Circle Music

Approach

Circle Music has significant potential for international organisations by enabling human encounters beyond professional and cultural roles and hierarchies. Shared leadership is one of the fundamental principles of this work. The process often allows for new perspectives on organizational- and team dynamics. Unlike in a football match or tug-of-war, in Circle Music everybody can win and no prior musical knowledge is needed.

Circle Music is a collection of musical methods encouraging and modelling cooperation in group processes. It uses voice and body as musical tools. Drawing on elements of the cooperation pedagogy and dialogue practices, a space for experiential learning is created allowing for human connection and individual empowerment.

Goals

Even in the most diverse groups and settings, Circle Music processes create a space for connection and encounters at eye-level. What is modelled musically and rhythmically is concretely transferable to the everyday workplace context. Through dialogue, play and improvisation, a Circle Music experience can boost the following qualities and capacities in teams and among staff members:

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• Creativity and perseverance

• Flexibility and structure

• Deep listening and individual expression

• Connection and presence/focus

• Autonomy and responsibility

• Removes hierarchies and professional distance

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In Circle Music, making so called mistakes is a fundamental part of the learning process. It has been proven that by developing a more relaxed attitude towards errors, people tend to make less of them. In rhythmic learning, research shows that through phases of chaos and “not knowing,” the brain makes new connections, hence learns and develops.

Methodology

A Circle Music Session is customized to the goals of the group or the organisation. The process is built up from simple to complex and from imitation to creation. Participants are guided through a process with practical activities and musical games, which do not require any prior knowledge or skills. Yet, participants will be offered several challenges and invitations to step out of their comfort zone. All of this happens in an atmosphere of play.