Through music, children can express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Over the years, we have developed a relationship with Stuart Grant, a music educator. He visits the school every week to collaborate with the children and the teachers and the teachers make time to reflect and brainstorm with him to move the work forward. We decided to bring the WW group together through drums, first learning each other’s names and then discovering the quality of sound they can create.
Colin: We put hands on and drum – not sticks, hands.
Christoph: If so many drums are connected and a petal, it’s called a drum set.
Stuart: The Djembe drum sounds different when the sound hole is connected to the ground and when it is not.
Colin: It doesn’t sound good (when the sound hole is connected).
Stuart: The sound is short.
Tai: It sounds good.
Stuart: It lets a long sound out when it’s away from the ground.
Miles: It’s a very good sound.
Dylan: Boom make a big sound.
This group strategy supports our intentions of fostering community by creating experiences where they develop a common language. The process of participating in a drum circle requires one to listen with one’s eyes and ears, to listen for the tempo and dynamic to guide one’s playing, and to respond to the rhythm of the group.