Sound Of Music Training course TCA
Results from the course
“We are musical creatures in an innate way, from the deepest of our nature.” - Stefan Koelsch
What?
WHY THIS TRAINING?
While doing activities with young people, it is very common to use music in a bigger or smaller scale, and in a more conscious or unconscious way. The music can influence the atmosphere that is created in a group, it can transmit emotions and/or words, it can be a fundamental part of one activity or even affect in a negative way when we are not using the right music for the situation.
The conscious use of music, the right choice for the different moments, the options about public use (copyright, creative commons licenses), the digital tools to work with music, etc… are different aspects not always known and successfully used by trainers, youth leaders and/or workers in the field of youth.
Therefore, the purpose of this training is to develop the skills of the participants in the use of music as a tool in non-formal education activities with youth.
OBJECTIVES
1. Provide participants with a theoretical framework of music as a transmitter of emotions
2. Create awareness of the influence and the impact music can have (both positive and negative) in the mood / during the development of non-formal educational activities
3. Develop the skills of the participants in the creation of thematic music by purpose (eg. music for teamwork, for reflection, for energizing, for creating groups,...)
4. Develop the ability of participants to create atmospheres (music, distribution of the space ...) that promote or encourage the learning of young people in NFE activities
5. Provide the participants with digital tools related to music (to create playlists, edit, search, playback, music without royalty)
6. Support participants in the implementation of competences acquired
7. Provide a space for the exchange of experiences and resources between participants (in music and NFE with youth material)
8. Discover the value of Erasmus +: Youth in Action, as a program for developing youth activities.
For whom?
24 participants from the following YOUTH IN ACTION PROGRAMME COUNTRIES: Romania, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Norway, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Finland, Austria, France
How?
There was a balance between theoretical concepts, practical learning and use of concrete and useful tools.
Music was not treated only as theoretical contents to discuss about, but it was be used systematically during the course to explore very different aspects of it and its use in non formal education activities and learning experience enhancement of participants. Case studies were conducted to show different examples of music and its impact in the learning process. The training course was based also in an holistic way of working where body, emotions and reflection were interlinked across the whole course.
Where and When?
The course was from 26 February to 5 March 2015 | Mollina (Málaga), Spain
Program of activities
Gallery
Carol Villalón
Moment during a session
Diego Marín
Results from working groups
Results from working groups
Results from working groups
Recommendations from participants
1. Use music in your activities and bear in mind that is may be important to have a certain structure when matching your music with your non-formal education workshop (E.g.: there are normally few stages in terms of flow, also for music; 1. Warm up; 2. Contact with the main experience; 3) Integration of the experience (debriefing); 4. Getting out from the experience) There is usually a music that fits each of these phases. It is important to choose the right one according to the activities you plan.
2. Be aware of the balance between the use of music and its absence (or silence), keep in mind the so called “horror vacui” (fear to have moments of silence during the workshop). Silence can give a meaning and a value to certain moments/activities and vice versa.
3. Music can have a big impact in the group dynamics and it also can influence the emotional atmosphere in a group. It is important that the trainer/facilitator is aware of the potential of music and its impact at emotional level in the participants (e.: some people prefer not to use music during the evaluation time of the activity in order not to interfere with the inner process of the evaluation). Music is perceived differently from each person depending on various factors like personal experiences from the past, personal taste, person’s background, type of music, tonality, etc. Depending on what purpose you have with using music you may also consider that some emotional competence as a facilitator is needed (e.g.: a participant get very angry or sad after an activity where the music was the trigger, then the facilitator may have to intervene to check what happened to the person and eventually support him/her)
4. Music be used for very different purposes such as: to activate and energize the group, for body expression, non verbal communication exercises, to get to know each other (e.g.: musical autobiography) for singing and using voice, dancing and energizing, to break stereotypes, for fostering teamwork (also it can foster competition, depending on your learning objectives), for introspection and/or reflection moments, therapy or meditation.
5. It is important not only to use music but also to create music during a workshop. If participants can use some instruments to make it is very recommendable as it brings a added value to the learning process such as sense of belonging, feeling of connection (when all the group plays music), raise self-esteem in the participants, fosters creativity an many other benefits for the person/group who plays.
6. From a psycho-geography perspective you may want to consider the following aspects:
a) It is important to ensure that the tempo, style and volume of the music are the right ones for your activity/group.
b) - Ensure the venue has enough space (and no hazards) for the activity/movement, etc.
c) - Make sure that the lighting (in some cases a very low light can provide a feeling of safety for those participants that feel a bit shy about dancing or doing body exercise in front of the others) and temperature levels are appropriate for the activity.
7. If music has a remarkable dimension in your activities you may want to consider the possibility to use proper technical equipment such as good speakers that are at least 100 WATTS of power and includes subwoofer to make sure a minimum quality of sound.
8. Try to have a diverse repertoire of music of different kinds and styles in accordance to the diversity and taste of your group. In this sense, sometimes it is a good idea if you can find out the musical preferences of your group. For example, you could create a group playlist before they arrive to the venue of your workshop. Playing their music in different moments of the workshop could give them a sense of recognition and appreciation.
9) Last but not least:
It is recommendable that in general you use the music that moves you, the music that you like and do not use the music you will never listen to (unless you have a particular intention or learning objective in using those you don’t like).
Use your imagination and explore the potentials and the magic of music, it can bring an added value to your activities definitively.
Testimonies from trainees
The Team
Diego Marín
Eva Masero
Carol Villalón
Carol Villalón works as Gestalt art/therapist, DJ and sculptor.
She has being working in the field of personal growth since 2006 and is the founder of the method called “Deepdance” that she continuously develops in Barcelona since 2010.
She works as trainer for penitentiary staff in art therapy, as well as with individuals and groups in personal development in other contexts.
Always focused in body movement, dance and music, she believes that those disciplines can be a true path for personal healing. She is also experienced in bioenergetics and holotropic breath work.