Dhum taka tak
Dhum taka tak
Boom boom pak
Boom boom pak
Dhum taka tak
Dhum taka tak
Boom boom pak
Boom boom pak
We rumbled on and we rumbled on and the echoes of a swarm of children playing the djembes, frame drums and soundscapes reverberated around three Government Schools in Nelamangala and the children with disabilities at Snehadhara. Curious eyes peered on and looked over- trying to identify the source of the chaos and the melodies amongst them.
And lo and behold stood our team of facilitators, led by Aditya Prabhu, a Collective Rhythm Facilitator, who brought in these collective rhythm experiences to a group of 140 children and adolescents in three government schools- Golahalli Government Higher Primary School, Hyadalu Government Lower Primary School and Hitha Chinthana PU School, along with the Snehadhara campus! The children, mesmerized with the African instrument and with their own capacity to play and learn new rhythms, seemed to have lost themselves in the music and allowed themselves to just be and play.
At Snehadhara, our USP has always been how the power of the arts can be used to facilitate learning, healing and most of all, inclusion. We always say ‘if your heart is beating, you are a drummer’. Today was yet another testament to how these diverse groups learnt new rhythms, newer songs from far-away languages and learnt to collaborate with each other only through rhythm and voice. The different instruments and how they created melodies together almost seemed like a metaphor for inclusion itself. With little ones joining the circle with PU College students, to teachers and Headmasters having just as much fun and experience the challenge as the children, the space was open to all.
As I stood witness to the magic that unfolded in these spaces, I watched in awe as children picked up music faster than they do school lessons, and still managed to do a little math revision with multiplication tables using beats. An inspiring expression of their curiosity and their emotions came through in playing these powerful instruments, and they all seemed to be having a blast.
In the middle of the loud rumbles, the amplified songs and the soft murmurs of excitement, there seemed to be a sense of calm accomplishment that the group felt and the team shared- having reached so many people with this art form so close our beating hearts, literally.
Reflecting on the sessions, the team spoke of how collective rhythm experiences are about not just playing the instruments, but also about inspiring the group, motivating them and containing and disbursing energies. Being led by Aditya and Gitanjali was a treat to see all of this manifest in these circles.
We look forward to many many more such opportunities to bring the arts to spaces and open them up to the world of creativity and expression!
