A functional stress relief and anger management program, which encourages participants to develop their sense of rhythm, while simultaneously expelling the energies that keep stress and anger repeatedly manifesting and acting out in negative ways.

The energy used to play the drum taps much the same source as anger, depleting it to a manageable level. The emphasis on rhythm and technique will help participants confront these inhibiting and limiting emotions, enabling them to express these in a constructive manner. As confidence is regained, he or she will arrive at a degree of inner calm, and will come to realize the need to expand and increase this inner work, through determination and dedication to the betterment of self. 

 

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

WORKSHOP FOCUS: Using hand drums (The North West African Djembe and the Middle Eastern Duff [frame drum]), and evolving into the use of various instruments and poetry, depending on interest, in a simplified workshop to foster anger management and hence aggression in a life skills setting of harm reduction and self-determination.

The knowledge of rhythm and the practice of drumming have long proven to be an effective tool in the focusing of feelings and energy for many of the so called at risk folks and indeed anyone that suffers from a high degree of anger. A large part of many peoples energy is spent on anger and for those whose anger expresses itself in aggression this is where the program will be most effective. The beating of a drum is a wonderful tool in decreasing and focusing these so common and often out of control emotions and can be practiced by people of all ages, backgrounds and cognitive abilities.

Although rhythm on its own, is a very effective tool when used for the above reasons this must evolve with the accompaniment of talk therapy in a group setting. The attending group counselor does no more than guide and focus the group. Talk therapy is introduced gradually; the form and depth will depend on the participants comfort levels and trust in each other.

The program is an ongoing venture that opens with a free style bang away for the first 10 minutes. Then we start the group on a simple rhythm, and as we progress introduce more complex rhythms. This all at the speed of the group. The motivator/reward will be to play in a concert, which we will arrange when the time is right.

Once people are at a stage of control and understanding we hope to put some of them in charge of newly starting groups. This along with self-value and self-esteem will give people a degree of responsibility and control which is much needed for them to restart their lives. This will also help them redevelop patience, tolerance and empathy for their peers and hopefully society as a whole. At the bare minimum, this program gives people an outlet for their frustrations.

SOME GOALS AND THE START OF TALK THERAPY

After some time, we offer the opportunity to take on more refined instruments such as flutes, harmonicas, keyboards and other instruments of the particpant's choosing. This is used to focus and define the more sensitive issues in their lives and as they progress and develop their skills so will it develop the willingness and ability to define the problems and situations that brought them to the place they now find themselves.

We bring this forward in the free style study of rhythm in music, lyrics and poetry as the outer expression, of what we hope to achieve inwardly. This is achieved in the following manner.

To truly understand the instrument one uses we must make it an extension of ourselves as we endeavor to understand the instrument that is us, as a cherished and valuable being with infinite potential and possibility. For to know oneself as is the case with our instrument is to know where we fit in life as our instrument fits in the music we are playing, and thus we will encourage the exploration of where these came from, how they  got here as we will explore where these feelings of anger originated  in much the same way.

To clarify: This is put in the form of stories, consisting of the history and the purpose of an instrument as well as the events and the time these came into being. The lives of the people involved and what motivated them. This is a great way to encourage people to start reflecting on the turning points in their lives, as this is often where we discover the adjusting measures that will help us understand and change negative emotions into productive ones.

This again will be dependent on the degree of interest, and will likely be a separate workshop so we do not force it on those that will not benefit from this.  The reason this is important is that it challenges the intellect to investigate and question and in turn encourage people to research the truth and validity of everything they undertake and because rhythm is all about balance it can only result in positive thinking.

This will parallel the investigation of their lives as a simultaneous process, because the focus is in part diverted away from what could be seen as psychotherapy. It will instead be a natural process that is necessary to do the musical work, as well as the self-exploration needed to find the reasons for ones anger and in turn emotions that have manifested from this or have enforced anger.

This workshop also look at some of the tortured souls that were the composers, musicians and other artists of the past as well as the contemporary ones, again in story form. This allows people to identify with those troubled, creative minds that are often seen as folk heroes and geniuses. For knowing, that we are not alone but only given to identify with those that are in the same boat is not helpful, it is merely group isolation as opposed to individual isolation. When however people learn about like souls, that have achieved a degree of accomplishment, social acceptance and admiration, often despite themselves and their conflicted lifestyles. This gives hope and opens the possibility of being all they can be and in turn exploring what this means in their lives. Moreover, realize that they did not recognize their own potential because they have lost the ability to look at it from a positive perspective and thus become exclusively fixated on external limitations laid on them by society and because of these feelings of powerlessness their anger is continuously being  fed and agitated.

There will be more time sensitive programs designed for focused workshops as these occur or are requested.

THERE ARE NO FAILURES NOR DO WE FAIL PEOPLE, THERE ARE ONLY WINNERS IT JUST TAKES SOME LONGER THAN OTHERS.