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Taking back power after loss.
Sometimes events leave us feeling like we have no autonomy or power, particularly after we have experienced a significant loss.
We will invite you to reclaim your power by entering the circle and playing on the large Bass Drums, supported by the rest of the circle.
In this exercise we place one or two large drums with mallets in the middle of the circle.
The group start a foundation rhythm and at any stage a person can enter the circle (or you may like to
schedule people one at a time) and play on the powerful Bass Drums, asserting their power.
Post group discussion
Share with the participants how it felt to take back power in this way and be supported by the rest of the
group. What other ways could help regain the ground you lost?
Pre-discussion
Anger is often a normal part of grief, where we may feel betrayed, let-down or abandoned.
These are normal feelings.
What is forgiveness and why is it so hard? Why is it often important not to forget the wrongs that have
occurred in our lives?
Forgiveness, as an act of acceptance, is not forgetting or condoning the harm that has been done; instead, it
is letting go of the need for revenge and releasing negative thoughts of bitterness and resentment, towards
ourselves and others. Forgiveness is simply about understanding that every one of us is both inherently good
and inherently flawed (Desmond Tutu)
When the unchangeable past is accepted, then the focus can move from pain and resistance to forgiveness,
healing, and progress in recovery.
Forgiveness Exercise
Teach the 7-bar break:
TIMING 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Drum Phrase 1 B b O - B b O - B b O o O o O -
Drum Phrase 2 B b O o O o O - B b O - - - - -
I Forgive, Not Forget - I am Learning to Accept”
I am Learning to Forgive and Accept”
Ask people to think of someone and something that they may hold negative thoughts about such as
blame or resentment - it may be someone who has wronged them or critical thoughts they hold about
themselves. In this exercise if they feel up to initiating thoughts of forgiveness towards these individuals
or themselves, they should initiate the break. There is no need to discuss the actual situation that led to this
position, but it can be a useful lead into deeper analysis where warranted.
Start a simple rhythm and count in the break (4,3,2,1 …). Play the break to symbolise the affirmation,
before going back to the foundation rhythm and someone new initiating the break anew. Do this several
times and finish with people saying and playing the break at the same time. You may want to write the
words of the affirmation on a whiteboard.
R2R TRAINING WORKBOOK VOLUME 2: MUSIC FOR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 59
Post Discussion.
What are the benefits of forgiveness? How can we practice this to gain these rewards for ourselves
and those around us?
According to recent meta-analyses on the effects of forgiveness therapy, forgiveness helped to minimise aspects
of negative affect such as depression, anger, hostility, stress, and distress (Akhtar & Barlow, 2018).
Self-forgiveness is not about letting yourself off the hook, nor is it a sign of weakness. The act of forgiveness,
whether you are forgiving yourself or someone who has wronged you, does not suggest that you are condoning
the behaviour. To forgive yourself, you should:
} Understand your emotions - particularly the difference between guilt and shame
} Accept responsibility for what happened
} Treat yourself with kindness and compassion
} Express remorse for your mistakes
} Make amends and apologise (including apologising to yourself)
} Look for ways to learn from the experience
} Focus on making better choices in the future
Forgiveness means that you accept the behaviour, you accept what has happened, and you are willing to move
past it and move on with your life without ruminating over past events that cannot be changed.
There are times when all of us have been thoughtless, selfish or cruel. But no act is unforgivable; no person is
beyond redemption.
Desmond Tutu
Recognising the fears that stop us moving to the next stage of our journey
towards maturity and growth.
All of us are torn between the comforts of what we know, the safety of the familiar, (convenient rituals,
conventional thinking, and familiar surroundings) and the need to develop, to face the unknown in order
to grow psychologically and spiritually. It is a struggle between lethargy and fear. Fear governs much of
our lives, often seen in a denial of personal responsibility. Standing up to our fears is an essential step
towards personal autonomy.
Courage
In this exercise we ask people to consider some of the fears that are holding them back from moving
forward with their lives, and some of the small steps they can take, exercising courage, to move away
from the bondage of fear towards growth and development.
In this exercise we teach a break where each person around the circle is given an odd or an even number
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 etc., and assigned a part as a consequence. You may need to include yourself or not to
ensure you have an even number of participants.
The rhythm is counted down (4,3,2,1j and the Bass played on the first note of each bar by the whole
group. Between each Bass the fill alternates between five tones - B OoOoO and four tones - B Oo-Oo Odd
numbers play the five-tone break and even play the four-tone break alternating each time e.g. B OoOoO
B Oo-Oo repeat
The break represents the words:
B - I can recognise, B - the fears I hold, B - I can find the strength, B - to be bold. Write this up on the
whiteboard, so all can see.
Practice the two parts of the break with the two sections - odd and even, separately. Then put into the
rhythm. On the last round say the words as you play.
Extension
The break can also be played individually around the circle, once confidence is high, by alternating
between people sitting next to each other, one at a time until it goes around the circle (the facilitator
plays if needed to even up the numbers).
First discuss the types of situations that give rise to people feeling “trapped’. Maybe trapped in an uninspiring
job, or by others’ expectations, or in an unhealthy relationship or by a lack of financial resources, etc.
One person volunteers to go into the middle blindfolded.
Start a rhythm phrase going around the circle one drum at a time and ensure you have a range of
percussion as well as drums. The players, play one at a time, not together, and play the same sound
each time it goes around. The volunteer is encouraged carefully to listen to the group. After 3 – 4 rounds
remove the volunteer from the circle and indicate to one player to remove themselves and their chair
from the circle, silently, leaving a clear exit space.
Bring the volunteer back to the middle of the circle – this time their aim is to identify the hole in the circle
as the players repeat the sequence and leave the circle via that open space.
Discuss
What does it feel like to be trapped and not know where to turn?
What can help you find a way out when you feel trapped?
Sometimes you are blind to the road to escape but others can see. Sometimes you need to listen carefully
and trust your instincts. Sometimes you need to consider all the options before choosing a way out.
Go back to some of the scenarios your participants mentioned before and come up with some ideas for
escape.
Alternatively One person is blindfolded in the middle of the circle and a hole made in the circle ( a player
removes themselves and their chair silently). The blindfolded player must find the escape route with the
help of the remaining participants who play their drums softly when they are far from the escape route
and increase the volume as the person nears the escape route.
With the chairs still close, introduce a new rhythm:
Either
BbBbB O followed by BbBbB Oo or
B Clap O followed by BB clap clap Oo followed by BB clap,clap,clap OoO
Practice one of these combinations with the tones played on your neighbours drum in a specific direction
Then appoint a change master who can swap the direction of where the Tones will be played by yelling ‘CHANGE’ when the whole group is playing on the Bass - showcase a couple of examples before putting control in the hands of one of these combinations group participants
Response ability - ability to respond appropriately
A Pledge of Responsibility - A transition ritual for changing levels of maturity.
Discuss the fact that all of us have at times found ourselves acting irresponsibly and that as we age, mature and reach new degrees of independence we need to take on more responsibility towards others in our communities. It is only when we recognise this that we can change things for the better in our lives.
Note: it is important the facilitator/s play an active and equal part in this exercise.
Hand out two pieces of paper and ask people to write on one, an area where they recognise they have been irresponsible (offer some examples). On the other, they write something they pledge to do in future that follows a course of more responsible behaviour.
In the middle of the circle place a rubbish bin or similar container
Tell the group that we will play together, and at any stage they can stop and walk to the middle and place their past irresponsibility’s in the bin. Emphasise just one person at a time does this and only if they are truly committed to abandoning that behaviour.
Start by layering in a rhythm, and play together as an improvised group. When all who are likely to act on this have done so, then lower the volume and facilitate a regular count of silence into the rhythm, (stopping for 2 bars and resuming). In each gap of silence, one person at a time, (usually starting with the facilitator) will say out loud their new intention. Once all have had their turn resume drumming, lower the volume and bring to a close.
At the end ask people to sit for a minute’s silence, and reflect on their pledge.
Discuss the importance of responsibility in life generally, and how it relates to trust, social cohesion and freedom.
There are a number of affirmation exercises in the R2R resource kit where people can commit to an action or belief through the symbolism of a rhythmic phrase. Research has demonstrated how activities such as these can impact motivation and self-belief through direct changes to the neural system, in much the same way as visualisation.
Discuss the challenges of taking responsibility, Responsibility requires pivoting from blaming external factors to empowering internal forces. Discuss the connection between Responsibility & Blame and Responsibility & Trust.
What are some of the benefits of responsibility? Responsibility is important because it provides a sense of purpose, in addition to building resilience amidst adversity on an individual and societal level.
Like an addiction, sidestepping responsibility may feel good in the short-term, but leads to exponentially worse pain and suffering in the long term.
‘IF IT IS TO BE - THEN IT IS UP TO ME’ Exercise
This is an exercise that looks at behavioural change and self-responsibility
The phrase - O o O - o O, B b B - b B is practiced, which represents the theme ‘If it is to be - Then it’s up to me’. Divide the group and half call out with the Tones and the other reply on their Bass.
A flowing rhythm starts (which represents the flow of life), & the practitioner tells the group that he/she will interrupt that flow with a count-down 4,3,2,1, STOP, just like problems or challenges that surface from time to time in our own lives. To resume the flow, the group will play the break 3 times – ‘If it is to be, then its’ up to me’ (taking responsibility to find the solutions, make the right choices or seek help).
Finish by having everyone say the phrase over the top of the break.
Bounce Back Exercise
Discuss with the group the types of things that set people back in life - e.g. Loss, defeat, sickness, poverty, betrayal, dishonesty, etc. Then examine the things that help people get back on their feet - e.g., Friends, self-belief, luck, helping services. You can write these in two columns on a white-board.
In this exercise, we are going to hear one rhythm that knocks you down (long rumble -representing a crisis in life) and play one rhythm (BBB) that sets us back on our feet (resilience). As you slump low think about the types of things that ‘Get you down’ and as you rise up out of your chair think about what helps you ‘Bounce back’.
Start with a simple, foundation rhythm and when you hear the facilitators call (long sharp rumble – e.g., 12 quick Tones followed by a sharp Flan) you have to stop playing and slump in your chairs as low as possible – after a reasonable pause the practitioner counts out aloud & slowly 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 as you stand up straight playing three Strong Bass Notes (Back on Track) at the end of the count and then resume your seat and re-enter the rhythm.
Facilitator demonstrates the timing of the break – 8 counts of standing up and then 3 Bass notes before re-joining the rhythm.
Ask different people to have a go bringing in the break (long sharp rumble). Never count in the break – it comes unexpectedly like most crises!
Finish with everyone yelling out ‘Back on Track’ as they stand tall and hit the final three Bass notes.
Our thinking patterns (rhythms) have a big impact on how we see and negotiate the world and the people around us. Most of us have a way of looking at life that see things as broadly positive, there are set backs of course when we get disillusioned, but these periods don’t generally last that long. For others life is often viewed very negatively and this rhythm of thinking dominates their lives.
In positive psychology this is known as our ‘explanatory style’. People with an optimistic explanatory style tend to give themselves credit when good things happen, but typically blame outside forces for bad outcomes. They also tend to see negative events as temporary and atypical. On the other hand, individuals with a pessimistic explanatory style often blame themselves when bad things happen, but fail to give themselves adequate credit for successful outcomes. They have a tendency to view negative events as expected and lasting. Blaming yourself for events outside of your control or viewing these unfortunate events as a persistent part of your life can have a detrimental impact on your state of mind.
Positive thinking is linked to a wide range of health benefits including:
• Longer life span
• Less stress
• Lower rates of depression
• Increased resistance to the common cold
• Better stress management and coping skills
• Lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death
• Increased physical well-being
• Better psychological health
‘Yes, I Can’
Ask each person in your group to think of one goal they often find themselves thinking that they can’t achieve.
Perhaps it is stopping drinking, or forming a good relationship, or passing an exam, making the sports team or being a good mum.
How does this frame of mind determine its own outcome?
How does it stack up against the idea of a life of learning and mistakes being learning opportunities?
Can you think of situations where you struggled initially but went on to succeed?
In this exercise we are going to practice the drum break - Fl BB, Fl BB, Fl. Standing for Yes, I can, Yes, I can, Yes!
Keeping your goal front of mind each-time we play the break.
Practice the break (not too fast). Then start a foundation rhythm and introduce it on a count 4,3,2,1
Invite individuals to bring in the break if they recognise this type of negative thinking sometimes gets them down – “count it in if you can relate to this” - 4,3,2,1
Do this several times and then finish with the break and people saying the words Yes, I can, Yes, I can, Yes!
The Appreciation Chair - using the 'Speaker's Chair' routine.
This exercise can be challenging for some people and should only be done when a group has bonded well.
Three things are critical to the success of this exercise:
1. The group has bonded positively
2. Everyone needs to be appreciated evenly - after three things come from three different group members the person in the chair calls the rhythm back in - 1,2,Let's all play!'
3. Group members are asked not to say anything too quickly, but to think more deeply about what they appreciate about the person in the chair. That way the silence represents deeper thinking and the comments become more meaningful.
Play the 'Speaker's Chair' and each time someone enters the chair the group says (3 things) what they appreciate about them. Try to focus on charachter traits rather than physical appearance or possessions.
Note - At the end of the session people may write down what was said about them and carry it with them for a while.
The Ego Trap – this is an adapted version for the ‘Speakers Chair’.
Each person who enters the ‘Speakers Chair’ says one thing they do well (strength) and one thing they know they can work on (lesser strength).
Discussion: How hard is it to accept our strengths and put them to good use? How easy is it to accept our weaknesses and commit to improving on them?
Note: Avoid self-criticism and phrases such as I’m no good or I’m bad. Use the phrase – “Something I’m working on is….”
The Lookout
Once you enter the ‘Speakers Chair’ you will answer this question- Name 3 things you are grateful for in your life?
Encourage use of the phrase “I’m grateful for” each time. Focus on the little things in life that people can take pleasure in. Discussion: How challenging is it to appreciate the positives in our lives? How can we change our focus away from needing more to accepting what we have? Does the company we keep influence our ability to do this? How is this related to balance?
Find Your Neighbours Strength – Sometimes we need others to alert us to our own strengths. Ask people to look to their neighbour (allocate a direction) and think about a strength you see in that person then play the ‘Find Your Strengths’ Game in the same way except when it is your turn, you will face your partner and say one strength you see in them, rather than your own. Finish in the same way by playing the break together and all shouting out the word 'Strengths'.
Note: it is sometimes good to do this in both directions so everyone can be complimented.
Discuss the concept of Strength-Based Practice and Positive Psychology. Helping people focus on their strengths and other people’s strengths improves self-esteem and improves relationships. This helps give some balance back to those who are overly self-critical and provides a platform of achievement for future growth. Those who are more aware of and better at utilising their strengths are markedly happier and more successful. Focusing on others’ strengths enable our relationships to be at their best.
There are six groups of strengths: 1. Wisdom & Knowledge: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective 2. Courage: bravery, persistence, integrity, zest 3. Love & Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence 4. Justice: citizenship, fairness, leadership 5. Temperance: forgiveness and mercy, humility, prudence, self-control 6. Spirituality and Transcendence: appreciation of beauty & excellence, gratitude, hope,
FIND YOUR STRENGTHS
Ask people to look at a list of strengths (or use strength cards) and pick one area of strength - something they recognise in themselves, that they are good at, (if possible, convert to a one-word phrase). If it’s not on the chart, or card, they can identify something for themselves.
Play a foundation rhythm of your choice and teach the group how to count down to a break of B - B - BB – - (4,3,2,1, B-B-BB-). There is a one-count rest after the final Bass note before the rhythm resumes.
One at a time have each participant count down the rhythm and in this final gap they shout out their signature strength, before the group resume the foundation rhythm.
Finish with everyone counting down and yelling the word ‘Strengths’ in unison.
Discuss: What brings you to life? • What energises you? • What do you do that comes most easily to you? • On what do other people compliment you? • What is the very best in you? • When do you feel most you? In answering these questions, encourage people to reflect upon some specific, real-life situations where they have utilised one or more of the strengths listed.
When we are able to let go of past resentments, anxieties, injustices, regrets and blame etc. we enable a way of moving on from adversity. The concept of acceptance in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy relates to accepting the past, making room for it, and learning from it, in order to move on from it. This differs, and is generally much safer, than many psychoanalytic therapies that delve into the past and use people's experiences to understand their current issues.
Preliminary Discussion - What are some of the smaller things in our lives we might be better letting go of?
‘Drop it’
You can use drums & percussion or Tonal Chimes (pentatonic scale - ACDEG) - hand these out. Explain that we will all start playing together at a certain tempo and that you will ask them to “make more space between their notes” (remove a note from their rhythm) by holding one finger high in the air. Give some examples of how a rhythm might sound as you pare back the notes.
Start the rhythm and after a little while have them remove one note (hold your finger up). Hold this new incarnation for a while and then ask them to remove a further note. Follow this routine until you have a sparse, ambient rhythm. Fade slowly away.
Discussion: Sometimes when we let things go we bring more clarity and peace into our lives. How easy is it to let go of things in your life that are stressing you or are not really necessary? What about the influence of others that might be hurting you in some way - can you let them go? What about your thoughts & feelings that bring you down - how might you reduce their influence? Discuss the use of mindful acceptance here.
4 On & 4 Off - Examining Risk
Pre-Discussion - Often we think of risk-taking as something negative, but growth across our lives generally involves a bit of risk - stepping out into the unknown, making yourself vulnerable and trying something new. What are some of the things you recall doing for the first time that involved some risk but were important to your own development?
In this exercise we are going to use the idea of taking a solo on your drum to represent the risks we may need to take at different times in our lives to move forward. But we will also mitigate that risk a little by having the rest of the group hold the Heartbeat for you during your solo. Often when we need to take risks we can put in place measures to ensure we don't fall too far if the risk fails (like a safety net.
Remind people of the basics of the Heartbeat rhythms, then layer in one at a time, allowing people to add their own accents to the Heartbeat foundation.
Heartbeat Solo exercise
Once they are happy improvising tell them that we will play eight rounds - e.g. 4 x the Heartbeat plus accents, and then four rounds of silence with just the Bass pulse & no accents – practice this a few times until they get the timing.
Once comfortable with this sequence (you can still count what round they are up to so they all know when the gap is coming), get them to improvise in pairs in the four rounds of silence – one pair at a time, before everyone returns for the next 4 bars. Then move to individual solos.
Discuss with the group how it felt to go out on a limb, and the types of risks they can envisage needing to take into the future. How important was the group holding the Bass pulse for you?
What are some of things you might do to reduce the consequences of taking these risks if they don't come off as planned?
Try not to use technical musical language – notation etc. – just help them get a feel for the timing.
Weaving Hands
In this exercise, the drums are brought into a tight circle – touching each other. They do not need to be angled, but can remain flat on the floor.
Individuals are asked to cross their arms over their chest so that their hands rest on the drum to either side of them – crossing over this way activates increased neural activity across the brains hemispheres and can improve cognition.
Part 1. With hand resting on drums the group tap in hand order around the circle – if mistakes are made, start again, aim to increase speed and fluency.
Part 2 – Any member can tap twice (but they can only do this once) and that reverses the direction of the movement of tapping hands around the circle.
Part 3 – This time if anyone taps their hand out of order they must remove that hand from the circle.
The number of hands reduces until only a few or one are left.
In R2R exercises we generally try to avoid competitive exercises – be alert to the potential for feelings of shame & resentment if doing part 3.
Note – the drums do need to be of a similar height.
Many individuals struggle to work collaboratively with others - what are some of the reasons for this? What are some of the key elements of teamwork?
Teamwork: Effective team members are good communicators, active participants, respectful & supportive collaborators, problem solvers & are committed to the team goal. Working with others in teams allows you to achieve things you never could on your own.
‘One to The Right, One to The Left’
Bring the group in really tight. Use the phrase “Own drum” whenever you want them to return to their own drum to play the Heartbeat pattern – B B - -
See table on next page for different arrangements.
Encourage your participants to try out other routines.
Questions: What are some of the skills we are using when we work together like this? What are some other situations where these skills would be useful? How limited would our lives be if we had to rely solely on what we could achieve on our own?
TIMING 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4
1 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
2 Repeat x 4
Tone on the drum to your right B B O - B B O - B B O - B B O -
3 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
4 Repeat x 4
Tone on the drum to your left B B O - B B O - B B O - B B O -
5 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
6 Repeat x 4
Tones on the drum to your right B B O O B B O O B B O O B B O O
7 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
8 Repeat x 4
Tones on the drum to your left B B O O B B O O B B O O B B O O
9 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
10 Repeat x 4
Tones on the drum to your right B B O O O B B O O O B B O O O B B O O O
11 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
12 Repeat x 4
Tones on the drum to your left B B O O O B B O O O B B O O O B B O O O
13 Repeat x 4 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
14 Repeat x 1
Tones on the drum to your right B B O - B B O O B B O O O
15 Repeat x 1
Tones on the drum to your left B B O - B B O O B B O O O
16 Repeat x 4 B B clap clap B B clap - B B clap clap B B clap -
Discuss the concept of ‘crossing the line’ or going too far. And, how that relates
to values & safety. What are some examples of things you may have done or seen others
do that ‘crossed the line’? (Be careful of confidentiality here). What roles do boundaries play
in keeping people safe?
Preliminary Discussion - The double line in the middle of the road represents a boundary
that keeps people safe – that’s what boundaries are generally for. What are some of the
boundaries you recognise in your life? What are some you place on your relationships?
However, many people have crossed that double line – for good or bad reasons - sometimes
we need to adjust or change our boundaries – can you think of an example when it would be
OK to cross this line? Can you think of situations where it may be OK to break with your
boundaries? Are some boundaries sacrosanct? What sort of pressures make people do things
that are cruel, dangerous, unwise or otherwise compromise their values? How can you stay
on the right side of that line? How does crossing the line relate to honesty?
Crossing the Line Exercise
Before playing the game, the group would discuss the issue of boundaries, what role they
serve & the challenges of keeping to them. Half the group (fewer if it’s a large group) enter the
circle and stand parallel to an imaginary line that runs down the middle of the circle. The
facilitator showcases a pattern (3 strikes in a row) on an agogo bell that means move to the
other side of the line. Each time that pattern is played the players need to jump across to the
right side.
Change the frequency of the three-note bell pattern to make discerning it trickier.
Discussion: What does listening have to do with staying on the right side of the line and
keeping safe? Listening to our intuition, our conscience, listening to others? What about our
values – How do they help us stay on the right side of that line?
Used to point the group towards shared values and experiences.
Ask each person to name one value they are or would be prepared to stand up for. The group should come up with examples – personal or public – of individuals who have stood up for this same cause.
Examples:
• Honesty – Would you stand up in the face of dishonesty? Can you give an example?
• Respect – Would you stand up in the face of disrespect? Can you give an example?
• Loyalty – Do you stand up for your friends or family? Can you give an example?
• Bullying – Would you stand up against a bully? Can you give an example?
Then use the rumble game ‘Rumble if you’d stand up for…’
Discuss the challenges of bravery. What is the difference between bravery and courage? Can you be brave and foolhardy at the same time? How can friends band together to be brave in numbers? Why are bullies cowards?
Use the 'Speaker's Chair' routineEach person who enters the ‘Speakers Chair’ says one thing they do well (strength) and one thing they know they can work on (lesser strength).
Discussion: How is it to accept our strengths and put them to good use? How easy is it to accept our weaknesses and commit to improving on them?
Bring the group in really tight. Use the phrase “Own drum” whenever you want them to return to their own drum to play the Heartbeat pattern – B B - -
Encourage your participants to try out other routines.
Questions: What are some of the skills we are using when we work together like this? What are some other situations where these skills would be useful? How limited would our lives be if we had to rely solely on what we could achieve on our own?
Enlarge the circle if necessary - in larger circles have several people in the middle
Warning to the blindfolded individual not to swing their arms wildly.
The drummers support the person (or people) in the middle by rumbling whenever someone is sheltering near them - be alert to too much rumbling confusing the person in the middle and the need for the drummers to work together and only rumble when someone is right opposite them.
This exercise can be used to examine the way the drummers worked together, & the trust required by the blind-folded person in the drummers to guide him/her.
Adaption: Instead of rumbles the blindfolded person calls out "Marco" and the drummers closest to those hiding in the middle reply with two Tones (Polo).
Bring the group in close and if possible arrange people so that each person leans towards the person on their right until their head rests on that person’s shoulder (ensure people are comfortable with this form of contact). Then one person should start with the word ‘ha’ and each person should follow quickly with an additional ‘ha’ to the number the person before them voiced for example, ha, ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha. If someone gets it wrong or interrupts the sequence you start again from the beginning.
The group should end up giggling.
How important is it to have someone in your life who can make you laugh? How important is it for you to see the lighter side of life? How easy is it for you to laugh at yourself? Why do we sometimes take pleasure in laughing at others, and is that OK?