat at a drum. Wait until the participants
spontaneously all join in to play the “eh eh” on their drums. Allow the call-and-response rhythm to continue for a few moments. The facilitator leads the group to vary the tempo and volume of the call. When the facilitator feels that everyone is comfortable and attuned to the group, bring the exercise to an end.
The facilitator commences by welcoming each member into the drum circle. Ask a member to volunteer, and ask the member if he/she will be willing to stand in the middle of the circle. The facilitator explains to the group that the group is going to find a rhythm for the participant in the middle of the circle’s name (just as they did in the first workshop). While the group plays the rhythm on their drums (and rhythmically chant his/her name), the participant in the centre must walk around the circle and shake each participant’s hand. The facilitator leads the group into playing the rhythm and chanting the name for a while, and then gesture for the participant to start walking around the circle to be welcomed by the group. When the first participant has been acknowledged by everyone in the group, gesture to him/her to return to their seat, and indicate to the participant to the left to stand in the centre of the circle. Continue until each member has been welcomed in the drum circle.
2. Meet the village people