The Rhythm of Life
The Rhythm of Life
The Rhythm of Life
Prelude
With my mother’s side of the family, I’ve learned how to care. And, also, I’ve
learned the power of music. My grandfather was a doctor and, besides that, he
used to play several musical instruments – he even (believe it or not) played
songs on leaves from the trees. So I came to learn that everything in life can
become a nice tune - and, above all, that music can cure.
In 2009 David Denborough and Cheryl White came to Vitória (ES), Brazil, for a
workshop – their first workshop in Brazil! On that occasion, they presented the
Team of Life as well as the Tree of Life methodology. I began using both
methodologies in my work with individuals (clinical work) and with groups
The Rhythm of Life Adriana Müller (05/12/11)
(rehabilitation and third age group). The results of every one of these
experiences are always invigorating.
It’s well known that Brazilians love football and are concerned about the
environment. That’s probably one of the explanations why the Team of Life and
the Tree of Life methodology have great acceptance among the groups I have
worked with. So, I decided to focus on another subject: Brazilians love music. It
all began with samba (actually with carnival), but then I realized that carnival
has so many different aspects depending on the place and the people involved
that it would be better to focus on what they have in common: the samba. And
then, I thought about the instruments: drums, tambourines, plates, agogos…
That’s when I realized that music is a global language and I could think about as
many instruments as the human race has created. That’s how the Rhythm of
Life got started.
Andante
Basic aims: To allow individuals to build a safe identity territory and to reconnect
with their own abilities, values, histories in a way that they can feel their lives
are in their own hands again.
need to overcome, some difficulty they have been facing, some kind of event
they all have been through, among other possibilities.
Steps:
1) My instrument
2) My interpretation
3) The Orchestra of Life
4) Getting attuned
5) Our song
- Step # 1 (03 hours) – this is a particular moment when the participants get in
touch with their own history and, also, with their precious memories. They are
asked to talk about these events. This sharing moment helps everyone in the
group to reconnect with their own lives. Therefore, it takes longer to go through
this step.
- Step # 3 & 4 (1h30) – that’s the time to focus the group and, also, to relate the
metaphor of the instruments playing in an orchestra to life itself.
- Step # 5 (02 hours) – that’s the time when the group has to create their own
music and rehearse this song.
Sometimes the group needs more time to finish this activity.. And also, some
s
groups prefer to present the song to a specific audience. In these cases,
another date can be set for the presentation and the recording.
It’s important to have the music recorded so that it can be shared with others
other
that are facing similar problems.
Intermezzo
1) MY INSTRUMENT
There’s no
o need to be an instrument the person knows how to play – it’s
important to be one that the participant likes (because of its sound, or its shape,
or its relevance in
n the person’s life…).
The stage:: Right under the instrument the person draws a line, meaning the
stage: the place where the person is playing this instrument. It means present
life. Questions about the person’s present life, regular
re activities, and roles that
the participant plays in life may help.. (It’s very similar to the ground on the Tree
of Life methodology).
The instrument:: It can be split in two parts – the Sounding Board and its
Vibration. Every musical instrument has both parts: the one that produces the
sound and the one that resonates it.
2) MY INTERPRETATION
1
Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and influential theorist of what’s known as critical pedagogy.
The Rhythm of Life Adriana Müller
üller (05/12/11)
Having all the instruments put together shows a wide range of possibilities that
might emerge from the group.
There are many points that can be brought up: in which ways each instrument
can get attuned with the others, what’s the importance to the whole orchestra to
be playing in the same rhythm,
rhythm, how to coordinate personal discipline in training
(one can play 8 hours a day but the other one only plays twice a week – how
can they manage to play together?)
At this point, there might be no difference between the metaphor and life itself:
being an orchestra and being a group dealing with some difficulties is almost
the same.
4) GETTING ATTUNED
There are many challenges an orchestra has to deal with. And getting attuned
att
might include some aspects.
The Rhythm of Life Adriana Müller (05/12/11)
It’s important for us to understand our own responsibility inside the group. Not
the responsibility as ‘being blamed for’, but as ‘the ability to respond to’ (what I
call the response-ability).
Michael White was always aware of the questions raised by Foucault in relation
to “practices of power”. This awareness surfaces in the techniques of the
narrative therapy which try to separate the person from his/her problem as well
as to give this person voice.
This means, for example, to help people notice they are not to blame for the
situations they face (or have faced) in life nor are they victims. They are people
who have passed through difficult situations and who have managed, somehow,
to give these challenges an answer. Thus, the focus is not the problem, but the
person.
Taking some time to think about the characteristics and the history of this
person’s life, trying to rescue the roots of his/her capacity to act is what I call
“response-ability”: the ability to respond to life’s dilemmas.
- How does your instrument get along with the others? What abilities do
you have that are unique in this orchestra?
- How do all these instruments play together? What are the difficulties
faced by an orchestra? What are the ways for an orchestra to
respond to these challenges?
The Rhythm of Life Adriana Müller (05/12/11)
- What are the difficulties that we face in life? And how do we respond
to it both as an individual and as a community.
- How did you learn to respond in this way? Is this way of responding
linked to your family, community or culture? If so, in which ways?
Second, I also use a play on Portuguese words. I’ll try to relate to English!
As soon as the members of such group are able to get attuned and, eventually,
in synchrony, they may play music. And, as they learn to play together the
great variety of songs in life, they will be able to play awesome symphonies.
In so doing, they move from the symptom (being out of tune) to synchrony
(the ability to play together). And by practicing synchrony they get to
symphony (the ability to play beautiful songs together).
5) OUR SONG
That’s when the group has the chance to contribute to the lives of others who
are facing similar problems. Usually the group writes the lyrics and plays a song
sharing what they’ve learned about their own skills, abilities, values, hopes,
dreams, and ‘response-ability’. Then this contribution is shared with other
groups and we keep on waiting for the answer to come.
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If the group/person does not want to write their own song, they can choose a
song that represents them. They can also change the lyrics of a song they know
and play their personal version of it.
There are many possibilities. All of them are unique – and, therefore, special.
Each group will find out which one is the best for them. Choosing their own way
to share what they have learned makes all the difference. Let’s sing along!
Finale
These are the steps of this methodology. The music metaphor can be well
understood in every culture. That’s what makes this methodology easy to be put
into practice all over the world. It also can be used both with individuals and
community work, with no need to modify it.
It is based on Narrative Theory and Narrative Practices2. The key themes that
are included in the Rhythm of Life are: responding to social issues through a
methodology that focus on strengthening the alternative story, re-membering
significant people and honoring them, helping people to understand that their
lives are connected and that one’s story can contribute to someone else’s story,
and sharing all this knowledge through collective documentation (White, 1991,
2007; Drewery & Winsdale, 1997; Monk, 1997; Epston, 1998; Denborough,
2008; Newman, 2008; Madigan, 2011).
I hope every one of us can make the music play and, in so doing, we can all be
attuned to the Rhythm of Life. Let’s get in sync to make this world a better
place!
2
For more information about these ideas, please contact Dulwich Centre (www.dulwichcentre.com.au)
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References:
Monk, G. (1997). How narrative therapy works. In: G. Monk (Org.). Narrative
therapy in practice: the archaeology of hope (pp.3-31). San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Newman, D. (2008). Rescuing the said from the saying of it: living
documentation in narrative therapy. The International Journal of Narrative
Therapy and Community Work, (3), 24-34.
White, M. (1991). Deconstruction and therapy. In: Epston, D. & White, M.,
Experience, contradiction, narrative and imagination: Selected papers of David
Epston and Michael White, 1989-1991 (pp. 109-151). Adelaide, South Australia:
Dulwich Centre Publications.
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