CORPORATE DRUMMING - energize your event! 

"I thought it was either going to be a gigantic flop or a big hit" said the manager at the end of the drumming session closing comments.  "Well", she said, "It turned out to be a big hit"!  

When the participants were asked what aspects of the two day training they had enjoyed the most, they replied "the food and the drumming"!

Welcome to the world of Corporate Team-building with drumming…

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Although necessary, the hierarchy within organisations can have the effect of interrupting trust and team spirit as people don’t particularly feel free to create relationships with whomever they choose.

This awkwardness between different groups of people in the workplace leads naturally to segmentation and in the end, to lower productivity and morale.

Drumming acts as the great leveler. Everyone in your organisation can drum  without having any specific skills, but when each individual brings his or her own unique 'innate' beat to the circle, the group synchronizes into its own 'heartbeat' within a very short period of time.  This process is known as 'entrainment' which is a lining-up of unique and individual energies into one homogeneous effort. 

When this happens, the group actually moves into a kind of group consciousness, an automatic flow that is relaxing and energizing, and which translates into  unconscious and effortless teamwork, leaving behind titles and hierarchical levels.

A 60 minute 'Musical Wellness' drumming experience typically flows as follows. After a brief intro piece and a short warm up giving basic drumming instruction and practice, the large circle of participants learn how to drum together and build energy as a unit. Following this, they are divided into smaller working groups who go off to different parts of the room for 15 minutes, to prepare for the next section. Each group chooses a spokesperson who leads their group to finesse a short drumming presentation based on a theme consistent with the overall message of the larger event, after which they re-convene into the larger circle to present their offering.

This is done in the spirit of fun competition but what we often see is that the teams really get into this part and can't wait to perform powerfully when the small groups reconvene together again.

This creates a big energy release as the unique groups 'strut their stuff', proudly leading to the grand finales erupting into spontaneous dancing, singing and drumming usually to a popular song played over the sound system.  

If the main group is made up of geographically dispersed work teams who are not usually co-located and who have never experienced 'entrainment' during drumming before, it will illustrate to them a more collaborative way of interacting and possibly something to bring back to the workplace.

With a more in-depth debrief and follow-up session, participants may learn how to transfer this new way of relating back into the workplace, thereby allowing for  more effective working relationships.

Managers are often surprised by how easily certain participants engage. I often hear comments about how someone who usually does not fully participate in a non-work activity, chooses to stay the entire time, becoming animated and participating fully in the event.

The placement of the drumming circle in your overall event will have a different effect. At the start, it will provide a powerful kick-off and set the tone of the day as one of collaboration and fun. As an after lunch experience, it will keep the energy going for later on in the day. As a closing activity, it becomes a celebration of your efforts and your overall event!

So why not try a new and fun activity at your next training or retreat that will give your work teams something memorable to talk about… and something to drum about?

MORE INFO: https://musicalwellness.com/contact