RHYTHM

TO
RECOVERY
A Practical Guide to Using Rhythmic Music, Voice and
Movement for Social and Emotional Development

Simon Faulkner
Foreword by Dr James Oshinsky, PhD

Jessica Kingsley
Publishers London and Philadelphia

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 CONTENTS

Foreword by Dr James Oshinsky

Introduction

Part 1 Theory, Research and Resources

1 Why Rhythm?
2 The Rhythm2Recovery Model
3 Individual, Family and Group Applications
4 Working with Specific Populations
5 Less Talk and More Rhythm
6 Counselling and Facilitation Skills
7 Drum-Circle Facilitation Skills
8 The Context
9 Resources: What You Need to Get Going

Part 2 Games, Exercises and Applications

10 A Rhythm Catalogue
11 The Rhythmic Wave: Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation
12 Sessional Themes and Rhythmic Exercises
13 Rhythmic Movement
14 Rhythmic Voice
15 Five Key Analogies
16 Additional Games and Exercises

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17 Reflective Practice and Evaluative Resources
Further Reading
Simon’s Bio
References
Subject Index
Author Index
Acknowledgments

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 FOREWORD

When Simon Faulkner asked me to write a foreword for his book on the use
of drumming and other forms of rhythmic music and movement for
promoting social-emotional learning, I was flattered and excited. He and I
belong to a somewhat small fraternity of dual-credentialed folk who are both
professional therapists/counsellors and at least amateur musicians, operating
outside the boundaries of traditional clinical music therapy. We have seen
first hand the powerful and transformative influences of group music making
on populations that historically have been considered hard to reach. We have
put in the time trying out variations on talk-based groups and education-based
programs, and we know both the value and the limitations of these
approaches.
Therapists and educators have always known that lived experience is a
more powerful teaching method for social skills than even the best word-
based lessons. It is not hard to create lessons that contain pro-social content.
But clients low in social awareness or motivation can act ‘as if’ they had
internalised empathy or assertiveness that have not truly rooted. Our personal
stories, when told in words, require exposure that overtaxes modest levels of
group trust. So clients, out of self-preservation, risk less or conform
superficially. This does not lead to healing or lasting change.
What has been needed is a method that provides vivid experiences
through which clients can feel their place in a group, experiment with social
limits in a safe manner and take risks to discover their personal identity.
Drumming and other forms of rhythmic exercises are effective as mediums
for social interaction and growth because they are first and foremost
inherently enjoyable, and because the level of coordinated listening,
observing and responding is immediately apparent. The feedback loop
between participation and evaluation is immediate, visceral and wordless.
This is powerful ‘body memory’ learning, like riding a bicycle.
People who have not yet had the experience of drumming in a group or
who have never played other forms of transcendent improvised music may

5
doubt the impact of such an apparently simple activity on social awareness or
personal identity. Many among us have accepted unfortunate cultural
messages that ‘music is for experts’ or that ‘music is for performance and
entertainment’, leaving our participation in group music limited to singing
Happy Birthday and our various national anthems. But tribal societies value
music in ways we might emulate for our own benefit. Every drumming
gathering metaphorically creates its own ‘tribe’, with group membership
quickly accessible through a willingness to join in. Once we have taken a seat
in the circle, we have many ways to affirm our relationship to the group. We
can play parts modelled by others and we can use our body intelligence to feel
the pulse of the rhythms and play along with the pulse as we experience it.
We will discover whether our experience is conventional, common and
confirmed by our peers, or whether we truly ‘march to a different drummer’
and perceive the music in unconventional ways. This feedback will influence
our playing, so that a social transformation may occur entirely unconsciously.
But if community drumming experiences were only useful for becoming
better musicians, drumming would be of less interest to therapists and
counsellors. The powerful social lessons of drumming can be translated into
verbal metaphors that apply to social interactions in wide areas of life having
nothing to do with music. This is the great achievement that Simon Faulkner
is sharing with us; he has honed the language to its essentials, and he presents
us with an elegant and orderly entrée into this integrated world, where un-
reflected musical experience meets the verbal messages that permit the
generalisation of social lessons into the whole fabric of a person’s life. A
drummer who learns to play more unselfishly becomes a more unselfish
person. A drummer who learns that his or her drumming has an important
place in the group’s overall sound grows in self-worth. A drummer who finds
an outlet for his or her painful life experiences in music has less need to
harbour these pains or inflict them on others. These kinds of transformational
statements are all supported by years of careful research that was either
pioneered or inspired by Simon Faulkner. His talents as an educator make his
descriptions of this work transparently clear. His experience as a counsellor
helps him patiently sequence the material to build from foundations of trust to
higher levels of risk and exposure. And having been a musician who started
from humble beginnings, he knows how to make the physical coordination
demands of the drumming gentle enough to be inclusive and broad enough to
accommodate players whose virtuosity can shine.
In a thorough and insightful way, using the highly engaging medium of
community drumming, Simon Faulkner has created in Rhythm2Recovery a
sequenced model for imparting social awareness to a variety of populations

6
not readily reached by more common counselling methods. His activities are
simple to understand, meticulously researched and powerfully impactful in
lasting ways. It is my sincere hope that readers put aside any preconceived
notions they may have about drumming being a trivial, disorderly or
superficial use of therapy time. What the open-minded reader will find is that
drumming can provide a cocoon of safety in which participants can viscerally
feel their place of belonging in a group. Rhythm2Recovery uses the best
elements of experiential learning to help clients discover what it means to
support others with a beat, rhythm or groove and learn the lessons of trust that
accompany providing and receiving support. They can experiment with how
much of their identity to reveal in a group through their willingness to use
solo opportunities, which can take place first through the wordless medium of
music and later can be matched with a personal verbal narrative.
As author, Simon has conducted an orchestra, blending the accumulated
wisdom of cognitive verbal methodologies with the disarmingly engaging,
experiential, non-verbal activities afforded by drumming. The success of this
model is proving the quality of his work in a growing number of international
settings. Grab a drum, read this book, sit in the circle with him and be amazed
at the profoundness of what you painlessly learn about yourself and can
impart to others.
Dr James Oshinsky, PhD

James is a psychologist and musician. He teaches both psychology and music

improvisation courses at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY (USA). He is
the author of Return to Child, a book about improvisational music making on
all instruments and how to teach improvisation. Dr Oshinsky is on the
teaching staff of Music for People, an organisation that has been offering
improvisation workshops to the public for 30 years.

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 INTRODUCTION

In 2002, I was working in a small, community high school, in a regional town

in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, as a member of the local drug
and alcohol support service. My work as a counsellor was targeted at young
people with a known history of drug use, criminal behaviour or other risk
factors such as family dysfunction or homelessness. A good proportion of
those chosen by the school for my groups were local Australian Aboriginal
children. Being schooled in a cognitive approach my practice centred on
trying to build a trusting relationship with those I worked with and engage
them in discussing their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and any other issues
that impacted their risk of being drawn into the problematic world of
addiction. It was difficult, disheartening work and the level of engagement
was often very low, because for these young people naming and then talking
about such personal issues was both difficult, painful and confronting.
Coming out of one of these sessions, I ran into a colleague whose role was
to liaise between these ‘higher risk’ students, their families and the school
authorities; he knew very well the challenges of working in this field. Asking
me how my group had gone I said that ‘it was like pulling teeth, trying to
engage those guys’, and in reply he suggested, ‘You should try something
with drums – they love them’. That passing comment was a spark that
changed my life and led me to incorporate rhythmic music as a major part of
my clinical practice. It was the same spark that brought fun and hope back
into my sessions, removed much of the resistance I had previously struggled
against and provided a platform for healing and recovery at a level I had
previously thought unimaginable.
When I was first exposed to the potential of this work, I had never played
a hand-drum and had little musical background other than an occasional
tinkering on the guitar. Although I appreciate the advantages a trained
musician may bring to this work, it is certainly not a prerequisite and in my
own case I found it advantageous being less able, not the expert, and thus
open to empathising with the challenges many individuals go through when

8
learning something new. The simple and inclusive nature of rhythmic music
allowed me to incorporate it into my work and makes it accessible to the vast
majority of people. It is one of the most practical, enjoyable and useful tools
available today for counsellors and educators to utilise in their practice and
brings with it access to new dimensions of individual engagement and
psycho-social development.
This manual details a model of practice drawn from 15 years of field
testing, professional collaboration and individual feedback. The text has been
organised into two sections, one of which details the theory and research,
including my own practice experience, behind the model and how that applies
to different populations. It also includes advice on the resources required to
deliver the material, strategies for successful facilitation and insights into
overcoming some of the challenges of implementation, particularly with
regard to behaviour. Note that this first section does contain a small number
of exercises, not replicated in Part 2, that relate to exploring values and
examining power struggles.
The second section details the practical rhythmic exercises, games,
analogies and metaphors used in the model and aligns these to the 52 session
templates that are included in this resource package. All of these exercise
have been refined through repeated use in my own practice, and most can be
utilised with people across a wide range of ages (from late childhood up) and
who present with a diverse range of issues. This section also includes
resources for the practitioner interested in extending their knowledge of this
field that examine rhythm-based approaches for specific populations in more
detail, as well as the critical area of reflective practice and evaluation.
My main interest is in bringing the rehabilitative effects of music into the
lives of people who may otherwise not have experienced it, and my foremost
hope is that the material collated here can be used to further that end. The
manual has been written not as an academic text, but as a practical guide for
counsellors and educators who already have an understanding of the
foundations of effective practice. I have also refrained from being too specific
about the implementation of these techniques in order to allow each
individual practitioner to bring their own expertise and creativity to their
delivery, encouraging their own natural style to come through. And allowing
them to tailor the material to the needs of the individuals they are supporting.

A Note on the Language Used in this Manual

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The potential for this work extends across the therapeutic spectrum and into
the educational, corporate development and life-coach professions. It is work
that can be used with individuals, families, couples and larger groups,
including a full classroom. Thus, defining words like ‘therapist’, and
‘counsellor’, etc. are often too narrow. I have chosen ‘practitioner’ as the
word for the individual or team leader delivering support and guidance to
those in need, and ‘individual’ or ‘participants’ for those on the receiving end
of this support, rather than ‘clients’, as I find this professional term for the
people we work with cold, impersonal and unsuitable for the warmth and
respect inherent in a helpful therapeutic relationship.

Rhythm and harmony enter most powerfully into the innermost part of the
soul and lay forcible hands upon it, bearing grace with them, so making
graceful him who is rightly trained.
Plato

A Note on the Session Cards

The card I use for these is Hanno Art Silk 350gsm, which is matt laminated
on both sides before the corners are rounded. Where possible, I recommend
utilising the services of a professional printer. The cards and certificate can be
downloaded at www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781785921322

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 PART 1

THEORY, RESEARCH
AND RESOURCES

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 1

WHY RHYTHM?

Despite all the many wonders that modern science has endowed us with, we
still battle, in our Western societies, a rising tide of psychological distress and
social isolation. Here the dominant treatment is to prescribe drugs and talk-
based therapies, a response that contrasts markedly with the approach of
many other cultures that utilise mindful, non-verbal, rhythmic activities, such
as dance and drumming as core parts of their healing traditions.

My first experiences of integrating rhythmic music into my practice were

primarily inspired by the motivating and connecting power of music. Where
days before, individuals had to be followed up to attend my sessions, now
they were waiting at the classroom or office door or sometimes in the car-park
wanting to help me unload! The presence of the drums changed the nature of
our engagement from formal to fun and allowed us to find a fast, non-verbal
connection to each other. As well, the drumming noticeably impacted the way
that individuals worked together in the groups I ran, often allowing them to
form a supportive team in a short period of time and giving them a sense of
belonging and place. Response to rhythm is an almost irresistible impulse that
has been utilised across human history as a means to connect people in
community, promote collaboration and cooperation, and develop social

12
cohesion – fundamental principles of group survival as well as core elements
of therapeutic recovery.
Rhythm is the element of music associated with timing and repetition. Of
all musical elements, rhythm is the one that binds people most closely,
synchronising elements of the brain, and our emotions. When people talk
about being ‘in tune with each other’ or ‘in time with each other’, this is what
they mean. Rhythm extends well beyond music to encompass all elements of
life, from the vibrations of the smallest atom to the cyclical rotations of the
universe. Rhythm in this broader sense is denoted as ‘any predictable pattern
over the course of time’. As practitioners or educators we can use the theme
of rhythm to explore many facets of human behaviour and how these
synchronise with the rhythms (patterns) of life that contextualise them.
Our earliest experiences of rhythm go back to the womb and the dominant
presence of our mother’s heartbeat. Studies have shown the foetus at 15
weeks responding to changes in rhythm and, in the third trimester, being able
to differentiate rhythmic intonations of the mother’s voice (DeCasper et al.,
1994). The heartbeat rhythm is used across the Rhythm2Recovery model at
tempos aligned to a relaxed body state (60–100 beats per minute). For most of
us the womb was a secure place and the heartbeat remains a comforting
rhythm that can reduce stress and aid relaxation. Leading trauma advocates
hypothesise that the influence of the rhythmic vibrations of the heartbeat on
the brainstem and midbrain regions during the time of their formation and
organisation in the womb, and across the first years of life, makes a case for
the use of similar somatosensory rhythmic interventions for people whose
homeostatic systems require realignment (Perry and Hambrick, 2008).
Patterned, repetitive rhythmic activities can be found in the healing and
mourning rituals – dancing, drumming, swaying and chanting – of all cultures
around the world.
With the advent of neuro-imaging technology in the 1980s the use of
rhythmic music and exercise in health practice has received increasing
support from the scientific establishment. Rhythmic music has been shown to
impact areas of the brain closely connected to movement, emotional memory
and impulse control. Brainstem neurones have been shown to fire
synchronously with tempo, leading to theories that music may modulate a
range of brainstem-mediated areas, such as our heartbeat rate and blood
pressure levels; and in so doing, may be utilised to assist in the regulation of
stress and arousal (Chanda and Levitin, 2013). With stress now at
unprecedented levels, and music widely recognised as a common alleviator of
the condition, this additional research is not before time.

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 Leading trauma authorities have now incorporated rhythmic exercises,
including music and movement, into their recommendations for effective
treatment in response to evidence linking rhythm to the realignment of
homeostatic states disrupted through ongoing activation of the brain’s stress
response (Perry and Hambrick, 2008; Van Der Kolk, 2014). Musical rhythm
and tempo likely affect central neurotransmissions that maintain
cardiovascular and respiratory control, motor function and potentially even
higher order cognitive functions (Chanda and Levitin, 2013). Impacting these
primal areas of the brain allows rhythmic music to heal beyond the reach of
words.

1.1 Rhythm, Repetition and Learning

Since the beginning of recorded human history, repetition, a core element of
rhythm, has been at the heart of learning. In ancient Greece, Aristotle
highlighted the role of repetition in learning by saying ‘it is frequent
repetition that produces a natural tendency’. In all areas of learning, repetition
and practice are central to levels of attainment and skill (Campitelli and
Gobet, 2011). Learning through repetition works because of the way it
impacts the brain, strengthening neural connectivity through a process called
myelination, which coincides with the development of specific cognitive
functions, including memory (Mabbot et al., 2006). The importance of
repetition extends to learning new behaviours, through repeated observations
and practice, and enhanced by self-corrective adjustment based on feedback
of performance.
In the Rhythm2Recovery model the use of rhythmic music and movement
provides reinforcement for higher order cognitive learning. The repetitive
stimuli of drumming elicits increased levels of focus and attention and, when
paired with a learning objective such as social awareness, can improve the
level of response (comprehension). We see advertisers taking advantage of
this principle every day to maintain customer focus. Exercises in the
Rhythm2Recovery program, in which vocal affirmations of self-worth, or
behaviour change, are made on top of a regular rhythm, utilise this function.
The pairing of rhythmic music and movement to reflective discussions on
social and emotional learning develops a reinforcing association between the
pleasure, focus and motivation that music engenders and important psycho-
social learning concepts that might otherwise be challenging and lead to
individuals withdrawing from therapy.

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1.2 Rhythm as a Metaphor for Life
Rhythm permeates every aspect of life; we are rhythmic beings living in a
rhythmic universe.
As such, rhythm provides the perfect metaphor for describing life and the
way it interacts in all its complexity. Rhythms are patterns, and patterns
(including habits and routines) dominate human behaviour. Metaphors are
used to enhance the therapeutic encounter and can assist in both containing
and extending emotional awareness. The use of metaphors is also an avenue
for increasing the safety an individual feels when discussing sensitive issues,
by substituting and reframing personal experiences and helping individuals
tolerate aversive feelings that they may experience on their journey of self-
understanding. Using metaphor allows us to create a safe space where the
individual/s can explore their own story, test their intuition, their ideas and
their judgment, and from there, safely and sensitively explore topics that later
can be discussed more openly, outside of the privileged world of storytelling
(Lou, 2008).
In the Rhythm2Recovery model this metaphor can be explored in
dimensions limited only by the facilitator’s imagination and its relevance to
the needs of the individual/s they are working with, including:
• rhythms/patterns that are healthy
• rhythms/patterns that are dangerous
• rhythms/patterns of strength
• rhythms/patterns of deceit
• rhythms/patterns that conflict
• rhythms/patterns of stress and anxiety
• rhythms/patterns that are in balance with each other
• rhythms/patterns in nature
• rhythms/patterns of comfort and security
• rhythms/patterns of fear and distress
• rhythms/patterns in our communication
• rhythms/patterns in our parenting
• rhythms/patterns in leadership
• rhythms/patterns of conformity

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 • rhythms/patterns of rebellion.

The list goes on…

See Section 15.2: A Life in Rhythm for more detail on the use of these
analogies.

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 2

THE
RHYTHM2RECOVERY
MODEL

The Rhythm2Recovery format is an integrative model of practice combining

experiential therapy techniques with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
influenced by the third-wave approaches of Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy (ACT) and Positive Psychology (PP). These newer cognitive
approaches are strength based and focus less on exploring problems and more
on finding solutions. Although the Rhythm2Recovery model owes much to
the influence of these new cognitive approaches, it differs critically in the
weight it gives to the role of thoughts in influencing behaviour.
Developmental and neuro-imaging studies show that for many people who
enter therapy, highly active primal brain areas (limbic system, brainstem) are
driving behaviour, while the thinking, rational part of our brains (frontal
lobes) are less active (Van Der Kolk, 2014).

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The use of rhythmic music (drums and percussion), rhythmic movement and
song make up the experiential elements of a Rhythm2Recovery program, with
exercises designed to deliver physical and psycho-social benefits whilst
concurrently exploring universal life-skill themes. These experiential
exercises are then combined with reflective discussions utilising a cognitive-
behavioural framework. This combination increases awareness and focus,
expanding perspective and understanding and empowering personal growth.
The program materials offer a large degree of flexibility for the practitioner to
adapt the content of any specific session to the needs of a wide range of
individuals or groups.
The Rhythm2Recovery approach is predominantly psycho-social,
exploring the interaction of individual psychology with the social
environment. The strength-based, solution-orientated focus of the
Rhythm2Recovery model avoids the powerlessness often associated with
diagnosis and the defensiveness triggered by examining too closely the
personal challenges faced by an individual. A strength-based approach also
reduces the likelihood of re-traumatisation that may occur when the focus
turns to an individual’s problems or pathology. The focus on strengths and
solutions also allows the program to be utilised in both clinical and
educational contexts. Psycho-social education, often termed social and
emotional learning (SEL), is now a key element of school-based education
and a mandatory curriculum unit in many school districts – it is closely
associated with improved school climate, reduced levels of anti-social
behaviour and increased academic performance (Durlak et al., 2011).

18
 Key elements of ACT are incorporated into the Rhythm2Recovery model,
including the practise of mindfullness aligned with an accompanying
drumming pulse. Mindfulness serves as an ongoing practice for greater
awareness and a way to create a separation between the individual and the
burden of their unhelpful thoughts. The focus on working with, accepting and
detaching from some of the more challenging parts of ourselves (including
emotional pain) rather than trying to banish them altogether is a clear
principle of ACT that is developed through mindfulness. The other strong
synergy with ACT in the Rhythm2Recovery model is our focus on values:
that through identifying what is important and meaningful for individuals we
uncover a template for action and behaviour.
Positive Psychology focuses on wellbeing and life satisfaction, avoiding
negative emotions and symptom relief, and instead focusing on developing
and applying individual strengths to everyday issues. PP looks for the positive
elements in life to build self-esteem, optimism, resilience, vitality and positive
relationships. Each of these different elements impacts how we live and how
satisfied we are with our lives (Seligman, 2011). In the Rhythm2Recovery
model we incorporate this framework via a strong focus on the influence of
healthy, supportive relationships. And by combining engagement with
rhythmic music to the use of analogies, drawn from the rhythm exercises, we
can explore the benefits of a positive, optimistic, strength-based approach to
managing our lives.
Within the Rhythm2Recovery model the term ‘Recovery’ refers to
supporting people to improve the quality of their daily lives. In keeping with
the principles of ACT we are not looking to remove symptoms but rather to
reduce their influence so that life can be lived fully and meaningfully. More
specifically, this model focuses on positive relationships as central to
recovery, health and happiness. In fact, social relationships are the single
most important factor in our overall quality of life. The exercises contained in
the Rhythm2Recovery syllabus address a wide range of different themes that
impact our connection to each other. They encourage the development of
social and emotional competencies, and understanding, as a way to nurture
trusting, equitable and supportive relationships, and as a pathway to
sustainable recovery.
Core elements of the Rhythm2Recovery model include a focus on:
• safety – exercises promote a safe therapeutic environment and
examine the importance of safety in everyday life and healthy
relationships

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 • values – helping people identify what really matters to them in order
to find direction and provide a compass for behaviour
• belonging – music serves as a pathway to connection; exercises
explore avenues to social acceptance and community engagement
• self-awareness – mindful awareness allows us to reflect on our
thoughts, feelings and behaviours without being beholden to them
• self-responsibility and social responsibility – responsibility allows us
to take control of our own lives and work well with others
• positive relationships – exercises foster the relational skills necessary
to develop supportive, healthy and respectful relationships with others
• emotional regulation – musical exercises focusing on tempo and
volume impact regulatory parts of the brain to assist in the
development of improved regulatory skills
• altruism – exercises and activities promote the rewards of giving to
and supporting others.

The blend of this approach stems predominantly from my own experiences in

working as a counsellor across different settings and the published research
drawn from many of those sessions that examined levels of engagement and
therapeutic outcomes. My experience in the drug and alcohol, mental health
and justice sectors gave me an appreciation of the ‘risk factors’ and
‘protective factors’ that influence an individual’s trajectory in avoiding, or
not, problems of addiction, anxiety, depression or criminal offending; many
of the focus areas of the Rhythm2Recovery program are aligned to this
research literature. Key to the successful implementation of any model are the
skills and reflective practice of the practitioner – their ability to create a safe
therapeutic environment, connect genuinely with the individuals they work
with, help them find their own truth and motivate them to act in their own
interests. In terms of effective practice, a model is at best a template. Practice
by its own definition alludes to ongoing learning and adaption. In my mind,
effective practice is always individual centred and overrides the demands and
constraints of any theory.

2.1 Clarifying Values

In Rhythm2Recovery interventions, assisting people to clarify their values is
central to the way we help develop motivation and optimism and sets a course

20
for individual action into the future. Values are a pillar of identity and help
people narrow their focus in terms of both therapeutic and life-long goals.
Many people are confused by the term ‘values’ and have great difficulty
pinning down and defining what is of primal importance to them. In my
experience this is generally not a process that happens overnight but one that
requires regular application, and in fact it is common to see values shift
through an individual’s time in therapy.
One important opportunity to assist people with exploring their values is
to examine their boundaries. When we set up guidelines or boundaries in the
first session of an intervention, we can often tie these into looking at values,
as the two are intrinsically connected. Boundaries can be seen as markers of
our values, delineating what, and what not, is acceptable behaviour.
Two other exercises that are used in the Rhythm2Recovery program to
assist people with this process are: ‘What Does a Good Friend Do?’ and
‘What Do You Want from Your Life?’. The former is generally for younger
children, while the latter works well for adolescents through to adults.

What Does a Good Friend Do? Part 1

The individual or group should be asked to consider the types of things good friends do for
each other; sometimes examples can be offered, such as look out for each other, listen to
each other, share with each other, etc.

The group plays a simple foundation rhythm (e.g. B,O,B,O – see Section 10.6
for an explanation of the drumming tablature), over which the practitioner
plays a rhythm phrase that symbolises that question: fl–O–o–O–o–fl (What
does a good friend do?), addressing one member of the circle at a time. Often
when I do this, the whole group joins in with the rhythmic question phrase. At
the end of that phrase the rhythm stops and the chosen individual can answer
that question with one of three sounds – one Bass note, two Bass notes or
three Bass notes. The number corresponds to how many different things they
can think of – so if they have one thing they can think of that a good friend
does, they answer with one Bass note. After they answer with their drum, they
state their example, and then the foundation rhythm resumes.
In group practice only one person answers at a time, and each member of
the group answers in succession.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B O B O B O B O

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 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Fl O o O o Fl

These contributions can then be written on a white-board and explored further in relation to
‘What does a good person do?’ and ‘What matters most?’, which becomes the second part
of the exercise.

What Does a Good Friend Do? Part 2

This time the practitioner refers back to the conversation on ‘what good
friends do’ and ‘what good people do’ and asks the individual/s to think about
‘what matters most to them’. I play the rhythm fl–O–o–O–o–fl (symbolising
‘What matters most to you?’) and they answer in one of the three ways used
before – one Bass note, two Bass notes or three Bass notes. Following their
answer on the drum, they can tell the group what’s really important to them.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Fl O o O o Fl

Again, write these on the white-board and expand through open-ended questioning.

In group work you will often get people with widely different capacities for
responding to these questions, but for those who cannot generate answers,
listening to others respond can be helpful in working through their own ideas.

What Do You Want From Your Life?

This exercise follows a similar format, with a preliminary discussion on what
matters to the individuals and what they want to get from their lives.
Over the top of a basic foundation rhythm, the practitioner plays a rhythm
phrase that symbolises the question ‘What do you want from your life?’: fl-
OoO-OoO (this is also a good exercise to practise triplets – sets of three
notes). As in the previous exercise, the individual or group members can
answer that question with one of three sounds – one Bass note, two Bass notes
or three Bass notes, and the number corresponds to how many different things
they can think of. After answering with their drum, the responder states their
answer/s and the rhythm resumes.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

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 Fl O o O O o O

These answers can be written on the white-board for further discussion after the exercise
has been completed.
After this initial question, further rounds (sometimes in future sessions) are initiated
with new questions:
• Round 2 – What do you want from your relationships?
• Round 3 – What do you want from your job?
• Round 4 – What do you want for your health?

For further values-related exercises see Section 12.2.1.

2.2 Utilising Moral Dilemma Scenarios to Define Values

Another useful way to assist young people or adults to define their values –
what they truly believe in – is to use moral or ethical dilemma scenarios that
require them to consider a particular challenging situation and examine the
way they would act. All of us face these difficult decision-making situations
across our lives. Practising these in a theoretical context that is safe can help
people respond with confidence when similar situations arise in real life.
Moral reasoning helps define values, helping to make our choices clearer and
our actions more purposeful.
In the Rhythm2Recovery model we initially ask participants to respond to
different moral education scenarios using the ‘rumble’. For example, your
best friend is cheating on his wife or girlfriend: rumble if you would ask him
to stop; rumble if you would ask him to tell his wife; rumble if you would tell
his wife yourself; rumble if you would just let it be. These answers are then
followed by more formal discussions that examine the ethical dilemmas faced
in the story, looking at the implications of different decisions and actions and
seeing the consequences through the eyes of others impacted by the same
event.

2.2.1 Moral Scenario Examples

• Drugs – You discover a good friend is using and dealing illegal drugs.
What should you do? Does it make a big difference that it’s your close
friend? What about the type of drug – would that make a difference?
What else would influence your actions in this case?

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• The Stolen Car – Your cousin tells you he and his friends have stolen
a car and are going to change the plates, respray it and then sell it. He
wants you to check it out – come for a ride. What should you do? Are
you an accessory to this crime if you do nothing? How could you get
out of this situation? Should you go for the ride? Should you turn in
your cousin?
• The Swollen River – It is late afternoon and getting dark; the river is
raging – a very fast current. Stuck on a snag 20 metres from the bank
is: a $50 note: are you going in? A $100 note: are you going in? Your
baby sister or niece: are you going in?
• The Desert – Two people are crossing the desert when their car breaks
down; they now have to walk to the next town. They have enough
water for the trip if they are careful, but one of them drinks his share
very quickly; now they only have enough for one to make it. Would
you share your remaining water if you had been careful with it? What
if that person was your best friend or a very close family member?
Where does self-responsibility come into play here?
• The Transplant – You are approached by your doctor to consider
giving up one of your kidneys to help a young boy with kidney
disease. You are not related to the boy but have the right blood type
and without the kidney the boy may die. Do you give up your kidney?
Who would you talk to about this? Would you want to meet the young
boy? Should the doctor have asked you in the first place?
• The Cyclone Shelter – There is a level five cyclone approaching your
small town and only one person has a cyclone shelter strong enough to
withstand the wind, but it is not big enough for everyone to fit in. How
would you decide who gets in or not? What about if you were stopped
from entering?
• Self-Defence – A man has had his business robbed several times and
can no longer get insurance to protect his goods. He sleeps in the shop
at night and one evening the thieves try to break in again. This time
the man hits them over the head with a baseball bat as they enter,
causing them serious injury. Was the man’s action justified? Should
he be charged with assault? How much responsibility should the
thieves accept?
• Drunk Driver – A woman is pulled over for a breath test and found to
be just over the limit. The policeman recognises her as his neighbour,

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 a single mum living away from public transport who will struggle a lot
without her car. He also knows she drinks regularly. Should he fine
her or let her go with a warning?
• The Shoplifter – While shopping at the supermarket, you see a friend
of yours get caught by the store manager for trying to steal some food.
You know your friend is often hungry, as his parents are unemployed
and often there no food in his family’s refrigerator. How do you act?
Is it OK for your friend to steal in order to eat? If the store manager
knew the boy’s circumstances, might it change how he acted?

Music can minister to minds diseased, pluck from the memory a rooted
sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain, and with its sweet
oblivious antidote, cleanse the full bosom of all perilous stuff that weighs
upon the heart.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

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 3

INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY AND

GROUP APPLICATIONS

Many of the exercises detailed in this manual are adaptable to individual,

family and group settings. The vast majority of counsellors work with
individuals, and introducing Rhythm2Recovery exercises can add a new and
engaging dimension to the often confronting process of traditional ‘issue-
focused’ verbal therapy. In the counselling room the drum is an item of
interest that can serve as a tool for connection and dialogue. Often individuals
enter the room and the first thing they notice is the drum. This provides me
with an opening for engagement that doesn’t immediately confront them with
the pain and shame behind their visit. Adults are often intrigued by the drum
and its connection to counselling, and I sometimes talk to them about the part
music has played in traditional healing historically, as well as some of the
latest neurological research findings supporting such practice. This provides
some context and helps move them gently towards the idea of utilising the
instrument for this purpose; for the sceptic however, this may not be useful.
Sometimes I purposefully allow the individual into the therapy room
containing the drums some minutes before I enter, often to find them tapping
away quite contentedly. I find that when I do this, much of their anticipatory
tension leaves the room, and before any any talking starts I often join them in
their rhythm – introducing myself and connecting to them non-verbally.
For specific individuals who are challenging to engage verbally or who
have significant cognitive deficits (see Chapter 4 on working with specific
populations) drumming may take up a whole session, utilising exercises that
address the release of feelings, communication, regulation and emotional
awareness. More common, however, is the intermittent use of

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Rhythm2Recovery experiential exercises for specific purposes, alongside the
practitioner’s preferred model of practice. I have found that a consistent
approach that utilises the musical exercises at specific points of a session (e.g.
opening – rhythm exercise promoting collaboration and release of feelings;
mid-way – key exercise related to a specific issue being addressed in the
session; closing – free expression and release of feelings) is often well
received and effective in reducing the monotony and pressure of continual
question and answer dialogue.
Rhythmic-based exercises and programs drawn from the
Rhythm2Recovery catalogue have also been utilised by a range of agencies
working with families. The use of the musical components of the model have
helped reduce the level of resistance from family members who may be there
against their will. The relational content of many of the Rhythm2Recovery
sessions lends itself to exploring the inter-personal dynamics of family
systems, particularly around communication and teamwork issues. In my
work with families I have also noticed a reduction in how problematic power
dynamics, embedded in language, affect the session, due I suspect to the fact
that all members are forced to work through a new medium and hence find
themselves on a level playing field.
In sessions with foster children and their foster parents, the use of
rhythmic music has been useful in developing a positive connection and
restoring a level of trust for those whose ability to trust has previously been
fractured. Playing music has been shown to release a number of neural
peptides associated with increased levels of empathy and social bonding and
has long been associated with improved social cohesion and trust (Levitin,
2009). Again, the relational content of the Rhythm2Recovery material and the
teamwork required to complete the exercises assists the practitioner and
individuals they work with to identify areas of strength, as well as conflict
and dysfunction, and to initiate measures to develop or address these; all
within a fun-focused medium that helps temper frustrations.
The majority of my work has been spent as a group counsellor and I
confess that I lean towards group facilitation as a preferred method when it
comes to psycho-social approaches. This is because so much of psycho-social
education comes down to the contextual application of the learning, and
groups provide us with a more realistic social context. There is increasing
recognition amongst specialists in the behavioural field of the social
advantages of group work, particularly for isolated individuals who have lost
the skills and self-confidence necessary for pro-social interaction. In leaning
towards group work, however, I also recognise that many individuals are not
suitable, or ready, to join a group and will benefit more from one-to-one

27
therapy. Placing these individuals in groups without some form of suitability
assessment prior to entering can seriously undermine the potential of the
group process.
In delivering the Rhythm2Recovery sessions to groups there is a great
deal of flexibility when it comes to the options before the practitioner. Most
people will implement a series of sessions drawn from one of the five core
themes available in the ‘session card pack’ (see link on p.15) that makes up
part of this resource. However, there are many other occasions where just a
brief intervention is required, or simply a single session, to address a specific
issue. If working with groups, then group size is also flexible, and can be
anywhere from a minimum of six participants to a full classroom or large
group of up to 30 participants. It is important to note that, generally, group
safety and individual therapeutic outcomes decline as group numbers rise,
with optimum group size ranging from 8 to 12 participants, excluding
facilitators.

Critical Considerations for Effective Groups

• A suitable venue – group drumming can be loud and disturb others,
and requires an open space with reasonable acoustic properties, free
from distracting elements and clutter.
• Hearing protection – Provide earplugs or headphones for people
sensitive to loud noise.
• Pre-group assessment – For therapeutic groups it is essential to screen
for students or adults whose behaviours are likely to undermine or
sabotage the group process (see Section 6.3 on managing difficult
behaviours).
• A similarity in developmental capacity – Many groups are undone by
the challenges of meeting the needs of members who are at
significantly different developmental levels and thus require quite
different approaches.
• Group facilitation skills – Group facilitation is an acquired skill
requiring training and practice; those new to the medium should
consider co-facilitation with a more experienced practitioner.
• Confidentiality – What is said in the group stays in the group. In some
groups (youth groups or those in small communities) it is best to
assume a lack of confidentiality and avoid sensitive personal
disclosures altogether.

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• Feedback and supervision – Providing opportunities for participant
feedback and regular supervision by an experienced colleague will
help develop a more appropriate alignment between individual
expectations and program outcomes, and also improve facilitation
technique.

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 4

WORKING WITH
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

The Rhythm2Recovery model has been designed to allow the practitioner to

adapt the material to the needs of the different individuals they work with, as
rhythmic music has benefits across the age spectrum, genders and with people
from all cultures facing a myriad of physical, psychological and social
challenges. Practitioners themselves have different personalities, strengths,
levels of experience and qualifications and most tend to find an area of
specialty that suits their temperament and skill-set. However, it is not unusual,
in this competitive age, for people to work in multiple settings and to be asked
to extend their practice into new areas.
Over the past 15 years I have worked with diverse groups of individuals in
a wide range of settings and seen first hand how adaptive this resource can be.
I have also trained many professionals from different backgrounds in
rhythmic modalities, encouraging each to adapt these techniques in response
to the needs of the different individuals or groups they work with. The
following information details some key issues when working with specific
populations and is drawn from feedback from my colleagues working in these
areas with rhythm and my own personal experience.

4.1 Early Childhood

Early childhood is generally recognised as the years following infancy,
between the ages of three and eight years of age, and is a critical
developmental period that has implications for an individual’s wellbeing

30
across the life span. At this age, rhythm games using music, movement and
song assist with a wide range of developmental attributes including motor
coordination, balance, language acquisition, socialisation, motivation and
cognitive and intellectual growth. Rhythm games are a useful resource for the
early childhood educator or practitioner, facilitating learning through play and
helping young children learn key social skills as they interact with others,
including how to regulate their own behaviour and emotions.

Key Tips for Maximising Engagement and Learning Outcomes for

this Age Group
• Create a safe play space with plenty of room for movement. Ensure
musical instruments provided are child-safe. Ensure children feel safe,
welcome and accepted.
• Allow children relative freedom in choosing and playing their
instruments – provide a range of appropriate small drums and
percussion. Don’t get fixated on harmony or rules.
• Align activities to the children’s developmental level – reduce the
discussion element and focus on the experiential process. Keep
rhythms and songs simple and repetitive.
• Encourage all appropriate communication between children, and
between children and staff – use music as a form of communication
(e.g. call and response). Role-model appropriate social behaviour,
sharing, etc.
• Maximise the use of repetition to ingrain learning.
• Maximise levels of encouragement.

Practical Exercises for this Age Group

• Guessing games such as ‘What Sound Was That?’ 12.1.4(f).
• Mimicking games such as ‘Call and Response’ 12.1.1 or ‘Copy That’
16.2(c), which promote attending skills.
• Well-known songs that can be sung to a simple rhythm and
incorporate body movement, such as ‘If You’re Happy and You Know
It’ – adapt this song to include playing different instruments as a sign
of happiness: ‘If you’re happy and you know it, play your drum.’

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 • Songs and exercises that feature emotions, such as ‘You Are My
Sunshine’. Play different instruments to represent different emotions,
as in ‘A Storm of Feeling’ 16.1(c).
• Counting games such as ‘How Many Beats?’ 16.5(b).
• Creative rhythm games such as ‘Make Up Your Own’ 12.6.5(b) where
young people make up their own rhythm patterns and the other
children play along with them.

4.2 Individuals with Special Needs

Individuals with special needs, those with mental, physical, social or

emotionally delayed development, fall into such a broad range of categories
or diagnoses that making generalised recommendations regarding a
therapeutic approach becomes problematic and potentially misleading.
However, special needs programs are now common in education and health
systems across the world and many of the exercises and techniques in the
Rhythm2Recovery model have broad application for these populations. Music
is a powerful tool for the special needs facilitator, who can harness it to assist
in the development of a wide range of social and emotional skills through a
fun and flexible medium. Specific exercises in the Rhythm2Recovery
catalogue can address areas such as impulse control, coordination and
balance, eye contact, transitions, sound localisation, emotional awareness,
group interaction, attention and focus levels and social skills such as sharing,
turn-taking and communication (see Chapter 12).

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 One of the most common issues facing special needs populations,
particularly those on the autism spectrum, is a lack of emotional awareness,
which impacts their ability to reciprocate appropriately with others on a social
and emotional level. There are many fun Rhythm2Recovery exercises that
focus specifically on emotional attunement, using music as a language of
emotional connection. In these exercises the drum is played by the
practitioner at a volume and tempo that replicates a specific level of
emotional intensity, and the individual or group are asked to replicate it on
their own instrument, passing these different emotional representations
amongst themselves, with the receiver focusing on aligning their response to
what is directed their way.
A critical consideration when working with individuals with special needs
is the need for flexibility and adaption in our interactions, particularly in the
way we attend and respond to the needs of different individuals, recognising
that in a special needs classroom, or when working with different individuals,
each person will require a different blend of strategies to facilitate
engagement and learning. Flexibility means not getting locked into our
expectations of what we might achieve in any one session and always having
alternative options if our current plan is not working.

Other Vital Points for Working with Music in this Area

• Creating a safe environment – For many people with special needs,
safety means stability and consistency. Regular routines help reduce
anxiety that often develops quickly in the face of too many new
experiences. Routine greeting and departing exercises provide a level
of structural certainty in a music session. Routine and consistency
don’t mean a lack of creativity and challenge – in fact, for many
people with high-functioning autism simple rhythms can exacerbate
behavioural problems due to boredom (Strong, 2015).
• Observe, interact and communicate – Many individuals with special
needs are challenged verbally and socially. It is important for
facilitators to observe the different ways individuals with special
needs communicate both their desires and anxieties, and to find
pathways to interact and communicate with them. In particular, they
should leave adequate time for responding and use musical exercises
such as ‘Call and Response’ 12.1.1 and ‘Rumbles’ 12.1.2 to facilitate
non-verbal communication. Group music making is a safe form of
social communication and for individuals who face challenges in this

33
 area participation enables many different social interaction skills to be
targeted and developed.
• Be alert to sensory sensitivities, particularly in relation to sound –
Many individuals with special needs have trouble with sensory
integration and can experience sensory overload in response to noise
levels that others find relatively benign. Providing headphones or
earplugs can help avoid this, as can introducing the sound gradually to
allow a build up of tolerance. Tactile sensitivities are also common
within these populations, and some materials such as drum skins may
cause distress. Offering alternative instrument choices, gloves or
opportunities for brief exposure can assist with this issue.
• Identify the learning preferences of your participants – There are three
major ways people learn (visual, auditory and kinaesthetic) and most
have a strength or preference for one particular mode (Biggs 2001).
Use different strategies to support individuals with different learning
preferences. Visual references such as written rules for respectful
behaviour or hand signals for stop and start are helpful for visual
learners – many autistic children have strong visual memories.
Auditory cues such as calls on the drum or other percussion
instruments can be useful in gaining attention and signalling
transitions for auditory learners, and respectful touch can be useful in
assisting those who favour tactile communication, particularly in the
learning of new rhythms.
• Stay positive – Working with special needs can be exhausting and
quickly lead to frustration and negativity. Special needs facilitation
requires patience and a generous attitude, which can be vulnerable
when we enter into the relationship with too much judgment and too
many expectations. As much as possible, we need to be present – in
the moment – for those we are supporting, ensuring we have the
support we need and maintaining a positive and encouraging attitude.

In general the themed sessions detailed on the Rhythm2Recovery resource

cards are inappropriate for populations with special needs, and the practitioner
is best directed to utilise or adapt games from the ‘Themes and Exercises’
sections (see Section 12) that promote engagement at the appropriate
developmental level and address the issues most relevant to those they are
supporting.

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4.3 Youth
Most of my work over the past 15 years has been with young people between
the ages of 10 and 18 – young people who have often been classified as ‘at
risk’ and who exhibit challenging behaviours and are often disconnected from
mainstream society. This age period is a challenging one for any young
person, and I find many of the generalisations applied to ‘young people these
days’ unhelpful and disrespectful. In saying that, however, most of the young
people who find their way into my groups face above average and often
overwhelming challenges.
I’ve always regarded this work as a privilege, given the potential for
learning and change that exists at this age, and I have been lucky enough to
witness significant shifts in social confidence, social connection and life
direction on numerous occasions. Young people generally bring with them a
real passion for music, as it remains a critical part of youth culture,
contributing significantly in the development of self-identity and as a source
of emotional support, a mood regulator and a source of community (Zillman
and Gan, 1997). Most young people, however, still have little chance to play
music on a regular basis. To be able to assist them to develop from passive
listeners to confident musicians, whilst fostering the attendant personal
development outcomes, is a wonderful motivator for any practitioner.
Working with disaffected young people often has its challenges, and like
most people who work in this field I have had times where I felt disillusioned
and frustrated. Most of this frustration is born out of one major issue that can
generally be circumvented with proper preparation and a genuinely positive
attitude: that is, how secure and at ease participants feel with the process.
Safety is a recurring theme in Rhythm2Recovery therapeutic and educational
practice, because it is fundamental to the therapeutic relationship, which
remains the best predictor of therapeutic outcomes (Norcross, 2009). Much of
the resistance and defiant behaviour that occurs when working with young
people is provoked by feelings of threat and the conscious and unconscious
defensiveness that arises from it. For young people who have experienced
traumatic events, that sense of threat is often locked on permanently as the
brain’s defensive mechanisms become over-sensitised. Establishing a safe
environment for participation is one of the highest priorities for the
Rhythm2Recovery facilitator, and it is important to note that for many
individuals, young and old, the very act of playing music itself is often
threatening.
Feelings of safety or insecurity stem from our earliest experiences of life
and the attachment we made with our primary care-giver. Insecure attachment

35
due to inconsistent or unresponsive parenting leads to continuing relational
difficulties across the life span. Insecurity and feelings of threat can be caused
or exacerbated by a wide range of life circumstances and triggered by many
varied, often unpredictable, stimuli. Youth interventions, particularly those
targeting ‘disaffected’ individuals, require facilitators to develop quickly a
trusting relationship and to minimise those factors that may provoke a sense
of vulnerability or fear.

Strategies to Foster a Sense of Safety

• The genuine positive regard of the practitioner towards each
individual – Young people quickly recognise those who pretend to be
what they are not. The facilitator treats the young person respectfully
and focuses on individual strengths.
• A focus on fun – Using games, humour, positivity and encouragement
to keep the mood light and friendly, not getting bogged down in heavy
discussions.
• A level of consistency in the sessional format – Same time, place,
practitioner, etc.
• Clear boundaries – Defining and enforcing clear boundaries on
physical and emotional safety through an inclusive process helps
young people identify situations in other walks of life that are
unhealthy or present risks.
• Opportunities for empowerment and autonomy – For many young
people life is a constant reminder of the lack of power they have over
their own lives. The facilitator provides choices, encourages
responsibility and offers opportunities for input into, and leadership
within, the therapeutic process.
• The environment is secure and conducive to focused learning. This is
particularly relevant to groups where peer relationships can strongly
impact feelings of security; sessions in juvenile detention centres
being a prime example. Consideration of suitable group make up is
essential prior to beginning any group process.
• The use of early warnings, or preventative interruption, to safeguard
vulnerable young people from disclosing confidential information of a
highly personal nature in front of their peers.

36
 • The introduction into music making is paced at a level to foster
success and avoid anxiety. An awareness of participants’
developmental capacity can assist with this alignment. Instruments
and techniques are chosen that are relatively simple to master in the
early sessions.
• The emphasis on discussion and communicating in language is
minimised in the early sessions and replaced by communication
through the drum. Language is prone to misinterpretation. Music as a
form of emotional communication has been linked to improved levels
of empathy and social bonding (Levitin, 2009).

All of the session themes in the Rhythm2Recovery model are relevant to both
adults and young people, but the key program areas of ‘Social and Emotional
Learning’ and ‘Strengths and Virtues’ are particularly useful for youth and are
linked to aspects of the national curriculum. Reflective discussions need to be
handled skilfully to maintain engagement; in particular, the facilitator should
focus on initially asking questions that can be answered using the drum itself
(e.g. ‘Rumble if you agree that…’). As confidence increases, open-ended
questions that call on personal experiences work best in encouraging youth
participation, with the facilitator simplifying any complex language to ensure
it is understood and remaining open to allowing the discussion to drift into
new areas that are relevant to the lives of the participants.

4.4 Mental Health

Those with a diagnosed mental illness have been amongst the groups of
people I have worked with who benefit most from rhythmic music and
reflection. Although some people within these populations have an acute
sensitivity to sound (particularly those who have experienced psychosis), the
vast majority are active participants and report high levels of enjoyment,
long-term mood improvement, reduced anxiety and an overall increase in
wellbeing (Holyoake Institute, 2009). These findings have recently been
supported by researchers in the United Kingdom, who confirmed sustained
reductions in levels of depression and anxiety, as well as improvements in
social resilience and the immune system for patients participating in weekly
drumming compared with a non-drumming control group (Fancourt et al.,
2016). In particular, the common symptoms of social anxiety and social
isolation are ameliorated by involvement in the group drumming exercises,
which promote social connection and a sense of belonging.

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 When working or socialising with people who are under undue stress, it is
often common to see them self-soothing with rhythmic tapping of the hands
or feet. This natural response to anxiety, involving a subconscious, sensory
search for grounding and stability, can be utilised by practitioners to find
practical ways of reducing emotional arousal using conscious rhythmic body
tapping. In combination with a focus on the alignment of the breath, the
individual is shown regulatory techniques using their own body rhythms (or
introducing specific Rhythm2Recovery rhythms that are played on the body
at specific tempos) that involve a gradual slowing of tempo and physical
intensity and can be utilised whenever or wherever required. These exercises
deliver an increased level of agency for the individual over their own
emotional response.
In in-patient, out-patient, early discharge units, as well as community
mental health settings, drumming programs have been used to assist people
with social integration, emotional regulation, mood disorders, depression and
anxiety. Studies have demonstrated that rhythmic musical exercises at
specific tempos (60–80 bpm) can rapidly develop alpha brainwave states that
promote feelings of calm and relaxation, whilst at the same time placing
people in a fully immersed state of flow that reduces hyper-vigilant thoughts
associated with anxiety (Freidman, 2000). The central, Rhythm2Recovery,
mindfulness exercise ‘The Rhythmic Wave’ (Chapter 11) has been designed
to further assist people to reduce the impact of unhelpful thoughts and
feelings, reduce stress, stay calm and nurture the self.
Recovery in mental health is a multifaceted process that requires a
combination of personal fortitude and social and professional support.
Rhythm2Recovery exercises and reflective practice can assist the individual
to gain a new sense of personal autonomy by increasing feelings of self-
worth, harnessing strengths, increasing optimism and providing opportunities
for creative expression. On a social level, these activities can help define and
clarify supportive and healthy relationships, improve social and emotional
understanding, increase social connection and social acceptance, and reduce
emotional vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, at the physiological level, music and
movement exercises can provide aerobic exercise and improve coordination,
motor control and balance. Improvements in affect, mood and cognitive
functioning (increased levels of focus and concentration) have each been
noted after rhythmic-based musical interventions (Holyoake Institute, 2009;
Schneck and Berger, 2005).
Most of the key challenges in working with individuals with a mental
health issue, or through mental health services, are related to the instability of
an individual’s health. People with long-term mental illness often present for

38
support at a time when they are most vulnerable to the challenges of their
illness. This makes group work, in particular, difficult, as at any one session
several people may not attend due to the fluctuating impact of their
symptoms. Open groups are preferable in these circumstances, as is having a
larger registration of attendees in order to safeguard against absenteeism
reducing numbers to the point where the group is no longer viable.

Uses of Rhythm2Recovery exercises

In individual and group sessions in mental health settings we use the
Rhythm2Recovery exercises to:
• develop a trusting therapeutic alliance – promoting trust through a
shared, non-verbal experience
• identify ‘stressors’ and ‘relaxors’ – using ‘The Pressure Pot’ 12.2.5(a)
and ‘Pressure Valve’ 12.2.5(b) exercises
• teach relaxation in ways that can be useful for many individuals,
young and old, and can be used outside the counselling room –
breathing, mindfulness and tapping
• explore emotions and emotional control – ‘Mirror That Emotion’
16.1(b), ‘Emotional Journey’ 12.5.4(a) and ‘The Rhythmic Wave’
exercises (Chapter 11)
• express emotions in a safe context – using ‘Show Some Emotion’
12.2.2(a) and the closing exercise ‘Free Expression’ (Section 4.7)
• maintain optimism – for many individuals, young and old, optimism
and hope are in short supply – use ‘Accent the Positive 12.2.3(a) and
‘The Lookout’ 12.4.10
• identify strengths and other personal resources to call upon in aid of
recovery – using ‘Find Your Strengths’ 12.5.8(b)
• examine our social relationships and manage peer pressure,
particularly in relation to unhealthy behaviours such as problematic
drug use – using ‘Friends’ 12.3.3(a), ‘Hold Onto Your Rhythm’ 11.1
and ‘Hold Onto Your Values 12.2.1
• express oneself and explore our identity, hopes and dreams – using
‘Make Up Your Own’ 12.6.5(b) and ‘Rumble If You Hope To’
12.5.6(a).

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Of the different sessional themes presented in this resource package – the
‘Social and Emotional’ learning cards and those of the ‘Health and
Wellbeing’ pack are most relevant to the needs of this population.

4.5 Alcohol and Drug Users

People struggling with problems related to alcohol and drug use often present
with similar issues to those with a mental health diagnosis, as the two
conditions often coexist. Research literature in the drug and alcohol field
highlights a range of ‘protective factors’ that help protect an individual from
succumbing to problems of addiction. Amongst these are some of the key
objectives of the Rhythm2Recovery model, including a strong connection to
community, healthy social relationships and positive self-regard (Pollard,
Hawkins and Arthur, 1999). In addition, the latest research on addiction
confirms that drugs and alcohol themselves play a relatively minor role in
determining whether someone maintains problematic use. Life factors,
including personal histories of trauma, poverty and social isolation, are the
primary determinants – ‘Drug abuse is a disease of loneliness’ (Dean Wilson,
quoted in Hari, 2015).
The subject themes in the Rhythm2Recovery model address a number of
‘risk factors’ identified as increasing the likelihood of problematic use
(Pollard et al., 1999). High amongst these is the negative influence of peers
and family members who encourage substance misuse. For many people
dealing with addiction issues, the greatest challenge is to break with those
people closest to them who encourage or in some other way enable their use
to continue. Increasing this challenge is the fact that often these same people
provide the affected individual with their only avenue for social support and
belonging. Drug and alcohol use often starts as a social lubricant but
eventually leads to chronic social isolation. Group programs, and recreational
drumming, offer people the opportunity to enter new social circles where they
can find additional support or simply a place to unwind and connect to others
in safety.
A number of studies have showcased the potential of drumming
interventions as complementary therapies (Slotoroff, 1994; Winkleman,
2003). These examples reinforce the potential of drumming to assist people to
connect to others, express feeling and emotions, and reduce levels of hyper-
vigilance, whilst at the same time increasing levels of calm. The
Rhythm2Recovery template expands these outcomes to incorporate cognitive

40
learning relevant to addiction through relational topics such as peer pressure,
social support, healthy relationships, values and self-responsibility.
Rhythmic music releases a number of neurochemical transmitters into the
body that deliver high levels of arousal, pleasure and emotional intensity, in
much the same way that many drugs do, acting on the opioid, cortisol,
serotonin and oxytocin systems. Music can also regulate the release of
chemicals that are associated with arousal and anxiety, reducing their level
whilst at the same time modulating heart rate and blood pressure rate to
reduce worry and stress (Chanda and Levitin, 2013). For these reasons music
has often been called a ‘legal high’ and can provide the drug user with a
healthy alternative for stress and pain relief.
Most interventions with drug and alcohol users and their families focus on
the relational content of the ‘Social and Emotional Learning’ cards and those
that examine ‘Families, Teams and Communities’ and ‘Health and
Wellbeing’.

4.6 Trauma
There has been an increasing focus on the impact of trauma in recent times,
particularly in response to the many thousands of returned servicemen and
women who have recently come home from war zones after witnessing
horrific events and the high number of civilians fleeing these same conflicts
as refugees. Prolonged exposure to traumatic events or abuse is an underlying
causal factor for a wide range of human psychological and physiological
problems. It is estimated that over 70 per cent of people living with mental
health and drug addiction issues have experienced ongoing trauma at some
point of their lives and that over 90 per cent of female prisoners have histories
of trauma (Kilroy, 2001).
Developments in neuroscience have once again forced clinicians to
rethink the way they respond to people living with trauma; and amongst the
key understandings awakened by this field is the way in which primitive brain
responses govern behaviour beyond the reach of conscious intervention.
Guidelines for informed trauma practice, and the recommendations of a wide
range of leading trauma authorities, now point to the need to extend therapy
beyond the traditional cognitive approach and to include physical therapies
that can help regulate the biological stress response (Perry and Hambrick,
2008; Ogden, Minton and Pain, 2006; Van Der Kolk, 2014).
Rhythmic musical exercises that replicate the tempo of the mother’s
heartbeat (60–100 bpm) are thought to impact positively on the organisation

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of the brainstem/diencephalon regions of the brain that regulate an
individual’s response to stress (Perry and Hambrick, 2008). For individuals
whose stress response has been over-activated through repeated exposure to
fearful events, this part of the brain dominates the way they live; it is locked
on and remains overly sensitive to perceived threats (Van Der Kolk, 2014).
For these individuals, rational thoughts may not serve to mediate behaviour in
response to such threats. Because of the hierarchical nature of brain
development, addressing this primal brain region is often a critical first step in
therapy for people who are at the mercy of a chronically dysfunctional stress
response, preceding cognitive interventions that require higher order
processing. I have found slowly paced, repetitive heartbeat exercises
extremely useful in developing trust and connection with people whose
perpetual state of fear limits their relational ability.
Rhythm2Recovery rhythm exercises have been developed to replicate the
soothing and re-orientating tempo of the mother’s heartbeat. They provide a
sensitive pathway for the practitioner to support the individual, without the
danger of re-traumatisation that may occur from more invasive therapy that
prematurely examines the traumatic event itself. At the same time, the
analogies drawn from the Rhythm2Recovery exercises help individuals
clarify and express their thoughts and feelings. Many people suffering from
trauma struggle with ‘Alexithymia’, the inability to articulate feelings, and in
giving voice to their thoughts, which are overwhelmed by their emotions
(Van Der Kolk, 2014). The mindfulness exercises within the
Rhythm2Recovery model and specifically ‘The Rhythmic Wave’ exercise
(Chapter 11) are designed to help manage and modulate an individual’s
emotional responses, calming the sympathetic nervous system and increasing
emotional control.
From my own experience working with traumatised individuals, many of
whom were young children, the primary benefit of using rhythmic music was
the way in which it enabled people to connect together, tune into each other
and develop renewed confidence in their social relationships. For most
people, the real impact of their trauma is in how it negatively impacts their
relationships. The process of entrainment, the synchronisation of two
phenomena, occurs when individuals play music together and generates both
a physical and psychological connection that engenders safety and helps pave
the way for a restoration of trust.

4.7 Veterans

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The presenting issues for veterans are similar to those of people suffering
from long-term trauma, with combat stress reaction and post traumatic stress
disorder the leading causes of psychiatric illness in returned servicemen and
women – affecting about one in every six (Richardson, Frueh and Acierno,
2010). Common symptoms include flashbacks, emotional numbing, anger and
frustration, social isolation and loneliness. Drumming programs are now
being used to support veterans in many rehabilitation centres around the
world, with growing recognition of their potential to address many of the
symptoms above. In particular, the stabilising impact of rhythm on the over-
sensitised stress response is a critical therapeutic application for this
demographic. Drumming provides veterans with a safe, physical medium for
the venting of feelings; in our veterans’ groups we often talk to participants
about their drum being a vessel into which they can release the pent-up
frustrations and emotions that may be hiding and building inside them (see
‘Emotional Journey’ 12.5.4(a)). The physicality of the drumming is often
used by veterans as a form of emotional release and it is not unusual for these
groups initially to favour fast and furious beats.

Free Expression
Age range: suitable for all ages.

Individuals are allowed to express themselves freely on the drum, with an emphasis on the
safe release of feelings, rather than on group harmony; although often over time the two
will marry. Opportunities for free expression should be part of every session and are a
standard part of the session templates that accompany this text.

Drumming is no stranger to war, with drums having been used in different

capacities on the battlefield since our earliest conflicts as human beings. The
sound of the drum has the potential to invoke traumatic memories of war and
must be handled sensitively. In the groups I have been involved with these
associations were clearly present and discussed openly. They did not
negatively impact the individuals in the group, who gradually increased their
level of acceptance to the sound and the memories it triggered, a process
resembling habituation. Drumming over time may help reduce participants’
vulnerability to noise-induced trauma reactions (Bensimon, Amir and Wolf,
2008).
Many veterans have issues with social integration – moving back into
general community living after years spent in the rarefied atmosphere of a
military community. The group work drum-circle replicates this sense of
bonding and community that veterans are secure in, but may also represent an

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obstacle for the practitioner trying to break down the insular tendencies of the
veteran support club and help extend social pathways into broader community
networks. There is a sense of elitism in many veterans’ groups that no one can
really understand ‘unless you were there’. This same sense of belonging can
also mean a sense of rejection towards those outside the ‘club’ and this topic
is often a critical one to raise and explore in these groups, being highly
debilitating in terms of social reintegration and often premised on fear.
My colleague Terrie King, who has utilised elements of the
Rhythm2Recovery model in her work with veterans in Eastern Texas, has
also encountered this strong sense of ‘brotherhood’ amongst veterans and
recommends avoiding mixing non-veteran personnel with these groups due to
their reluctance to reveal the true nature of their feelings (sadly often defined
as showing weakness) amongst strangers. However, she noted the equal
importance of establishing concurrent groups for family members impacted
by the return of veterans dealing with trauma.
The constant stress placed on the limbic system by the ongoing physical
threat of war has a severe impact on the sleeping patterns of veterans. The
mindfulness practice within the Rhythm2Recovery model can be used to
reduce hyper-vigilance and help induce calm, supporting better sleep. The use
of drumming at specific tempos that align to brainwave states of rest and
relaxation (alpha – 40–60 bpm) also has application here.

4.8 Parents

When researchers study the causes of social problems like juvenile crime,
child abuse, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse or truancy, they find
parenting implicated as the single most important variable. Good parenting
provides a social buffer against these types of issues and mediates the damage

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when they occur. Though there is widespread debate about what ‘good
parenting’ actually involves, most experts connect it to three spheres –
protection from emotional and physical harm, setting and enforcing
boundaries to protect from harm and optimising a child’s potential by
providing warmth, security and appropriate developmental opportunities.
Parenting then is a critical public health issue, and parenting programs are a
vital prevention strategy – far more likely to be effective than reactive
policies implemented in response to social ills.
Working with parents requires a clear assessment and understanding of
their needs in relation to the complexities of the issues they present with and
in their capacity (including level of confidence) as parents. Many parents
present with multiple, complicating factors that impact the child–parent
relationship, and only a broad, historical understanding of their issues can
assist the practitioner in formulating an appropriate response. Another key
factor that can impact the success of a parenting intervention is the parents’
own relationship with each other (if two parents exist) and whether that is
respectful, intact or antagonistic. Attachment issues for the children, and
cultural factors that impact parenting styles and expectations, also need to be
taken into account.
Rhythm2Recovery interventions have been utilised in parent counselling,
group parenting programs and mixed groups of parents and their children. In
particular, the Rhythm2Recovery format has been successful in engaging
parents who are resistant to the talk-based formats of most traditional
parenting programs and also for including children and adolescents in family-
based learning. These mixed groups require the practitioner to monitor
relationships between parent and child and intervene to ensure that a safe
environment is maintained and power dynamics don’t favour one party at the
expense of the other – to assist with this, we usually recommend only one
parent per child. The topics that make up the ten sessions comprising the
‘families, teams and communities’ program cover many aspects of family
relationships and are easily adapted to target specific parenting concerns.

4.9 Aged Care

Rhythmic music activities offer the elderly many physiological and
psychological benefits, combining as they do the physical and the social.
Some of the issues that are addressed by the use of rhythmic exercises include
mood, memory, social connection, physical balance coordination and motor
skills. As individuals age, there are a range of changes that take place

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physically and cognitively, which need to be recognised and accommodated
by the practitioner. These changes are natural and progress with age, but can
be mediated in terms of their intensity by many of the Rhythm2Recovery
exercises included within this resource.
Physical changes include regressions over time that impact strength and
stamina – older people tire more easily after physical activity and also face
more challenges completing activities that involve complex motor behaviour.
The practitioner can accommodate these realities by ensuring that activities
are not overly physical and that the sessions are not overly long, and by
including breaks or changes in momentum that allow physical rest. A range of
percussion options will allow for individuals to rotate instruments and avoid
muscle fatigue associated with playing the same instrument for too long. In
the sessions I run with aged populations we move regularly between drums
and percussion (often using ‘tonal chimes’, see Section 9.3), alternating
periods of physical energy with contemplative reflection.
Changes also occur over time in our sensory capacity, particularly our
hearing, but also our vision and balance. Facilitators must adapt their teaching
style, understanding that many older people have difficulty hearing and, to a
lesser degree, seeing. As much as possible, keep verbal instructions simple
and clear, speaking slowly whilst extending your instructional cues to include
clear hand signals for such things as starting and stopping, and make sure you
harness everyone’s attention and reduce other background noise prior to
speaking. Some aged people will react negatively to loud sound such as
drumming or bells and must be helped to find a place of comfort within the
group where this is minimised.
The ability to learn new things does not recede with age, but may require
different strategies. Older people benefit from new experiences and learning,
which can help maintain cognitive function, memory and intelligence. The
impact of music on the brain and its connection to emotional memory through
the amygdala is a powerful conduit for cognitive stimulation. The analogies
and metaphors in the Rhythm2Recovery exercises create links that can aid in
the recall of memories. Many facilitators use this process to facilitate dialogue
with their aged care participants that draws on personal experiences and
stories to explore themes relevant to their situation and to stimulate memory
(MacTavish, 2012).
The mental health of our ageing population is one of the key issues facing
policy makers responsible for this sector, as studies conclude that levels of
depression and anxiety are increasing to excessive levels, particularly for
those living alone in supported care facilities (Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, 2013). Rhythmic drumming groups assist in reducing these

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issues by providing an opportunity for fun, physical activity and social
connection – all known preventative factors.
Facilitators can help embed these outcomes by maintaining a welcoming,
supportive and non-judgmental environment (safety), using qualified staff,
volunteers and family members for support, and encouraging group
interaction through shared activities and discussion.
The Rhythm2Recovery activities and strategies you utilise for your
sessions will very much depend on the demographic of the aged care
population you are working with. Most aged care facilitators refrain from
implementing a set program, instead combining different exercises and
discourses that align with the desires, needs and capacity of the individuals
they are working with, and including a strong focus on fun, shared activities
and creative self-expression. Prior to implementing any program, it is critical
to work with the centre’s management to ascertain the level of activities
accessible to the group, ensure appropriate carer support and arrange a
suitable venue.

4.10 Corporate Management and Staff

Much of the Rhythm2Recovery material is suitable for smaller scale
corporate development programs. The relational themes of the
Rhythm2Recovery material have clear application to inter-personal dynamics
of the workplace and their relationship to efficiency and productivity. In the
group music circle, a range of teamwork skills apply and can be examined as
the participants work together to create music. The quality of the music that
team members make together generally provides insight into their ability to
work constructively together. Whilst many people utilise drumming in
corporate development to promote connection and to celebrate achievement,
the Rhythm2Recovery model, and its combination of rhythm with reflection,
allows for a more nuanced examination of the many different issues that
impact workplace performance.
The session cards that make up the ‘Families, Teams and Communities’
package have been developed with organisational development in mind and
can be readily tailored to the needs of a business. Themes within this pack
include leadership, power dynamics, communication, dealing with change,
teamwork, vision and creativity, among others. The use of the drum-circle as
a platform for learning in organisational development takes staff out of their
comfort zone, away from their traditional sources of power and influence and
onto a level playing field. This same experience also replicates the unsettling

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issue of ‘organisational change’; the concept of how people respond to or
manage change can be observed and explored through the way different
participants respond to being placed into the relatively unknown world of the
music-circle.
Communication is also a central issue in effective corporate management
and is often at the heart of organisational inefficiencies. Like individuals,
families and teams, an organisation can fall victim to unproductive routines or
rhythms, and comments such as ‘we’ve always done it this way’, ‘why
change it if it isn’t broken?’ are often heard in defence of systems and policies
that are no longer productive. The Rhythm2Recovery communication
exercises, including call and response routines, are particularly useful for
exploring patterns of communication that are failing due to their complexity
and the many different corporate levels they must transverse. These exercises
use music as a language to showcase the importance of simplicity, repetition
and clarity in effective communication, as well as addressing listening skills
and the importance of timing.
Values, another central tenant of the Rhythm2Recovery model, are also
often implicated in toxic workplace environments where individual workers
feel disassociated from management, or management teams have become
dysfunctional. The increased requirements of corporate governance, and
accountability, particularly in regard to risk management, have added layers
of generally unproductive and repetitive paperwork to the average worker’s
job – in fact it is estimated that most employees now spend less than 45 per
cent of their time engaged in their core work. To handle this increased level of
governance, management has often grown disproportionally in relation to
other workplace sectors, which carries the attendant risk of losing touch with
those on the ground. I have seen this first hand, turning client-centred, non-
government service agencies into corporate-led, profit-driven behemoths that
quickly lose direction and their key personnel. This disconnect can often be
exposed by exploring values and in particular in examining discrepancies
between corporate and personal values using the Rhythm2Recovery values
exercises.
A final theme that commonly arises in corporate development work is
about the transition of an organisation and its staff through change – ‘change
management’. Change is a featured topic in the Rhythm2Recovery Families,
Teams and Communities syllabus and a relevant subject for many people who
are living in this time of unprecedented development, which infers a degree of
instability. Too much change is associated with stress and anxiety, whilst
many corporate managers recognise the dangers of not changing – not
keeping up with changing times, needs, demands, etc. Using the musical

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exercises and analogies in the Rhythm2Recovery format has been particularly
useful in exposing the challenges of adapting to change and the importance of
how change is communicated from management down.
Many other central corporate development issues can be examined and
addressed using the metaphoric concepts embedded in the Rhythm2Recovery
model. Some of the key issues relevant to effective corporate presentations
include:
• a professional attitude that includes doing prior research, timeliness,
using appropriate language and dressing appropriately
• research being completed prior to the session to understand the key
issues to be targeted by the program, and the course structure being
aligned to this
• an understanding of key business terminology and commonly used
acronyms or abbreviations
• ensuring the appropriateness of the venue – many corporate offices
remain unsuitable for these types of programs due to the impact of the
sound on other workers, difficult access for equipment and poor
acoustics
• encouraging participation and safe disclosures through the support of
upper management
• an early focus on examining the alignment between company and
personal values
• tying in specific work-related experiences of an organisation’s staff to
the discussions of the program themes
• the provision of evaluative measures to record perceptions on the
worth of the intervention by participants, and their delivery to the
contractor prior to invoicing.

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 5

LESS TALK AND MORE

RHYTHM
OPTIONS FOR THE NON-VERBAL

My early work with the mediums of rhythmic music and movement came in
response to issues I faced with individuals who lacked confidence in the
English language (usually their second or third language). These same
individuals found disclosing their thoughts and feelings to a stranger
shameful, and many were essentially non-verbal due to a range of presenting
conditions, including autism, trauma and cognitive impairment. Beyond this
group though, there are still many articulate people whom I work with, who
experience the majority of their therapeutic growth through the experiential
side of our work together and prefer this side of the program to the reflective
dialogue we encourage. In the client-informed feedback I receive, there is a
definite preference amongst the majority of those I hear back from for less
talk and more rhythm!
One thing about words is that we know they are open to all sorts of
misunderstanding, and they can actively work against us by rekindling
unhelpful thoughts and emotions or by provoking aggression, blame and
resentment. For these and other reasons, my own practice purposefully
minimises the use of language in the early sessions, unless I am conscious of
an individual’s comfort with this medium. I use language to check in with an
individual to ensure that they are comfortable, secure, etc., as well as to
clarify or summarise a learning point. However, I generally wait for the
individual to discuss an issue before expanding upon it verbally. Surprisingly
though, for many of the individuals who present with a history of resistance to

50
therapy and non-verbal behaviour, the rhythmic music we engage in loosens
their tongues and they often become enthusiastic verbal responders.
For individuals and groups who for various reasons are unable to work
through language, many of the musical activities attached to this model can be
delivered with positive outcomes using body language cues for instruction
instead of verbal directions. There are many specialist practitioners, including
music therapists and speech therapists, working with music to assist non-
verbal populations to develop language skills, and this work has been
particularly effective in assisting the enhancement individuals’ speech rate,
pitch, variability and intelligibility (Tamplin, 2008). However, this is a
specialised realm and not the aim of this resource. The Rhythm2Recovery
model is primarily aimed at social and emotional development, and the fact
that much of this type of learning comes through the social interaction
necessitated by the experiential nature of the exercises themselves means that
non-verbal participants can still benefit significantly from their involvement.

Say it Through Your Drum

Use the following techniques to assist people to answer questions through
their drums:
• Ask people to answer using a rumble – ‘Answer with a rumble if
you…’
• Ask people to use one Bass note to answer ‘Yes’ – ‘If you agree with
this, play one Bass note.’
• Ask people to use two Bass notes to answer ‘No’ – ‘If you disagree
with this, play two Bass notes.’
• Ask people to use three Bass notes to answer ‘Not sure’ – ‘If you are
unsure, play three Bass notes.’

Note: The use of the ‘Rumble if’ as a questioning technique in this

manual is adapted from an exercise first shown to me by Arthur Hull.

Much speech leads inevitably to silence

Better to hold fast to the void

Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching

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 6

COUNSELLING AND
FACILITATION SKILLS

6.1 Core Skills

This model is for professionals working predominantly with individuals and
groups of people who face personal difficulties and require support in
managing many of life’s daily challenges. It is presumed that professionals
working with these populations have undertaken appropriate study to carry
out their practice ethically, appropriately and effectively. However, one of the
keys to best practice in the counselling professions is ongoing, reflective
practice (Miller, 2010). So this section provides a brief review of the core
skills required to deliver the Rhythm2Recovery model effectively in order to
improve the daily lives of those individuals we seek to support.

6.1.1 Building Trust and Rapport

Evidence on effective treatment and effective psycho-social education is clear
that a key determinant is the ability of the practitioner to build a trusting and
engaging alliance with the individual or group they are working with
(Norcross, 2009); effectiveness being described as sustained improvements in
the quality of individual lives. Known by a number of terms, the therapeutic
alliance or therapeutic relationship is predicated on a trusting and respectful
connection. The music components of Rhythm2Recovery interventions are
one of the primary tools for building this type of relationship, as music is a
medium that unites people emotionally. However, many people have fears
associated with learning or performing music, and thus the method of

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introduction to playing a drum or percussion instrument must be safe and
successful.
Developing a trusting relationship is not easy when individuals have
histories of betrayal or insecure attachment, and many different, sometimes
unavoidable, elements can enter the relationship and sever or disrupt this
connection. It is important that counsellors or facilitators are patient and don’t
set their expectations too high too soon and that there is an acceptance that
sometimes the relationship will not gel. One of the key reasons it is
recommended to have a co-facilitator in group work is for this very reason –
unpredictable factors stemming from an individual’s past may see them reject
the support of one facilitator yet enable them to bond in a supportive manner
with another.
What we do know in terms of how to strengthen the therapeutic bond is
that positivity, warmth and a supportive, empathetic and non-judgmental
approach is critical and that the process needs to be collaborative and
empowering. A key point in the way the quality of a therapeutic alliance
transfers to improved developmental outcomes relies not just on this bond,
but also on the way in which the individual and practitioner work together to
clarify the goals of the intervention and the methods used (Norcross, 2009).
The Rhythm2Recovery model is an empowering, strength-based approach
that replicates many of the principles of PP and focuses on positivity,
strengths, resourcefulness and hope. A collaborative process allows the
participants direct input into the therapeutic process itself, determining the
themes of focus, actively participating in the exercises, contributing to
discussions and providing feedback on the process and how it may be
improved in order to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals.

CONNECTING THROUGH RHYTHM

Age range: 5 years and up

With people who may be anxious, it can be useful to start an individual counselling session,
using the drum as a vehicle for building safety, trust and connection. The counsellor sits
side on to the individual they are supporting and invites them to play the drum as a fun
opening to their work together: ‘I’ll play something and you join in by either copying me or
finding your own rhythm – something that connects to mine.’
It is important to start with a very simple pattern and to avoid too much direct eye
contact at this stage – just focusing on the drum.

This routine can become a safe way of starting each session and also be used
to explore issues of social connection: ‘What are we doing that allows our

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rhythms to connect like this and how might we use these skills to improve our
connection with others generally?

6.1.2 Expressing and Validating Feelings

Emotional reactivity or poor regulation is one of the universal features of
socially isolated individuals who exhibit anti-social or problem behaviours.
Much of the work on emotional regulation starts with emotional awareness,
and the Rhythm2Recovery resource contains a number of exercises to assist
participants to express and identify their feelings (Section 16.1 ‘Additional
Exercises for Emotional Awareness’). Across all our work with the drum, we
encourage individuals to express their feelings and emotions safely, through
the instrument itself: for example, ‘Play how that felt on your drum.’ And we
extend that practice into identifying and naming those responses: for example,
‘Can you put a name or names to that feeling?’ – sometimes multiple feelings
arise from the same incident.
Validating feelings is acknowledging that all of us have little control of
what feelings surface in response to different circumstances, and as such our
individual feelings are both real and reasonable. Validation is a form of
acceptance and builds emotional security whilst fostering a deeper empathetic
connection. It allows people to feel understood, which in turn opens doors to
further assistance. Validation can also be a useful means of helping an
individual reflect on the nature and source of their feelings. Validating
feelings does not mean accepting the expression of those same feelings when
these are done in ways that hurt oneself or others.
It is not always easy to validate another’s feelings, particularly when they
are critically directed at you. Validating an individual’s negative feelings
towards you is a way of acknowledging a breakdown in your communication
with them – the impact of your intention caused feelings you were not
predicting. Breakdowns in communication are common when working with
language and individuals who are often overly sensitive to criticism.
Validating another’s critical feelings towards you, as a pratictioner,
necessarily means avoiding defensiveness or explaining yourself and instead
focusing on acknowledging the authenticity of their response.

6.1.3 Active Listening and Responding

Much has been written about the importance of active or reflective listening
in counselling and group facilitation, yet it remains one of the least developed
skills in the therapeutic toolbox. Every month I work with professional

54
counsellors and educators on effective practice, and as part of this session run
through a simple training drill on listening (see 12.6.2 ‘Communication’).
Each time, the vast majority – paid professionals who are trained to listen
well – flunk the test. Why is good listening so hard and how can we improve
our skills in this area? Part of the problem is that there is little formal training
in listening and to improve our skills requires time, motivation and self-
discipline – we have to do it (practise) ourselves. Another barrier is the
body’s constant filtering process (estimated at processing 400 billion bits of
data per second), which blocks out unnecessary sound in order to allow us to
focus on what is important to us at any given time. Although this generally
serves us well, it may also reduce our capacity for deeper reflective listening
and staying attuned to the person we are listening to (Wolvin and Coakley,
1995).
The key to effective listening is attention – an active psychological
process unrelated to hearing, which is a passive physiological process – not
just to what is being said, but also to the communication cues of tone, speed
and pitch and the presenting body language. Listening effectively means
understanding, and requires the receiver to seek clarification and to verify
their understanding by responding. Active listening is showing genuine
interest in what is being said and ensures the person talking feels understood,
respected and appreciated, which in turn encourages openness and honesty.
These skills are enhanced by practice and a focused awareness of the many
internal and external barriers to deeper listening. Barriers include the habit of
simultaneously formulating a response to a person whilst they are speaking
and competing stimuli such as background noise, intruding thoughts and
anxieties, and physiological needs such as hunger, as well as our own
judgments and biases and the complexity of the message itself.
Mindfulness practice is a key exercise for increasing our listening
capacity, helping us maintain focus whilst simultaneously avoiding the
wayward journey of our distracting thoughts. Mindful listening is that which
involves no judgment nor a pressing need to respond. Practising mindful
listening – giving our full attention, both of the internal and external
experience, to the listening process – allows us to attune to others and offer a
deeper level of care and support. ‘Mindful Awareness Script – Sound’
12.2.2(b) can be used to further this skill.

6.1.4 Encouraging Reflection and Broadening Perspective

A core part of the Rhythm2Recovery model is extending an individual’s
understanding of the issues addressed by the rhythmic activities through

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pairing these with cognitive reflection via discussion. For certain populations
this will be impractical and the outcomes of the intervention will be drawn
solely from non-verbal musical and movement activities. However, for most
people, combining the music with cognitive reflection delivers a broader
therapeutic process that increases the opportunity for positive outcomes,
growth and understanding.
Facilitating dialogue is another skill that rests upon creating a safe
context. A reluctance by participants to voice their opinions, thoughts and
feelings is generally predicated on a history of shame, where their
contributions may have previously been derided or ridiculed. This danger is
higher in group therapy, where it is important to have strict boundaries around
the way people respond to each other and to monitor conversations to ensure
disagreements are handled respectfully. I have found using the drum to help
people respond to and answer questions is helpful in the early stages of our
relationship, before moving on to verbal contributions as their confidence
grows. The use of the drum raises energy levels and avoids the gaping silence
that often accompanies questions that focus attention on an individual and
may cause shame or embarrassment.

The Speaker’s Chair

An Exercise for building trust

One key exercise for involving participants in reflection is ‘The Speaker’s Chair’. This
exercise is based on the ‘musical chairs‘ format, where the rhythm is halted for a set
number of beats while everyone moves places in the circle. In the ‘Speaker’s Chair’
exercise, a chair is identified as the one from which an individual speaks or answers the
question. The facilitator counts down the rhythm to a stop (4, 3, 2, 1, STOP) and then each
person moves one place anti-clockwise – whoever moves into the speaker’s chair answers
the question on the topic under discussion before counting the rest of the group, back into
the rhythm (1, 2, Let’s all play).
In the individual session cards accompanying this book, there are a number of questions
to help begin a discussion. These questions are a starting point only, and being
predominantly ‘open ended’ provide a gateway to further conversation as the facilitator
responds to the answers provided. The skilled practitioner uses the responses to these initial
questions to extend the discussion in the direction of most relevance to the individual or
group – areas of relevance are thus determined and highlighted by the participants
themselves through the subjective nature of their contribution. As in cognitive behavioural
therapy, the practitioner is alert to faulty or unhelpful reasoning that leads to maladaptive
behaviour. In response to these types of beliefs – for example black and white thinking,
generalisations, tunnel vision, negativity, self-blame or labelling – the practitioner offers
relevant examples showcasing different perspectives that force a re-evaluation of the issue
without coercion or shame.

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 Other avenues for increasing the level of participation in the discussions in group
situations are to have people working together in pairs to provide joint responses and to
develop an expectation from early on that everyone will contribute (to a scale of their
choice) but that passing is not encouraged. Although this is contradictory to the concept of
autonomy for the individual participant, it can be introduced in a way that is not over-
demanding – for example, a response may be one strike on your drum. The problem with
‘passing’ in group discussions, particularly with young people, is that it is an easy way out
and can easily become infectious, leading to the whole group abstaining from the
discussion.

6.1.5 Summarising
Summarising is the skill of taking the main points from a discussion and
condensing these into a short statement that helps clarify an individual or
group understanding of an issue. It is closely related to the skill of
paraphrasing, which is used on a smaller scale and involves a more literal
reinterpretation of another person’s statement. Both these practices are aimed
at helping individuals clarify their thoughts, feelings and ideas, and
communicate a level of understanding between the practitioner and those they
are supporting. Summarising often occurs immediately prior to the end of a
session (or program) in order to refocus on the key issues under consideration,
what has been achieved together during the course of the session or program
and what the expectations of both parties are in terms of future action.
Summarising is particularly important in group discussions where
contributions by different group members may lead to a wide range of
perspectives and ideas being considered within a discussion. In these
situations, participants can be left confused about the nature of the issue under
review unless the facilitator is able to draw out the main points and clarify
these in a summary. When disparate points of view are raised in discussions, I
generally look to reinforce common themes or uniting factors but sometimes
have to make the point that ‘people do have different experiences and
perspectives on these issues and each person has to find a position that sits
comfortably with them and their own values’.

6.2 Cultural Awareness

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In today’s multicultural world, it is important that counsellors and facilitators
are alert to cultural sensitivities and are able to create an environment of
cultural security that allows for active and equal participation for people of all
cultural backgrounds. Thankfully, music has always been a bridge between
people, circumventing manmade boundaries and prejudices. Cultural
sensitivity is even more important when the practitioner and individual/s are
from different cultural backgrounds. A range of common myths and
misconceptions exist with regard to different cultures and there is an ethical
responsibility on the part of any practitioner to familiarise themselves with the
socio-political factors that affect minorities. It is also critical to recognise the
different world views that may influence the relationship between a helper
and an individual and their effectiveness in perceiving and interpreting
individuals’ needs (Sumari and Jalal, 2008). In my work with Aboriginal
people across Australia and North America, asking permission and seeking
clarification from local people (including cultural leaders or elders) has been
critical in avoiding the pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding and promoting a
trusting and respectful working partnership.
Music has a special significance in cultures across the world, with
different traditions, protocols and prohibitions that govern the way it is
expressed. Drumming in particular cultures is an art form closely tied to
cultural identity, and its misuse can be seen as disrespectful. The concept of
cultural appropriation – taking elements of another culture without permission
– also lies close to the surface in relation to the growing use of drumming in
Western society, due to the ongoing exploitation indigenous peoples have
faced since first contact; thus there remain strong sensitivities to these issues.
As a mark of respect, the Rhythm2Recovery model does not utilise traditional
cultural rhythms and refrains where possible from using traditional cultural
instruments. People who have obtained the cultural authority to use traditional
drumming may do so, but I would still always recommend asking advice and
permission from cultural elders as an added precaution in order to remove
doubt and avoid trespassing in this area.

6.3 Managing Difficult Behaviours

Challenging behaviours are part and parcel of working with ‘high-risk’
populations, including individuals with low levels of emotional control and
behavioural problems. Central to reducing the regularity and intensity of these
occurrences are the skills of the practitioner in establishing a safe
environment and a trusting therapeutic relationship, as well as the way they

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respond to, and manage, these situations when they do arise. There are a
range of preventative strategies that should always be considered prior to any
sessional work and these include:
• accessing up-to-date background information that may have relevance
to an individual’s emotional state
• having a safety plan for individuals with a history of violent or
aggressive behaviours
• having access to collegial support
• implementing a pre-assessment process for group membership that
evaluates an individual’s readiness for group work
• separating individuals whose defiant behaviours are likely to reinforce
one another
• setting and maintaining boundaries – working with individuals to
establish boundaries that ensure emotional and physical safety
• reducing arousal levels by utilising a neutral learning space free from
other stimuli and talking and playing music at low volume and slower
tempos. (Note: High-energy drumming can be damaging in the wrong
situation.)

Challenging behaviour is a form of communication, provoked by specific

stimuli and generally governed by the consequences of what follows. These
behaviours are purpose driven and often connected to an unfulfilled need to
obtain something (e.g. attention, peer-prestige or power) or to escape
something (e.g. bullying, shame or boredom) (Carr et al., 2002). Being able to
recognise what is driving the behaviour is the first step in being able to negate
it. In order to implement appropriate consequences or strategies, the facilitator
has to remain objective, avoid personalising the dispute and not react
emotionally. Easier said than done!

6.3.1 Safety
As previously mentioned, a large number of behavioural issues can be
avoided by focusing on establishing a safe and secure environment for
participants. For many people safety relates closely to stability and
consistency; thus predictable routines, faces, spaces and the environment
itself can help reduce anxieties and defensiveness born from uncertainty.
Closed groups, where membership stays the same each session, are always

59
preferable, as new faces mean levels of trust must be re-established. Equally,
changing facilitators or having new staff members sit in on sessions can
undermine safety for participants and impact behaviour. Safety is also critical
in group work practice where individuals with social phobias can become
very uncomfortable and where power dynamics can leave individuals
vulnerable to bullying or physical violence. My work in prisons has been a
salutary lesson in the challenges of group make up, where putting the wrong
associates together can quickly lead to unresolvable conflict. Pre-assessment
for entry into group programs is critical if groups are to be successful.

6.3.2 Avoiding Reacting and Finding the Right Response

Probably the most common inflammatory actions in response to challenging
behaviours are those that are emotionally reactive. At some stage or another
every practitioner will encounter an individual who gets under their skin and
provokes a negative emotional reaction. Learning how to distance and calm
yourself in these situations is critical if you are to avoid inflaming a conflict
situation. These are often the same skills we teach in social and emotional
learning programs and include breathing strategies, time out, acknowledging
your feelings through ‘I statements’ and handing over the response to another
colleague whilst you restore your equilibrium. Young people in particular
have a heightened awareness of an adult’s emotional state and are strongly
impacted by their negative emotions. This can lead to a potentially disastrous
cycle where their behaviour triggers a stressful reaction from the facilitator,
reinitiating and reinforcing the same causal behaviour (Yoon, 2002).
Responding to challenging behaviours must be done in ways that reduce
the intensity of the incident, not inflame it. In a power struggle between an
individual and a practitioner the aim is not to assert control (win) but to move
through the incident quickly and get back to the helping relationship with
egos intact. Power struggles can generally be defused by treating people well,
validating feelings, providing choices, giving room to settle emotions and
disengagement. The quicker you can disengage, the quicker the negative
energy loses its focus.

Disarm
An Exercise for Understanding Power Struggles
Examine the phrase ‘It takes two to tango’ in relation to conflict.

60
Ask the individual you are working with to put their hand against yours, or in
groups ask people to pair up and to place their hand against their partner’s,
palm to palm at shoulder height – then ask them to push very gently with their
hand.

Stop the group and explore the response – when you push, most will push back.
How does this relate to conflict generally?

Now in each pair determine who will push and who will not. Each pair should
place their hands together again and this time when the assigned person
pushes, the other person is to pull their hand away.

Discuss the concept of disarming anger by withdrawing from conflict using this example.
What happens when one person decides to withdraw from the power struggle? How
hard do you find it to withdraw? Who wins when someone decides to withdraw? Who is the
one exercising power when someone decides to withdraw?
Note: This is based on the soft martial arts principle of going with or bypassing
another’s energy rather than working against it.

Given the authoritative power of a practitioner, modelling is also a critical

part of any behavioural management strategy. The practitioner’s skill at
negotiating conflict provides a useful lesson for the observer as to how such
incidents are managed and a key learning opportunity for teaching
alternatives to aggression and problem solving generally. In group situations
it can also be highly effective and empowering to defer this process to the
group as a whole, rather than take sole responsibility when problem
behaviours impact the session. The group takes responsibility for managing
the issue (avoiding blame and focusing on the issue, not on an individual) and
learns conflict resolution skills at the same time.

The exercise ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ 16.4. (e) can also be a useful one to
explore conflict.

6.3.3 Setting and Maintaining Boundaries

Boundaries are a critical element of safety for both the practitioner and the
individual. Boundaries are also an essential element of healthy relationships
and appropriate social interaction, and thus their inclusion and examination
can be useful in multiple ways. In one-to-one therapeutic work, discussing
boundaries around your working relationship early in the first session can
help to avoid misconceptions about your role and ensure ethical issues arising

61
during your time together are handled appropriately. It can also serve as a
gateway for the discussion of boundaries generally and how they are
impacting other relationships in the individual’s life.
In group work the drawing up of group ‘rules or guidelines’ is common
practice and generally also occurs in the first session. Rules can sometimes be
seen as punitive and it can be useful to focus on what needs to occur, rather
than what shouldn’t occur. It is important that this is an inclusive process, so
that all have ownership of any agreed constraints and the purpose of
establishing these markers of behaviour are clear – Why have boundaries?
What purpose do they serve? Again, this process provides a ready segue into
more personal discussions on the role of boundaries in relationships generally.
The exercise ‘Hands Off!’ 12.1.5(a) has been designed as a fun way of
exploring boundaries and can be used to help draw up behavioural guidelines
for a group program.
Boundaries are also closely related to our values – what we care about –
and this relationship is a critical one to draw attention to; we protect and stand
up for the things we value. Without a clear sense of our values, we lose that
guiding principle and with it the security and confidence that comes from
knowing what we stand for (identity) and having clear boundaries in place.
Once established, values serve as a guide for behaviour across the life span.

6.3.4 Maintaining Momentum and Flow

In my own practice one of the keys areas I focus on, in order to minimise
behavioural problems and maximise engagement and sessional outcomes, is
momentum – maintaining and sustaining flow throughout the session. This
momentum is about progressing smoothly between activities, avoiding dead
spots and stark transitions and not over-exposing or satiating individuals with
too much of one activity or topic (Kounin, 1971). Individuals and counsellors
often emerge at the end of a Rhythm2Recovery session with the statement ‘I
can’t believe that time went so fast’, verbalising the feeling that no time at all
had passed as they found themselves immersed in the ‘flow’ of musical
activity and constantly focused and engaged.
At the heart of this experience is the practitioner’s ability to monitor the
individual or participants they are working with and call upon a range of
activities to implement in response to their needs. Physical activity is also
important to avoid the restlessness that often accompanies prolonged
discussions. Most experts agree that sustained attention is generally exhausted
at around the five-minute mark (Medina, 2008), so moving between activities
every five minutes is a useful marker; and since attention increases

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significantly when we are interested in what is going on, ensuring participants
have input into sessional content, maintaining variety, recognising
achievement and encouraging active participation are all useful ways of
maintaining interest.
Musical activities, and in particular rhythmic drumming, have great
potential to absorb people into a state of flow, where they lose track of time
and become completely immersed in the activity itself. Within this state
people lose their self-consciousness and are rewarded with feelings of
serenity and mastery. In therapeutic and educational situations, this state leads
to high levels of focus and improved performance and skill development,
whilst simultaneously reducing boredom and anxiety (Csikszentmihalyi,
1997). It also allows the practitioner to observe more natural behaviours as
opposed to the often contrived behaviour displayed in therapy situations
where individuals may be highly self-conscious and sometimes purposefully
deceitful or misleading.

6.3.5 Encouraging Responsibility and Avoiding Blame

In order to take control of your life, you have to accept a level of
responsibility for your actions. For many people who are struggling with
maintaining control over their lives and who often have personality
difficulties that undermine their ability to form healthy relationships with
others, blame and a lack of responsibility is common. When we blame others
for our situation, we automatically hand them control of our lives and give
away our autonomy. Learning to swap blame for responsibility (towards self
and others) is a critical step in regaining control of your life and healing your
relationships. Blame is also at the heart of much inter-personal conflict and
can quickly undo the group process. Establishing boundaries around the use
of blame can help people learn how to resolve conflict without putting others
down and avoids the defensiveness, resentment and aggression that blame
engenders. See ‘The Blame Game’ 12.3.10(b) exercise.

6.3.6 Avoiding Expert Status and Competition

One of the barriers to the development of a good relationship between a
practitioner and the people they work with, and a common element in the
undermining of Rhythm2Recovery interventions, is the differentiation that
occurs when the practitioner is portrayed as the expert and the individual
receiving support is portrayed as needy. These perceptions are often
reinforced by the expectations and behaviour of both parties and serve to

63
isolate each from the other. In ACT there is a useful metaphor that ideally
describes both parties as mountaineers climbing adjacent peaks, each with
their own mountain to climb, but with the practitioner high enough to be able
to see across to the individual’s peak and make out some of the obstacles and
opportunities that the individual may not be able to see for themselves. This
parable acknowledges that nobody is an expert when it comes to other
people’s lives and that we are all finding our way, and through working
together we can assist each other in making the climb easier and more
enjoyable (Hayes, Strosahl and Wilson, 1999).

Many people who enter Rhythm2Recovery programs come with a poor self-
concept and a ‘I’m bound to fail’ mentality. The idea of playing music,
something untried and thus unpredictable, often heightens those thought
processes and the fears associated with them. For the practitioner, introducing
the musical elements of the program in an achievable way is critical, and that
usually means slowly, repetitively and simply. One of the biggest obstacles to
an individual’s confidence in this area (initiation into playing music) is for the
practitioner to showcase complex drumming skills (or show off!). When an
individual with little confidence sees a practitioner exhibiting a high level of
skill on the instrument, it can exacerbate their defeatist attitude – ‘I’ll never
play like that, why should I bother with this’, or raise their anxiety – ‘Am I
going to have to play like that, impossible – I’ll make a fool of myself’. High-
level drumming skills are not a requirement of these interventions and unless
checked can be destructive to the therapeutic alliance.

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6.3.7 Empowerment
A critical focus for any practitioner working in support of another human
being is ensuring their services enable and strengthen the capacity of those
they are working with. There is a very real danger for many of us in the
human services field, that our work may undermine this principal and leave
those we work with more dependent, particularly when our clients are seeking
answers and hold us in high regard. Christopher Small (1977) recognised this
same danger in our relationship to music generally when he wrote: ‘Music is
too important to be left to the musicians, and in recognizing this fact we strike
a blow at the experts’ domination, not only of our music, but also of our very
lives. If it is possible to control our own musical destiny, provide our own
music rather than leaving it altogether to someone else to provide, then
perhaps some of the other outside expertise that controls our lives can be
brought under control also.’ In Rhythm2Recovery the practitioner must work
consciously to ensure that power dynamic does not seep into their practice
and that, as in the ACT model, they avoid expert status and are instead, fellow
journeymen on the road to self discovery.

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 7

DRUM-CIRCLE
FACILITATION SKILLS

In the Rhythm2Recovery model we facilitate from a sitting position in the

circle, as an equal member of the group. This reduces the power differential
that occurs when a leader stands and directs from a raised position, or in the
centre of the circle, and in so doing separates themselves from those they are
working with. There are considerable dangers in the practitioner taking on a
dominant leadership role in the group process, or even in individual therapy
situations, and there are many subtle influences that can shift the relationship
in that direction, including transference. To balance this risk, there needs to be
a constant focus on empowering the individual or participants and supporting
them to lead and initiate actions and ideas, as well as to accept responsibility,
both in the discussions and in the musical parts of the program, whenever
possible. It is particularly important to encourage this inclusive and equitable
process from the beginning of any contact.
Facilitation from a sitting position still utilises a range of skills and
protocols developed over the years by practice leaders in the community
drum-circle movement. This section details some of the essential elements of
effective drum-circle facilitation.
• Clarity – Any instruction to the group needs to be clear and concise –
keep you instructions short and simple and wherever possible utilise
hand signals instead of language. Always lower the volume of the
group prior to giving verbal instruction.
• Positivity – Enter the process with a positive and encouraging spirit.
Feelings are infectious and your enthusiasm, positivity and

66
 encouragement will resonate with others and increase their motivation
and levels of enjoyment. Remember to smile!
• Genuineness – Be yourself – be confident in your role, who you are
and what you are offering to the group. Find your own style – one that
sits comfortably with you and allows you to relax.
• Have fun – Don’t take it all too seriously. When things go wrong,
that’s a learning opportunity. Be prepared to laugh at yourself and
share the laughter with others.

7.1 Signalling (as pioneered by A. Hull)

There are a number of universal hand and body movements that can be
utilised in the drum-circle to facilitate music making by the group without
relying on language. The following are some of the more common ones used
in Rhythm2Recovery sessions:
• Getting Everyone’s Attention – This is critical prior to initiating any
instruction (verbal or non-verbal). The ‘Attention Call’ is done by
making eye contact with each person individually whilst raising one
hand above your head and pointing skyward. No further instruction
should be given until you are sure you have everyone’s attention.
• Marking the Pulse – Sometimes people lose their way in the rhythm,
especially when more complex rhythms surface or parts speed up. The
facilitator can assist with this by marking the pulse (the first note of
the bar) with their feet (an exaggerated stomp) or with their hands (up
and down rhythmic movement similar to conducting tempo). Other
less common ways of reinforcing and stabilising tempo are to use a
bell or through body movement.
• Stopping the Group – A horizontal slice of the air (stop cut) with the
extended arm/s and hand/s (stop cuts can be made with one or two
hands) moving across the front of the body in a clear cutting motion
on time with the beat (usually on the first note of the bar).
• Continue to Play – Extending the arm in the direction of those
(individuals or subgroups) who you wish to keep playing and rotating
the wrist outwards from the body. I usually reinforce this movement
with the words ‘Don’t stop’ and ‘Keep going’.

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 • Counting Down to STOP – Holding the hand out with four fingers
raised and thumb hidden and reducing the number of fingers in time
with the beat: 4 – 3 – 2 – 1, followed by the ‘stop cut’ (usually on the
first note of the bar).
• Back to the Groove – Getting the group to restart after a gap of
silence, we voice the words ‘One, two, let’s all play’ or something
similar. The numbers and syllables rest on the beats and are timed to
restart the group on the first note of the bar.
• Volume Up – The hand is extended horizontally towards the
individual, section or whole group with the palm facing up. Increasing
the height of the extended arm relays a signal to keep increasing the
volume until you stop.
• Volume Down – The hand is extended horizontally towards the
individual, section or whole group with the palm facing down.
Reducing the height of the extended arm relays a signal to keep
decreasing the volume until you stop.
• Sculpting Parts – Selecting a part or parts of a group to differentiate
roles. Always remember to ensure some members, or a section of the
group, keep playing before sculpting another part of the group to stop
playing. Use two vertical hands (arms extended, fingers together)
along with individual eye contact to indicate the boundaries of the
chosen subgroup and, once identified, ask them to either ‘continue to
play’ (rotating wrist away from the body) or ‘stop’ (stop cut).
• Getting Faster/Getting Slower – The signal for getting faster or slower
varies between facilitators, but I tend to use a scooping action with my
cupped hand, with my hand speed marking the changing tempo (as in
‘Marking the Pulse’). Be careful with changes of tempo – it is vital to
mark the pulse when you have reached the speed you want or else the
change will continue unabated into chaos.
• Rumble – Hands out horizontally in front of the body and wrists or
fingers flickering up and down (like slapping a drum or playing a
piano very fast).

7.2 The Drum-Circle as Ongoing Recreation

Across the world there is a growing community of recreational drum-circles
offering thousands of people a weekly opportunity to socialise safely with

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others and play music together. These gatherings provide the practitioner with
an ongoing resource for those individuals they are working with, which is
particularly useful when a program concludes. For the many individuals who
experience social isolation, or for whom unstructured recreational time is an
invitation for trouble, drum-circles offer a rewarding opportunity to
congregate with others, develop new relationships and reap the multiple
benefits of community music making.
Establishing a recreational drum-circle is also a great option for sustaining
the rewards of a rhythm based psychological intervention at its conclusion. At
the end of a Rhythm2Recovery program we often work with the host
organisation to help set up a weekly drum-circle where people can meet and
play rhythmic music in safety. Basic instruction in drum-circle facilitation
techniques, including many of those from Section 7.1, can allow the
participants themselves to run and manage these events, offering furthering
empowerment and autonomy. Sometimes these groups also add a
performance element to their repertoire and may go on to represent their
organisation at different community events. This is particularly powerful
when they are taught how to integrate audience participation with their own
music making; thus instead of just playing for people, they are truly
interacting and sharing, allowing music to break down any barriers of
separation or isolation.

To find a local drum-circle near you see www.drumcircles.net/international

circlestext.html.

Where I come from we say that rhythm is the soul of life, because the
whole universe revolves around rhythm, and when we get out of rhythm,
that’s when we get into trouble.
Babatunde Olatunji

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 8

THE CONTEXT

This section covers how best to establish the right therapeutic environment for
effective practice using the Rhythm2Recovery model. During my time using
rhythmic music in therapy I have worked to deliver individual sessions and
group programs in a large variety of settings, including prisons, hospitals,
schools, detention facilities, psychiatric units, living rooms, community
centres, police and citizen clubs, trauma centres, remote communities and the
great outdoors. Some of these places have been conducive to learning, whilst
many others actively work against it. Often you have little choice of where
you will be working but, where possible – by ensuring an appropriate space,
you are one step closer to achieving positive outcomes for those you work
with. To do this requires the availability of a suitable space in the first place,
some pre-planning and the support of a person of influence within the
contracting organisation.

8.1 Room Set Up

Rhythm2Recovery programs involve drumming, and in both individual and
group settings the sound can become problematic for those working or living
nearby. The contractor should provide a space that is separated from other
workers or has inbuilt acoustic dampening. Acoustics are important for the
participants as well, as a space that has poor acoustics (many gymnasiums, for
example) can be aggravating and potentially cause hearing loss. A carpeted
room with a high ceiling that is not overly large nor too small but provides
instead a sense of balance between the room’s capacity and the group’s size is
ideal. Never rely on being provided with a suitable space on hearsay alone –

70
visit and test the space yourself prior to starting your work there. Comfortable
seating is important, with chairs (and instrument sizes) allowing participants
to hold and play their instruments comfortably – chairs without arms are best,
and avoid chairs on rollers.
In schools, a lot of time can be wasted moving desks and creating the right
space each week – try to organise a space that allows you to get started
quickly. Setting up a room each week is an invitation for young people to play
up and often leads to unhelpful levels of arousal. Rooms that have little in the
way of furniture or equipment are best. Many of the people utilising these
therapies have low levels of focus and are easily distracted, and those with
sensory perception disorders are often over-stimulated by rooms that contain
a lot of random objects or that are messy and disorganised. Windows can also
be problematic, as inquisitive faces often appear when drumming occurs and
these will further distract people. This same issue also makes outdoor
programs difficult, as they usually invite multiple distractions (visual and
acoustic) and the drums will attract (call to) people from a wide distance.
In group work, the drums are set in one circle for a maximum of around
20 persons – if larger numbers are required, concentric circles work well. The
drums are initially placed behind the chairs so that the participants can focus
on the theme of the session and review group rules and previous learning
before the new session begins.
Group Size Minimum Dimensions
10 20 square metres
20 50 square metres
30 64 square metres
50 80 square metres

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Lighting and other furnishings also make a difference to how comfortable
people feel in a particular space. Dark or over-exposed (using unnatural
lighting) counselling rooms are off putting, and the imagery displayed on
walls needs to be thoughtfully considered in light of the issues and triggers
that impact individuals. Natural textures are preferable to artificial ones, and
the allowance for personal space should ensure that adequate room is given
for people to feel safe. A white-board is useful, as many exercises require the
listing of group responses, and writing up rules, rhythms and other pertinent
information can be helpful for visual learners.

8.2 A Supportive Environment

The use of rhythmic music as part of therapeutic or educational programs is
still in its infancy and still viewed sceptically by many. I have had personal
encounters and heard reports from many professionals where I or they have
been deliberately undermined by other professionals who fail to understand
and value their work. Having an understanding and supportive working
environment is critical to any professional’s confidence and performance. It is
always beneficial to meet with an individual of influence from the contracting
service prior to beginning a program to ensure that they are able to provide
the support you require to work effectively in this medium. This same
individual should also inform all other staff of your work and how it fits in
with the aims of the organisation in order to reduce the potential for confusion
or resentment.
Providing staff with an explanatory session prior to beginning your work
can also be useful in avoiding this pitfall. Schools and prisons can be

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particularly difficult environments to work in, where the priority given to
your role often falls well down the ladder of the priorities of their
management teams. Recently, after several challenging prison programs made
much more difficult by staff attitudes, I made sure that prior to a new program
being delivered, I would run some officer information sessions – the
difference in attitudes and my ease of access was remarkable and made the
experience much more valuable for those who participated in it.

8.3 Group Make Up – Pre-Assessment

Groups can quickly become unproductive when people enter with personality
disorders or developmental issues that provoke disharmony. Defiant and
aggressive personalities can quickly undermine groups by reducing perceived
levels of safety, while significant variations in developmental capacity
between group members can heighten levels of frustration. It is never wise to
allow open access to group work without some pre-assessment and it often
takes courage for a facilitator to stand up to an employer or contractor and
insist upon a degree of discretion in choosing those suitable for participation.
For youth groups this becomes even more important, as the influence of
peers is heightened, and putting too many young people together who present
with similar problems can easily reinforce unhealthy behaviours due to the
need for social acceptance. This is also a common issue in juvenile detention
and drug and alcohol rehabilitation, where people present with common
issues and unhealthy behaviour risks become further ingrained. In situations
like these, pre-assessment can make a huge difference, allowing for a broader
mix of individuals within the group who are more likely to work together and
benefit from the experience.
Stigma is also a concern for groups that are formed to address a specific
issue. Wherever possible, it can be beneficial, given the universal nature of
the Rhythm2Recovery themes, for groups to to be representative of a whole
population, rather than a challenging subset. Encouraging a broad
representation of individuals in group programs also allows individuals to
connect with people they would normally not associate with and learn new
ways of interpreting and responding to the world around them. When people
are asked at the conclusion of a Rhythm2Recovery program ‘What did you
gain from your experience?’, it is common to hear them reply, ‘I made a new
friend I would normally not have hung around with.’

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Some of the Criteria Used in Group
Membership Assessment Interviews
• An individual’s attitude towards group membership.
• Histories of aggression and violence.
• Developmental capacity – physical and cognitive abilities.
• Gender.
• Age.
• Family feuding – historical animosity between members of certain
families.
• Cultural animosities – historical animosity between members of
certain cultural groups.
• Gangland animosities – historical animosity between rival gang
members.
• Levels of hyperactivity.
• Motivation (stage of recovery).
• Attendance history - level of commitment.

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 9

RESOURCES
What You Need to Get Going

9.1 Drums
Most of the exercises in this manual involve the use of hand-drums, which
come in a wide variety of types and sizes. Depending on your situation, you
will require a specific collection of drums suitable for your individual practice
or group. As someone who does a lot of group work for external
organisations, my own preference is for drums that are easy to transport, and
the Remo Versa range is ideal; they also come with specially designed heads
for low-impact sound. Specially designed stands are available for the ‘Versa
range’ and some other drums to hold them stably off the ground, which is
very useful for people of lower muscle strength. However, if you already have
access to Djembes, Bongos, Congas or Frame drums (the most common types
of hand-drums) you can readily utilise these in most situations.

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For individual work, two equally matched drums are required plus one larger
Bass drum (a floor tom from a drum kit can work) that can be played with a
mallet. For group work, it is often preferable to have a matching set of drums
in order to avoid disputes caused by individual preferences for one type or
sized drum over another. Much energy can be wasted, particularly in youth
groups, over disputes about who will play which drum.
For older individuals with postural difficulties, and those with disabilities,
frame drums and mallets can be beneficial and these are relatively
inexpensive.

9.2 Percussion
A number of exercises in this manual utilise percussion instruments, and
having a small collection of these instruments – shakers, clave, bells, etc. –
can extend your options in the improvised rhythm exercises, add diversity to
the group sound and also provide options for those who have problems
playing drums. Bells are also good for signalling above the sound of drums
and are used for this purpose in many of the exercises. Note: Avoid giving
loud bells to individuals with a low sound threshold or poor regulation.

9.3 Tonal Chimes

Tonal chimes (use a pentatonic scale, CDEGA) are made by several suppliers
and allow you to quickly and simply bring melody into your rhythmic music
with no musical experience necessary. Easy to play and with a pure resonance
that creates a calming tranquillity, tonal chimes can readily be used to
reinforce the principles of mindfulness through an ‘in-the-moment’ focus on
sound. These instruments combine beautifully with low drums and wooden
percussion instruments and can be facilitated using many of the common
drum-circle facilitation techniques described in Section 7.1.

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9.4 Recycled Instruments
For those with limited budgets, drums and many different percussions
instruments can be made from recycled materials at virtually no cost.
Reasonable sounding hand-drums can be made from recycled 15 litre water
bottles or other plastic containers and simply decorated with colourful
electrical tape or glued-on fabric. Larger Bass drums can be made from
plastic garbage cans or larger plastic agricultural drums. Shakers can be made
from small containers filled with rice and clave from short offcuts of well-
sanded 25 mm hardwood dowel. Making instruments like these together is a
great way to start a group rhythm program, and by ensuring people work
together in pairs we foster familiarity and cooperation at the same time.

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 Part 2

Games, Exercises
and Applications

78
 10

A RHYTHM CATALOGUE

This section provides the facilitator with some rhythm songs that have been
developed using a scaffolding approach to assist ease of learning. Each part
builds upon the successful attainment of the previous part, helping avoid the
loss of confidence that comes when expectations exceed capacity, which can
reawaken deeply held, inner beliefs of failure. The rhythms here are used as
‘seeds’ to grow rhythmic confidence in a progressive manner that leads
ultimately to the freedom of full improvisation, where the participant is
empowered to find their own rhythmic expression, albeit one that connects to
the group as a whole.
Sometimes, individuals are able to go straight into playing improvised
rhythmic music, and very occasionally people will resent being asked to play
set parts, finding them too constraining. However, for most people, moving
straight to ‘make it up for yourself’ is anxiety inducing and limits their
contribution to one or two rhythms that they find safe, in much the same way
that many people fall back on a limited range of, often inappropriate, life
patterns, because these are all they know. Initially providing people with a
diverse foundation of rhythmic exercises gives them the confidence to move
between different rhythms when they reach the improvised exercises of the
Rhythm2Recovery model.
The specific parts and songs introduced here are provided as a starting
point only and the practitioner can extend these by utilising other rhythms
from the many sources available online or from their existing repertoire, if
they already have one. Certain elements remain critical, however, in ensuring
a successful transition to confident rhythmic engagement; these include
avoiding any competitive element (such as insisting on perfecting technique),
ensuring the complexity of the rhythms does not exceed the developmental

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capacity of the participants (thus reducing frustration and avoiding failure)
and encouraging people to use these rhythms as a basis from which to
experiment (‘make these rhythms your own by expanding upon them if you
feel confident in doing so’).

10.1 Basic Hand-Drum Technique

Hand-drums come in many different forms from many different cultures and
thus professional technique varies, but this manual is not really interested in
professional standards when it comes to drumming. Our concerns are
primarily with good posture and a simple format for getting a clear sound
from your instrument.

10.2 Posture
A focus on posture allows us to assist people whose body carries the weight
of their pain and who are often disassociated from their physical self. Good
posture impacts both physical and emotional health and can act to reinforce
positive changes in self-acceptance and general optimism (Brinol and Petty,
2008). Where possible, good posture for playing hand-drums means sitting up
straight, with the natural inward curve of the spine – sitting at the front of the
chair with the head level and arms relaxed. Bringing yourself forward on the
chair allows a space for the drum between your legs, but is unnecessary when
playing smaller drums held on the lap or in the hand.
For larger drums, it is important to open the outlet at the bottom for the
sound to come out, and thus the drum is angled slightly away from the body
and held in place between the thighs with minimal pressure. From
adolescence upwards, a drum with a 25–30 cm diameter head standing
approximately 60 cm off the ground will be suitable. Smaller-sized drums
will work better for younger children. If you find yourself with smaller-sized
Djembes, these can be held easily at the right height when the legs are crossed
to form a funnel.

10.3 Occupational Health and Safety

Although music, and drumming in particular, is generally regarded as a
relatively benign activity, there are a number of health and safety issues that
need to be considered. Perhaps the most important consideration is

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recognising that drumming can be an arousing and stimulating activity and
that this attribute can lead to sensory overload for vulnerable people if not
checked. Flores (2011), in a study of an intervention using high-energy
African drumming with young people with behavioural disorders, noted an
increase in children’s levels of anxiety. I learned very quickly, when I first
started using the drum in my practice, about the dangers of over-stimulation
and, even with that understanding, I have experienced problems of this type
when working with particularly sensitive individuals. These included people
suffering from recurring psychotic episodes in psychiatric units who were
unable to tolerate the drumming, even with headphones, and young people
with hyperactivity disorders who often became over-aroused and
unmanageable. Soft, slow drumming is always preferable in these
interventions, and earplugs or headphones should always be available.
Hygiene should always be front of mind as well, as the instruments pass
from one individual to another. Alcohol wipes are useful as sterilising agents
between groups – with a quick wipe usually sufficing. Removing hand
jewellery is also recommended, as often fingers swell after playing, causing
pain, and the sharp edges of rings can damage a drum skin. Finally, be alert to
the hearing dangers of drums played in large groups in rooms with poor
acoustics. I have monitored the decibel level of drums in counselling rooms
that had soundproofing installed and still found that levels exceeded
recommended safety levels when more than ten drums were playing
simultaneously.

10.4 Bass and Tone

Commonly used hand-drums have two or more readily available notes, known
by different names depending on which instrument is being played. In this
manual we predominantly rely on two – the deeper note centred in the middle
of the drum, known here as the Bass, and the lighter note obtained at the edge
of the head where the drum skin meets its shell, known here as the Tone.
Depending on the instrument being played and capacity of the participant/s,
further sounds may be explored.

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To find a resonant Bass note, hit the middle of the drum with a full hand,
connecting as much surface as possible and bouncing off instantaneously to
release the sound wave. It is important to emphasise relaxing the hand and not
holding too much tension in the arm. Most of the energy comes from the wrist
unless high volume is required.
To play a clear, open Tone note, strike the edge of the drum with the full
length of the fingers, including the ridge of flesh adjoining the palm. Hold the
fingers together but avoid undue tension. Practise this on each drum to find a
tone you are comfortable with, as each drum has its own sweet spot.
Remember to keep the thumb away from the edge of the drum, as this can be
painful if it is struck accidentally.
Bass (B) and Tone (O) Practice Drills

Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Exercise 1 B B B B O O O O b b b b o o o o
Hands R R R R R R R R L L L L L L L L
Exercise 2 B B O O B B O O B B O O B B O O
Hands R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L

10.5 The Flam and Slap

The Flam is the accent note in the Rhythm2Recovery model, requiring
significantly less effort to master than the traditional Slap sound and being
suitable for many of the lower pitched drums used for therapeutic purposes.
Occasionally, a higher note is required for accent, dramatic effect or to
heighten attention, and the Flam note fills this purpose. The Flam is played in
the same region as the Tone, on the edge of the rim, with both hands hitting
the skin almost simultaneously. Performing it with fingers apart raises the
pitch of this note even higher.

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The Slap sound is the most challenging note for the hand drummer – teach the
Slap by replicating the Tone technique, but with the fingers apart. The relaxed
hand hits the edge of the drum on the pad below the fingers and the separated
fingertips ricochet down and touch the skin, creating a bright slapping sound.
A Slap played by a professional can sound like a whip cracking!

10.6 Drumming Tablature

B Bass (centre of drum) beat with right hand
b Bass (centre of drum) beat with left hand
O Tone (rim of drum) beat with right hand
o Tone (rim) beat with left hand
S Slap beat with right hand: sharp glancing stroke
s Slap beat with left hand
fl Almost simultaneous (very slightly offset) rim strike with both hands

Where an individual is left handed, reverse the associations so that the capital
letter is played with the left hand and the smaller case is for the right.

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Avoiding the terms left and right and replacing them with ‘Strong’ and
‘Weaker’ hands can help those who have trouble with dyslexia and/or
identifying their left and right.

10.7 Not Too Fast!

More than anything else, teaching at too fast a pace undermines the
Rhythm2Recovery experience, destroying confidence, increasing anxiety and
leading to withdrawal, dejection and defensive behaviours that are often
challenging to manage. Be self-aware and also monitor those you work with
constantly to ensure people are given a chance to master each rhythm level
before increasing tempo or moving to a new rhythm. It is always easy to
speed up, but it is much more difficult to renew confidence if you start too
fast. I often think about the pace I am planning to begin with and then halve it
again before starting.

10.8 Foundation Rhythms

In the Rhythm2Recovery model we use three simple foundation rhythms as
the basis for many exercises. As people’s capacity increases, these rhythms
can be replaced by more challenging parts, but initially these three parts are
extremely useful.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Foundation 1 B O B O B O B O B O B O B O B O
Foundation 2 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
Foundation 3 B B O O B B O - B B O O B B O -

10.9 Drum Songs

The Heartbeat Rhythms

These are amongst the most widely used universal drumming patterns in the
world, and connect intimately with our internal rhythms. Introduce the two
Bass notes as the foundation of the rhythm, and the place to return to
whenever one gets lost.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

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Part 1 B B - - B B - - B B - - B B - -
Part 2 B B O - B B O - B B O - B B O -
Part 3 B B O O B B O O B B O O B B O O
Part 4 B B O o O B B O o O B B O o O B B O o O
Part 5 B B As many as B B As many as B B As many as B B As many as
you like you like you like you like
Part 6 B B With B B With B B With B B With
clapping clapping clapping clapping
Part 7 B B With B B With B B With B B With
rubbing or rubbing or rubbing or rubbing or
scratching scratching scratching scratching
Part 8 B B Add B B Add B B Add B B Add
whatever whatever whatever whatever
combination you combination you combination you combination you
like like like like

Four On the Floor

This rhythm can be used to assist individuals with grounding by slowing the
tempo down and emphasising pushing the feet into the floor on the Bass
notes.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Part 1 B O B O B O B O B O B O B O B O
Part 2 B b O - B b O - B b O - B b O -
Part 3 B o O b B o O b B o O b B o O b
Part 4 O o B - O o B - O o B - O o B -

Feel Your Bass

This rhythm has an earthy feel, which is useful for grounding, and teaches the
basic skill of using triplets.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Part 1 B b B - B b B - B b B - B b B -
Part 2 O o B o O o B o O o B o O o B o
Part 3 fl B b - fl B b - fl B b - fl B b -
Part 4 O o B b B O o B b B O o B b B O o B b B

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One, Two, Three and A Place For Me
This rhythm introduces participants to a three-time pattern, the basis of 6/8
rhythms, and has some some useful hand patterning to improve coordination
and motor skills.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
Part 1 B O O B O O b o o b o o
Part 2 B b O B b O B b O B b O
Part 3 O o O B O o O B O o O B O o O B
Part 4 B b O b B o B b O b B o

Swing Time
This rhythm has a swung feel that gives the first note of every bar a little extra
length before you bring in the following notes.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Part 1 B O o B - B O o B - B O o B - B O o B -
Part 2 B o B o B - B o B o B - B o B o B - B o B o B -
Part 3 fl fl B - fl fl B - fl fl B - fl fl B -
Part 4 B b S b - B b S b - B b S b - B b S b -

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 11

THE RHYTHMIC WAVE

Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation

For a large number of people, the ability to regulate their emotions is an

ongoing struggle and overwhelmingly contributes to their inability to
negotiate healthy and supportive relationships.
Indeed, most mental suffering is caused by this duopoly (Van Der Kolk,
2014). Emotional regulation is central to wellbeing and positive adjustment.
Neurological research has located specific regions of the brain that impact our
emotions and the way we respond to them and, critically, many of these areas
(comprising the limbic system) are closely impacted by rhythmic music
(Levitin, 2009). There is growing evidence to indicate that rhythmic music
may positively impact these regions and assist individuals in reducing their
vulnerability to the reactivity of those systems when they have become
dysfunctional (Chanda and Levitin, 2013).
Certainly, the vast majority of people recognise the impact rhythm and
tempo exert on mood; one only has to attend the cinema to see how music
impacts our emotions.
The Rhythmic Wave exercise is a core part of the Rhythm2Recovery
model and the entry point into the practice of mindfulness. Specific
mindfulness scripts accompany many of the session themes and are
particularly prevalent in the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ syllabus. Mindfulness is
a core part of the new, third-wave, behavioural therapies and allows
individuals to gain renewed awareness and attention on aspects of their world
in the present moment. Mindfulness is a technique drawn from religious or
spiritual traditions that places the individual as a curious ‘observer’ of things
in the present moment – that is, through mindful practice we are able to
consciously notice or pay attention to and observe all elements of our life,

87
internal and external, including our worries and anxieties, without being
absorbed by them. We observe our thoughts and feelings instead of getting
caught up in them. In therapy this has particular value in assisting people who
are preoccupied by worries about the past or future. Mindfulness has great
benefits for living generally, allowing people to give greater focus to the
world around them and to be more aware in all their actions and behaviours.
For many individuals, being asked to participate in a mindfulness session
can be like being asked to do something quite alternative, radical and
unpredictable, giving rise to significant apprehension and resistance.
Mindfulness is becoming more common, but for many populations the entry
into practice is awkward – I have seen classes of school students who spend
much of their regular mindfulness class smirking and giggling whilst the
facilitator sits ‘mindfully’ unaware! I also find replacing the word
‘mindfulness’ with ‘focus’ – ‘we are going to do a focus exercise’, helps
some populations better understand the process they are entering into. For
many ‘at-risk’ populations the trust required to follow a practitioner through a
brief mindfulness exercise is just not there. This is why the Rhythmic Wave
exercise was developed. This exercise combines the soothing, grounding
pulse of the Bass note with scripts of mindful awareness. In the first session
of the Rhythm2Recovery model participants are introduced to the Rhythmic
Wave process whereby they move between drumming at relatively high
tempo and volume and drumming at slow tempo and low volume (eventually
playing just a simple Bass pulse). The transition between the two extremes is
gradual, oscillating back and forth, and must be practised several times before
eventually becoming routine. This exercise then becomes an ongoing part of
each Rhythm2Recovery session to follow.
Once the individual or group have mastered the Rhythmic Wave
oscillation technique, the periods of soft, slow drumming become the
backdrop to the introduction of mindfulness routines. The single Bass pulse is
played on a large Bass drum between 40 and 60 bpm (replicating and
inducing alpha brainwaves), and in the initial sessions the practitioner helps
the individual focus on aligning their breath to the pulse and maintaining that
focus.
Say: ‘Relax now, relax your body, loosen any tension and find a
comfortable position in your chair – if you prefer to, you may stop
drumming.’ Pause. ‘Focus on and relax any tension in your neck, shoulders,
chest, arms, hands, back, hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.’ Pause. ‘Now turn your
focus to your breath – starting with one breath in on a pulse of your choice
and releasing that breath some three to four pulses later.’ Pause. ‘Slowing the
breath to the beat of the pulse and focusing on filling the lungs and emptying

88
them slowly and evenly.’ Pause. ‘Being aware of other thoughts, as they come
or go, but always returning to the breath and its alignment to the pulse,
grounding you.’ Pause. ‘Becoming still.’ Pause. ‘Feeling your breath
travelling deep within you.’ Pause. ‘Breathing slowly and deeply.’ Pause.
‘Noticing the rise and fall of you diaphragm.’ Pause.
This Rhythmic Wave, oscillating between high-energy release and soft,
calm reflection, occurs three to five times across the same exercise, with the
period spent at the contemplative end (slow and soft) increasing as
participants’ comfort levels increase. Participants are encouraged to relax
their body, close their eyes or focus on one spot as they move into the
mindfulness state. Participants may continue to drum, but many stop and
leave the drumming to the facilitator. As this process becomes established,
new themes can be introduced (see Chapter 12), including observing body
sensations or sounds or focusing on specific themes such as love, acceptance
or forgiveness.
The Rhythmic Wave exercise assists individuals with emotional
regulation issues in three ways. First, the practice of moving between periods
of high emotional intensity and a calm state provides a template for de-
escalation. The practitioner can use metaphors to clarify this association and
nominate, with the individual they are working with, personal stressors that
activate the high arousal state and de-stressors to regain a calm state.
Second, the practice of mindfulness allows the individual to separate
themselves from the types of thoughts and feelings that are psychologically
unhelpful – accepting them, acknowledging them and allowing them to come
and go, but at the same time reducing their influence by not being beholden to
them.
Third, through the practice of mindful attention we become increasingly
alert to our own emotional rhythms and the physical sensations that precede
them. We can consciously respond to these, rather than react to them, and
avoid unnecessary conflict with others. When we are mindful, we become
aware of the way our emotions influence our thoughts and distract us from the
present, and we can use this awareness to increase our objectivity.
Teaching mindfulness is a technique that requires some practice in order
to get the pace and the tone of the voice right, give clear and concise
directions and keep the Bass pulse steady (use a metronome) whilst talking.
And remember, no mindfulness script is ever the same twice – the examples
here are only there to get you started; make them your own.

11.1. Additional Emotional Regulation Exercises

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Almost every activity within the Rhythm2Recovery framework involves a
degree of emotional regulation as individuals follow directions or work
together with others. However, a number of specific exercises have been
developed to assist those for whom this is a dominating concern. Regular use
of these exercises, coupled with reflective discussions on the triggers that
prompt emotional arousal and strategies to lessen them, can positively impact
an individual’s level of self-discipline.

(A) THE BODY SCAN

This is a mindfulness technique used to increase our awareness of bodily
sensations without judging them. By being aware of how our body manifests
our emotions, we gain insight into our feelings and what we are feeling at any
given time. This is an essential step towards controlling those feelings whose
release would cause us or others to suffer.
Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic
Wave exercise as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give instructions
in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly, in time to the rhythm. Remember,
the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus on one spot. Slow your breathing.
• Now focus solely on sounds. Listen to the Bass note of the rhythm
first. Listen to it in all its dimensions and let it ground you, centre you
and connect you.
• If other thoughts come to mind, acknowledge them briefly and move
your focus back to the sound of the Bass note.
• Now move your attention to your feet. Look for any tension, pressure
or other sensations. Observe these without trying to change them.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Move upwards to your calves, observing; then to your knees and
thighs, feeling for any sensations.
• If other thoughts come to mind, acknowledge them briefly and move
your focus back to your body.
• Now move upwards to your back, feel for any tension in your back,
aching joints, twitches. Then move across to your chest and further on

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 to your shoulders, seeking feelings, sensations, tension or other
pressures. Observe rather than try to change anything.
• Stay with your shoulders, a place where many people hold tension.
Explore this part of your body, then move slowly up to your neck and
look for any feelings of tension there.
• Finally, feel your head. Examine the tension in your jaw and any other
areas that might be stiff. Observe without trying to change anything.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Now spend some time reviewing your whole body, getting to know
your body sensations as an observer, without judgment and with
acceptance.
• Slowly come back to a focus on the Bass.
• Hold your focus on the Bass and allow the volume to slowly fade
away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds. Alternatively, if you are using the
Rhythmic Wave exercise, you can finish by resuming and rebuilding the
rhythm again.

(B) HOLD ONTO YOUR RHYTHM

In one-to-one sessions or in groups, an individual must hold their tempo
whilst those around them speed up and do their best to bring the individual
with them.

(C) PLAY IT FAST, PLAY IT SLOW

In one-to-one sessions or in groups, an individual must gradually reduce the
tempo of their rhythm. Everyone starts at a reasonably fast tempo and whilst
the rest of the group (or the practitioner) maintains that tempo, the individual
must gradually reduce their rhythm to a slow and steady beat.

(D) PLAY IT LOUD, PLAY IT SOFT

In one-to-one sessions or in groups, an individual must gradually lower the
volume of their drumming whilst those around them maintain their louder
sound. The individual maintains their soft drumming rather than simply
stopping.

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Examine these last three exercises in relation to the way people get pulled in (influenced)
emotionally by others around them, sometimes into situations that they might be better off
avoiding. How can we better resist this pull? How do the emotions of others impact you?
Are there people around you who impact your emotions for better or for worse? How do
your emotions impact others?

(E) FADE AWAY

This exercise is often used to close a session, with the drumming volume
brought down gradually to the point of silence. Prior to starting this exercise, I
often ask people if they can try to sit for a few moments with the silence at the
end of this exercise.
Note the importance of gradual reductions in tempo and sound as an
additional measure of control.

FURTHER EXERCISES FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATIONS:

• ‘Musical Chairs Version 2’ 16.4(d)
• ‘Pressure Valve’ 12.2.5(b)
• ‘The Echo Wave’ 12.2.5(d)
• ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ 16.1.(e)

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93
94
 12

SESSIONAL THEMES
AND RHYTHMIC
EXERCISES

This section details the exercises found on the 52 sessional rhythm cards that
are included as part of this resource pack (see link on p.15). The cards come
in five sets of ten, plus one ‘Getting Started’ card and one ‘Finishing Up’
card.
The five sets of ten session cards are organised under the following
themes:
• Social and Emotional Learning.
• Identity and Culture.
• Strengths and Virtues.
• Health and Wellbeing.
• Families, Teams and Communities.

The cards provide the practitioner with a simple template for a one-hour
Rhythm2Recovery session. Each card begins with some details on the session
theme and its relevance to individual and community wellbeing, which is
used to introduce the subject focus. This is followed by one or more rhythm
exercises (details of all exercises below), each of which provides a relevant
analogy to help initiate a follow-up discussion – starter questions for this
discussion are provided on the card. In most sessions the Rhythmic Wave

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mindfulness exercise precedes the discussion (see Chapter 11) and provides
further consolidation of the issues under review. This is then complemented
by another relevant exercise and the session is completed with a period of
‘Free Expression’, where people are encouraged to release feelings, and the
regulatory control exercise ‘Fade Away’, where the group or individual
slowly reduces the volume down to silence.
The templates are flexible, and additional games, drumming exercises,
mindfulness practice and discussion can be incorporated where necessary to
meet the needs of the participants. At the end of a session, the remaining
cards (session themes) of the pack are often displayed to the participants,
allowing them to choose which subject area they would like to focus on in the
next session, giving the practitioner adequate time to prepare.
The following information will help clarify the purpose of an exercise and
who will benefit most from it.
• IND – suitable for individual therapy situations.
• GRP – suitable for group counselling or psycho-social education.
• FAM – suitable for family therapy situations.
• COR – suitable for corporate development work.
• Age range – examples given (note that these exercises are not
generally suitable for children below the age of eight, requiring a level
of self-reflective awareness and reciprocal relational understanding).
• Key focus areas – examples given.
• Specialist population addressed – examples given.
• See Section 10.6 on rhythm tablature for assistance with
understanding the rhythm patterns in this section.

12.1 Getting Started – Introductory Exercises

The exercises in this section are designed for fun and safety. The first session
is one where introductions are made, goals are set, boundaries around
behaviour are established and expectations are discussed. It is often the first
time an individual has played a drum, and this introduction may require
particular sensitivity. Rumbles are used to help release nervous tension and to
answer questions with safety. The boundary exercise ‘Hands Off’ and the
‘Values’ exercises from Section 12.2.1 are often utilised in this session and
are useful for establishing a safe framework for working together.

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12.1.1 Call and Response Exercises
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: All Ages.

Key Focus Areas: Rhythmic confidence, communication, balance.

(A) CALL AND RESPONSE

The facilitator plays a brief rhythm on their drum and the individual or
participants echo it back (it is important to keep these rhythms short and
simple). As the response becomes more assured, swap roles – again
emphasising simplicity. Take it in turns for different people to lead the
exercise, and introduce changes in volume.
Variations of this exercise can be done with voice, movement and body
percussion.

Use these exercises to explore communication – What makes it work and what gets in the
way? What are the key elements of good communication? How does communication
impact your relationships currently? How hard is it to listen well? How easy is it to
miscommunicate an idea or feeling to someone? What can help us improve our
communication skills?

(B) CALL AND RESPONSE OVER A RHYTHM

Have the group play a simple 4/4 foundation rhythm and choose a leader
among them to hold it steady. Then choose a select number of participants to
stop drumming and instead follow your lead in ‘Call and Response’, aligning
it to the background beat.
Discuss the different roles of the two sides and how these balance each other – with the
foundation providing a stable platform as a base for exploration, risk taking and creativity.

(C) CALL AND RESPONSE INTO A RHYTHM (AS TAUGHT BY A. HULL)

Play a range of call and response patterns in 4/4 time and then settle on one
simple pattern and repeat this several times. Give a signal to repeat and keep
going – using eye contact with the whole group and a rotating hand – then
model the same rhythm on your own drum as a continuous rhythm (that is,
repeat it steadily) and play as a group.
One at a time, each person in the group can then offer up their own call
and repeat it until it becomes a group rhythm. Emphasise simplicity.

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12.1.2 Rumble Games
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Engagement, universality, communication, emotional

expression, teamwork, rhythmic timing and coordination.

Note: ‘Rumbles’ are an excellent technique for beginning sessions, as a

person cannot make a mistake playing a rumble. Rumble games are useful for
reducing anxiety and building confidence, as well as for releasing energy and
tension.

RUMBLE FACILITATION
Demonstrate a rumble and change between parts of the drum, volume and
tempo to explore different effects. Conduct the rumble so that it changes in
dynamic. If working in a group, experiment with different parts of the group
playing louder and others playing softer and alternating these like a wave.
Allow your participants to have a turn at conducting the rumble.

Use this exercise to explore communication and leadership issues, as well as to allow
people the chance to release pent-up energy.

(A) PASS THE RUMBLE (USEFUL FOR EMOTIONAL ATTUNEMENT)

Pass a rumble from one person to the other using a range of different
communication techniques to do so. Ask participants to find a signal that will
tell the other person that they are to take over the rumble – it may be calling
that person’s name, using eye contact, pointing – get creative! Ask people to
accept the rumble from the sender at the same emotional intensity (volume
and tempo) and then change it for themselves before passing it on.
Use this exercise to explore the different ways people communicate and what works and
what doesn’t. Using eye contact can be helpful for individuals with ‘gaze aversion’ issues,
but may also be problematic for people from cultures where eye contact is seen as an
aggressive form of communication (e.g. some Australian Aboriginal groups).

(B) RUMBLE BASKETBALL (YOU CAN TRY A RANGE OF SPORTS)

Introduce the idea of an imaginary game of basketball – show them an
imaginary ball and your dribbling technique!
Say: ‘I will start by passing the imaginary ball to someone across the
room. [Identify this person by name or by pointing towards them.] As soon as

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I pass the ball the rumble starts, and as soon as the ball is received by my
team mate, the rumble stops.’ You need to explain that the distances between
people are like on a basketball court, so don’t receive the ball too quickly – it
can take a while to reach people – and participants should catch the ball
clearly. Follow the ball with your eyes and between passes do pretend
bounces.
Note: Stay alert to people being left out of this game.

Advanced
Age Range: 10 years and up.

Divide the group into two teams – have every second group member move
their chair back slightly to differentiate who is in which team (the circle stays
intact). Then have each team choose their ‘defence guard’ – they must be
seated roughly opposite each other.
The game proceeds with people passing the ball to each other using the
same naming technique and rumble as in the initial version (identify the
person by name or by pointing towards them). Anytime after three passes, a
person can shoot at the goal – to shoot at the goal you don’t have to say a
name but you do have to voice the word ‘Shoot’ and look towards the goalie –
practise some passing and shooting. To protect their goal, the ‘defence guard’
has to play a specific rhythm immediately after the word ‘Shoot’ comes from
the attacker’s lips – I try to make the complexity of this rhythm match the
capacity of the group, but often use a five Bass rumble followed by three
quick Flams (BbBbB – fl,fl,fl). This will deflect the ball and it is then taken
by the defending team. If the goalie makes a mistake with the rhythm or is
slow to respond, it becomes a goal and again the ball changes sides.
Remember each time there must be a minimum of three passes before
someone can shoot at the goal.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B b B b B fl fl fl -

(C) RUMBLE SOLO

The group plays a steady 4/4 foundation rhythm and the facilitator counts
down to stop the rhythm (‘4, 3, 2, 1, STOP’). In the break between stopping
and restarting the rhythm, one person rumbles for three counts before the
group begins again on the first note of the new bar. At first do the break and

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mark the three rests with three claps – this will help with timing – before
replacing the claps with rumbles.
First practise stopping for the three counts and resuming on the first note
of the next bar. Once this is achieved consistently, group members take it in
turns to rumble across this break.
Adaptions: Solo of choice in the break. Extend the break to seven counts.

12.1.3 Introductory Games

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Group familiarity, vocalisation, rhythmic timing and

coordination.

(A) RHYTHM NAME PASS

Start a simple rhythm in sets of three O o O - B b B - O o O - B b B (add
percussion instruments as well if you have them). Choose one person to start
and have them say their own name and follow that with another person’s
name (from the group) without losing the rhythm. The person they chose then
takes up the mantle, repeating their own name and saying another person’s
name, and so the naming moves around the circle – every time someone loses
the rhythm while speaking everyone changes place in the circle and gets to try
a new instrument.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O B b B O o O B b B

(B) THE INTRODUCTORY NAME GAME

Ask each person to turn to the person next to them and ask them one thing
that makes them feel safe.
Then start a soft Bass pulse and have each person introduce their new
associate using the phrases:
‘I talked to…[insert name]’ and ‘Everyone meet…[insert name]’.
Then finish with the phrase: ‘[Insert name]… feels safe when…’

Write the names and their safety examples on the white-board and discuss the importance
of safety in different areas of life.

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(C) WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT?
Ask each person to turn to the person next to them, introduce themselves and
tell them one of their passions. If the group is already known to each other,
replace this question with one thing that they feel strongly about and one
thing you didn’t previously know about them.
Then start a simple, soft, foundation rhythm and tell the group you will
ask them a question with the drum phrase: fl - O o O o O - fl (What do you
know, about…), and one at a time they should answer your question with two
Bass notes that complete the phrase (e.g. fl - O o O o O - fl - B B) and then
tell the group what they found out from the person they spoke with.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
fl O o O o O fl

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
fl O o O o O fl B B -

Practise the rhythm and the answering Bass notes a few times before
beginning the exercise. You should ask each person in turn, one at a time,
using the rhythm above. Each time you add the question, the rhythm should
stop. The chosen individual should then answer with the two Bass notes and
tell you and the rest of the group what they learned. Then the foundation
rhythm resumes.
Note: I often find everyone gets into the habit of joining me in the
questioning drum phrase.
You can also change the nature of these questions and use this exercise to
increase group participation at any point of the program (Think, Pair, Share).

(D) MORE THAN A NAME

ADAPTED FROM M. COLLARD

Age Range: Older youth and adults – 12 years and up.

Have each person introduce themselves to the group by reversing their name
and making up an explanation of what their new name means – for example,
Simon says: ‘Hello, my name is “Nomis” and my name means “I never
miss”.’ The group drums the person’s name back to them – accenting the
syllables to the beat, for example O - O -, and repeating it so it forms an
ongoing rhythm.
NO MIS I Never Miss

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 O - O - O o O o

(E) SAY YOUR NAME AND PLAY YOUR NAME

This is a generic rhythm naming game where one at a time each person plays
their name, aligning beats to the syllables, until it becomes a repetitive
rhythm. The whole group joins in the rhythm of that name for a set number of
measures and then a new name is converted in the same way.
Note: This exercise draws on a useful music-teaching skill that uses words
to reinforce rhythms. If at any stage an individual is struggling to learn a
particular rhythm, adding a reinforcing vocal accompaniment may help.

12.1.4 Rhythm Coordination Games

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Drumming technique, coordination, balance, focus and

attention, body awareness, group familiarity, teamwork, visualisation.

(A) BASS, TONE AND FLAM

Issues Addressed: Hand-drum technique, motor coordination.

Introduce the technique of playing the Bass, Tone and Flam (see Sections
10.4 and 10.5) and then tell everybody that in this next game the key rule is
that they can only be played in this order (Bass, Tone, Flam).
You are going to pass one strike of the drum, in that order, around the
room – get participants to practise the technique of hitting the drum with one
hand and pointing to another individual at the same time (a motor
coordination exercise).
Choose one person to start. They should begin with a single Bass note – at
the same time, they should point to another person who must play a Tone
while pointing to another who must play a Flam. The game continues until
someone plays the wrong note out of turn. Each time someone does this, the
group rumbles and that person starts off a new round with a Bass note.
Try passing between one Bass, followed by two Tones and three Flams,
with the aim being to get this patterns happening smoothly like a rhythm.
B, OO, flflfl – B, OO, flflfl
Variations: Replace the Flam with a Slap or add both to make it a four
sound combination.

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(B) STRETCH TO THE RHYTHM
Play a steady foundation rhythm with one hand and move through a series of
stretches and other movements with the other. Variations may include:
• Roll your neck, so it’s nice and loose.
• Lift and lower your chin, then turn your head from side to side.
• Roll your shoulders.
• Arch your back, then slouch forward – rock between the two.
• Move your chest from side to side, keeping your head still.
• Lift the knees one at a time.
• Extend the legs one at a time.
• Extend the non-playing arm.
• Make a circular wrist motion of the non-playing hand, clockwise and
anti-clockwise.

Finish with a rumble.

Ask your participant/s if there are any moves they want to try.

(C) BALANCE ME
Have a select number of your group enter the middle of the circle.
On a specific signal from the drum, they must change their stance as
follows:
• One Bass note – stand on one leg.
• Two Bass notes – swap from one leg to the other.
• One Tone note – stand on one leg with the other at 90 degrees.
• Two Tone notes – stand on one leg and hold the knee.
• Any three notes – rest.

One at a time, each remaining member of the group should play one of the
signals on their drum and the people in the middle should respond.
Adapt these movements to the capacity of your group members, and
where relevant, encourage them to lean on each other for support. Where else
might you need the support of others to find balance in your life?

Discuss the importance of balance to health, including both physical and psychological
health.

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(D) TAG (YOU’RE IT!) WITH RHYTHM

GRP only. Age Range: 8–18 years.

One person is chosen as ‘It’ (the person who tags others). In this game the tag
is placed on another person by pointing at that person with one hand (and if
possible saying their name) while maintaining the group rhythm with the
other hand (it can be good to add the extra challenge that the pointing hand
must cross the drumming hand – see the image below).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B O B O B O B O

A simple, one-handed foundation pattern such as BOBO is sufficient for the

underlying group rhythm. The one who is being tagged can resist the tag by
playing three Bass notes without losing their rhythm – practise this before
starting the game.

If someone loses their rhythm whilst tagging someone, then the tag doesn’t
stick. If someone loses their rhythm while trying to play the three Bass notes
(i.e. trying to resist the tag), then the tag will stick.

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(E) SEE IT, THEN PLAY IT
In drumming, a common way to learn a new rhythm is to say it and then play
it – the vocal phrasing reinforces the motor skills required to play the pattern.
In other contexts, we can often improve our performance and stimulate
our creativity by imagining or visualising a scenario or event occurring.
Try saying a rhythm and then playing it.
Ask participants to visualise a rhythm (emphasise closing their eyes,
picturing the rhythm in as much detail as possible and feeling themselves
playing it on their imaginary drum). Give them two minutes to picture
themselves playing a new beat (it can be useful to close the eyes).
Ask for volunteers to play their rhythm and have everyone join them.

Discuss the use of visualisation in helping people focus and problem solve. Visualisation is
a mental practice, and research has found that in many cases it is as effective as the real
thing.

(F) WHAT SOUND WAS THAT?

Specialist Population: Sensory perception disorders, sound localisation

problems.

Hand out a range of percussion instruments – one for each person. Ask one
person to shut their eyes, then point to one person and have them play their
instrument for a brief period. The person with their eyes closed must guess
what type of instrument was being played.

Adaption
Extend this game by having the person with their eyes shut situated in the
middle of the circle and the facilitator asking one person in the outer circle to
play their instrument – the person in the middle must track down the sound,
moving towards it and stopping opposite the person playing it.
Extend this version by doing the same exercise, but this time everyone
should play at once and the person in the middle must track down the one
sound amongst all the others.

12.1.5 Boundaries

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Values, boundary awareness, protective behaviours, social
confidence, communication, healthy relationships.

This exercise can be used to help establish boundaries for an ongoing

program as well as to explore boundaries generally and protective behaviours
specifically.

(A) HANDS OFF!

USE THIS TO ESTABLISH GROUP GUIDELINES
Part 1
Open up a discussion on boundaries in relationships; what role they perform,
why they are needed, how difficult it can be to enforce them, etc. Say: ‘Often
drummers are wary of other people playing their favourite drum and put
boundaries around who can use it.’

What might make a drummer choose whether to allow someone to play their favourite
drum?

In the first part of this exercise one person should put their hands on the drum
of the person next to them (in groups this will be every second person in the
circle). The aim is to look at different non-verbal ways in which we can
protect or reinforce our boundaries and let the person know we don’t want
their hand there.
Demonstrate a range of non-verbal options – for example, frowning,
huffing, shaking your head, glaring, moving your drum or moving their hand.
Inform those with their hand on the drum that they are to remove it when
their partner registers their disapproval by using one of these signals – let the
exercise begin.

Why are boundaries important? What sorts of boundaries might you want to maintain in a
healthy relationship? How do your values influence your boundaries? If you weren’t sure of
your values, would that mean your boundaries might be uncertain?

Part 2
The second part looks at verbal signals to protect or reinforce boundaries.
Demonstrate some verbal signals – for example: ‘Get your hand off my
drum’, ‘Please remove your hand’, ‘I’m not comfortable with you touching
my drum’, etc. Swap roles so that the opposite person now has their hand on
their partner’s drum and practise using verbal techniques (the person should
remove their hand on being told to do so).

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How do you know what’s right or wrong? How do you tell someone when they have
crossed your boundary? Do you know people who don’t really understand boundaries?

Part 3
This time, swap again, but the person with their hand on the other person’s
drum should not be easily dissuaded. Participants are going to have to be
really clear and firm to get the person to remove their hand – they should use
both non-verbal and verbal techniques.

How did it feel to have someone resist your boundary? What helped convince them to
remove their hand? What did it feel like to cross another person’s boundary? What are the
boundaries we need to reinforce in this relationship of ours or in this group? Write these on
a white-board and review the group’s adherence to them across future sessions.

Explore the four-step process for communicating when someone encroaches

upon your personal boundaries.
1. Name the behaviour.
2. Give a clear direction.
3. Repeat that direction.
4. Escape if necessary.

12.2 Social and Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is now recognised as a key focus within
the national school curriculum, with research demonstrating that increased
levels of social and emotional awareness and understanding improve school
climate, academic performance and student behaviour. SEL competencies
include recognising and managing our emotions, developing healthy
relationships with others, making healthy and well-informed choices and
taking responsibility for our actions.

12.2.1 Values

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Identifying values, peer pressure, teamwork, healthy

relationships.

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(A) FINDING FIVE (OR MORE)
Ask people to list the key things of value or fundamental importance to them
on a white-board (give examples if people get stuck). Identify those values
that are common between people and settle on a core of five.
Then teach the break Finding Five (O o O o O - B b B b B), which
represents attending to those five core values.
Call Answer
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O o O B b B b B

Divide the group in two so that half play the Tones and half play the Bass, or
in individual work the practitioner plays one and the individual they are
working with the other.
A rhythm is played and a break of five Tone notes is inserted, answered
by five Bass notes – repeat another three times (four in total) before returning
to your rhythm.

How important is it to be able to identify our values clearly? Why? What helped you work
out your values? How do values govern the way we act? How easy is it for you to stick to
your values?

Variation: You can change the break so that the last time you repeat the
sequence (the 4th time) the first half of the group begin with their Tones and
the whole group answer with three Bass notes followed by the group yelling
out the name of one key value before returning to the foundation rhythm.

(B) THE VALUES RHYTHM

Draw up a list of values on the white-board, and ask each person to choose
one that is important to them. Then demonstrate how to use the syllables of
each to make it into a rhythm, for example: Truth – one beat, Love – one beat,
Kindness – two beats, Respect – two beats, Forgiveness – three beats,
Honesty – three beats, Generosity – five beats.
Each person has to play a rhythm representing a value that is important to
them and connect it to the others in the group.
Start the exercise by playing your ‘value rhythm’ and then have each
person enter with their ‘value rhythm’ one at a time. (They can be encouraged
to say or sing the name of their value to their beat as they enter.)
How do values connect people? What if your values were very different from someone
else’s? Would it be easy or difficult to get on with someone whose values were different

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from yours?

(C) HOLD ONTO YOUR VALUES

Sometimes we lose hold of our values, especially when we are with people
who don’t have the same values as ourselves or when we are under pressure.
Remember your value rhythm from before.
One at a time, each person should play their ‘value rhythm’ (ask them to
play it using two hands if possible) at a set tempo, and the rest of the group
should try to distract that player with different beats and tempos.
Initially try distracting the player with random beats and then try it as a
unified group – playing a contrasting rhythm together.
If it is hard to resist group pressure and a person loses their way (i.e. gets
drawn away from their value rhythm), then you can stop the group and try the
same exercise again, but with the person under threat getting more support (
i.e. other people joining them in their values rhythm).

What are some of the situations where you might find your values under threat? What
might help you hold onto them when you come under pressure to abandon them? Does
having other people stand up for the same values help strengthen yours? Are there times
when you might need to compromise your values?

(D) CROSSING THE LINE 12.4.2

Use this exercise to examine values, boundaries and behaviour.

12.2.2 Awareness

IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Emotional awareness, focus and attention.

(A) SHOW SOME EMOTION

The group (or client and counsellor) should play a rhythm of their choice
through a range of emotional states (about 15 seconds for each feeling). One
at a time, each person should contribute a new feeling and name that feeling
before the group shifts to join them; and so it continues, moving on to the
next person in the group after 15 seconds or so. Facilitators may also ask how
each feeling impacted the group or individual before moving on to the next
one.

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Can playing these feelings provide any insight into how they impact us?

(B) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – SOUND

Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly and in time to the
rhythm. Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus on one spot. Focus on and relax any
tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back, hips, thighs,
lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on your breath, in and out, aligning it to
the pulse, becoming still.
• Now focus solely on sounds. Listen to the Bass note of the rhythm
first.
• Listen to it in all its dimensions – tone, pitch, frequency. Listen to it in
its primacy as pure sound, rather than naming it.
• If other thoughts come to mind, acknowledge them briefly and move
your focus back to the sound of the Bass note.
• If you feel comfortable, let the vibrations of the Bass note move
through your body, grounding you.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Let those vibrations travel down to your feet and exit into the floor,
connecting you to the earth.
• Now focus on any other sounds. Experience loud and soft sounds,
obvious and not so obvious sounds and the gap between sounds.
• Try to avoid categorising these sounds but experience them as raw
energy. If other thoughts come to mind, acknowledge them briefly and
move your focus back to the sounds of your environment.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly come back to a focus on the Bass.

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 • Hold your focus on the Bass and allow the volume to slowly fade
away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds; or if part of the Rhythmic Wave
exercise, you can move back into the improvised rhythm play you started
from.

12.2.3 Thoughts and Feelings

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Emotional Awareness, positivity, hope, peer pressure,

unhealthy relationships, empowerment, self-responsibility.

(A) ACCENT THE POSITIVE

Ask the individual or participants you are working with to come up with one good thing in
their lives – give examples (it may be their friends, or it could be something as fundamental
as still being alive). Ask them to come up with one positive thing that has happened to them
this week, then narrow it down to today (e.g. ‘It wasn’t raining’ or ‘I got here safely’).

Introduce ‘Call and Response’ and showcase one specific pattern that will
serve as representing the positive things that happen to people in their lives. If
you play that rhythm, people must play a loud accent note – fl,fl – on their
instrument to mark it. Other rhythms are to be responded to normally as a
direct echo.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
- fl fl -

Start the game and throw in the chosen part sporadically and in ways that may
be hard to hear (low volume, different hand technique).

Discuss the challenges of staying positive and the ‘Losada principle 3:1’, which states that
we need to hear three positives to balance one negative in order to maintain a healthy self-
concept. Why are we often over-conscious of the negatives in life? How can we train
ourselves to focus more on what is going right in our lives, or what we do that’s right?

Note: Some groups choose to start each session with this exercise as a way of
reinforcing the practice of staying positive.

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(B) KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

GRP, FAM, COR. Issue Addressed: Bullying

Start by briefly discussing the impact of other people’s negativity on your mood and
behaviour, and the challenges of distancing yourself from negative influences.

Agree on a simple pattern to represent a negative influence. One person

should be blindfolded in the middle of the circle and told that they need to
keep away from the negative rhythm (choose one particular rhythm to
represent a negative influence, e.g. five tones OoOoO). Then the group should
play a simple rhythm, with one person chosen to play the negative rhythm –
the person in the middle needs to back away from this player. The rhythm can
then be passed to a new drummer, usually by eye contact, so that more and
more players are exerting the negative energy and it becomes harder and
harder for the person in the middle to escape its influence.
Then stop and discuss how that felt for the person in the middle: ‘Has
anyone had that feeling of not being able to get away before?’ Now showcase
a ‘Rhythm of Courage’ – a different short and sharp pattern that will
complement the existing two parts, for example:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O o O O o O o O

The group are told that they are going to repeat the exercise with a new
volunteer in the middle, but this time anyone not co-opted by the bullies can
play a rescue rhythm – a rhythm of courage – representing standing up against
bullying and a place of safety.
This rhythm of courage becomes a place, or places, of safety within the
circle, and the person in the middle can escape the bullying by gravitating
towards this rhythm when played.

When people bring you down, what can you do about it? How hard is it to distance yourself
from the negative impact of others? Have you found that negativity, cynicism or anger are
emotions that multiply, infecting others? Do you ever feel as if there is no escape? How can
we stay alert and protect ourselves from these influences? What about courage – how hard
is it to stand up for what is right? What can you do to help this?
Relate this game to identifying dangers in different contexts such as:
• bullying – getting drawn into treating others badly
• drug use – negative peer group, peer pressure, environmental triggers, stress
• relationships – selfishness, inattention, non-communication, violence.

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12.2.4 Smart Choices
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Empowerment, motivation, peer pressure.

(A) IT’S YOUR CHOICE

The practitioner should start a rhythm and each person should be given the
option of joining the rhythm by playing the same as the practitioner or finding
their own rhythm that connects to the underlying pulse (representing core
values). The practitioner should increase the complexity of the rhythm
(representing a complex issue), notifying all participants that they can choose
to follow or connect using a different part of their own.

Discuss the subject of ‘choice’ – what made you decide which path to follow? How easy is
it to get pulled into unmanageable situations like a complex rhythm? Did you get caught up
in the rhythm? How often do we make poor choices because we get caught up in something
without thinking it through? How hard is it to distance yourself at times like this, so that
you can make good choices? How hard was it to find an alternative choice (rhythm)? What
helped you maintain the connection?

(B) HOLD ONTO YOUR RHYTHM

Note: Don’t initially warn the client that they are to try to hold steady.
Ask an individual to play a rhythm of their choice on their drum that they
think they can hold steady (encourage using two hands where possible). Ask
them to maintain that rhythm while you start an alternative rhythm (have
everyone play this if in a group).
See whether the person comes over to your pattern or not. If they lose
their rhythm, start again and ask them to focus on holding out against the
influence of the alternative rhythm.

Discuss peer pressure scenarios – what influences a person to do things or not at the
instigation of their peers? How important was focus, willpower, etc. to avoid getting drawn
into the alternative rhythm? Can friends help in situations like this?

12.2.5 Emotional Control

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Emotional Awareness, problem solving, emotional
regulation, personal agency.

(A) THE PRESSURE POT

First, discuss with the group the things they feel put them under pressure, worry them or
cause them anxiety. Ask them to think of one thing each, and as they enter the rhythm call it
out loud. Provide some relevant examples, depending on the nature of who you are working
with.

One at a time, starting with the facilitator, the group members should enter the
rhythm – start slow. Each time, a person yells out their stressor before joining
the rhythm; and each time a new person joins, the tempo should increase.
Keep the rhythm volume low so that the people’s words can be heard.
By the time the final person enters, the tempo should be almost
unmanageable (overwhelming – as in how we feel when we are emotionally
overloaded). Finish with a rumble. If there are noticeable signs of distress,
extend the exercise with a calming breathing activity.

Did you notice any similarities in the types of things that make people feel stressed? How
did it feel to be part of the rhythm as the tempo quickened? Did you feel you may have been
losing control? In times like these what do you do to regain control?

Note: This exercise is generally run in conjunction with the ‘Pressure Valve’
exercise below.

(B) THE PRESSURE VALVE

First, discuss with your group all the things that help reduce their stress when they feel
down or worried. Ask them to think of one thing each and as they enter the rhythm to yell
that out.

One at a time, starting with the facilitator, the group members should enter the
rhythm – start at a fast tempo. Each new person should enter by first yelling
out their ‘relaxer’ and then joining in with their drum. Each time a new person
enters, the tempo should slow slightly.
By the time the last person enters, the rhythm should be very slow. Finish
by slowly fading the rhythm away.
There has always been stress in life, but now it is at unprecedented levels. What choices can
you make to reduce the stress level in your life? Does avoiding stressful situations have the
potential to make them more stressful than they need to be? How might acceptance help
you manage stress?

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(C) CONTRASTING EMOTIONS
List a range of emotions on a white-board – you can have people contribute to
this list.
Divide your group in two; or in individual therapy, divide roles between
the counsellor and the individual. Ask people to define contrasting emotions
as in the following table.
Unpleasant emotions Pleasant emotions
Sad Content
Disgust Inspired
Angry Joyful
Contempt Love

Choose an accessible rhythm (one you can play comfortably) and then have
each side choose a different contrasting emotion and transfer that into their
playing – thus the same rhythm is played with two different feelings. Swap
roles so that in each instance different sides are playing the uplifting emotion.

Discuss the feelings these different emotions evoke, the contrasts between them and how
they interact together in rhythm and in life. What was the impact of one emotion on the
other? Were particular emotions dominant? Can we use contrasting emotions to limit the
impact of more problematic feelings? Did you gain any insights into the nature of different
feelings by playing with them in this way?

(D) THE ECHO WAVE

A USEFUL REGULATION EXERCISE
Set a direction around the circle or move back and forth between yourself as
the counsellor and the individual you are working with. One at a time, each
person should repeat the pattern you play, getting slightly softer each time.
The aim is to reduce the volume evenly until the last person in the circle plays
a barely heard beat. Each time you try to perfect it, start with a new person
and a new pattern.
Then see if you can start a wave pattern, with the group starting soft,
building up by the middle person (or in individual work, by the middle of the
exercise) and then de-escalating.
Finally, try this wave pattern so that it continues endlessly – beginning
soft, rising in the middle, tailing off and then beginning the same pattern over
again as a flow.

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 Note: Also try this with the tonal chimes (use a pentatonic scale,
CDEGA).

Utilise this exercise to explore the cyclical nature of life in different areas (e.g. moods,
relationships, success/failure, youth, old age, etc.). Have you noticed that many elements of
life have a cyclical nature? Have you seen this in some of your own relationships? Does this
provide you with any hope for those times when life is difficult? Is it realistic to expect that
things will always be up? How does this relate to the concept of balance in life?

(E) DROP IT
Teach everyone to play the different parts of a rhythm from the rhythm
catalogue (Chapter 10) and explain that you will ask each person to remove
one 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 have each subgroup remove one note each at a time;
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.

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 and feelings that bring you down – how might you reduce their
influence? Discuss the use of mindful acceptance here.

Variation: Try this with tonal chimes.

12.2.6 Tolerance and Understanding

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Universality, tolerance, healthy relationships,

communication.

(A) UP AND DOWN

Ask one person to play a slow, steady pulse on the Bass note of their drum
(they are the co-facilitator).
Say: ‘In this game I am going to go through a list of statements and you
are going to stand up if they are true about you and stay seated if not – try to
stand and sit on the pulse of the Bass note, not in between the notes.’

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 Make a series of statements relevant to your group that promote tolerance:
• Stand if you have a friend who is different from you.
• Stand if you speak two languages.
• Stand if you like football.
• Stand if you ever get lonely.
• Stand if you live with one parent.
• Stand if you like ice cream.
• Stand if you like to win.
• Stand if you like to get your own way.
• Stand if you like music.
• Stand if you ever get angry.

Adapt the questions to the participants’ age range and interests. Replace
standing and sitting with other indicators, such as different drum responses,
for those with physical difficulties that make standing difficult.

Have a discussion on the things that make us human, things that unite us and things that
divide us. Did you notice how many of these questions we answered together? As people do
you think we are more alike or less alike? Why do you think we sometimes focus more on
the differences between us than on recognising our similarities?
Note: Amend the questions to suit the issues of the individual or group.

(B) PUT UPS – WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU

GRP, FAM, COR.

Discuss the propensity to find fault with other people, particularly those who might be
different from us. Like getting caught in an unhealthy pattern (rhythm), we need to watch
how we judge others and try to focus on the positives if we are to develop healthy
relationships. Think about the person next to you and find one thing about them you value.

Start with a simple foundation rhythm from Section 10.8, and then,
addressing one person at a time, add the break O o O o O - fl (What I like
about you), which stops the rhythm and is followed by the same person
stating what that quality is (e.g. Tom is always kind to other people). Then
everyone should return to the simple foundation rhythm.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

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 O o O o O fl

How hard is it say nice things about someone to their face? How often do you remember to
do that? What does it feel like to say positive things to your friends and family? What about
when people pay you compliments? Are there risks in being more positive towards other
people? What else makes it hard to be more positive? What might help?

12.2.7 Positive Relationships

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Healthy relationships, values, communication.

(A) BALANCE BEAT

The counsellor should work with the client (or divide a larger group into
pairs), with the focus being to create a two-part harmony that includes some
of the elements of a balanced, healthy relationship.

Discuss what those elements might be before breaking off into pairs to develop a rhythm.

Give participants around four to five minutes to come back with a rhythm,
which they play, one pair at a time, to the group. The rhythm should contain
at least one original pattern.

Together, analyse each two-part rhythm for the different qualities of a healthy relationships
– respect, balance, listening, connection, fun, etc.

The group as a whole can be divided down the middle to play any of these
new rhythms, with each half of the group playing one part.

(B) A RHYTHMIC CONVERSATION

Discuss the following: What are the elements of good communication? Why is good
communication so fundamental to healthy relationships?

One person should be asked to choose someone in the group and start a
conversation with that person using their drum, to which the other person
should respond. Analyse the conversation for the following elements –
balance, listening, dominance and respect.

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What are some of the elements of poor communication we can all fall into? How can this
impact our relationships? Why? How can we improve our communication skills?

12.2.8 Care and Empathy

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Universality, empathy, emotional awareness, healthy

relationships, social awareness.

Issues Addressed: Social referencing. Specialist Populations: Autism,

Asperger’s syndrome.

(A) IMAGINE IT WAS YOU

The facilitator should describe a number of experiences (positive and
challenging) and ask the group to rumble on their drum if they can identify
with each of the emotions that might be garnered for an individual
experiencing that event.
Examples:
• Imagine you just kicked the winning goal in the grand final – rumble
if you might feel excited, proud, etc.
• Imagine if people always put you down – rumble if you might feel
sad, angry, etc.
• Imagine you won the lottery – rumble if you might feel excited,
happy, relieved, etc.
• Imagine if your best friend just left town – rumble if you might feel let
down, sad, dejected, betrayed, etc.

Discuss the concept of empathy. What is empathy? How does it affect the way we act
towards others? What if people have little empathy?

THE EMOTIONAL DETECTIVE

A USEFUL EXERCISE FOR EMOTIONAL RECOGNITION
Give each person in the group an emotion (from a list you have previously
identified with the group). One person should be chosen as the detective and
stand in the middle of the circle and choose someone to expresses their
chosen feeling using their drum, facial features or both. If the detective

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identifies the feeling correctly, they swap places with the individual who
shared their emotion – if not, the group helps out and the detective gets
another go to test their emotional detection skills.
In one-to-one work the practitioner and the person they work with should
swap roles between being the detective and the person who will express the
feeling.
Adaption: The detective can be blindfolded and asked to describe the
emotion unsighted the first time, and if incorrect given another opportunity
with the blindfold removed – this adaption provides scope to explore the role
of body language in identifying feelings.

Discuss the challenge of interpreting others’ emotions and the implications of misreading
another’s feelings. What helped you interpret these feelings? How easy is it to mask what
you are feeling from others? If it is fairly easy, does that make it hard for people to
understand each other sometimes? How important is it to be honest about our feelings with
those closest to us?

(C) HELP ME OUT, IF YOU CAN (FL FL FL O O O)

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
fl fl fl O o O

Note: This is not suitable for individual sessions.

Start with a short discussion on the importance of helping out others if you can and getting
help yourself when you need it – everyone has the potential to do both and each brings
rewards. It can be difficult to give and it can also be difficult to ask for help. What are some
of the situations where you might need support or be able to offer support?

One person should start a simple foundation rhythm and each person should
enter in succession but only at the request of the drummer already playing
next to them. The drummer should invite the next person to join the group
with the phrase ‘Help me out, if you can!’, (fl, fl, fl, – O o O). When everyone
is in, finish with all players doing the break and saying the phrase ‘Help me
out if you can!’ at the same time.
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
fl fl fl O o O

Discuss the benefits of altruism. What are the rewards of giving or supporting someone in
times of need? If giving brings rewards, why is it often hard to ask for help? How does
balance impact this issue? Can you ask too much or give too much?

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12.2.9 Giving Back

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Creativity, healthy relationships, teamwork, altruism, self-

care.

(A) GIVE AND TAKE

Use improvisation, with each person adding their own rhythm to the group.
Layer in the rhythm, one person at a time. After playing for a few
minutes, stop and look at how the different contributions and support of each
person help to strengthen the community (group rhythm). Repeat the process,
but this time, when the rhythm is in full motion, ask each person to stop
playing one by one until the song is ended. Then examine the consequences
of people withdrawing from community, reducing their support, etc.

Discuss different ways people give and take in their relationships and where the balance
may lie. Can families, communities or teams really thrive without everybody chipping in
and pulling their weight? When people do contribute and support each other in pursuit of a
common goal, how much quicker is that goal realised? Why is that? What happens when
people don’t pull their weight or just ‘take’ all the time?

(B) BUDDIES
Pair people up directly across the circle and give them the challenge of
coming up with a pattern they could not play on their own. In individual
therapy, the practitioner and the individual should work on this together.
Allow about five minutes.
Then, if you are in a group, have each pair play their pattern to the
remaining participants and follow that by teaching the rhythm so that the
whole group can join in, with half of the group playing one part and the other
half playing its counter-part (this usually means individuals from each pair
will teach, play and lead half the group each in a different part of the rhythm
they made up).
What allows people to work together like this? What are some of the skills involved? How
challenging was it? What made it work? What other aspects of your life require these same
skills?

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(C) RUMBLE FOR THE GIVING
Ask your participants to think about one thing they enjoy doing that gives
back or helps out another person or community. Give some examples: maybe
you enjoy lending your friends some lunch money; maybe you enjoy helping
out around the house; maybe you enjoy standing up for your friends when
they are being bullied.
Then have each person ask one question of the rest of the group about
whether they too enjoy the same type of giving – for example, ‘Rumble if you
enjoy…’

What are the rewards of giving back? Why do we sometimes hold back offering others our
help if we know that giving brings these rewards? Can you be taken advantage of
sometimes if you are a generous person? What would happen if we all stopped giving and
focused only on taking?

(D) GIVING AND RECEIVING

Divide the group in two, or in individual work move between the counsellor
and the individual they are working with. Using tonal chimes (pentatonic
scale), have half the group play as a gift to the other half.
Ask the giving group to extend their music as a gift to the other half – to
play for them with consideration and generosity.
Play for around three to five minutes and ask the receiving group to relax
and focus on receiving and appreciating this gift from the other. Swap roles.

Discuss how it felt to give and to receive. Discuss the rewards and challenges of giving and
receiving. How do our judgments limit us when giving or receiving? How does balance
impact this?

12.2.10 Managing Adversity

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Social justice, resilience, empathy, hope, listening skills,
teamwork, social support, creativity, problem solving.

May not be suitable for the elderly or disabled.

(A) BOUNCE BACK (BACK ON TRACK)

Find an example of someone who has been treated unfairly and risen above it to achieve
great things. Examples close to home work best, but celebrities or sports stars can also be

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useful.

Say: ‘In this exercise we are going to hear one rhythm that knocks us down
(unfairness) and play one rhythm 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”’.
‘We start with a simple, steady rhythm from the rhythm catalogue and
when you hear the facilitator’s call [12 quick Tones followed by a sharp
Flam] you have to stop playing and slump in your chairs as low as possible –
after an 8-count pause [practitioner counts these out aloud], you stand up
straight playing three strong Bass notes (Back on Track) and then resume
your seat and re-enter the rhythm.’
Demonstrate the timing of the break – 12 counts from stop to go (8 counts
of slumping and 4 counts standing up and then re-joining the rhythm).

What are some of the things that can knock people down and take away their confidence
and hope? What are some of the ways people pick themselves back up? Can you give an
example of ‘bounce back’? If possible, have each person list a situation of their own where
they have bounced back from adversity.

Note: This can be adapted for people with a physical disability.

(B) ONE DOOR CLOSES AND ANOTHER OPENS

Explain to the group or the individual you are working with that you will all
start with a three-time rhythm from the rhythm catalogue (Chapter 10), and at
any time the practitioner can indicate to a player that the door is shut (looking
at them and saying or mouthing ‘door shut’). When that happens, the player
must stop and reassess the situation and enter with a new rhythm that
complements the existing pattern (the whole group may then join the new
rhythm or can continue with the existing pattern). Now that they have re-
entered the rhythm (door open), that player gets to choose the next person on
whom the door will shut, and so the game proceeds.
Note: Be sensitive to closing the door on people – ensure people
understand this is an exercise and are comfortable being shut out. Also
emphasise that this rhythm may be tricky to enter and they may need to try
different patterns until finding one that works – a fall back position is to
connect via the Bass note (representing healthy values).

Have a discussion on the fact that doors never really close but may appear to – if we look
closely, there is a lesson or an opportunity available each time. Can you think of an
example where one door shut on you but another opened? What can you do if doors keep

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shutting on you all the time? How easy is it to adapt your rhythm to new opportunities?
What are the dangers of sticking to the same old routines?

(C) FIND YOUR WAY HOME – LISTEN FOR THE SILENCE

ADAPTED FROM ARTHUR HULL

Specialist Population: Sensory perception disorders.

Everyone should play the heartbeat rhythm of their choice (see Section 10.9)
while one member at a time enters the circle blindfolded and tries to locate
their empty chair – prior to searching, they turn on the spot three times to
disorientate themselves. Focus on soft drumming.

Lead a discussion on finding a reference point to get back home or to a place of safety when
you feel lost, down and out, or disorientated. What helped you locate your empty chair?
How important was it not to give up? How important was it to trust yourself? Did you get
support from others in any way? Did you have to rely on your own ingenuity? What did it
feel like if you couldn’t get back?

Note: May not be suitable for aged care groups or people with a physical
disability.

12.3 Identity and Culture

This section looks at issues of belonging – where we fit within our
communities, our sense of who we are and our obligations and responsibilities
as family and community members. Many people have lost their sense of
identity and community membership, whether through cultural displacement
or the ever-changing nature of modern life. Having a strong sense of one’s
identity, including one’s ethnic culture, acts as a protective factor, even
buffering the effects of poverty and discrimination (Garcia Coll and Marks,
2009). This section aims to help individuals increase their sense of self and
place and, through this, improve self-confidence, self-respect and cultural
understanding.

12.3.1 Family

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Family, social awareness, values, reciprocity, focus,
communication.

(A) YOUR FAMILY, YOUR BASS

Discuss the different ways families support each other – remember to define family
broadly.
Discuss the ways family members might hurt each other – be sensitive, as this could
trigger traumatic memories. Healthy families care for and support each other – they form a
stable support zone like the Bass note when we play music together.

Allocate each member of the group a family position (grandparents, parents,

cousins, uncles, aunties, children) and a different rhythm part from the
heartbeat rhythms (Section 10.9) for each. Then layer in a rhythm that
connects each family member to the Bass note.

Reflect on what the Bass might represent in concrete terms – love, kindness, financial
support, emotional support, etc. – things that stabilise the family unit and hold it together.
Discuss the importance of connection in families and also the need for different family
members to have some freedom to be themselves (have their own rhythm). What would this
have sounded like if we all played the same part? Is any part of the family structure more
important than another? If one part had stopped, would the others manage to continue?
How is balance important in family relationships? How do different rhythms impact family
relationships?

(B) SCRATCH MY BACK

Define the term ‘scratch my back’ in relation to the support we give to each other in healthy
relationships. What are some of the ways we can support each other?

Explain that in this game you have to pass a scratch from your drum to
another person as a way of saying that you would support them if they needed
you.
Start with everyone playing the heartbeat foundation rhythm. Then choose
one person to add the scratch to their rhythm and pass it over to someone else,
using eye contact as a way of offering support to that person. The receiver
then has to pass it on to another member in the same way, and so the game
continues.

How important is it to share and support each other in families or as friends? What happens
in families when people only think of themselves? Have you seen situations where one
person is exploited by others – that is, they do all the work? If you were stuck in this sort of
relationship, what could you do?

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12.3.2 Me, Myself and I

IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Self-awareness, emotional awareness, tolerance.

(A) MORE THAN A NAME

Ask people to think about the different things that make up someone’s identity and list
some broad categories, (e.g. appearance, culture, interests, social interests, values, etc.) on a
white-board.

Explain to the group or the individual you are working with that you will all
play a heartbeat rhythm on two beats of a four-beat measure. In the empty two
beats between the Bass notes, one at a time each person will yell out one
factor about themselves that corresponds to the category chosen by the
facilitator.
In group situations people should take it in turn to yell out their
contribution; in individual sessions the client and counsellor can swap turns.
After each person has contributed, switch to a new category.
Have a discussion on the broad and shifting nature of identity, strengths, weaknesses and
areas for growth.

(B) ZOMBIE
Discuss the different things and perspectives that make up a person’s identity, for example
culture, appearance, interests, family, friends, values and strengths. Write these on the
white-board.

Start by enlarging the circle slightly.

One person should be picked as the zombie (start by asking people to put
on their best zombie face and pick one person) and stand in the middle of the
circle. They should choose a person, say their name and walk very slowly
towards them (like a zombie – arms outstretched and with a weird face).
Everyone should hit the Bass note in time with their steps (they must walk
like a zombie, not run). The person being targeted must say one thing about
their identity and the name of another person in the circle to avoid becoming a
zombie themselves. If they are too slow, they can either join with or take the
place of the person in the middle. If they say their trait and name someone

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else in time, the zombie must seek out the new person they have named, and
so the game continues.
Note: This game can also be used to have people reflect on a wide range
of issues in a fun way, including values, strengths, fears, emotions,
boundaries, etc.

12.3.3 Friends
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Healthy relationships, teamwork, social support, peer

pressure, values.

(A) FRIENDS
Divide the group into pairs, or in one-to-one work team up with the person
you are working with. Each pair must first agree on three different sounds to
indicate direction or halt (see examples below).
One person should be blindfolded while the other holds a small drum – no
talking is allowed. Enlarge the circle and create a series of obstacles in the
middle of it (sometimes we use drums or people standing like pillars). The
blindfolded person must walk to an object across the circle without hitting
any of the obstacles. They should be supported by their friend walking just
behind them, guiding them with their drum.
Common drum signals include:
• Bass – go straight.
• Tone – go sideways.
• Flam or Slap – STOP.

Discuss the role of friends in guiding each other through the obstacles of life. How
important is it to have someone you trust in your life? What difference does it make to have
help when you are faced with obstacles in your life (list some common obstacles). Connect
this back to the values exercise ‘What Does a Good Friend Do?’ (Section 2.1). Is there
someone you can help in this way?

(B) ARE YOU IN OR ARE YOU OUT?

In this game one person starts a rhythm and invites other individuals to join
the rhythm through a nod of the head in their direction and mouthing the
words ‘come on in’. Each time a new person enters the rhythm, they can

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invite one other person to join with a nod (come on in) or exclude someone
(stop playing) with a shake of their head (you can exclude an existing player
or someone waiting to join). Each playing member can only invite or exclude
one other member each.
How did it feel to be included or excluded? What sorts of things lead to people being
excluded? How hard is it to be generous towards others and include them when others are
excluding them? How easy is it to include those who are going through tough times? When
you exclude someone, do you reveal something about yourself? Are there times it might be
wise to exclude someone? How did including or excluding people impact the group as a
whole?

12.3.4 Community

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Social awareness, teamwork, communication, social

confidence, social support.

(A) THE COMMUNITY CIRCLE

Discuss the different elements of community through the analogy of the drum-circle
representing a community – explore:
• communication
• harmony
• diversity
• connection and belonging
• leadership.

Use the generic exercise ‘Layering In, One Person at a Time’ 16.4(a), a drum-
circle exercise where one person starts a strong simple pulse and then each
person enters one after the other with their own beat. Finish with a gradual
‘fade away’.

Discuss how that particular example represented the factors above: Did we connect? Were
we in harmony? Was there diversity and did it add to our output? Did we feel a sense of
common purpose and connection? Why are these things so important? Did anything else
come to mind?

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(B) ONE FOR ALL, AND ALL FOR ONE
Teach the break – O,o,O-o O,o,O – representing the phrase ‘One for all and
all for one’.
Play a simple foundation rhythm or layer in an improvised rhythm and
then include the break above. That is, count down and stop the rhythm and
insert this phrase together before returning back to the rhythm – do this
several times until it is tight.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O o O o O

Sometimes I get people to say the words over the top of the rhythm.

Discuss the type of support community members can offer each other, with a focus on your
group as a community and the support they might offer each other outside the group
session.
When we leave this group, how can we maintain the support for each other that we are
giving here?

12.3.5 Diversity

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Creativity, teamwork, communication, tolerance, respect.

(A) ADD YOUR RHYTHM

Divide the group into pairs and ask each group to come up with their own
two-part pattern that fits the timing of a pulse that you will play in the
background. Give them approximately five minutes to work out their duet.
Bring the players back into the circle and start the underlying pulse, then
add in each pair gradually – each time a new pair comes in, lower the volume
to receive them.
Discuss the nature of the rhythm as it changed with each new addition. How does diversity
increase the richness of a community? What are some of the dangers of too much diversity?
How can we reduce such dangers? What allowed the rhythm to marry? How might this
help people of different cultural backgrounds get on better together?

(B) IF WE WERE ALL THE SAME

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Start by discussing a range of items and the implications if there was no diversity, (e.g. one
type of tree, one type of car, one type of dress, one book, one type of food). Ask the group
members to think of other things. What would it be like in a monoculture like this? What
would we lose?
Start playing a standard 4/4 rhythm (no variation allowed). How quickly do you tire of
this and begin to get frustrated? Mix it up with new patterns or improvisation and discuss
the benefits of diversity

(C) UP AND DOWN

Use the ‘Up and Down’ exercise 12.2.6(a) but adapt the statements to explore
individuality.
In many ways we are similar – we all seek love and wish to avoid suffering. We are each
highly invested in our own lives. Examine the things that make us human, things that unite
us and things that divide us. How can we reduce these divisions?

12.3.6 Culture
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Values, connection and belonging, social awareness,

tolerance, identity.

(A) FINDING FIVE

Use the ‘Finding Five’ 12.2.1(a) exercise and apply it to the concept of
culture. On a white-board ask people to list things of value to their culture – if
you have a multicultural group, you may end up with a broad list. Identify
those values that are common across cultures.

(B) FIND YOUR WAY HOME

Use the ‘Find Your Way Home’ 12.2.10(c) exercise and connect the search
for the empty chair to the search for what represents home – a place of
belonging.

12.3.7 Country
IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Regulation, belonging, identity, problem solving,
teamwork, focus and attention.

(A) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – COUNTRY

Warning: For some people the concept of country can evoke strong emotions
– it can be useful to explore the concept of country through discussion before
this exercise and monitor the group for any indications of distress.
Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic
Wave exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise.
Give instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the
rhythm. Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing, focus on your breath, becoming still.
• Now move that focus solely onto the sound of the Bass note.
• After a while, slowly transfer your focus to the concept of country – a
place of belonging and connection.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Perhaps you might focus on a picture or memory of a place where you
feel comfortable and at home. There is no right or wrong here – follow
your thoughts until you settle on a place that evokes country for you.
• If unconnected thoughts enter your head, observe them dispassionately
and bring yourself back to a picture or feeling of country.
• Try to notice the finer details of this picture you are developing –
sounds, smells, objects, other people, etc.
• If other thoughts come into your mind, acknowledge them briefly and
move your focus back to your place, your country
• Picture yourself now, in your country, observing the world around
you, secure and grounded, connected to this place, solid in this place,
belonging to this place.
• Move your thoughts slowly to these feelings secure – grounded,
connected, solid, belonging.

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 • Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds; or if using the Rhythmic Wave
exercise, you may like to rekindle the improvised rhythm that preceded this
exercise.

(B) FIND YOUR WAY HOME

Use the ‘Find Your Way Home’ 12.2.10(c) exercise and connect the search
for the empty chair to the search for what represents country – a place of
belonging.

Discuss how it feels to be separated from a place of belonging and the different pathways to
finding your way to your country if you are separated from it.

(C) FIND YOUR PLACE

Give each person in the circle a number in sequence. Say: ‘Remember your
number!’
Advise the group that once you start the game they need to remain silent
(no talking or giggling). Choose one person to go into the middle and be
blindfolded. Tell the person that the game starts when there is complete
silence, as anyone talking will give the game away. The person in the middle
has to find their seat by recognising the number of beats that correspond to
the seated players’ allocated numbers. Their chair will remain between the
two numbers on either side of their given number.
Ask the group to move without changing the order of the sequence – in
other words, they all stand and move a certain number of places in the same
direction. The empty chair remains between the same two people, but in a
new position in the circle.
Then the person in the middle should point in a direction. When they are
pointed at, each person responds with the number of beats on their drum that
represents their number – the person in the middle uses these signals to find
their way back to their empty chair.

Rumble if you have ever felt lost or out of place? What helps you find your place when you
feel lost? Can other people, friends and family help you find your place? How do the
rhythms of your life impact your ability to find your place? How important is your own
self-confidence in finding your place?

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12.3.8 Survival
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 10 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Creativity, problem solving, personal agency, self-belief,

hope and positivity.

(A) CHANGE IS COMING

Discuss the nature of change as a constant in life and the need to adapt to change – find
examples, such as change in climate, change in body, change in government, change in
locality, change in workplace, change in schools.

In this exercise, the facilitator starts a rhythm and appoints a ‘change maker’
– this person can alter the rhythm in three different ways, by:
• changing the rhythm itself by adding or subtracting different beats
• changing the tempo by speeding up or slowing down
• changing the volume by getting louder or softer.

Other group members must adapt their rhythm in line with the change maker.

What helps you adapt to change? What are the consequences of not adapting? Is too much
change unsettling or dangerous? Is leadership and communication important to
implementing and adapting to change?

Note: This exercise also has strong application within corporate development
programs.

(B) IF IT IS TO BE, THEN IT’S UP TO ME

This is an exercise that looks at behavioural change and self-responsibility.

Start with a discussion on power – how much power (agency) do you think you have to
make the best of your life? How much power do you have over your thoughts and feelings?
How much power do you have over how you act and the choices you make? What stops
you from exerting that power? How can you gain the confidence and support to restore that
power?
Note: It is important to acknowledge that people’s feelings of agency vary at different
times of their lives.

Once there is a consensus that in many ways we do have power to determine

our future, and that we need to take responsibility for that (as much as we

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can), the phrase - O o O - o, O , B b B - b, B should be practised, which
represents the theme ‘If it is to be, then it’s up to me.’
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O o O B b B b B

A flowing rhythm should be played (which represents the flow of life) and the
practitioner should tell the group that they will interrupt that flow with a count
down of 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 should play the
break ‘If it is to be, then it’s 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.

(C) ACCENT THE POSITIVE

Use the Accent the Positive 12.2.3(a) exercise.
Discuss the importance of positivity, hope and self-belief for survival.

12.3.9 Growth

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Self-awareness, hope, self-belief, goal-setting, relapse.

(A) GROW
In this game we play a double-time foundation rhythm slouched low in our
seat, then on a signal we play that same tempo twice as fast again for 24 beats
and raise our posture slightly before returning to the original tempo. This
happens four or five times until we are standing fully upright and playing.
Then the movement is reversed – each time getting lower and also quieter.

What are some of the things necessary for physical growth? What about psychological
growth (maturity, wisdom)? Why would we need to keep growing in understanding as we
age? What are some of the incentives to keep growing as you move through life? What are
some of the dangers of standing still? What happens if you enter into a relationship where
one person stops growing, or isn’t interested in growing?

Note: This may not be suitable for aged care groups and those with physical
disabilities.

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(B) FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW (USE TO EXPLORE
GOAL SETTING)
One person should start a rhythm with one beat. Each subsequent person
should layer in, adding one extra beat each to grow the rhythm. It is OK to
stop and try out some different patterns before becoming fluid in the new
rhythm, but each new rhythm should build on the rhythm that preceded it. The
facilitator should keep track of the number of beats each time.

Discuss the way small steps can lead to great achievements, with relevance to personal
growth. Use this exercise to look at ‘goal setting’ for an individual in relation to addressing
a specific issue and moving forward in life.

Note how readily some people give up – discuss the importance of

perseverance and taking time.

12.3.10 Responsibility

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Social Responsibility, Social Awareness, Self-Awareness,

(A) ME, US AND THEM

This exercise looks at our responsibility towards others in our community.
In the middle of the circle put out a range of percussion instruments.
Explain to the group that you are all going to play a simple, stable rhythm
together that represents the stability of your community (an analogy they may
be familiar with by now). At any stage they can leave their chair, pick up a
percussion instrument from the middle of the circle and play that instead of
their drum for a while.
Explore what happens, in relation to the analogy of community:
• If everyone leaves the community at once to pick up percussion instruments, the
rhythm changes, weakens, suffers, etc.
• The rhythm fails because everyone is too busy swapping instruments – no one takes
responsibility.
• Certain people may act to hold the rhythm while others may experiment.
• The balance between the drums and percussion alters to the point of instability.

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Note: This can be adapted for people with physical disabilities by having a
choice of drum or percussion available to each person, without the need for
them to leave their chair, and having people to assist them with swapping
instruments if necessary.

(B) THE BLAME GAME

Key Focus Areas: Blame, self-responsibility.

Note: Don’t mention the name of this game prior to playing it! It is important
to get this introduction correct. In this game you will ask the group to work
out the cause of people being eliminated from the rhythm. The aim of the
game is not to stay in the rhythm but to work out why people are being
eliminated.
Tell the group that you will stop the rhythm and one person will be told to
stop playing – everyone has to guess who is to stop and why they were
eliminated.
Stop the rhythm at any point and ask: ‘Who is out and what’s it all about?’
People will yell different reasons, and as soon as someone blames somebody
for doing something wrong, you will choose that person (the accuser) as the
person to be eliminated without making it obvious why they were chosen.
Thus, the secret is that the first person to blame somebody else for
something they apparently did wrong is the person eliminated. Resume the
rhythm once somebody falls into this trap. It will generally take several goes
before people realise it is ‘blame’ that is defeating them!

What are some of the ways blame defeats you in real life? How can you take responsibility
for your life if you are always blaming others for what goes wrong? if you blame someone
for something that happened to you, are you in effect saying they have the power to control
your life? By avoiding blame, you take back that power.

12.4 Strengths and Virtues

Recognising and utilising one’s strengths in order to get the most satisfaction
from life is a core principal of Positive Psychology. These sessions cover a
range of virtues, recognised in cultures across the world as being positive
personality traits and which, when explored, can be used by individuals to
improve their relationships, enhance their overall wellbeing and act to
increase resilience in the face of adversity.

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12.4.1 Courage
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 10 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Values, self-awareness, risk taking, social support, self-
belief, bullying.

(A) STANDING UP FOR IT

Ask each person to name one value they 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, one at a time, each person asks the rest of the group a question, starting
with the phrase ‘Rumble if you’d stand up for…’ and fills in the gap with
something they think it is important to stand up for.

Discuss the challenges of courage. 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?

(B) INTO THE UNKNOWN

Each person should identify one activity they are fearful of doing from the list
of activities below and then take a step into the unknown by giving it a go.

First, ask the group to acknowledge the feelings people go through when they enter into
new challenges like this and provide emotional support. How do you provide emotional
support for a friend who needs to be brave and take on a new challenge to move their life
forward?

• Playing a solo.

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 • Dancing to the rhythm.
• Singing or rapping to the rhythm.
• Facilitating the rhythm.
• Beat-boxing.

Discuss the rewards of facing up to your fears and the importance of the emotional support
from others in doing so.

(C) FEAR
Use the exercise ‘Fear 16.1(g)’ to examine the courage needed to overcome
our fears

12.4.2 Honesty

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Values, teamwork, social support, healthy relationships,

peer pressure.

(A) TRUST ME
Ask people to voluntarily seek out another person to work with.
Prior to starting the exercise, the facilitator should remind the guide that
they can either help or deceive their colleague in this exercise.
One person should be blindfolded in the middle of the circle and
disorientated by rotating on the spot. They then have to find the one empty
chair in the circle. They should choose a partner to be their guide, who can
decide to either assist or undermine their search. Other people should swap
places so that the blindfolded person is unaware of where the empty chair is
situated. The guide uses their drum to indicate ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ as they get
closer to the empty chair. Other members of the circle may tap their drum
once to indicate if the person is getting too close to them.
Note: If the guide chooses to deceive the person in the middle, end the
session after a couple of minutes.

Why did you choose the person as your partner? How much trust did you put in that
person? How did it feel to be either supported or deceived? What is the connection between
trust, friendship and our relationships in general. How important is trust in your
relationships with other people? How hard is it to rebuild trust after it has been broken? Do

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you think most people are trustworthy? How can you protect yourself from those who are
not?

Note: This may not be suitable for aged care and people with physical
disabilities.

(B) TWISTING THE TRUTH AND THE SILENT LIE

Prior to starting one person should be secretly chosen to twist the truth. The
facilitator should start with a simple pattern on their drum (representing the
truth), which the group plays. The ‘twister’ changes that rhythm slightly by
adding or dropping a note or two. Sometimes the new rhythm (a lie) may be
taken up by others.

Why do we sometimes veer from the truth? How easy is it to lie in order to avoid problems?
Do lies usually come back to haunt you? Where do lies sit in relation to your values? How
easy is it to get caught up in a lie – do you have examples? What happens when we hear
something untrue but don’t say anything to challenge it?

(C) CROSSING THE LINE

USE TO EXAMINE BOUNDARIES
Ask every second drummer in the circle to move into the middle of the circle
and then explain that there is an imaginary line down the middle and they
need to stay on the correct side of that line (you could draw a line with chalk
if necessary). Position them on one side of the line in a row, facing down the
line, and have them make some jumps from one side of the imaginary line to
the other (like jumping a skipping rope). Then pass out one bell to a member
of the remaining drummers and explain that the signal for jumping across the
line is when they hear the bell played three times in a row (demonstrate). If
they miss the cue and fail to jump and are stuck on the wrong side, then they
must re-join the drummers. Start a simple foundation rhythm and proceed.
Note: Occasionally play different bell patterns to test their listening skills.

Discuss the concept of ‘crossing the line’ or going too far (out on a limb). What are some
examples of things you may have done or seen others do that ‘crossed the line’ (be careful
to avoid blame and not to name people). What sorts 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 and our values?

Note: This may not be suitable for aged care and people with physical
disabilities.

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12.4.3 Perseverance – Sticking at It
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Resilience, values, self-belief, social support.

(A) HANG ON IN THERE

The group should take on the challenge of rumbling for a set period or
playing a more complex rhythm and maintaining it for a set period of time –
start with one minute and work up.

Have a discussion exploring what gets in the way of persistence, the ease and consequences
of quitting, and how the group members can support each other in persisting in the face of
adversity. What are some of the areas in life where persistence is important? What are some
of the consequences of giving up?

(B) QUITTING IS EASY

Teach a rhythm on the edge of the group’s capacity – start slowly and speed
up. Note that people can quit at any time, but there are rewards for persisting.
Your persistence is often a measure of your faith in yourself.

How did persisting influence your success in this exercise? What are some of the rewards of
persistence? How often do we walk away too early or too late? How do you know when to
persist and when to walk away? In what situations in life might it be prudent to quit early?

12.4.4 Kindness
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Empathy, social support, healthy relationships,

communication.

(A) ARE YOU OK AND CAN I HELP?

Discuss the reciprocal nature of kindness. Call for examples where people
have helped out a friend or stranger and examples of when they have been
helped out by someone else.
In this exercise the break O o - O - o / o O - o - O represents the
expression ‘Are you OK and can I help?’ When adding the drum break,

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people, if they choose, can voice this phrase in time with the rhythm. Practise
this break several times.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Oo O o o O o O

Start by rehearsing one of the 4/4 rhythms from the rhythm catalogue (Section
10.9) and after each four measures add the break before re-entering the
original rhythm.
Add a second part to the rhythm and have half the group play the original
while the other half play part two. Then add the break on a regular basis.

Discuss different ways people can show kindness towards others and the way these acts can
become part of the rhythm of our lives. Has anyone noted the infectious nature of kindness?
In relation to grief and loss, discuss how you can support people dealing with these
experiences. What makes it hard to offer help to others? What makes it hard to ask for help
when you need it?

(B) THE THOUGHTFUL RHYTHM

In this exercise the group should layer in one at a time with their own part, but
prior to entering the rhythm they should be asked to be thoughtful of those
still to come – this thoughtfulness comes in the form of:
• leaving space for others
• welcoming their contribution to the rhythm
• grounding them through the pulse if they get lost
• keeping the tempo stable
• encouraging them.

How important is it to be conscious of the needs of others when we live in communities?

How does being thoughtful benefit us? What tends to reduce out thoughtfulness?

(C) PUT UPS – WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU

Use the ‘Put Ups – What I Like About You’ 12.2.6(b) exercise to examine
kindness.

12.4.5 Teamwork

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IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Coordination, teamwork, communication, cooperation,

listening skills.

(A) ONE TO THE RIGHT, ONE TO THE LEFT

Bring the circle in tight so that each person’s drum is close to those on either
side. In individual work, sit opposite each other close together with the two
drums touching on their outer rim.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B - - B B - -

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B O - B B o -

Play the double heartbeat on your drum (BB--BB--), then add one Tone by
hitting it on the drum of the person sitting to your right followed by the
double Bass again on your own drum and one Tone on the drum of the person
sitting on your left (BBO- BBo -). Go back to the heartbeat on your drum
twice, then repeat. Call out the instructions:
• My drum.
• One to the right.
• My drum.
• One to the left.

Try different variations: two Tones (BBOO,BBoo) each side or three

(BBOOO,BBooo), soft/loud, slower/faster. Always come back to your own
drum for two sets of double heartbeats in between.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B O O B B o o

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B O O O B B O O O

The instructions for two Tones would be:

• My drum.

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 • Two to the right.
• My drum.
• Two to the left.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B O O B B o o O o O o O o O O o O o O o O

Try this with the pattern two right, two left and two sets of five half notes on
your own drum (BBOO,BBoo, OoOoO-OoOoO), using the instructions:
• My drum.
• Two to the right.
• My drum.
• Two to the left.
• My drum – five plus five.

Do this three times and then on the fourth time add two sets of three Flams (fl
fl fl - fl fl fl-) instead of the five half notes – repeat at different tempos. Ask
your participants to come up with their own patterns.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
fl fl fl - fl fl fl -

Discuss the cooperation required to do these exercises and the skills utilised, and how these
apply to other teamwork situations. How important is communication and leadership to the
success of this exercise?

Note: In individual therapy these exercises can be played between the drum of
the counsellor and their client – instead of left and right, take it in turns to
cross over onto your partner’s drum.

(B) MARCO POLO

Note: This is not suitable for individuals.

First enlarge the circle. Then ask for a volunteer to be blindfolded in the
middle of the circle. Place another individual or more (depending on the circle
size) in the circle.

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 The blindfolded individual should try to find (touch) one other individual
using the remaining drummers for support – they can provide clues on the
target’s whereabouts by signalling through their drums. Before starting,
emphasise the teamwork required in this game between the drummers and
between the drummers and blindfolded team member in the middle.
If the blindfolded person is getting a lot of confused signals, stop the
game and address this issue, asking the drummers to try to work together to
better inform the person in the middle.
Warning: Caution the blindfolded person about swinging their arms
wildly.

Advanced: Instead of a rumble, the blindfolded individual calls out ‘Marco’

and the drummers adjacent to the people trying to escape in the middle of the
circle reply with two tones (Polo).
Note: This may not be suitable for aged care and people with physical
disabilities.

(C) ADDITIONAL EXERCISES FOR TEAMWORK

Use the additional teamwork exercises in Section 16.3.

12.4.6 Fairness

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Social justice, resilience, positivity, emotional awareness,

self-belief.

(A) IT’S UNFAIR!

Make a list on a white-board of one thing each person feels is unfair (try to be
as specific as possible). Categorise them into different environments of:
• school/workplace
• family/home
• community/society.

Use the ‘Rumble If You Hope to’ 12.5.6(a) or ‘Play How it Feels’ 16.1(f) exercise to check
in with the group on how these things impact them and follow with a discussion. The world
is full of unfair situations – how reasonable is it to expect life to be fair? How can we move
our world towards being a fairer place? Are we influenced by people who act fairly towards

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others? Do you always act fairly yourself? How do you deal with situations you think are
unfair?

(B) DON’T LET IT BRING YOU DOWN

Ask one person to come up with an upbeat (positive) rhythm on their drum
and then have the person sitting next to them play something downbeat
(negative). Watch for changes in the emotional content of either player. Add
additional players one at a time to increase the level of negativity and explore
how this impacts the mood of the initial upbeat drummer.

How can you maintain your positivity in the face of others who may be cynical or angry?

These two approaches can also be played out between a counsellor and their
client.

Adaption
Reverse the exercise so that one influences the other in a positive way – start
off with a sad or despondent drummer and expose them to uplifting rhythms
one at a time.

How does having positive people around you improve your situation? Are there some
people you can’t lift?

(C) BOUNCE BACK (BACK ON TRACK)

Use the ‘Bounce Back (Back on Track)’ 12.2.10(a) exercise to further explore
how we can recover from injustice.

12.4.7 Forgiveness

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Emotional awareness, emotional regulation, focus and

attention, empathy.

(A) LET IT GO
THIS IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE FOR FINISHING A SESSION
Discuss the dangers of not forgiving others or ourselves (e.g. a build up of negativity, loss
of friendships, loss of trust and a focus on the past). Discuss the benefits of forgiveness (e.g.

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peace of mind, strength of character, release from the chains of resentment and anger and
freedom to live in the present without the ties of the past holding you back). Discuss the
obstacles to forgiveness.

Teach the following two parts.

1. O o O - O o B (It’s your fault, it’s my fault).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O - O o B -
2. O o O - B - O - o - O - o - O (Let it all go and let’s move forward).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O B - O o O o O

Then start out with rhythm one and upon a signal, (4, 3, 2, 1), move to rhythm
two.
Extension: Move from part one to improvisation and discuss how some
patterns of resentment trap you and letting go of these brings back a lot of
freedom.

(B) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – FORGIVENESS

Examine the theme of forgiveness through discussion prior to this exercise (Chapter 11),
with a focus on the healing power of forgiveness – forgiveness frees us from resentment,
bitterness, anger and hurt. Forgiveness is about renewal. Forgiveness is something that we
control, something we can take responsibility for – a power we alone can exercise.

Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the rhythm.
Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on your breath, aligning it to the pulse,
and becoming still, breathe deeply and slowly.
• Now move your focus to the sound of the Bass note.

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 • Then slowly transfer your focus to the concept of forgiveness. Start by
forgiving yourself, thinking about some of the mistakes you’ve made
in your life. Acknowledge these while accepting that mistakes are part
of life and that despite your mistakes you are still a valuable human
being and you can be forgiven for these.
• Breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath say the words
to yourself: ‘I forgive myself.’
• Now move your thoughts to others who you feel have wronged you
and extend your forgiveness to them individually.
• If other thoughts – perhaps resistance to or arguments against
forgiveness – come into your mind, acknowledge them briefly and
move your focus back to forgiving.
• Breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath make
individual statements of forgiveness to those who you feel have hurt
you.
• As you forgive them, imagine the negative feelings about them that
you have harboured inside being released at the same time, leaving
you free from resentment, anger and pain.
• Picture yourself now, free from the pain of the wrongs you have
suffered at the hands of others, more welcoming and trusting and open
to moving forward in your relationships.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds, or if this is part of the Rhythmic
Wave exercise, you may like to rebuild the improvised rhythm you started
with.

Discuss the benefits of doing this exercise regularly.

(C) DROP IT
Use the ‘Drop It’ 12.2.5(e) exercise.
Explore this exercise in relation to forgiveness and dropping the resentment, anger and pain
that are held inside us when we are unable to forgive.

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12.4.8 Humour
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Positivity, emotional awareness, social support, resilience.

(A) LAUGHTER IS CONTAGIOUS

ADAPTED FROM M. COLLARD
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?

(B) MAKE ME SMILE

Pair people up diagonally across the circle, with one person from each pair
trying to make the other smile – the other should try to hold a blank
expression. State the rules are no touching the person you are trying to amuse
or leaving your seat.
Try it one pair at a time, with the remaining group members interpreting
on their drums the emotions on the person’s face as, or if, it changes.
Scientists have found that laughter is literally the best medicine and is essential for good
health (Bennett and Lengacher 2008). When was the last time you had a good laugh? Could
you help someone you know by making them laugh? Why do we take the world so
seriously?

12.4.9 Humility
IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Empathy, self-awareness, focus and attention, healthy

relationships, regulation.

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(A) THE EGO TRAP
Discuss how easy it is for pride to get in the way of humility. Being able to recognise the
value and gifts of others, particularly when we are successful, is a fundamental aspect of
humility, as is an understanding that no one individual is of more worth than another. Can
you think of examples of successful people who have become arrogant?

In this game you should take one chair out of the circle and ask for a
volunteer to stand in the middle. The group should play a foundation rhythm
and the person in the middle can count the group down to STOP (4, 3, 2, 1,
STOP). The same person (in the middle) should then do one of the following:
• Say out loud one character area they could do better in (e.g. ‘I could
be more generous.’).
• Praise the character of another member (e.g. ‘John is a generous
person.’).

Once this is done the person in the middle should restart the rhythm with the
words ‘One, two, let’s all play’ and pick a new member to stand in the circle,
before returning to their vacated chair. The newly trapped group member
should bring the group to a stop in the same way and so the game continues.
In individual work use the same countdown to stop the rhythm and take it
in turns between the counsellor and the individual to talk about character
traits they could work on to improve their character and the way they relate to
others – beware too much emphasis on the negative properties of an
individual if they are already heavily self-critical.

Examine the pitfalls of ego and vanity and the importance of being humble and respecting
others. What happens when people think they are better than others? What are the benefits
of understanding your imperfections? Recognising our strenghts is an essential element in
maintaining self-esteem – how does this impact our relationship with humility?

Note: This is adaptable for those with physical disabilities – instead of

moving to the middle, participants should stay in their seats (don’t remove a
chair).

(B) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – HUMILITY

Examine the theme of humility through discussion prior to this exercise, with a focus on
humility as a precursor to self-improvement and wellbeing. Humility helps us understand,
appreciate and respect others in all their imperfect permeations, reducing judgment and
competitiveness between people. Humility also helps us overcome disappointments as we
recognise our humanity and its accompanying imperfections.

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Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the rhythm.
Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on your breath and align it to the pulse,
becoming still.
• Now move your focus to the sound of the Bass note.
• Then slowly transfer your focus to the concept of humility – start with
thinking about all that you have and giving thanks for that, even if it is
just for the shoes on your feet. Understand that there are always
people worse off than ourselves and that nothing happens in isolation;
our luck is often at someone else’s expense.
• Breathe gently, slowly and in time with the pulse, and give thanks to
those people and things that support, reward and encourage you today.
• Now move your thoughts to recognising your own limitations and an
understanding of the imperfections of life in general, and amongst life,
all persons.
• If other thoughts – perhaps resistance to acknowledging others for
your success or accepting your own weaknesses – come into your
mind, acknowledge them briefly and move your focus back to the
concept of humility.
• Breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath make
individual statements of acceptance of your faults and imperfections.
• Now move your thoughts to the idea of ongoing learning – so much to
learn and so many good teachers. Consider the concept of a student for
life and every individual, no matter how meek or impoverished, you
meet being a teacher with something worthy to impart to you.
• Picture yourself now, free from judging others or competing with
others and instead being more accepting and appreciative of others
and all their different strengths.

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 • Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds, or if this exercise is done as part
of the Rhythmic Wave, you may wish to rebuild the improvised rhythm you
started with.

Discuss the challenges of staying humble.

12.4.10 Gratitude
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

(A) THE LOOKOUT

Play ‘Musical Chairs’ 12.6.6(b), but with each person moving one chair in a
clockwise direction. Nominate the ‘lookout chair’. It can be useful to make
this chair a bit different – perhaps find a bigger, more stately chair.
Each time a new person reaches the lookout chair, they should nominate a
set number of things (one to three) to be grateful for before the rhythm can
resume.
Note: This exercise can be adapted for people with a physical disability by
not moving but instead every chair becomes the lookout chair and each time
you stop the rhythm a new person nominates the things they are grateful for.

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?

(B) THE APPRECIATION CHAIR

ADAPTED FROM M. COLLARD
Play ‘Musical Chairs’ 12.6.6(b), with each person moving one chair in a
clockwise direction. Nominate an ‘appreciation chair’. It can be useful to
make this chair a bit different – perhaps find a bigger, more stately chair, as in
‘The Lookout’ exercise above.
Each time a new person sits on this chair, the rest of the group should
nominate a set number of things (one to three) that they appreciate about that
individual before the rhythm continues.

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 Note: This exercise can be adapted for people with a physical disability by
not moving chairs but instead every chair becomes an appreciation chair and
each time you stop the rhythm you move one chair onwards from the previous
recipient of praise.

When was the last time you told those closest to you how much you appreciate them? How
easy is it to get into a rhythm of taking the individuals who support us most for granted?
What gets in the way of being more openly grateful? In what other ways do you show your
gratitude for others, other than in words?

12.5 Health and Wellbeing

This section focuses on a number of themes that impact our physical and
psychological health.
In particular it deals with how we manage and recover from adversity,
whether it be a relationship breakup, the death of a loved one or a descent into
addiction. Two recurrent themes are focused upon in relation to recovery
here: the importance of social support (healthy relationships) and the
restorative power of acceptance and forgiveness.
The use of the mindful acceptance scripts are an important part of this
series and should be practised regularly. The Rhythm2Recovery model adopts
many of the principles of ACT that address the management of, and recovery
from, painful and stressful life events through strategies, including
mindfulness, that enlarge the capacity for acceptance of what is beyond one’s
control.

12.5.1 Relationships
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Emotional awareness, teamwork, self-awareness, healthy

relationships, values, communication.

(A) MOVE WITH ME

This exercise is done within a group in pairs or between a counsellor and their
client.
Turn towards each other and place your palms together with only slight
pressure at around shoulder height. Choose one person to lead and one to
follow. The leader should move their hand slowly around the range of their

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arm extension while the follower maintains the same palm-to-palm contact
(with the slight pressure required). Demonstrate if possible.
After a short period ask people to vary speed and then swap roles.

Discuss how it felt to lead and follow in this relationship and extend this concept into
general or more intimate relationships. How did the pace of movement influence the
connection? What about the consistency of the leader’s movements? Did anyone lose
contact? Why? How important was it to maintain some pressure? How does this connect to
your experience of leading or following in relationships? Have you experienced
relationships where you spent much of the time following or leading? How satisfying were
these? How do we ensure balance in relationships?

Advanced
Get the group to pair up again and this time tell them to try not to have a
leader but to flow together. Suggest they close their eyes if they like. Try this
same exercise with no leader and follower – just using the tips of the fingers.

(B) RELATE TO THE RUMBLE

Issues Addressed: Clarification of relational values, shared experience.

Each person should think of something positive or negative that impacts their
relationships. One at a time the group members should ask the group to
‘rumble if…’ they have shared a similar relational experience.
How do these factors connect to the values we discussed earlier? How easy is it to recover
your relationship with somebody when these factors are present or your values are missing?
Why do we compromise our values sometimes when it comes to our relationships? Who
has done that? How well does that compromise serve us into the future?

12.5.2 Balance
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Healthy relationships, teamwork, numeracy, focus,

attention.

(A) IN BALANCE
Divide the group into two halves and pass out two parts to each half of the
group (or between a counsellor and the individual they are working with) to

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be played in a sequence that balances the parts.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Part 1 Begins B - B b O o O -
Part 2 Answers O o O - O o O -
Part 1 Repeats B - B b O o O -
Part 2 Completes O o O o O - - -

Continue this four-part dialogue as a rhythm – lower the volume and ask
people to focus on the balance between these parts and how they complement
each other. Increase the speed and watch to see if the balance shifts. Then add
a clap in the break at the end of the sequence.

Explore the different ways the two parts balance or complement each other and connect it to
balance in life. What would happen if one half of the rhythm started to dominate the other?
Who has had experiences like this where they were out of balance in a part of their life, or
in a relationship? How do you get that balance back? Is it realistic to expect such balance?
How does the pace of our lives impact the balance in our lives? What role did the clap play
in balancing the two parts? How important is it to have some connection between the
different elements of your life?

(B) COUNTING ON YOU

ADAPTED FROM K. S. MASALA/K. LADHA
Divide the group into two halves and tell them that the idea is to play eight
Tone notes as a group in total (in time with the Bass pulse, which lies on the
first note of every four beats – the first note of the bar), followed by an eight-
beat break of silence and to continue this pattern. Practise this nice and slowly
– four notes each (eight in total) until it flows easily.
Then stop and tell them that now every time they play, each half will have
a different share of the eight notes. One half will start with seven and work
down to one, while the other half will start with one and work up to seven,
holding the eight-note silence between each change.
Allocate who starts with one and who starts with seven and proceed.

Note: For younger children I write the two parts in their seven different
combinations on the white-board – this helps those less certain of their
arithmetic.

Advanced

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One half only plays Bass notes and the other half only plays Tones, and add
tonal chimes (pentatonic scale) or other percussion instruments in the eight-
note rest. This will require some false starts until people get the idea.

How much of getting the balance right in a relationship comes down to focused attention?
How important is cooperation and collaboration in balanced relationships? Can you think of
examples where people in relationships complement (balance) each other? What are the
signs of a relationship that is out of balance?

12.5.3 Drugs and Alcohol

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Peer pressure, personal agency, self-belief, values,

motivation, healthy relationships, social support.

(A) KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

Use the ‘Keep Your Distance’ 12.2.3(b) exercise.

Use this game to discuss the dangers that lead people to the problematic use of drugs and
alcohol, particularly in relation to peer influence and which of those things we might
reasonably be able to avoid.

(B) HOLD ONTO YOUR VALUES

Use the ‘Hold Onto Your Values’ 12.2.1(c) exercise.

Explore the role of values in identity and how these can be compromised by drug and
alcohol use. Values give direction and meaning to our lives – when our values are strong,
the influence of addiction is weakened.

(C) ARE YOU OK AND CAN I HELP?

Use the ‘Are You OK and Can I Help?’ 12.4.4(a) exercise to look at different
ways people can support those impacted by addiction.

(D) MOTIVATIONAL EXERCISES

Use the exercises on motivation in Section 12.6.7 to examine what influences
people to move away from problematic drug and alcohol use.

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12.5.4 Grief
IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Emotional awareness, self-awareness, social support,

empathy, resilience.

(A) EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

When working with individuals the facilitator should ask the participant to
play through the emotional content of a particular experience, memory or just
a time period (e.g. the week since they last met). Say: ‘Express this week on
the drum, taking your time and using the drum as a safe and secure container
into which you release these feelings. Avoid words.’
In groups, any individual can volunteer to play through their feelings on
their drum in relation to a significant event in their lives, and the group may
mirror that music in a show of empathy and support. There is no requirement
to discuss the event at all. Ensure that the drummer plays slowly, so that
people can follow.

How important is it to find constructive ways to release your feelings? Can sharing these
with friends help? Many cultures move away from words to express feelings – why might
that be? How important is it to have others recognise and empathise with your feelings?

Note: This exercise can bring up repressed emotion – ensure adequate support
is available if required.

(B) THINKING OF YOU AND WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH

Disappointment and sometimes real hardship are a part of life but can be tempered by the
support we get from friends, family and sometimes complete strangers. Ask the group if
anyone has a story of when someone has made them feel better by offering support and
empathy after a disappointing or painful experience. If not, relate a story from your own
experience. Ask if someone has an example of how they have supported a friend in a time
of need. Define empathy. What are the rewards of helping others?

Say: ‘In this exercise we are going to play a rhythm and add a rhythm break
that represents the phrase “Thinking of you and what you’re going through” –
O o O - O - o O o - O - O – O.’
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
O o O o OoO o O

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Practise this sequence as a group a number of times and then insert it as a
break into a simple rhythm from the rhythm catalogue (Chapter 10). Say: ‘We
will start a rhythm and count down to stop – instead of stopping, we will add
this break and then return back to the rhythm on its completion. As we play,
think about someone who might benefit from your support.’ Demonstrate.

Discuss the importance of support from others when you are feeling low and how similarly
you can offer support to your friends at these times. What avenues can you turn to if you
can’t find support from friends or family? How does this type of support relate to our
responsibilities within our community? How much support can you offer without
compromising your own health or safety?

(C) ARE YOU OK AND CAN I HELP?

Use the ‘Are You OK and Can I Help?’ 12.4.4(a) exercise.

Explore different issues around supporting others in time of grief.

12.5.5 Healing

IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 10 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Resilience, self-belief, self-awareness, regulation,

emotional awareness, problem solving, creativity, social support, acceptance.

(A) IT TAKES TIME

This exercise looks at the challenges of reconnection after trauma or loss. The
group is told that on a given signal from the facilitator they are to stop playing
and rumble. The facilitator keeps playing but changes to a different rhythm
(slightly more complex). The group then has to try to reconnect with the new
rhythm; repeat several times.

What helped you reconnect in this exercise? When life throws challenges at you, how hard
is it to pick up the pieces and get on with your life? What can help you do this? What gets
in the way? How important is patience in this situation? How important is group support?

(B) HELP ME OUT, IF YOU CAN

Use the ‘Help Me Out, If You Can’ 12.2.8(c) exercise.

Examine the challenges of asking for support in times of grief.

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(C) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – ACCEPTANCE
Examine the theme of acceptance in relation to grief and loss through discussion prior to
this exercise, with a focus on validating the feelings that arise when we are experiencing
these events. Accepting our feelings and the accompanying hurt, sensations and confusion
allows us to avoid getting overrun by them.

Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the rhythm.
Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on your breath, aligning it to the pulse,
becoming still.
• Now move your focus to the sound of the Bass note.
• Then slowly transfer your focus back to your body and those parts
where you may be feeling sensations – observe any bodily feelings,
tingling, warmth, etc. with curiosity and interest, like an explorer or
birdwatcher. Focus closely on these sensations in all their different
states, letting any other thoughts that come to mind pass gently by.
• Breathe gently, slowly and in time with the pulse.
• As you breathe and focus on these feelings, try to make some space
for them, allowing them just to be there – breathe in and around them.
Maintain your focus on these feelings but see them from a detached
perspective, where you control the view.
• Breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath make
individual statements of acceptance of your feelings and sensations –
these are normal.
• Now move your thoughts to the idea of acceptance, allowing a warmth
to settle over these feelings. A warmth of understanding, even to those
feelings of angst, pain or distress – breathe.
• Picture yourself now, free from the dominance of these feelings and
instead more accepting and appreciative of them – they have a right to

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 exist and be a part of you without overshadowing or dominating you.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds, or if doing this as part of the
Rhythmic Wave exercise, you may prefer to rebuild the rhythm you were
playing in the beginning.

Discuss the challenges and benefits of acceptance.

12.5.6 Hope

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Positivity, self-belief, social support.

(A) RUMBLE IF YOU HOPE TO

Issues Addressed: Universality, goal setting.

Each person should nominate something they ‘hope to’ achieve in the future
and ask the rest of the group to rumble if that is also on their ‘hope list’. After
each rumble the facilitator should write these aspirations on a white-board
opposite the name of the person who raised it.
For example: rumble if you hope to find a soul-mate one day; rumble if
you hope to have a stable job one day; rumble if you hope to get your life
back on track one day.

Discuss areas of commonality in our hopes and dreams, as well as the importance of hope
in achieving them. How important is it to have realistic ambitions? How can you design a
pathway of small steps to reach your goals? How can you enlist support to help you achieve
your goals? Are your goals selfish or for the greater good?

(B) THE GIFT OF HOPE

Issues Addressed: Self-belief, reinforcement of individual capacity.

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For this exercise use the aspirations from the ‘Rumble If You Hope To’
exercise above, where each person has described a dream for the future and
had it written on the white-board.
Ask each member to pick one of the aspirations of their colleagues (from
the list on the white-board) and nominate one reason (stemming from a
strength) why they see that potentially happening for that person. Younger
people may simply say: ‘I hope you get what you dream of because…’

Explore the ways we can engender hope in our friends when they may be losing hope, and
how important that may be. What difference does it make having someone to affirm your
dreams or ambition? How can we best support those close to us to realise their hopes?

12.5.7 Belonging

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Identity, acceptance, connection, values, awareness, focus,

healthy relationships, creativity, problem solving, social awareness,
regulation.

(A) FIND YOUR BASS – FIND YOUR PLACE

Give individuals or groups a rhythm each that is in four time, within their
capacity and critically has a Bass note as the first note of the bar.
Start a rhythm and ask them to come in at their leisure by joining their
Bass note to yours.

Discuss what that Bass note might represent in terms of things that help connect people
together in healthy ways and things that provide you with a sense of solidarity and
grounding. List these points of connection on a white-board. How important is recognition
and acceptance to your feeling of belonging?

After this discussion introduce a four Bass note break (B - - - B - - - B - - - B -

- - ) That is, count down the rhythm to stop and hit the Bass note four times
(to represent four central values or foundations in your life), before returning
to the rhythm.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B - - - B - - - B - - - B - - -

Extension: Agree on four central values or foundations that provide a sense of

stability in times of uncertainty. Write these down on a white-board.

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Whenever the break is played, the group yells out these elements between
each of the four Bass notes.

(B) LISTEN FOR THE BASS

In the Rhythm2Recovery model, the Bass note is the home note – a place of connection and
belonging. Ask your participant/s to discuss this concept – where do they call home? What
does it mean to belong?

Do a call and response with a focus on the Bass, for example say: ‘If I play a
Bass note then no echo, reply with a five Bass rumble.’

Discuss how having a place of belonging, and recognising it, provides us with a platform of
stability and safety for when other aspects of our lives become challenging. This same
platform provides us with a launching pad for new directions and opportunities. A first step
in meeting the challenges of life is establishing a secure Base!

(C) FIND YOUR PLACE

Use the ‘Find Your Place’ 12.3.7(c) exercise to further examine
belonging.

(D) LAYER IN YOUR RHYTHM

Each member should add their own rhythm to the mix one at a time. This
exercise can be used to:
• showcase the importance of diversity in enriching community
• explore the different elements required in finding harmony with others
in society
• examine the issues of connection and acceptance that provide people
with a sense of belonging.
How easy is it to connect with others if your rhythm is running too fast? Can you see that
timing impacts connection? If you are struggling to connect with others, how important is it
to be prepared to change? What things might help you find a better rhythm so that you can
meet people and find harmony with them?

12.5.8 Acceptance
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Resilience, self-belief, coordination, teamwork, positivity,
self-awareness.

(A) STRUGGLE STOP

In this game, the group rotates in one direction, with two chairs on opposite
ends of the circle nominated as ‘Struggle Stop’ and ‘Struggle Start’. Identify
everyone’s dominant (strong) hand and have them recognise when they reach
the ‘Struggle Start’ chair that they must play with their non-dominant hand;
when they reach the ‘Struggle Stop’ chair, they can revert back to their
dominant hand. So at any one time, half the group is struggling with their
weaker hand while the other half is managing OK, drumming with their
strong hand. Advise them that they have the option to just hit the Bass note if
they feel they are losing their way in ‘Struggle territory’.
Begin a one-handed rhythm, with half the group playing with their
‘strong’ hand and half with their ‘weaker’ hand, depending on where they are
sitting in relation to the two nominated chairs. Make sure the rhythm isn’t too
hard or too easy; B – O – B B O O works well. Vary the tempo to get the right
level of difficulty – playing it with your non-dominant hand should be a
struggle! Rotate seats using a drum-call or countdown, with each person in
the ‘Struggle Start’ half playing with their weaker hand and continuing to do
so until they reach the ‘Struggle Stop’ chair. Swap regularly so that each
person gets a chance to experience the different sides.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B - O - B B O O

What did it feel like when you were struggling with your weaker arm? Did you feel
unconnected? Did anyone give up the struggle and just hit the Bass? How different was it
when you gave up the struggle? Are there areas in your life that you are always struggling
with? How hard would it be to accept these and give up fighting against them? Does giving
up the struggle mean you can’t change things? Acceptance is not necessarily resignation.
How can we recognise what is worth the struggle and what might be better approached in a
more passive way?

(B) FIND YOUR STRENGTHS RHYTHM GAME

Ask each person to think about one of the core strengths (things that they do
well). List these on a white-board. Play a 4/4 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.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

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 B - b - B b Shout out

Have each participant count down the rhythm one at a time and in this final
gap have the participants shout out their signature strength, before the group
resumes the rhythm. Finish with everyone yelling their strength word together
in that gap.

Examples of Core Strengths (Adapted from M. Seligman 2002)

Curiosity Love of learning Open mindedness

Street smart Social and emotional Seeing the big picture
practicality intelligence
Courage and bravery Perseverance Kindness and generosity
Teamwork and loyalty Fairness Leadership
Humility Creativity Gratitude
Forgiveness Optimism Humour and playfulness

How aware are you of the things you do well (your strengths)? How might you use your
strengths to move your life forward? Can you think of other exceptional people who have
the same strengths as you? How can you use an awareness of your strengths to build up
your less-developed aptitudes? How might focusing more on the strengths of others
improve your relationships.

(C) DROP IT
Use the ‘Drop It’ 12.2.5(e) exercise to explore letting go of those factors,
thoughts, feelings, etc. that are negatively impacting your psycho-social
health.

12.5.9 Love
IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Focus and attention, regulation, social awareness, healthy
relationships, self-awareness, empathy, social support, values.

(A) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – LOVE

Prior to this exercise, examine the theme of love in relation to your relationships and the
care you offer to others and have experienced in return. Focus on the power of love to heal
wounds, overcome disagreements and reconnect people who may be lost and alone. Focus

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on love as a strength – a powerful radiant light that penetrates the darkness in our lives and
in our world.

Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the rhythm.
Remember, the script below is just a guide – make it your own.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on your breath and try to align it to the
pulse, becoming still, breathing deeply and slowly.
• Now turn your focus to the sound of the Bass note and maintain the
alignment of your breath to the pulse.
• Then slowly bring your focus to the concept of love – look deep inside
you and see if you can feel a sensation of warmth that you recognise
as love. Perhaps you feel the presence of warmth in your body, a
warm light within you. If you like, you may place a hand on your
heart and feel the warmth of that loving energy as it grows within you.
Focus on this warmth, this light, this feeling of positive intent towards
yourself and others.
• Keep breathing gently, slowly and in time with the pulse.
• As you breathe, focus on extending these feelings outward towards
others you respect and value, imagining this warmth and light moving
from you and enveloping those you care for.
• Continue to breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath
make individual statements of love towards yourself, other people you
care for and, if possible, those who have wronged you. Share your
love as widely as possible, perhaps encompassing all living things.
• If other thoughts move into your mind, recognise them and allow them
to drift on by as you resume your focus on love.
• Now move your thoughts to the idea of receiving love. Imagine the
same warmth you shared with others returning to you now, from them
and others, settling into your body with feelings of peace and ease. Let

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 these warm and comfortable feelings seep into your deepest being –
breathe.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds; or if you are doing this exercise
combined with the Rhythmic Wave exercise, you may like to resume the
improvised rhythm you started with.

Discuss the meaning of love and the importance of love for self and others.

(B) WHAT I’D DO FOR LOVE

The facilitator should pose a number of questions beginning and ending with
the phrase: ‘Rumble if you would…for love.’ Fill in the gaps with:
• risk your life
• give away all your dreams
• move to another town
• move to another country
• leave behind your friends
• leave behind your family
• steal
• hurt another
• compromise your values.

Ask your participants to come up with their own statements.

Discuss the dangers of unconditional love.

(C) NOBODY LOVES YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN AND OUT

First make a list on the white-board of the sorts of things that ostracise people or lead to
setbacks in their lives – they can be drawn from real experiences.

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Take every second person out of the circle and have them sit down in the
middle of the circle (creating a mini circle themselves, with each person
facing their empty chair).
Showcase the 4/4 rhythm B b O o. Explain to the group that you will all
play this rhythm and count down to STOP (4, 3, 2, 1, STOP). In the gap the
people on each side of an empty chair can choose to love them or leave them
by playing either the Tone three times (leave them – they stay down and out)
or the Bass three times (love them – they return) in the gap before you all
return to the rhythm. But both players (either side of the empty chair) must
play the three Basses if the person is to return and they can’t communicate
their intentions with each other. If only one plays the Basses and the other
plays Tones, the person stays down and out.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B b O o

Start the rhythm and go in one direction, focusing on one empty chair at a
time (i.e. each time you STOP, only the players on either side of the empty
chair can respond).

How did it feel to be down and out in the middle? Did having others with you make a
difference? How did it feel to be welcomed back? What about the feeling of being denied
back? How hard is it to be generous to others when they are down on their luck? What gets
in the way?

12.5.10 Death

IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 10 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Empathy, social support, resilience, emotional awareness,

regulation, focus, attention.

(A) THE ECHO WAVE

Use the ‘The Echo Wave’ 12.2.5(d) exercise.

Explore the finite nature of things and the cycle of life and death.

(B) ARE YOU OK AND CAN I HELP?

Use the ‘Are You OK and Can I Help?’ 12.4.4(a) exercise.

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Examine the support we can offer people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

(C) MINDFUL AWARENESS SCRIPT – DEATH

Age Range: 15 years and up.

Note: This mindful script focuses on an area that some may find contentious
and that may give rise to strong emotions – I always make the mindfulness
session voluntary but conduct the opening discussion with the whole group.
For younger participants, permission should always be obtained from parents
and guardians prior to beginning this exercise and post-support services
should be available if required.

Examine the theme of death in relation to rhythm and the cyclical nature of life. Death is an
experience all of us will face at some stage, as it is an essential component of life – the two
are inextricably linked. Different cultures deal with death in different ways, as do different
individuals – some are less able to accept death than others. Being aware of the inevitability
of death allows us to appreciate the privilege of life and those we care for. It allows us to
understand the passing of those we love, even as we struggle through the grief and pain of
that loss. And it maintains our connection to the realities of our lives within the natural
world.

Use a simple and very soft Bass pulse (40–60 bpm) or the Rhythmic Wave
exercise (Chapter 11) as the focal point for this awareness exercise. Give
instructions in a mellow, clear voice, speaking slowly in time to the rhythm.
• Relax your body.
• Adjust your body until you feel comfortable and relaxed. You may
wish to close your eyes or focus your gaze on one spot. Focus on and
relax any tension in your neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back,
hips, thighs, lower legs, feet.
• Slow your breathing – focus on the breath, in and out.
• Now move your focus to the sound of the Bass note and align your
breath to the pulse. Becoming still, breathe deeply and slowly.
• Then slowly bring your focus to the concept of death: the passing of
life as part of the natural sequence of life; death as a reminder of the
impermanence of all things; death as a reminder of the vitality of life
and all its value.
• Keep breathing gently, slowly and in time with the pulse.

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 • You may find images or thoughts appearing of those you have loved
who have died and for whom you still grieve. Feelings may arise out
of your grief – allow those thoughts, visions and feelings to come,
acknowledge them, make room for them and return your focus to your
breath.
• Breathe.
• As you breathe, use the cycle of your breath to reinforce this notion of
the ongoing, inevitability of the life-and-death cycle – death as a
natural part of life.
• Remind yourself of life – how the vitality of life stands in contrast to
the stillness of death. Let death remind you of the value of life, your
life and the lives of others.
• Continue to breathe gently and slowly, and in time with your breath
make individual statements of love towards those you may know who
have passed from this life.
• If other thoughts move into your mind, recognise them and allow them
to drift on by as you resume your focus on the breath. The breath as a
reflection of life and death – the cycle of life and death, life begetting
death and death begetting life.
• Breathe gently, slowly.
• Slowly move your focus back to the Bass note.
• Hold your focus on the Bass note as it slowly fades away.

If possible, sit in silence for 40–60 seconds.

Ask the group for any thoughts or feelings that have arisen from that
session. Provide follow-up support for any individual who may require it.

12.6 Families, Teams and Communities

This section has been designed to cover topics central to families, teams
(including corporate management) and larger community organisations. It has
a strong focus on communication and other areas of inter-personal
relationships, including power dynamics. Understanding the central
relationship between individual life satisfaction and social connection
highlights the critical importance of these sessions. Teamwork is a central
theme of all the relational discourses in the Rhythm2Recovery model, and the

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group exercises described here allow for a useful examination of participants’
collaborative skills.

Note: Although some of these exercises can be adapted for individuals, most
are better suited to groups.

12.6.1 Leadership
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Teamwork, communication, healthy relationships, self-

awareness, social awareness.

(A) THE HUMAN MAZE

Issues Addressed: Teamwork, leadership, trust and guidance.

Place four or five people in random positions in the circle – ask them to stand
as pillars, with their hands to their sides and no movement.
One person should be blindfolded and then has to pass through the human
maze with assistance from the remaining drummers, who indicate the
direction of movement by signalling on their drums – using their sound to
attract the maze runner in their direction.

Note: It may be necessary to stop the process if the blindfolded person is

getting confusing messages from the drummers, reinforcing the need for them
to work together to improve their communication.

Modification
You can also add a clear signal (e.g. Flam) for STOP.

What helped guide the subject through the maze? What hindered that guidance? How easy
was it to trust the directions given by the drummers? Were you aware of a leader amongst
the drummers or did they work well as a team to guide you?

Note: This may not be suitable for aged care or people with physical
disabilities.

(B) STOP CUT

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Issues Addressed: Leadership, communication, consultation.

Teach the basics of a ‘stop cut’ and ‘back to play’ – two drum-circle
facilitation techniques (see Section 7.1). Model this with the group a few
times and then invite participants one at a time to stop the group using a ‘stop
cut’ and restart it using ‘1, 2 let’s all play’.

Discuss what worked or didn’t and why – how do these issues relate to leadership? How
important is clear communication from a leader?

(C) FIND YOUR STRENGTHS

Use the ‘Find Your Strengths’ 12.5.8(b) exercise.

Examine strengths in relation to effective leadership.

12.6.2 Communication

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 5 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Listening skills, focus and attention, healthy relationships.

(A) CALL AND RESPONSE

Use the ‘Call and Response’ 12.1.1(a) exercise.

Examine this exercise in relation to effective communication. In particular, explore how

timing impacts effective communication. How often does poor timing get in the way of
good communication?

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(B) ATTENTION
Specialist Population: Sensory perception disorders.

Showcase two short rhythm phrases and then show the group the two specific
responses required each time they hear these two rhythms.
Play ‘Call and Response’ 12.1.1(a) and occasionally include these two
rhythm phrases, which people must listen out for and respond differently to.
Each time they hear the chosen rhythms they must respond with either of the
following:
• Rhythm 1 – silence
• Rhythm 2 – brief rumble.

Note: Use volume changes to make it more challenging – bring the volume
right down.

Discuss how easy it was to react to the different signals (warnings) and not get caught in the
flow of responding automatically the same way each time. What else can lessen your ability
to listen well to others? Are there patterns in your listening and responding that undermine
your communication with others? What are some of those patterns you need to be alert to?

(C) LISTEN CLOSELY

Use tonal chimes (pentatonic scale, CDEGA), or any other resonating
instrument (the longer the resonance the better), and play one note each
around the circle – don’t initially ask for people to wait for the resonance to
stop but each time ask them to listen more closely before coming in. See how
long it takes before they are listening to the full resonance.

Discuss the challenges of listening well. What gets in the way (barriers) and what helps, and
how does this impact relationships? Who here feels they are not listened to well by other
people around them? Who here has been found guilty of not listening well to other people?
What are some of the consequences of poor listening skills? What are some of the skills of
good listening? How can mindfulness help improve our listening skills?

12.6.3 Power Dynamics

IND, FAM, GRP, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Healthy relationships, bullying, personal agency, self-

confidence.

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(A) THE CONTROLLER
ADAPTED FROM C. SLOTOROFF

Issues Addressed: Power dynamics, controlling relationships, frustration,

patience, acceptance.

Choose one person in the group as the controller – the controller can denote
who plays and who doesn’t. (In individual sessions the counsellor takes on
this role.)
Agree as a group on two signals – one for PLAY and one for STOP. The
controller can direct the entire group or an individual.
The rules are firm – you may only play at the invitation of the controller
and must stop playing when they ask you to.
The controller should either begin a rhythm or ask someone to begin and
the exercise extends from there, with people being directed to start or stop at
the whim of the controller.

What did it feel like to be controlled like that by somebody else? Were there feelings of
resentment towards the controller? Did you find yourself becoming frustrated? Can you
recall other situations where you were at the mercy of others’ power (be sensitive here)?
How healthy is it when one person exercises complete power over another? When might it
be acceptable? When do you think it might be destructive? In situations where you know
you have no power (e.g. say when you are stuck in traffic), how important is patience?
What about acceptance – how can developing patience and acceptance improve your
outcomes in situations like these?

(B) I’VE GOT THE POWER

Draw up a list of situations where people feel powerless and write these on a white-board.
Then brain-storm how people can manage these situations and regain their sense of control.

Examples:
• Powerless to stop my partner’s drinking – put in a boundary that I will
not remain in the same space if they drink.
• Powerless to stop my parents from putting me down – spend more
time with friends who lift me up.
• Powerless to stop the bullying that I suffer at school/work each day –
ask a friend to record the bullying behaviour on their phone and report
it.

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Teach the rhythm phrase Bo - Bo - B (I’ve - got the Pow-er). Practise playing
this rhythm three times, followed by three Flams – fl, fl, fl (Yes I have).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B o B o B fl fl fl

The group should play a 4/4 rhythm from the rhythm catalogue (Chapter 10)
and at any time an individual can play the rhythm break above over the top of
the rhythm. On hearing the break the group should stop the rhythm and
answer the third call with the three Flams before returning to the rhythm.
Demonstrate this once before beginning the exercise.
Finish with everyone doing and saying the break together.

Remind people that there are usually ways for them to regain power, in situations like those
we have discussed, if they are patient, creative and enlist the support of trusted friends.

12.6.4 Values

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Self-awareness, identity, peer pressure, values,

relationships, meaning.

(A) THE VALUES RHYTHM

Use the ‘The Values Rhythm’ 12.2.1(b) exercise.

(B) HOLD ONTO YOUR VALUES

Use the ‘Hold Onto Your Values’ 12.2.1(c) exercise.

(C) FINDING FIVE

Use the ‘Finding Five’ 12.2.1(a) exercise.

See also Section 2.1.

(D) CROSSING THE LINE

Use the ‘Crossing the Line’ 12.4.2 exercise.

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12.6.5 Creativity
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Problem solving, collaboration, communication.

(A) FIND YOUR VOICE

Using the universal heartbeat rhythm as a back-beat, participants should come
up with a short, two-phrase Rap rhyme (e.g. ‘When I’m low, I’ve got no
flow/And all my friends don’t wanna know’) to punctuate the four-beat
silence in between the Bass pulse.
Space out the heartbeat rhythm and showcase examples: BB ‘Feel the
beat’, ‘Move your feet’, BB ‘Say it loud’, ‘Say it proud’ BB, etc.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B Feel the beat B B Move your feet B B Say it loud B B Say it proud

Give a theme for the lyrics (e.g. self-belief/survival/friendship/recovery, etc.)

and then ask people to go away in small groups or pairs, and come back with
two or more lines for the song. Each member of the group should sing one
line or they can sing their lines together. Start the pulse (BB - -) and layer in
each vocal part around the circle one at a time – if it is sounding good, repeat
or try stopping again and developing a group chorus.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B B - -

Adaption
You can space the pulse out to eight beats and extend the verses to four lines.
Add different RAP moves to emphasise the lyric.

Discuss the way music impacts people’s lives and the way lyrics can inspire the best from
people and lead to social change.

(B) MAKE UP YOUR OWN

Each person should come up with their own rhythm – give people around five
minutes to find this and allow them to move away from other people to get
some creative space.
Each individual should teach their rhythm to the other participants, who
then play it as a group. In individual work, the individual should teach their

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counsellor.
Try to find two parts from two different group members that might work
together, and divide the group into two parts to play these. Or in individual
work, the practitioner should combine a rhythm of their own with that of the
person they are working with and both play together, exchanging parts.

Discuss the importance of creativity and problem solving in addressing life’s challenges –
seek examples of this, such as individuals surviving being lost in the wilderness or the
global response to increasing carbon emissions. If appropriate, extend this discussion into
helping address the personal challenges relevant to the individuals you are working with.
How important was your level of confidence in succeeding in this exercise? Would it have
been easier for you working with someone as a creative team?

12.6.6 Change

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Adaption, creativity, positivity, social support, problem

solving, awareness, self-belief.

(A) CHANGE IS COMING

Use the ‘Change Is Coming’ 12.3.8(a) exercise.

Explore the different aspects of managing and leading change.

(B) MUSICAL CHAIRS VERSION 1

Issues Addressed: Change and perspective.

Place a percussion instrument on every second chair. Practise a signal for

stopping the group and holding silence across seven counts before re-entering
the rhythm (i.e. stopping on the first note of a four-count bar and coming back
on the first note of the second bar following that – STOP, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4,
BACK).
Once this is perfected, ask the participants to move to a different chair
each time you stop. Avoid competition by ensuring there are enough chairs
for each participant.

Have a discussion exploring change. What was it like shifting position? Would it have been
as rewarding if we had stayed in one place? Did you notice things sounded or looked
different each time you moved? How might changing some of the things in your life or

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workplace influence how you see the world and those around you? What about when we are
in conflict with someone – how important might perspective be then?

Note: Adapt this exercise and the subsequent questioning for people with
physical disability by not moving but instead swapping between different
drums and percussion instruments in the gap of silence – have helpers
available to help swap between drums and percussion.

12.6.7 Motivation
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Regulation, teamwork, social awareness, communication,

self-awareness, persistence.

(A) ARE YOU READY?

Say: ‘In this exercise we can each enter the rhythm at our own choosing. We
choose what we will play and the time we decide to join those already
playing, if we join at all, and we will examine what things influence that
timing. Remember – you choose! You don’t have to play at all if you don’t
want to.’
Start a rhythm from the rhythm catalogue (Chapter 10) at a relatively fast
tempo, adding an additional challenge to joining in with the rhythm.
Repeat this exercise if people were intimidated by the speed of the
rhythm, and this time begin with a slower rhythm.
Discuss differences in motivation between people and between different circumstances –
for example, the two different tempos. What sorts of things motivate you generally? What
about motivating you out of your comfort zone – what might do that? How important is
success to motivation? What about the support you get from others – can that help motivate
you? What doesn’t work? How might you use this knowledge to help motivate someone
else who needed to shift their personal situation?

(B) STOP OR GO
In the middle of the circle, one person (the spotter) should stand at one end
facing away from the centre and another one, two or three individuals should
stand at the other end. Place a small percussion instrument immediately
behind the spotter.
The idea is for the two (or three) individuals to sneak up on the person
who is facing away from them without being spotted moving – if the person

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turns and catches them moving, they return to their chair. If they turn and are
stationary, the spotter turns back again.
The remaining drummers should play their Bass notes each time one of
the people sneaking up moves. The aim is to grab the percussion instrument
without being spotted.
If they succeed, they take it back to their chair and can use it in the next
exercise.

What motivated you to play this game? How do these things relate to motivations in other
areas of your life? What stopped your progress? What types of things reduce your
motivation to move forward in your life? How can teamwork influence motivation?

Note: This will not be suitable for some people with a physical disability.

(C) HANG ON IN THERE

Use the ‘Hang On in There’ 12.4.3(a) exercise.
Examine the connection between motivation, patience and persistence.

(D) COSTS AND REWARDS

This exercise examines the intrinsic social rewards of belonging, acceptance
and recognition and the social cost of exclusion. It can be done as an
individual or group exercise.
Divide the group in two – one half should retain their instruments and the
other half should not. The half chosen to give up their instruments should
place them in the middle of the circle and return to their seats. Tell them that
the choice to resume the rhythm, when they are invited to do so, is their
choice alone – there’s no right or wrong.
Have those still with instruments play a simple, steady beat. At random
the practitioner should invites individuals from this half (no instruments) to
‘come on in’. On invitation they can choose whether to go and get their
instrument or not. Over the course of the exercise each person should receive
an invitation to join the group.

Discuss with the members who were originally left out what motivated them to either join
in or stay as they were. How do these influences impact your decisions in daily life? Is it
sometimes easier to sit life out? What are the dangers of doing too much of that? How
important is an invitation to motivate you? What underlies self-motivation?

Swap roles between the two halves and repeat if time allows. In one-to-one
work the practitioner should invite the individual they are working with to

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enter at their leisure and stop whenever they wish, and provide them with a
small range of different instruments.
Note: This may not be suitable for people with a physical disability.

(E) SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

Players should pair up with another individual sitting directly opposite them
in the circle. The aim of the game is to swap seats with your partner in the
silence between the rhythm. Each person has to choose when to go, but if one
person moves to swap places and the other stays in their chair, then both are
out. The pairs should move in order, not all together, with the practitioner
determining which pair will move next.
The whole group should start off playing a simple, steady rhythm of their
choice and practise stopping and starting the rhythm with a seven-count rest
in between (i.e. stopping on the first note of a four-count bar and coming back
on the first note of the second bar following that – STOP, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4,
BACK). Practise this several times.
Before beginning, emphasise there is freedom of choice – the participants
do not have to move.
Explain that if they do move, they need to be seated before the rhythm
resumes. If one person in a pair moves and not the other, both are out.
Start the rhythm slowly so people have plenty of time to swap chairs and
gradually speed up so that it gets tougher and tougher to make it across.
Extension: In each pair you can have one playing a drum and one playing
a percussion instrument – clave, bell or shaker.

Discuss how this game relates to what influences our decision-making processes in general
and how other people can impact our decisions, choices and actions for better or worse.
Was your decision yours alone? How many of your decisions impact other people? How
often do other people’s choices impact our lives? Explore the importance of recognising the
interconnectivity of people in all dimensions – family, community, nationally, globally.

Note: This may not be suitable for people with a physical disability.

12.6.8 Belonging

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Healthy relationships, values, social awareness, creativity,

problem solving, communication.

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(A) HARMONY
The group should be given a verbal description of harmony and then told that
the challenge of this exercise is to each play their own thing but still
harmonise with each other.
They must start all together, heads down, playing their own thing (it will
sound wild and disconnected) and then they raise their heads and modify their
rhythms to connect with each other in harmony – using the same volume and
same tempo and leaving space for each to be heard.
Before starting, you may decide to warn the group not to try to ‘force
people into your rhythm’. If you decide not to warn them, this can often
happen and serves as an interesting discussion point in relation to this theme.

Explore the steps the participants took to find a harmonious connection in relation to the
steps people might need to take to connect with others.

(B) TRUST ME
Use the ‘Trust Me’ 12.4.2(a) exercise.
Examine the connection between trust and belonging.

(C) FIND YOUR BASS – FIND YOUR PLACE

Use the ‘Find Your Bass – Find Your Place’ 12.5.7(a) exercise.
Re-examine the different factors represented by the Bass that serve to connect people in
healthy ways.

(D) LAYER IN YOUR RHYTHM

Use the ‘Layer In Your Rhythm’ 12.5.7(d) exercise.
Explore the skills of social connection and social harmony.

12.6.9 Partnership
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

Key Focus Areas: Teamwork, communication, creativity, problem solving,

values.

(A) GUIDE ME HOME

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Issues Addressed: Teamwork, communication, partnership, trust, sound
localisation.

Specialist Population: Sensory perception disorders.

Pair people up (sitting next to each other) and ask them to come up with one
sound on their instrument that they can identify as a way of recognising each
other. Then have one member of each pair enter the middle of the circle and
ask them to shut their eyes (or hand out blindfolds). Mix up the people in the
middle to disorientate them and then ask their partners to try to help them
return to their chair using their special sound code.
Note: Sometimes it is necessary to only put a small number of people in
the middle, as in larger groups the sound can make it impossible to discern
specific signals.

Exploring partnerships as a way of meeting life’s challenges. What sorts of existing

partnerships do you have to help you negotiate life? What are some of the skills you employ
to make there relationships work for you? What are some of the obligations partners have to
each other? What are some of the things that undermine a partnership? How does balance
impact partnership?

(B) ADD YOUR RHYTHM

Use the ‘Add Your Rhythm’ 12.3.5(a) exercise.
Explore partnership skills and the compromises necessary to work together.

(C) LAYER IN YOUR RHYTHM

Use the ‘Layer In Your Rhythm’ 12.5.7(d) exercise.

(D) ONE TO THE RIGHT, ONE TO THE LEFT

Use the ‘One to the right, One to the left’ 12.4.5(a) exercise.

(E) THE TWO-WAY SHUFFLE

Use the ‘The Two-Way Shuffle’ 16.3(a) exercise.

12.6.10 Vision
IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

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Key Focus Areas: Self-belief, confidence, problem solving, teamwork,
leadership.

(A) I HAVE A DREAM

Discuss the ‘I have a dream’ speech by Martin Luther King (for an audio
recording see:
https://ia600402.us.archive.org/29/items/MLKDream/MLKDream_64kb.mp3).
Ask each person to come up with one statement of a future they would
like to see for themselves or their community and write these on a white-
board: ‘I have a dream that…’
Play a very soft (low volume), simple 4/4 rhythm and upon a signal add
the Bass rhythm accent B - B b B (I have a dream). Practise this a few times
until it is fluid. Then tell your participants that each time the Bass phrase is
played there will be a period of silence where they are asked to close their
eyes and visualise their dream coming true.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B - B b B

Then start the rhythm and at the conclusion of each accent ask people to close
their eyes and visualise their dream coming true (extend the silent
visualisation period for a set number of rests before calling back the rhythm.
Repeat.

Discuss the importance of dreams in relation to goals and a better life. Explore the power of
visualisation in assisting people with preparing for the steps they may need to take to realise
their dreams and meet the challenges of life. Sometimes we see people use visualisation in
sport (e.g. imagining the horse clearing the fence). How might you use visualisation to
prepare yourself for overcoming a barrier in your life? Can you think of people who have
realised their dreams in spite of significant adversity?

(B) SEE IT, THEN PLAY IT

Use the ‘See It Then Play It’ 12.1.4(e) exercise.
Discuss this exercise with reference to the power of visualisation in problem solving, future
planning and creativity.

12.7 Finishing Up – Terminating Counselling or

Finishing a Program

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At the end of a Rhythm2Recovery course, or a select period of individual
therapy, there are a number of points that need to be addressed. First amongst
these is to ensure that the finishing process is an open and expected one and
that beyond the completion of the work done together, there are in place
opportunities for further growth and support – an after-care plan.
Additionally, it is important for people to be able to talk about the feelings
and thoughts that arise due to the completion of the relationship or to allow
this to be expressed musically. The finishing up theme card in the
Rhythm2Recovery session card pack focuses on summarising the outcomes of
the process to date and empowering the individual or participants to continue
their progress into the future.

12.7.1 Exercises for the Final Session

(A) IN A NUTSHELL – PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS

Start the group on a steady pulse and bring the volume right down – invite each person in
succession to talk about what they have gained from their time together. The facilitator
should start the process by recalling the core themes that have been discussed and then
encouraging each person to offer up one thing they have learned or appreciated from the
process.

The exercise finishes with the facilitator asking the group members to expand
their rhythm to represent the expansion of their understanding and play
together in solidarity.

(B) IF IT IS TO BE, THEN IT’S UP TO ME

Use the exercise ‘If It Is To Be, Then It’s Up To Me’ 12.3.8(b)
Emphasise the power of each individual to face the challenges ahead.

(C) FIND YOUR STRENGTHS RHYTHM GAME

Use the ‘Find Your Strengths Rhythm Game’ 12.5.8(b) exercise.
Reinforce the different strengths individuals take away with them and can use to meet the
challenges ahead.

(D) GIVING THANKS

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Think about the things in your life that you can be thankful for – it is easy to focus on the
things that are going wrong, but it is just as important, if not more so, to focus on the
positive things in your life. You can list the positives on a white-board if you like. Get one
thing from each person.

Nominate a short rhythm phrase that represents all the positives in your life,
and ask people to watch out for that rhythm. Play ‘Call and Response’ and
whenever that rhythm comes up the individual or group must answer it with
the pattern Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you ve-ry much (B - O - B - O - O
o O o O).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
B O B O O o O o O

Finish this exercise with the group saying the phrase as they play it.

12.8 Performance
For many people a good way of completing a Rhythm2Recovery program is
to organise a short performance (public or private), where they are able to
showcase their skills as a team playing music together and where they receive
recognition for their effort and progress. It is also a way of giving back to the
broader community, as performances often take place in public settings, and it
allows for other forms of creativity, including dance and costume design.
Successful performances can boost self-esteem, connect people to the world
outside of therapy and provide a sense of achievement and mastery that
empowers individuals to meet future challenges.
The idea of performing, however, is a very challenging one for many
individuals and should never be forced upon people. Not every person or
group will be able, or ready, to perform at the conclusion of a program.
Performance anxiety is a very prevalent condition but can be mediated by an
open and empowering process where the group members decide for
themselves where, how and to whom they will perform. My favourite
performances are not those where the group perform for an audience, but
rather when the group can actively involve the audience as players
themselves, whether with spare instruments, clapping, dancing or vocalising.
These interactive performances are far less intimidating and break down the
walls of separation that many of the individuals in my groups live with on a
daily basis. It is vital, prior to deciding upon a course of action, to consider

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how the purpose of the performance will meet the needs of the individuals
you are working with and the types of negative outcomes, anxieties, etc. that
are at risk of occurring.

12.9 Ongoing Support

An important consideration for the practitioner at the completion of a
Rhythm2Recovery intervention is how progress made during the course of
therapy or a psycho-education program can be maintained. It is a disturbing
reality that much of the gain made during the period of intervention can be
quickly undone if an individual feels a sense of abandonment upon
termination, and that for many people who enter therapy this feeling derives
from a history of rejection and betrayal and thus is particularly ripe for
renewal (Rice and Follette, 2003).
Where a practitioner recognises that the individual or group they are
working with has developed an affinity with the rhythmic exercises and
drumming of the work, they can suggest a range of options to maintain that
connection and the positive outcomes associated with it. High amongst these
is to take advantage of the prevalence of recreational drum-circles open to the
general public that are to be found in most cities and larger towns around the
world. In my own work, one of the ways I handled terminations was to
accompany an individual or group to one such community drumming event
prior to the end of our work together.
Another option is to support a specific organisation – for example,
community mental health service, youth drop-in centre, prison or school – in
establishing their own recreational drum-circle. I have seen these flourish as a
new place people can come to, with any level of experience, and safely
connect to others through community music. They work particularly well
when the individuals or students receiving support are given an active role in
their organisation. This involvement emphasises their ability to make things
happen and influence their own world for the better, and they are further
rewarded by providing something of benefit to the broader community.

12.10 Evaluation
The final session is also usually the time to give out evaluative questionnaires
and other statistical scales that can be used to assess progress over the course
of an intervention. Often these are based on the same measure given out prior
to beginning a course of therapy or psycho-social intervention, with the aim

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of measuring change between entry (pre) results and those at the completion
of a program (post). For examples of useful measures see Chapter 17.

12.11 Certificates of Learning

It can be useful, particularly in group programs, to acknowledge the
commitment required, and learning gained, from completing a
Rhythm2Recovery program, by presenting participants with a certificate of
learning such as the one available as download with this book. I have had
clients whom I have visited many years later proudly show off their certificate
to me, which they hold as a valuable reminder of an important period of their
life.

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 13

RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT

Well before I started using music to enhance my therapeutic practice, I was

actively benefiting from using rhythmic movement. I began martial arts
training in my early twenties and have continue to exercise in this way. I have
been witness to how these, and other forms of rhythmic exercise, improve
coordination and build physical confidence and self-esteem in people of all
ages and from all walks of life. Like many martial artists, I later extended my
passion for rhythmic movement into dance and have watched the power of
dance help people improve their physical balance, coordination, cognitive
functioning and social integration.
Our increased understanding of the way music impacts the brain has
additional implications for individuals who have difficulties with motor
control and general physical coordination. Research has shown that rhythmic
music impacts areas of the brain associated with movement – the pre-motor
cortex, supplementary motor areas, pre-supplementary motor area and the
lateral cerebellum – and that a level of synchronisation occurs that can be
beneficial in the rehabilitation of movement disorders (Thaut et al., 1999).
This synchronisation is based on an entrainment of auditory and motor
impulses and not only assists individuals with their timing, but also impacts
whole patterns of movement, readily improving motor stability (Kenyon and
Thaut, 2000). In my experience, many individuals, particularly those with
sensory perception difficulties, who struggle with motor coordination, can
benefit from rhythmic movement exercises entrained to a musical pulse.
In the Rhythm2Recovery model we have introduced a number of simple
body movement exercises that are aligned to the rhythmic pulse of the music
and may assist participants with improved motor control and stability. Music
and dance go hand in hand, and in fact in many languages the one word

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means the same thing. However, for some people the idea of dance is
confronting; ‘I can’t dance’ or ‘I’m not going to dance in front of you/them’
were common remarks heard in my sessions before I moved away from the
word ‘dance’ and replaced it with ‘movement’. Few people have a problem
with the idea of movement, and when we combine that with repetition and
connect the two in time with a musical pulse, it quickly becomes dance. The
other way we can help support reticent individuals utilise this element in their
therapy is to ensure these exercises are performed together with the
practitioner, or with the group as a whole, and not as an individual
performance, vulnerable to judgmental observation and heightened self-
consciousness.
Coordinated movement can also incorporate the technique of mirroring,
where one person imitates another – a technique used to increase empathy,
emotional understanding and social bonding between a practitioner and the
individual they are supporting or between members of a group (McGarry and
Russo, 2011). The motor processes (movement) of one person observed by
another stimulates emotional responses that allow us to interpret body
language, a critical social skill that is often missing in individuals with
sensory perception issues. Mirroring in movement increases mirror neuron
activity and can enhance our emotional sensitivity and communication skills.
The range of exercises outlined in this manual are designed to be simple
and fun – they are generally not introduced on their own but often
surreptitiously as part of a game in order to maximise engagement and
minimise shame or self-consciousness.
Exercises include:
• mirroring exercises:
» ‘Move With Me’ 12.5.1(a)
» ‘Up and Down’ 12.3.5(c)
» ‘Bounce Back (Back on Track)’ 12.2.10(a)
» ‘Grow’ 12.3.9(a)
• balancing exercises:
» ‘Balance Me’ 12.1.4(c)
• stretching and rotating exercises:
» ‘Stretch to the Rhythm’ 12.1.4(b)
• cross-directed limb exercises:

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 » Tag (You’re It!) With Rhythm 12.1.4(d)
» ‘The Two-Way Shuffle’ 16.3(a)
• obstacle manoeuvring exercises:
» ‘Friends’ 12.3.3(a)
» ‘The Human Maze’ 12.6.1(a)
• group coordination exercises:
» ‘Crossing the Line’ 12.4.2(c)
» ‘One to the Right, One to the Left’ 12.4.5(a)
• improvised expressive exercises:
» Into the Unknown 12.4.1(b).

13.1 Additional Exercises Utilising Movement

IND and GBP exercises – All ages. May not be suitable for person with
physical disabilities.

(A) MINDFUL MOVEMENT

A GROUNDING EXERCISE. SUITABLE FOR BOTH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS
Start with all of the group standing (move drums and chairs a short distance
away), planting the feet at shoulder width, bending the knees slightly and
focusing on pushing into the floor. Say: ‘Focus on cementing your body,
through your feet, into the floor below, so that you feel grounded, solid,
stable, and firmly connected to the earth. Slow your breath, and as you
breathe out, push down and strengthen that connection each time. If other
thoughts come to mind, recognise them and then come back to this focus on
entering your body and connecting to the earth.’
After approximately three minutes ask half the group to return to their
seats and regain their drums (every second person in the circle) and every
other person to move into the middle of the circle.
The people in the middle should walk in a circular route, in the same
direction, in time to a slow Bass pulse played by the other drummers and
focus as much as possible on their walk.
Say: ‘Start off by standing still and regaining that connection you had
before. Now walk slowly, and focus on your walk, how your feet touch the
floor. Notice the transference of weight between your feet. Notice the bend in

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your knees and the movement of your hips. If other thoughts come to mind,
acknowledge them and bring your focus back to your feet. Notice any
sensations from their connection to the ground each time you step. Notice the
different pressure of each part of the foot’s connection.’
After approximately three minutes stop the group in the middle and finish
with a short focus on grounding before reversing parts – the drummers should
move to the middle while the walkers go back to drumming. Repeat the
exercise.

(B) MOVE TO THE MIDDLE

Allocate members of the group to two teams using alternate seats. Every time
there is a break in the rhythm one team (alternate teams) must enter the
middle and perform a coordinated group movement.
Play a steady rhythm as a group and count down from four to STOP –
hold the silence for seven counts then re-enter the rhythm (i.e. stop on the first
note of a four-count bar and come back on the first note of the second bar
following that: STOP, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, START).
In the silence, people should move quickly to the middle and perform
different movements – ask your group to come up with ideas. High fives are
good options, as are leg rises with linking arms
Do different body moves in the gap and return by the eighth count to
resume playing.
Extension: Play tonal chimes (pentatonic scale) or other percussion in the
gap.

(C) FREEZE
Teach the rhythm break sequence where we stop the rhythm on a signal for a
set number of beats and then resume playing. In the break participants have to
freeze their body movement and facial expression until the resuming count.
Silly faces are good!
Extension: Ask every second person in the group to enter the middle of
the circle and focus on their walking. Have them move randomly to the music
but on a specific sound (e.g. a bell), their group must freeze. Any found
unbalanced at this point must return to their seat.

(D) COUNT AND MOVE

One chair is chosen as the ‘director’s chair’ and the person sitting in that chair
decides how many places the group will move (moving in one direction) by

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playing a number between one and four on the bell each time the facilitator
halts the rhythm (this is the only bell in the room).
Play a simple 4/4 rhythm and immediately after the facilitator counts
down to STOP (for a count of eight), the person in the director’s chair should
play their bell. The number of strikes they play will determine how many
seats in a clockwise direction the group members move, before they resume
their rhythm.

(E) STATUES
Half the participants should enter the middle of the circle and spread out so
they are not touching – then they should be asked to pose like a statue and not
move.
On a signal from the facilitator the drummers should play a single note
Bass pulse and the people in the middle can move one step for each note – not
touching anyone else.
As soon as the pulse stops, they must freeze as a statue again. Touching
anyone or moving in the silence takes you back to your chair. Vary the Bass
tempo to make it more challenging.

13.2 Body Percussion

Body percussion is another wonderful way of introducing people to rhythmic
music without the need for props of any kind. It combines the benefits of
music and movement and most importantly develops an increased awareness
of the body. We know that for many people who have experienced trauma,
and for the many individuals with sensory perception disorders, a
disassociation with the body is present that amplifies their condition and
reduces opportunities for social integration and recovery (Emmons and
McKendry Anderson, 2005; Ogden, 2006; Van Der Kolk, 2014). Body
percussion that emphasises grounding techniques by connecting the feet to the
floor is particularly helpful in supporting those who feel a weightlessness that
leaves them disconnected from, and unbalanced in their physical selves.
The basic building blocks of body percussion include:
• C: Clapping – different hand combinations and hand shapes (open
fingers, closed fingers)
• CL: Clicking – fingers and thumbs
• T: Tapping – different body areas including chest, shoulders, stomach,
sides, thighs and buttocks

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 • S: Stomping – of the legs and feet
• R: Rubbing – of the hands
• TH: Thumping – body beat using the thumb end of a clenched fist on
the chest or into the palm of the opposite hand.

I like to start these sequences with people sitting and do some simple ‘Call
and Response’ exercises (see Section 12.1.1) or ‘Simon Says’ to build
confidence. For more complex patterns, each of the body percussion elements
can be put into rhythmic sequences that will harmonise with each other by
allocating one movement to a specific count in the bar. So to start a simple
body percussion rhythm song, have your participants stand in the circle. Ask
everyone to vocalise a simple four-count backing beat (1, 2, 3, 4, repeat).
When this is steady, attach one movement to each beat or try out the patterns
below.
Basic Body Percussion Drills

Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Part 1 C C T T C C CL - C C T T C C CL -
Part 2 S S C C S S TH - S S C C S S TH -
Part 3 T T TH - T T CL CL T T TH - T T CL CL
Part 4 R R R R T T T T R R R R T T T T

For further body percussion arrangements, each of the rhythms in the

drumming catalogue (Chapter 10) can be transcribed to body percussion,
enabling you to do different rhythm harmonies by allocating different
members different patterns, and there are many more examples available
online.

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 14

RHYTHMIC VOICE

The use of the rhythmic voice in the Rhythm2Recovery program is a limited

one due to the fearful and anxiety-provoking relationship some individuals
have with singing, particularly in front of others. The paramount focus on
safety within the Rhythm2Recovery model reduces the scale of what is well
recognised as another powerful medium for emotional expression, identity
formation and communication (Austin, 2008). Introducing individuals to
finding their voice in a non-threatening way, means:
• avoiding a focus on correct tone, pitch or timing
• replacing words with sounds
• providing plenty of encouragement
• ensuring there is no element of competitiveness present
• ensuring the process is fun, rather than too serious or introspective.

Singing or chanting is common in healing traditions around the world and can
act on a number of fronts to improve recovery. Singing impacts the breath and
can help individuals whose breath is shallow or anxious, by encouraging
deeper breathing and, by association, lowering heart rate, calming the stress
response and improving the level of homeostasis. Singing also helps people
reconnect to their physical selves and allows them to give expression to
thoughts and feelings that might otherwise be repressed (Austin, 2001).
Singing in groups offers a range of benefits associated with the rewards of
social interaction, connection and belonging (Clift et al., 2008).
Chanting – rhythmic vocalisation – has been used in many different
cultural traditions, for spiritual, healing and academic purposes. Chanting has

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been shown to slow respiration and induce calm, as well as improve
concentration and memory (Bernardi et al., 2001). The mental clarity and
calmness induced by soft, repetitive chanting can be additionally reinforced
when synchronised with soft, repetitive musical rhythms. Chanting is
commonly used to reinforce the memory and recall of important facts and
details and thus can help embed important learning concepts in social and
emotional understanding. In the Rhythm2Recovery model, verbal chants are
developed by individuals to reflect upon identity and social and emotional
awareness and to reinforce affirmations, as well as to assist with internalising
attitudes and behaviour.

14.1 Rhythmic Vocal Exercises

IND and GRP. Age Range: 8 years and up.

(A) BREATH TO SOUND

MARY KNYSH, DAVID DARLING
One of the easiest ways to start people singing was taught to me by Mary
Knysh and starts by utilising the breath. Start by doing some focused
breathing exercises – in through the nose and out through the mouth; you may
also find an upward arm movement on the in-breath and a downward arm
movement on the out-breath helps to accent each action and improve focus.
Once this is occurring at a relaxed and even pace, ask people to breathe out
one note (vocal tone) of their choice on their next out-breath and hold it (the
facilitator should conduct this release by moving their hand away from their
mouth in a flowing gesture and performing a stop cut to finish the note). Try
this several times together on the out-breath.
The group should release this note together, reducing self-consciousness
and shame. It is also important to remind people that there are no wrong notes
– this is not a competitive exercise. In larger groups, the facilitator may
subdivide participants into smaller teams of three or four and practise
releasing these communal notes in smaller groups one after the other.
Participants should be asked to try to find a connection between their sound
and the sound of others in the same group and to adjust their note if
necessary.
Have the group move closer together and take them through some further
rounds, this time changing the volume to louder and softer. Finish by having
the group bring their volume down slowly so that it fades away to nothing.
Once this exercise has been tried a number of times, participants’

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confidence in their voice increases and these sounds and harmonies can be
incorporated into the drum-circle or transformed gradually into songs with
words.

(B) CALL AND RESPONSE

When you do ‘Call and Response’ on the drum it is easy to add some vocal
chants – always start with something humorous and make sure you use your
hands to show that you are expecting a response (open hands, palms up and
directed outwards towards the group). Sometimes I start with animal noises or
nonsensical phrases like ‘Do Wa, Do Wa’ and ‘Shoobee, Doobee, Do’ and
these can then be extended into scat phrases like ‘Boobalee, Do, Baaa, Ba,
Do, Ba, Do’, which usually end up being ridiculously long and leave people
collapsed with laughter as they respond.
Other phrases such as ‘Whose got the Rhythm?’ – ‘I’ve got the Rhythm!’
or ‘Can you feel that Beat?’ – ‘I can feel that Beat’ help to encourage and
focus the group on the rhythmic timing of the music and in particular the
pulse. Rather than do pure vocal ‘Call and Response’, I find that when it is
interspersed with instrumental ‘Call and Response’ it is less intimidating and
the two complement and reinforce each other – the voice becoming just
another fun instrument to play.

(C) THE FOOTBALL CHANT

GRP.

Many people have heard the chanting football crowds do in support of their
teams. This is a non-intimidating and culturally acceptable way for boys, in
particular, to find and use their singing voice. If you have people with a
history of cheerleading in your group, you can make them group leaders.
Divide and separate the group into two teams and ask them to come up
with a team name and then a team chant each (acceptable language required).
Give some examples of what a team chant might sound like:
• ‘We are the Titans, We are the Titans, Strong , Brave, Not Frightened,
Strong, Brave, Not Frightened.’
• ‘Rivals, Rivals, You Should Fear, The Midland Boys Are Here.’
• ‘Watch Out One, Watch Out All, You’re Up Against Us and You’re
Going To Fall’ etc.

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Go around the different groups and help out if they get stuck – ensure they
practise their chant as a team.
Bring the groups back together and start a simple, slow and steady pulse
(one person from each team may play a Bass drum). Ask them to visualise
being on either side of a football pitch (use another sport if this is not
relevant). Then ask one team to start and the other to answer, telling them that
passion for their team is what you are most looking for.
Finally, once the chants are established and answering each other, play
with different dynamics – slowing it right down, speeding it up and finally
fading away.
Once the practice of chanting is established, it can be utilised to
accentuate learning in other areas, with participants devising short chants that
represent their awareness and understanding of concepts drawn from the
themes of different sessions. These include:
• Values – ‘Tolerance, Loyalty, Respect and Truth – These Are My
Values, These Are My Roots’.
• Boundaries – ‘Hold the Line, What’s Mine Is Mine, Hands off Brother
and We’ll Be Fine’.
• Strengths – ‘Bravery, Honesty and Generosity: Three of My Personal
Qualities’.
• Identity – ‘I Observe Myself, I Respect Myself, I Know Myself and I
Grow Myself’.
• Self-belief – ‘If It’s Going to Be, Then It’s up to Me’.
• Emotional intelligence – ‘Let Go of Anger, Let Go of Blame, Let Go
of the Past and Live Again’.
• Affirmations – ‘I’m Going to Make the Most of Life, Nurture My
Friendships and Do What’s Right’.

(D) THE VOCAL YAWN

ADAPTED FROM B. MCAFEE
This is a good exercise if you have an individual or people in your group who
are tired or unresponsive and you want to liven them up and have a laugh.
You can implement it purposefully, but I often do it when I notice
someone yawning, by saying: ‘Hey, can I borrow your yawn for a minute?’
Ask people to take a good long yawn and then vocalise the outward breath
part of it. This practice can help reduce tension in the throat or jaw that often
impacts a singing voice.

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 Facilitate a song of yawns by first identifying different pitches of people’s
yawns and then having them come in over the top of each other in sequence.
Finish with very soft yawning, people going to sleep and snoring.
A fun way to change it is to add a ‘yawning break’ into a rhythm-circle –
start a rhythm with your group and count down to a break (4, 3, 2, 1, STOP)
before having people yawn together or in a prearranged sequence for a set
count before resuming the rhythm.

(E) RAP IT
SEE ‘FIND YOUR VOICE’ 12.6.5(A)
Rap music, the musical expression of the hip hop culture, is a powerful and
transformative musical genre of central importance to many young people in
cultures around the world. Using the musical vernacular of the individuals we
work with within our work is central to a culturally sensitive approach. Rap
music embodies a social force that articulates many of the concerns and issues
confronting young people in today’s society. Rap relies on simple syncopated
rhythms for its basis and the hand-drum can replicate these rhythms to a
degree. Scratching the skin of the hand-drum with the fingernails can also be
used to replicate the turntable technique of moving a vinyl record back and
forth whilst manipulating the crossfader of a DJ mixer. The music, and
specifically the intention of the lyrics in ‘rap’, are magnified by the repetition
of its rhythmic pulse.
In the Rhythm2Recovery model we encourage small groups to work
together to find ‘rhymes’ that fit into a standard 4/4 rhythm, across a 16-note
(4 x 4) or four-bar measure. It can be useful to have one person (a co-
facilitator) maintain a steady pulse on the first note of each bar to assist
individuals with their timing. The lyrics themselves should be aligned to the
theme of a session and, like the chanting exercise ‘The Football Chant’
14.1(c), can be readily adapted to a wide range of subject areas whilst
illuminating a personal perspective. Once the lyrics are completed, the group
can move on to adding different music effects to complement them – extra
beats, scratches, clapping, beat-boxing and dance moves.

Reflection on the lyrical content (sometimes written on a white-board) after the musical
expression itself forms the final stage of these exercises, where individual ideas, thoughts
and feelings can be discussed.

(F) A CONVERSATION IN PYGMY

When I was a bit younger (OK, a lot younger!), I travelled through central
Africa and spent some time living with the Mbuti pygmies in the Congo. One

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of the extraordinary things about that experience was their use of language,
which was sung rather than spoken. All language for the Mbuti was expressed
in a singing voice, which had evolved as an effective way of increasing the
range of their communication through the thick jungle that was their home
environment.
In this exercise, which requires a reasonable degree of trust and
confidence, the individual or participants are asked to sing a conversation.
Each person participates in the conversation using singing to voice their
questions, statements or responses. A conversation about the joys and
trepidations of singing can be a good, humorous topic to start this exercise.
Encourage people to experiment with different tones, pitch and volume. The
naming games 12.1.3(b), (d) and (e) can also be easily adapted to this
exercise; instead of ‘See It. Then Play It’ 12.1.4(e), you can instead ‘Sing It,
Then Play It’.
Singing is also a useful way to create a new rhythm – people can be asked
to find a short phrase that can be transposed onto the drum. If possible, work
in pairs so that one person signs the rhythm while another interprets it on their
drum; then once a regular pattern is established, the remaining members can
join in.

(G) WAKE UP YOUR FACE

ADAPTED FROM B. MCAFEE
This exercise breathes life into tired facial features. Ask the individual or
participants you are working with to make a ‘WOW’ sound with their voice,
while at the same time expressing the surprise associated with that word
through their facial features and simultaneously turning towards you or
another group member. That member passes the ‘WOW’ over to another
person of their choice in the same way and so the game goes on.
Next, have people stand and extend the ‘WOW’ sound so that it becomes
drawn out like a low hum and have people focus on their diaphragm, placing
a hand over this part of their body, just below the navel, and observing the
contraction as they inhale and the expansion on the outward breath. Maintain
the low hum and extend this focus to the feet and the feeling of being
grounded to the floor, and below that, connecting to the earth itself. Ask
people to focus on that connection as they continue that low hum and close
their eyes if they feel comfortable. Keep the hum going for as long as possible
before taking a breath and repeating it. After a while, allow the hum to fade
and remain silent for approximately 30 seconds after the last audible note.

He who sings, frightens away his ills.

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 Cervantes

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 15

FIVE KEY ANALOGIES

The use of analogies in the Rhythm2Recovery model is central to extending

the lessons of the experience to the awareness of the mind. Throughout
history people have used analogy and its extended form, metaphor, often in
the form of stories or fables, to communicate wisdom, values, morals,
standards and appropriate behaviour; using language from one field of
experience and applying it to another. The use of analogies and metaphors,
above and beyond the use of facts or statistics to impart knowledge and
understanding, derives from the safety of using symbols to give meaning to
events in our lives – safety through the avoidance of a direct association with
an individual’s story and instead using images that reduce the confronting
nature of overt personal exposure. This safety is also characterised by the
freedom of the receiver to draw from the metaphor their own associations and
meaning as it relates to their life experience. Analogies and metaphors also
help people clarify concepts that otherwise remain beyond their
understanding, by shifting perspective, removing blockages and opening
doors to growth.
Most of the analogies we use in the Rhythm2Recovery model are simple
forms that showcase similarities between the experience in the drum-circle or
playing the drum, to a range of relational issues. Participation in the drum-
circle itself is a social activity, whilst playing the drum is a form of both
physical and emotional communication; hence there exists a wide range of
parallels that can be drawn from these experiences to awaken understanding
in other relational areas of life. Extending these analogies across different
exercises and into ongoing sessions helps embed the connection between the
therapeutic experience and real life and any additional awareness it brings
forth. Aligning analogies and metaphors to the therapeutic needs of the

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participants requires an awareness of the presenting issues and a focus on the
purpose of the metaphor and how it can be utilised to help achieve a
therapeutic goal.

15.1 Finding Your Bass (Base)

This analogy draws on the basic evolutionary need for safety. Within the
Rhythm2Recovery model, the Bass note, in the centre of the drum, is seen as
a place of safety – a place to return to when lost in the complexity of a
rhythm. The Bass note connects directly with the pulse of the rhythm – the
same beat we automatically entrain to with our bodies as we tap along or
dance to a piece of music. At the beginning of any session, whether
educational or therapeutic, reminding people of a place of safety prior to
beginning a new experience is comforting.

FIND YOUR BASS – FIND YOUR PLACE

Use the ‘Find your Bass – Find your Place’ 12.5.7(a) exercise.

For many of the people we work with, life is often unsafe. Many people have
experiences of trauma, abandonment, violence and loss. Locating a safe place
is one of the keys to survival in the face of such adversity and uncertainty. For
many substance users, using their drug of choice takes them to that safe place,
whilst for others, safety is defined by the four walls of their bedroom or the
company of a close friend. By using the Bass note to represent the concept of
a base or foundation of safety, we can explore with participants the
importance of having such a place in their lives, what contributes to their
sense of safety, how to extend that sense of safety into other areas of their
lives and how to support others they care about (including their children) by
providing them with a similar, stable foundation.
This concept of base or foundation links closely to the importance given
to value formation in the Rhythm2Recovery format, which is also a key part
of the ACT model. Clarity of values provides us with a foundation for life.
Knowing what is important to an individual helps provide a direction and
purpose that many people find missing from their lives, as well as profoundly
influencing behaviour.

15.2 A Life of Rhythm

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This analogy utilises the primal place of rhythm in our lives, how these
rhythms impact us and our relationships and how they change over the course
of our lives. Rhythm can reflect any personal, reoccurring behaviour, such as
playing computer games, smoking ganja, gambling or riding your bike to
work. The applications are endless, as almost all human behaviour falls into
patterns or cycles. The individual, in conjunction with their practitioner, can
explore the impact of a pattern of behaviour on their health, their
relationships, their career and their happiness, and how it fits with their values
and the rhythms (patterns) of other people and the environment.
The rhythm analogy examines parallels between rhythm in music to
rhythm in life. One of the key points discussed is the impact of the pace of
rhythm and how, as we pick up speed, it gets harder to hold the rhythm stable.
In modern life, the pace of life, accentuated by technology, has been linked to
a wide range of stressors and health complaints (Read, 2006). Rhythm is often
perceived in terms of stability – as stable rhythms and unpredictable rhythms.
When the rhythms of our life are stable, such as our sleeping patterns, our
diet, our friendships, etc., we generally feel more comfortable and secure –
rhythms offer us a sense of security because of their predictable nature. When
these rhythms become unstable, such as when our sleeping pattern is regularly
disturbed, we eat irregularly or when our relationships become tumultuous,
we ‘get thrown’ and life becomes uncomfortable and insecure.
The security aspect of patterned behaviour can also work against us by
impacting our motivation to change when the pattern, though comfortable and
reassuring, is doing us harm. This is clear in working with addictive
behaviours where people often feel much more comfortable maintaining the
same problematic patterns than changing to something new and healthy that
remains unknown and thus engenders fear. The same metaphor also extends
to the negative impact of peers and family members who may be exercising
influence that is working against the future happiness of the individual but
represents their only relational bond, providing a sense of security and
belonging. In Rhythm2Recovery the practitioner can explore these types of
issues through activities that showcase the challenges of breaking free from
an unhelpful rhythm.
The analogy of rhythm can also be used to look at the internal patterns
that impact our physiology, such as our heartbeat, which provides us with a
rhythmic indicator of our physical state, and also our cognitive patterns or
thought processes and how elements of these, such as obsessive or
compulsive thoughts, can impact our psychology. On a grander scale, rhythms
can be used to provide insight into the natural patterns of the earth upon
which we live and how these are changing (some in response to global

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warming) and impacting our lives. For individuals who have suffered at the
hands of natural disasters, such as floods, fires or earthquakes, these
discussions often focus on the feeling of powerlessness we have when the
rhythm of life suddenly shifts and the challenges of adjusting our rhythm in
response.
(See Section 1.2 for further examples of the use of this analogy.)

15.3 The Drum as Your Voice, The Drum as Your Heart

Drumming is a medium of communication, described by many as a ‘language
of emotion’ that can ‘reach beyond the power of words’. Throughout history,
drums have been used to relay messages and to communicate orders or
announcements. In fact, there is a specific drum in Africa (called the ‘Talking
Drum’) that imitates the tonal qualities of the voice. In other cultures, drums
were used by the governing hierarchies to communicate with their
communities (Chatto, 1996).

This element of drumming allows us to follow the analogy of drumming as it

relates to inter-personal communication in its many dimensions. For many of
the individuals we work with, communication issues lie at the heart of their

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relational problems. Given the central importance of communication in
relationships generally, this metaphor has significant importance as an
educational tool in a range of settings, including corporate development, as
well as in therapeutic practice. In the Rhythm2Recovery model we examine
the key communication skills of listening and responding through the
different ‘Call and Response’ routines, and have a number of targeted
exercises for those with communication deficits, including sound localisation
issues.
Efficient communication using the drum relies on a number of factors,
which each have relevance for communication generally. These include the
clarity of the message itself as it is relayed and the level of attention it
receives from the recipient. Details that impact these two core aspects of the
communication cycle can be seen in musical language and how readily it is
interpreted correctly and responded to, or not. The complexity of a message
has a clear correlation to how well it is understood, as does the timing of
when it was sent. Correct timing helps align the musicians as they play
together and poor timing does just the opposite – how much communication
fails due to poor timing?
The way people communicate generally can also be examined in concrete
terms by having individuals communicate with each other in the session using
their drums. These conversations can then be analysed for clues about what
types of issues might be impacting their communication in real life, and the
same exercise can be replayed on a regular basis to build skills in this area.
These exercises have been particularly useful in my work with children with
autism, whose communication skills are an ongoing barrier to social
inclusion, and between family members who have become estranged. As a
reflection of community diversity, it is common to find both dominant and
submissive drummers in the drum-circle and easy to utilise this to explore the
impact of power dynamics on communication. We might also examine the
phrase ‘The best drummers play the fewest notes’ in relation to dominating
communicators or leadership generally. Each of these exercises provides a
safe, and often fun, vehicle for what might otherwise be a confronting look at
a particularly personal issue.
The drum is also an important tool for the expression of emotion and, as
mentioned previously, we often talk about the drum as a safe ‘vessel in which
to pour your feelings’. Drums are used to express a wide range of emotions in
music and can thus be used to assist individuals to express, release and
identify feelings for themselves. In my work I have met many individuals
who struggle to name or identify their feelings – the term ‘Alexithymia’ is
given to this condition. For these individuals, the use of the age-old

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therapeutic mantra ‘How did that feel?’ is either met with a blank stare or
with more overt resistance. Often, however, these same people are more than
willing to ‘Play how that felt’ and this physical activity seems to act as a
lubricant in assisting them to recognise and name those feelings that had
earlier eluded them.
Playing with feeling on the drum is a critical part of making good
rhythmic music and allows us to explore the positive aspects of emotion and
how it enhances our relationships. We look at a wide range of other issues
connected to our emotions and how they impact us, our perceptions, our
behaviours and those around us. Some of the different issues open to this
metaphor include the way we are impacted by each other’s emotions and the
dominance of powerful feelings like anger and resentment. We can explore
the repercussions of holding feelings inside and constructive ways for their
release (of which one is music), and we can also look closely at exercises that
allow us to take control of our feelings, and maintain our equilibrium as
oppsed to relinquishing ourselves to their control (see Chapter 11).

15.4 Team Harmony

Playing music with other people usually means working together towards
creating a harmonious sound. This simple fact means that delivery of the
Rhythm2Recovery model allows us to examine a wide range of elements that
impact people’s ability to work together. For many people who enter
counselling or who are referred to social and emotional learning programs in
schools, working well with others is challenging. Their social skills are often
low, as is their emotional intelligence. These deficits are often combined with
histories of dysfunction within the family and insecure attachment. This
inability to collaborate also impacts families when spouses are in conflict and
unable to negotiate, as well as larger organisations whose employees are at
cross-purposes. Teams generally can’t function when team members are at
each other’s throats, and many business organisations suffer from a toxic
work environment due to staff members who are unable to work well with
others.
When we are in harmony together as drummers or musicians, we are
exercising a number of skills; and equally, when we struggle to find a
harmonious connection, we are abdicating those same elements. The
practitioner can use this analogy to prompt the individual or group to reflect
on these areas and how they can be utilised to improve the way they work
with, or relate to, others in a range of different contexts. Harmony in the

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drum-circle, unlike other musical forms that rely on specific relationships of
instrumental pitch, is created through tonal and rhythmic alignment and
balance. These two concepts of ‘alignment’ and ‘balance’ are central to
healthy and harmonious personal relationships and are sometimes referred to
as ‘rapport’.
We often have a sense of when parts of our lives, including our personal
relationships, are out of balance, just as we recognise losing our physical
balance. We can explore balance in a wide range of life and social contexts.
In our drum play with an individual, or in the drum-circle with a larger group
of people, balance is often compromised by different volumes, different
tempos or a failure to connect two rhythms to a core pulse. In our
relationships we can use these markers to examine how communication
between people is impacted by differences in power or assertiveness
(volume), by conflicts in the pace of the daily rhythms of our lives (tempo) or
by a lack of synergy or common ground (core pulse). The earlier concept of
the pulse being marked by the Bass note, which represents a stable
foundation, allows us to extend this metaphor into examining differences in
values and other core beliefs that affect cooperation.

15.5 Community Drum

In group practice the drum-circle represents a community, working together,
playing together, sharing with each other, supporting each other, disagreeing
with each other, annoying each other, tolerating each other, working things
out together, etc. For many of the individuals I work with in the drum-circle,
and for more and more people generally, a connection to community with its
sense of belonging and acceptance is hard to find. Loneliness is becoming
endemic in our individualised culture and is the major cause of depression –
our biggest mental health concern (Eckersly, 2006).
Music helps facilitate social connection for people to whom it does not
come easily. The Rhythm2Recovery model allows the practitioner to draw
parallels between this musical experience and the challenges of community
connection generally. Multiple exercises in the Rhythm2Recovery format
involve individuals aligning their rhythms to those of a larger group, with one
of the major barriers to connection being the fear of change – for example,
‘This rhythm has worked for me in the past, so I’m sticking to it.’ The
changing rhythms of the drum-circle imitate the changing nature of
community and the different social norms present in different communities.
Participants learn to adapt their rhythm to changing circumstances, freeing

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themselves from unproductive rhythms (patterns/habits) that have increased
their isolation in the past.
The musical output of the drum-circle reflects the make up, skills and
commitment of its members, just as the production of a community of any
type does. Today many of us live in a multicultural society where the mix of
different people from different backgrounds adds to the richness of our
experience as members of these diverse communities. Tolerance, and an
appreciation of difference, are issues that can be explored using these types of
musical metaphors. I have worked closely with communities where there has
been inter-racial conflict using this process and seen first hand its potential to
break down divisions. Similarly, this analogy can be extended to explore the
many challenges that come from this same level of diversity – how do you
combine drums with bells and bells with shakers, etc? This has been a useful
analogy for our work with refugees who are experiencing the many
difficulties of assimilation.

15.6 Extending Analogy to Metaphor

Given the focus on safety for people resistant to talk-based therapies within
this model, most of the analogies used in conjunction with Rhythm2Recovery
exercises are brief in nature. However, longer, therapeutic metaphors or
stories can be used to help people clarify a concept pertaining to their
presenting issues. Storytelling, in the right hands, can quickly build a bond
between the storyteller (practitioner) and the individuals or participants they
are working with. Storytelling assists people to see new perspectives and
helps them access their thoughts and feelings, as well as develop a deeper
understanding of the issue before them (Blenkiron, 2011). Of all the many
interventions I have seen imposed on indigenous cultures dealing with the
aftermath of colonisation – traditional storytelling that accentuated values,
boundaries and cultural identity was amongst the most transformational.
One way to extend the rhythmic metaphor in order to help an individual
reappraise an issue that comes up for them in therapy is to find an individual,
animal or object whose rhythm journey can be used to replicate the
individual’s own journey or replicate an alternative, but foreseeable, journey.
Often I encourage individuals or participants to play both the rhythms and
emotions of the story character between different phases of the tale. Some of
the key characters that I have used include the following.

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The Gardener
The gardener was famous for his vegetables, which won prizes at the local
show. Each season the gardener followed the same rhythm of tilling his
vegetable beds, fertilising with manure and sowing his crops. In spring he
planted tomatoes and corn; in summer he planted melons and turnips; in
autumn in went his potatoes; and in winter he planted greens. He’d always
worked with this rhythm in the garden, year in and year out, and his
dedication had rewarded him with large crops that made his neighbours
envious. Things started to get difficult for the gardener when the climate
started to change; there was less rain, the summers were getting longer and
the days hotter. His routine stayed the same, but his crop was suffering. One
year all the melons shrivelled for lack of water and the tomatoes and corn fell
off their stalks before ripening. The gardener had always worked the same
way as his father had done, and he was sure things would get back to normal
– he wasn’t going to alter a routine (rhythm) that had done him proud year
after year. But things didn’t go back the way they were, and eventually the
gardener had to face the fact that he would have to change if he was going to
grow decent crops again, and that’s just what he did! He planted earlier in the
season, watered a touch more in summer, installed some shade cloth over his
tomatoes and corn to protect them from the sun, and soon enough he was back
growing prize-winning vegetables.

The Woman Warrior

In ancient China, all the grand masters of the martial arts were strong, proud,
and sometimes arrogant, men. At the time of this story, the Chinese people
were ruled by cruel leaders called the Manchus, and there was much
discontent. The leaders of the Shaolin temple summoned all the best fighters
together to design a fighting system that could be taught quickly to defeat the
cruel rulers. Among those who came was a young Buddhist nun, Ng Mui
(pronounced Nung Mee). Ng Mui was laughed at by the others for being a
woman, small and weak, but she let those taunts float past her. She knew
something that the others didn’t – that force and power were not necessary to
succeed and could easily be turned against an enemy. Ng Mui had watched a
fight between a crane and a fox and saw how easily the crane deflected the
fox’s attack. When the time came for the masters to show their fighting style
it was Ng Mui who prevailed. Instead of meeting force with force, she turned
the force set against her back onto her attackers and defeated them with their
own energy. Ng Mui is credited with inventing the martial art ‘Wing Chun’,
the same fighting style Bruce Lee learned as a boy.

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The Train
The train is stuck to the track. This story explores the limitations and
frustrations of the train that cannot leave the track and keeps repeating the
same circuit, day in and day out, until one day a linesman shifts the points to
allow the train onto a new route and a new world of discovery. The train is
fearful about entering the new line, but slowly builds up the courage to
change its routine and start on down the new track. This new world it enters
has its own challenges, as the train must cross bridges it has never been over
before, go through tunnels (periods of darkness), climb mountains and stop at
new stations, but with all these challenges comes a realisation that the world
is full of new possibilities.

The Horse
The horse is controlled by its rider – a mean, strict and dominating individual,
who only rides it occasionally, sometimes uses a whip to make it jump or go
faster and keeps the horse locked in a small paddock. One day a storm occurs
(play the storm) and the frightened horse jumps the yard fence and runs away,
galloping as far and fast as its four legs can take it. It gallops on and on,
through forests, across swamps, over rivers, scared – running, running,
running. Eventually it can run no further and it stops to rest. A young girl sees
the frightened horse and gently approaches it. The horse is distrustful of
humans, having belonged to a mean owner, but is too tired to run and so
permits the girl to take care of it. With time the girl wins the horse’s
confidence and they ride together exploring new horizons, safe in each other’s
company.

The Ship
The rhythm of the ship is controlled by the swells of the sea. For years the
ship has sailed a safe, stable passage between two ports in protected waters.
Then one day, seemingly like any other, its compass fails and its engine stalls.
It finds itself lost at sea, buffeted by large waves, rocking to and fro and
coming close to being swamped. The captain is scared but remembers his/her
training and throws out a sea anchor to provide some stability; the anchor
steadies the ship and helps it find its balance. Then the captain radios for
assistance and shortly afterwards some tug boats arrive. They cast out ropes to
secure the ship and help bring it back to calmer waters and safety.

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 The sound of the drum is the heartbeat of our mother earth. The circle is
the symbol of equality.
Ojibway proverb

The Old Car

The old car is feeling neglected. For years it has been running smoothly, but
some funny squeaks can be heard under the bonnet and rust has started to
appear on the body. The owner of the old car has another newer car that they
spend most of their time with, and the old car has been feeling abandoned and
unappreciated. One day the owner decides to take the old car for a drive to
renew their acquaintance, but halfway up a steep hill the old car stops, broken
down, and has to be taken to the service centre. The old car frets that its
owner will now reject it; it feels hopeless and worthless compared with its
rival, the new car. But after a new service, the old car comes back fitter than
ever, climbing the hill is a breeze and its owner welcomes it back home,
promising to take better care of it in the future.

The River
The river flows gently between the different towns that line its bank. The
river is a source of comfort for many people as well as many animals – the
fishermen who feed their families from its waters, the children who swim
when it is hot, the gazelles and zebras who drink from it when thirsty. One
night there is a big storm (play the storm) and the next day a young girl walks
down to the river and decides to go for a swim. She frolics in the shallows for
a while and then stretches out and swims towards the middle. Suddenly she
finds herself out of her depth and being dragged along by the fast-flowing
current – the storm has increased the flow of the river. She struggles against
it, trying to swim towards the bank and its shallow water where she can regain
her footing, but as she does so she feels herself quickly weakening, going
under. Her father sees her in distress and yells to her, ‘Don’t fight it – go with
the current.’ Doing just that she focuses on keeping her head up, but not
struggling against the strong current, instead allowing it to take her
downstream. After a while the river bends and the current comes close to the
bank where her father is waiting to catch hold of her and bring her to safety.

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 16

ADDITIONAL GAMES
AND EXERCISES

16.1 Exercises for Emotional Awareness

IND, GRP, FAM. Age Range: 8 years and up.

(A) NAME THAT EMOTION

Using the drum or facial expressions, or both, one person demonstrates an
emotion and the other has to name it.

Examine how easily we can misinterpret feelings and the consequences of doing so.

(B) CONTRASTING EMOTIONS

One person should play their drum with a particular emotion – the person
opposite should play the opposite emotion. For example: sad/happy,
fearful/brave, angry/calm, jealous/supportive, etc. Probe for feelings
associated with different emotions.

(C) A STORM OF FEELING

Issues Addressed: Emotional awareness, anger management.

Imagine your different feelings and emotions are like a storm building. Play a
rain storm with the group. Start off with light rubbing on the drum head, then
pitter/patter made with the fingertips, followed gradually by more rapid beats

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(Tones) and working your way up to a big Bass rumble, and then reverse the
order as the storm fades away.

Who has had feelings build like that? How did you let loose your thunder? What helps
people move through their feelings in a productive way?

(D) A BALL OF FEELINGS

Introduce the metaphor of a beach ball representing our feelings and emotions
and asking people to support each other by keeping those feelings up –
keeping the imaginary beach ball in the air using rumble energy. Say: ‘We
start as a group lifting the ball as high as we can with our combined energy
and then lowering it as low as we can before raising it to a median level, all
the time tracking it with our eyes.’

Discuss the challenges of staying positive and the support we can give each other in
keeping our spirits up.

Say: ‘Then we pass it on to one person’s drum and ask them to showcase
where their emotions are at present – low or high – before they pass it to
another person using their eyes to track the ball as it moves between players,
each person expressing the level of their feelings using rumble energy and the
height of the imaginary beach ball denoted by the level of their gaze.’

Discuss the changing nature of feelings, the sharing of feelings and the energy required to
sustain our feelings – noting how much you have to put out to keep that ball in the air as an
individual, compared with when you are getting the support of others.

The exercise also develops teamwork, emotional control and self-awareness.

In individual work, I have found this exercise useful in helping clients express
how they are feeling and exploring the same concepts but with a more
personal focus.

(E) RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Start by recalling the epic boxing match between George Foreman and
Muhammad Ali in Zaire in 1974. George Foreman was much bigger and
stronger than Ali and expected to win. Ali spent most of the fight avoiding
contact, dancing around George, until he was exhausted.

Discuss how many fights can be won when you avoid conflict? What are some of the
situations where you might need to stand and fight?

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Play ‘Call and Response’ 12.1.1(a) as normal, except that whenever you call
with a loud rumble, the group or individual you are working with must avoid
your invitation to rumble and reply with a very soft rumble.

(F) PLAY HOW YOU FEEL

Ask participants to express any feelings they may have at the moment on their
drum, emphasising that there is no right or wrong way to do this.

Remind participants of the need to constructively express feelings and that their drum can
serve as a safe container in which to release their feelings.

(G) FEAR
Fear is something we all live with, but that can sometimes grow to the point
where it becomes disabling, and we may spend our lives in avoidance, unable
to move forward with our lives and fulfil our potential.
In this exercise we look at two different responses to fear and challenge
people to move out of their comfort zone and face their fears, exploring the
challenges and benefits of doing so and how we might extend this process to
address other fears that are holding us hostage.

Start with a generalised conversation on fear - how it is a natural emotion that alerts us to
danger, but can also become overwhelming and and leave us paralysed.
We might seek out examples of common fears, irrational fears, responses to fear and
finish with examples or lessons from people who have faced up to, or overcome their fears.

The exercise starts with everyone playing a simple foundation rhythm and the
facilitator showcasing a sharp pattern on a high pitched drum that is a warning
of danger, like an alarm. On this signal group members are asked to freeze -
no drumming, no movement or sound at all for an 8 count rest, before
returning to the rhythm.
Practice and play this game a few times.

Then stop and point to the analogy between our fears and the way they stop us from moving
forward.

The exercise starts over with the facilitator this time providing an additional
option of facing up to our fears - “This time you can freeze or you can play
through the silence, but if you play you need to make up your own rhythm &
not play the foundation - in other words improvise.

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 Try this for a while so the rhythm flows with the solo break of 8 counts
occurring regularly in-between.

Discuss who chose which course and why - how much did your self-belief influence your
choice? How much was your decision influenced by the choices of those sitting next to
you?

Finally place 3 chairs in the middle of the circle, in a tight triangle facing
outward. This time we ask 3 people at a time to come into the middle and
improvise together in the 8 bar gap. Rotate through the group so everyone
gets a chance to be in the middle and share a few solos.

Finish with a discussion on how it felt to be in the middle and what this exercise might
teach you in relation to facing your fears.

16.2 Additional Exercises for Communication

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

(A) HAVE YOU EVER?

Ask the group a range of ‘Have you ever…?’ questions and get them to
rumble if they have and stay silent if they haven’t. Tell the group to ask one
question each of the group but not to make it too personal.

(B) THE BEST DRUMMERS PLAY THE FEWEST NOTES

Pass out simple parts from one of the songs in the rhythm catalogue (Chapter 10) and
before starting discuss this quote: ‘The best drummers play the fewest notes.’ Why would
that be? Have you ever met someone who was careful with their words? What about people
who never stop talking – how are they perceived? How easy is it for words to be
misjudged?

Tell the participants you will raise your hand with one finger pointing into the
air during this exercise and each time you do so they will remove one note
from their rhythm, allowing more space into the overall sound (one finger
raised = remove one note).
Start off the different rhythm parts and after a while gradually reduce the
number of notes by raising your hand and pointing with one finger to the
ceiling. Note the difference in clarity.

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(C) COPY THAT
Start a pattern and send it round the room – each person should replicate what
they get from the person next to them and send it on to the person on the
farther side of them. Keep adding new rhythms – vary their complexity and
note which are easier to communicate. Add a body movement to a rhythm and
see if that is transferable as well. Depending on the size of the group, you may
end up with several patterns rotating around the circle at the same time, which
keeps everyone highly focused.

Utilise this exercise to explore a range of communication issues including the impact of
rumour and cyber bullyng.

(D) TALK TO ME
Divide the group into pairs, who each have to come up with a two-part
rhythmic phrase that talks and responds to each other (i.e. no overlapping).
Try getting half of the whole group to play one half of this communication
each and explore adding their own variations.

(E) DIALOGUE
Divide the group into pairs sitting across from each other in the circle and
explain that each pair is to play a dialogue over the top of the group’s rhythm.
Have the group play a simple rhythm and showcase this with your co-
facilitator or a chosen group member.
The two parts should talk to each other across the circle and still
harmonise with the foundation rhythm. You can write up some simple
dialogue parts on a white-board if your group members are finding it a
challenge to make up their own (see parts from the exercise ‘In Balance’
12.5.2(a)). Also remind them that they can take their time to find the right part
and don’t have to come in straight away – say that they should listen to their
partner’s part and adjust their part to ‘speak’ to his/hers. Give them a few
minutes to practise this interlocking rhythmic dialogue.
Start a new foundation rhythm and one at a time introduce each pair –
give them about two or three minutes each before moving on to the next pair.

Note: Lower the foundation volume each time a pair is playing.

(F) PLAY HOW YOU FEEL

Ask participants to express any feelings they may have at the moment on their
drum, emphasising that there is no right or wrong way to do this.

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Remind participants of the need to constructively express feelings and that their drum can
serve as a safe container in which to release their feelings.

(G) FEAR
Fear is something we all live with, but that can sometimes grow to the point
where it becomes disabling, and we may spend our lives in avoidance, unable
to move forward with our lives and fulfil our potential.
In this exercise we look at two different responses to fear & challenge
people to move out of their comfort zone and face their fears, exploring the
challenges and benefits of doing so and how we might extend this process to
address other fears that are holding us hostage.

Start with a generalised conversation on fear - how it is a natural emotion that alerts us to
danger, but can also become overwhelming and and leave us paralysed.
We might seek out examples of common fears, irrational fears, responses to fear and
finish with examples or lessons from people who have faced up to, or overcome their fears.

The exercise starts with everyone playing a simple foundation rhythm and the
facilitator showcasing a sharp pattern on a high pitched drum that is a warning
of danger, like an alarm. On this signal group members are asked to freeze -
no drumming, no movement or sound at all for an 8 count rest, before
returning to the rhythm.
Practice and play this game a few times.

Then stop and point to the analogy between our fears and the way they stop us from moving
forward.

The exercise starts over with the facilitator this time providing an additional
option of facing up to our fears - “This time you can freeze or you can play
through the silence, but if you play you need to make up your own rhythm &
not play the foundation - in other words improvise.
Try this for a while so the rhythm flows with the solo break of 8 counts
occurring regularly in-between.

Discuss who chose which course and why - how much did your self-belief influence your
choice? How much was your decision influenced by the choices of those sitting next to
you?

Finally place 3 chairs in the middle of the circle, in a tight triangle facing
outward. This time we ask 3 people at a time to come into the middle and

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improvise together in the 8 bar gap. Rotate through the group so everyone
gets a chance to be in the middle and share a few solos.

Finish with a discussion on how it felt to be in the middle and what this exercise might
teach you in relation to facing your fears.

16.3 Additional Exercises for Teamwork

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 6 years and up.

(A) THE TWO-WAY SHUFFLE

INSPIRED BY G. HUXTABLE, W. HUNN AND S. WITEK
Put people into pairs and then teach the following routine, breaking it down
very slowly (people should sit opposite their partners with their drums
touching). Both people count out an ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4 during the exercise and
must start together. Choose who will be Person 1 (or A) and who will be
Person 2 (or B).

Sequence 1
1. Person 1 (or A) – Two Tones on their own drum while Person 2 plays
two pats on their legs (thighs).
Person 2 (or B) – Two pats on their own legs while Person 1 plays two
Tones (as above).
2. Person 1 – Two pats on their own legs while Person 2 plays two Tones
on their own drum.
Person 2 – Two Tones on their own drum while Person 1 plays two
leg pats (as above).

Practise this until it is fluid.

Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
1 or A O o Thigh Thigh O o Thigh Thigh
2 or B Thigh Thigh O o Thigh Thigh O o

Sequence 2

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 1. Person 1 – Two Tones on their own drum followed by two Tones on
their partner’s drum. That is each time both players are playing the
same drum.
Person 2 – Two Tones on their partner’s drum followed by two Tones
on their own drum.

Join the two sequences by agreeing on a signal for moving between the two,
and speed up slowly.
Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
1 or A O o B’s drum B’s O o B’s drum B’s drum
drum
2 or B A’s drum A’s drum O o A’s drum A’s drum O o

Advanced
1. Person 1 – Two Tones (own drum) followed by two pats on their legs.
Person 2 – Two pats on their legs followed by two Tones on their own
drum.
2. Person 1 – Two Tones on partner’s drum followed by two pats on
their legs.
Person 2 – Two pats on their legs followed by two Tones on their
partner’s drum.

Start slowly and speed up.

Timing 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
1 or A O o Thigh Thigh B’s drum B’s
drum Thigh Thigh
2 or B Thigh Thigh O o Thigh Thigh A’s drum A’s
drum

(B) PASS IT
In this exercise you pass one note or a series of notes from one person to
another in a specific sequence. First agree upon the order for passing – you
can use birthdays, oldest to youngest or the alphabetical order of their names.
Play one note only each and ask the group to pass that note evenly around
the circle in the agreed order. The group members have to remember the order

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and then work on how quickly they can get that rhythm moving – one
participant can time it on a stopwatch.
Other options include:
• trying it with different percussion
• trying it with eyes closed
• trying it with the tone chimes, but the time element reversed – how
slowly can we send it?

16.4 Generic Exercises

IND, GRP, FAM, COR. Age Range: 8 years and up.

(A) LAYERING IN, ONE PERSON AT A TIME

One person starts a simple rhythm, and one at a time each person enters the
rhythm with a beat of their own choice. Each individual can enter after the
person next to them or alternatively diagonally across the circle. Once the
whole group is playing, the facilitator can use a range of facilitation
techniques to add different dynamics to the group rhythm.

Discuss the challenges of connection, communication, harmony and teamwork using this
exercise. How important was having a stable platform to add to? What might that platform
represent?

(B) MAKE UP YOUR OWN

Whenever people are playing set patterns, it can be empowering to offer them
the opportunity to segue into playing their own rhythm, by adjusting what
they are playing to ‘make it your own’. This can be challenging for some
people who appreciate the safety of a set patterns, but in time can help foster
the creativity, flexibility and self-belief necessary for adaption to changing
life circumstances.

(C) MAKE UP YOUR OWN – SOLO

The participants play a simple 4/4 foundation rhythm and use a signal to stop
(4, 3, 2, 1, STOP on the first note of the next bar) and then rest for seven
counts before resuming play – practise this until it is tight.
Then have each person spend five minutes working out a simple solo
phrase they can play in that seven-count gap – showcase a few examples to

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help those who are less confident and offer the opportunity to add voice or
additional percussion instruments if available.

Examine how self-confidence and support influence creativity and problem solving.

(D) MUSICAL CHAIRS VERSION 2

A REGULATION EXERCISE

Issues Addressed: Focus, listening, regulation, change, perspective.

Showcase two similar signals on a bell:

1. Three clear strikes of the bell.
2. Two clear strikes, a gap and then another strike.

Play musical chairs and practise using one of the different patterns each time
the rhythm stops for the seven rest.
Then explain that only number one bell pattern means move from your
seat, while number two means stop and stay in your chair.
See how well people can recognise the difference and respond correctly –
moving seats on number one bell call and staying in the same place if you use
number two.

Discuss how challenging it was to recognise the difference and respond correctly.

Note: Use more challenging signals if these are too easy (e.g. different
melodies on the bell).

16.5 Exercises for Numeracy and Literacy

IND, GRP. Age Range: 5 years and up.

(A) STRIKE OUT

As a group, agree upon a number between three and nine.
Start off a count from one upwards around the circle – each time a number
that includes your chosen number is mentioned, you must hit your drum
instead of saying that number.

Advanced

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Additionally add any number that is divisible by the agreed upon number.

(B) HOW MANY BEATS?

Play a certain number of strikes on your instrument and ask participants to
count how many there are each time you play. Extend this to include addition
and multiplication (e.g. three times a set of three beats equals nine beats).

(C) COUNTING ON YOU

Use the ‘Counting on You’ 12.5.2(b) exercise.

(D) READING IN RHYTHM

Have people read a sentence each while playing a steady rhythm – pace the
rhythm to their developmental reading speed and see if it assists their fluidity.

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 17

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
AND EVALUATIVE
RESOURCES

The question ‘How do you know what you are doing is working?’ has become
an essential ethical consideration for the modern-day practitioner. Sadly, for
many people presenting for therapy or psycho-social education today, that
question receives only minor consideration. The presumption that a trained
professional will know how to help, backed by the huge political power
exercised by professional organisations, academic institutions and drug
companies, makes questioning this belief tantamount to insurrection. Yet
professionals in the therapy field, as well as many researchers, have long been
questioning the over-prescribing of drugs (particularly anti-depressants), the
limits of cognitive-based therapies and the efficacy of a number of other well-
established health practices (Holmes, 2002; Seligman, 2011).
Meta analysis research into the efficacy of therapeutic interventions has
shown that a number of our professional assumptions are wrong: evidence-
based practice is not an indicator of client outcomes, nor is any specific
technique or model (Imel et al., 2008). Neither academic qualifications nor
membership of professional associations have a positive impact on a client’s
level of recovery. What is known to really make a difference is the quality of
the therapeutic relationship and the degree of client-informed, reflective
practice that the practitioner engages in (Miller et al., 2004). These two
elements above all others influence client outcomes, and as such must be
given priority in our practice.

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 We have discussed previously the way that rhythmic music can facilitate
improved connection between a practitioner and those they work with,
reducing the shame and resistance that is often associated with talk-based
therapies. Client-informed, reflective practice is the other half of the
‘effective practice’ formula and involves regularly consulting those we
support on their perceived progress towards the mutually conceived goals
agreed upon at the beginning of our work together. These consultations can
take the form of interviews or questionnaires (see the downloadable
materials) and are most effective when connected to statistical markers that
represent progress to, or from, the goals of the intervention.
This form of evaluation is client centred, and empowering, and the
feedback is then incorporated into the way the practitioner works with the
client into the future. Key areas of feedback include a person’s treatment
preferences, including the focus areas of the intervention, its duration and
intensity and who will deliver it. In school-based psycho-social education,
this form of client-centred evaluation will need to be tempered by the
logistical imperatives of a school system, but in saying that, there are still
many options for the practitioner to tailor the delivery of a Rhythm2Recovery
intervention in line with the feedback of participants. Simple questionnaires
that canvas likes and dislikes with regard to different elements of the model
and its delivery, and questions that explore participant motivation and goal
orientation, can help ensure a program will be better directed and more
strategic in the way it goes about supporting its participants and achieving its
purpose.
The following is a list of appropriate questionnaires and other validated
measures that can be useful in evaluating a Rhythm2Recovery intervention. It
is important that practitioners utilise these tests in accordance with ethical
standards and only use tests for which they are suitably qualified and trained.
All tests have a cultural bias and results must be considered in light of this.
• Working Alliance Inventory Client (WAIC) Therapist (WAIT).
Examines the collaborative relationship between helper and the client,
meaning that there is a consensus and willingness on the part of both
parties to engage in and do the work that leads to improvement.
Available at: http://wai.profhorvath.com/downloads, accessed 15 May
2016.
• Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ). The GCQ consists of 12 items,
which assess members’ perceptions of the group’s therapeutic
environment including engagement, avoidance and conflict. Available

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 at: www.oqmeasures.com/measures/group-measures/gcq-s, accessed
15 May 2016.
• Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). The ORS consists of four items that
assess how clients are doing within social, inter-personal and
individual domains. Available at: http://scott-d-miller-ph-
d.myshopify.com/collections/per formance-metrics/products, accessed
15 May 2016.
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ). A range of
questionnaires designed to assess social and emotional issues that
impact behaviour for 3–16- year- olds, which is utilised by a wide
range of organisations working with young people. Different
questionnaires are provided to obtain perspectives from both the
young person and an observing adult. Available at: www.sdqinfo.com,
accessed 15 May 2016.
• Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2). Examines a
young person’s (5–18 years) inter-personal strengths, functioning in
and at school, affective strength, intra-personal strength, family
involvement and career strength. Designed to be used in school
settings, mental health clinics, juvenile justice settings and child
welfare agencies. Available at: www.proedinc.com/customer,
accessed 15 May 2016.
• Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales. This test
offers a targeted and comprehensive assessment of a young person’s
(3–18 years) social skills, problem behaviours and academic
competence. Available at: www.pearsonclinical.com, accessed 15
May 2016.
• Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). This is a ten-item
questionnaire intended to yield a global measure of distress based on
questions about anxiety and depressive symptoms that a person has
experienced in the most recent four-week period. Available at:
www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/k6_scales.php, accessed 15 May 2016.
• Becks Depression Inventory (BDI). A 21-question, multiple-choice,
self-report inventory for individuals aged 13 years and over. One of
the most widely used psychometric tests for measuring the severity of
depression. Available at: www.pearsonclinical.com, accessed 15 May
2016.

223
 • Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (SES). The most widely used self-
esteem scale. A ten-item scale that measures global self-worth by
measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self. The scale
is believed to be uni-dimensional. Available at:
www.wwnorton.com/college/psych/psychsci/media/rosenberg.htm,
accessed 15 May 2016.

See the downloadable materials for additional questionnaires.

224
 FURTHER READING

Currie, M. (2008) Doing Anger Differently. Melbourne: University Press.

DePree, M. (2008) Leadership Jazz. Sydney: Doubleday.
Faulkner, S. (2006) The Drum as a Healing Tool in Therapeutic Practice. Victoria
Park WA: Holyoake Institute. Available at: http://holyoake.org.au, accessed 15
May 2016.
Friedman, R. L. (2011) The Healing Power of the Drum, Book 2. Gilsum, NH: White-
Cliffs Media.
Hanko, J. (2011) 100 Learning Games for Special Needs With Music, Movement,
Sounds and…Silence. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Harris, R. (2009) ACT Made Simple. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Holland, D. (2007) Drumimagination. Self-published. Available at:
http://interactiverhythm.com, accessed 15 May 2016.
Holland, D. (2015) Body Jammin. Self-published. Available at:
http://interactiverhythm.com, accessed 15 May 2016.
Hull, A. (2006) Drum Circle Facilitation: Building Community Through Rhythm.
Santa Cruz, CA: Village Music Circles.
Hull, A. (2013) Rhythmical Alchemy Playshop: Volume 1 – Drum-Circle Games.
Santa Cruz, CA: Village Music Circles.
Kynsh, M. (2013) Innovative Drum-Circles: Beyond Beat Into Harmony. PA:
Rhythmic Connections Publications.
Kynsh, M. and Leathley, L. (2015) 1, 2, Let’s All Play. PA: Rhythmic Connections
Publications.
Levitin, D. J. (2006) This Is Your Brain on Music. London: Atlantic Books.
Levitin, D. J. (2008) The World in Six Songs: New York, NY: Dutton/Penguin.
MacTavish, H. and Balsara, Z. (2012) Songs, Science, Spirit: Musical Keys to Open
Special Doors of Ability. CA: Provident Publishing.
Masala, K. S. (2004) Rhythm Play. Austin, TX: Kenya Masala and Source Consulting
Group.
Oshinsky, J. Return to Child: Music for People’s Guide to Improvised Music and
Authentic Group Leadership. Available at: http://musicforpeople.org/wp, accessed
15 May 2016.
Sacks, O. (2007) Musicophilia. New York, NY: Random House.
Schneck, D. J. and Berger, D. S. (2006) The Music Effect. Music Psychology and
Clinical Applications. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Seligman, M. (2011) Flourish. Sydney: Random House.

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Small, C. (1977). Education, Music Society. Middletown Connecticut: Wesleyan
University Press.
Stevens, C. (2003) The Art and Heart of Drum Circles. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.

226
 SIMON’S BIO

If you want to know a little bit about my past and how it connects to this
work, well, read on.
For much of my working life I was a gardener. I ran my own nursery,
growing plants for sale, had a display garden for garden enthusiasts to visit
and designed and installed gardens for other people. I consider my work as a
counsellor an extension of this same passion: nurturing the best out of people
and providing the right conditions to optimise growth. My grandparents were
educators who stirred my passion for gardening, and in the early 20th century
they established a ‘radical’ school experiment that married education to the
running of an agricultural farm in northern Tasmania (Australia). They
strongly believed that practical, experiential education was a powerful model
for academic, social and personal development and their students spent many
hours in food production, much of which ended up on their plates in the
dining room each evening.
When I had my own children I was living in rural Western Australia, and I
became involved in youth work, initially as a volunteer, and later, after
returning to tertiary education, as a new career. I spent a lot of my early years
in the youth sector, working with the consequences of drugs and alcohol and
completed a double major in psychology and addiction. It was doing
preventative drug and alcohol psycho-education that led me to the experience,
described in the introduction of this manual, which brought rhythmic music
into my practice.
In 2003 I developed the Holyoake DRUMBEAT program, which became
a well-established social and emotional learning program in schools across
Australia and was utilised for other populations experiencing social and
emotional challenges. I was fortunate to receive a Churchill Fellowship in
2005 and travelled across North America researching the use of rhythm-based
interventions in health and educational settings, including observing
traditional methods employed by First Nations people.

227
 My work has taken me into a wide range of environments and allowed me
to work with, and learn from, people of all ages and from a wide range of
backgrounds in many different countries. In all those situations I have found
people with a natural affinity for rhythmic music and the subtle lessons it can
impart. Adaptations of the DRUMBEAT program were developed for people
with ‘complex needs’ and for parents, and the research base of the program
grew, with several independent studies supporting its efficacy as a mental
health intervention. I also worked with a computer game developer to design
an interactive therapeutic computer game called ‘DRUMBEAT Quest’, which
is played on a drum console and is aligned to the Australian Health
Curriculum.
I left my work with DRUMBEAT behind after 12 years and started
expanding the Rhythm2Recovery model to incorporate the growing evidence
supporting the newer, third-wave, behavioural therapies, as well as the
neurological research into the impact of rhythmic music on the brain,
particularly in relation to trauma. My practice has expanded from the youth,
drug and alcohol, and mental health fields to include work with prisoners,
aged care residents, veterans and most recently the corporate sector, where
problem behaviours and dysfunctional relationship are equally costly.
I remain a keen gardener and am always appreciative of rain.

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Work Research 23, 3, 145–158.
Read, N. (2006). Sick and Tired: Healing the Illnesses That Doctors Cannot Cure.
UK: London Phoenix.
Rice, N., and Follette, V. M. (2003) ‘The Termination and Referral of Clients.’ In: W.
O’Donohue, and K. Ferguson (eds) Handbook of Professional Ethics for
Psychologists: Issues, Questions, and Controversies. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications.

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Richardson, L. K., Frueh, B. C. and Acierno, R. (2010) ‘Prevalence estimates of
combat-related PTSD: A critical review.’ Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Psychiatry 44, 1, 4–19.
Sacks, O. (2007). Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. New York, NY:
Random House.
Schneck, D. J. and Berger, D. S. (2005) The Music Effect: Music Psychology and
Clinical Application. New York, NY: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Seligman, M. (2011) Flourish. New York, NY: Free Press.
Slotoroff, C. (1994) ‘Drumming technique for assertiveness and anger management in
the short-term psychiatric setting for adult and adolescent survivors of trauma.’
Music Therapy Perspectives 12, 2, 111–116.
Strong, J. (2015) Different Drummer: One Man’s Music and Its Impact on ADD,
Anxiety, and Autism. Santa Fe, NM: Strong Institute.
Sumari, M. and Jalal, F. H. (2008) ‘Cultural issues in counseling: An international
perspective.’ Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Health 4, 1, 24–34.
Tamplin, J. (2008) ‘A pilot study into the effect of vocal exercises and singing on
dysarthric speech.’ NeuroRehabilitation 23, 3, 207–2016.
Thaut M. H., Kenyon G. P., Schauer M. L. and McIntosh G. C. (1999) ‘The
connection between rhythmicity and brain function: Implications for therapy of
movement disorders.’ Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine 18, 101–
108.
Van Der Kolk, B. (2014) The Body Keeps the Score. New York: Allen Lane.
Winkleman, M. (2003) ‘Complementary therapy for addiction: Drumming out drugs.’
American Journal of Public Health 93, 4, 647–651.
Wolvin, A. D. and Coakley, C. G. (1995) Listening. New York, NY: McGraw Hill
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Yoon, J. S. (2002) ‘Teacher characteristics as predictors of teacher–student
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and A. C. North The Social Psychology of Music. Oxford: Oxford University
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232
 SUBJECT INDEX

Accent the Positive 46, 119–20, 146

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
and Rhythm2Recovery model 23, 24
acceptance exercises 177–8
active listening
in counselling and facilitation skills 62
Add Your Rhythm 140, 197
adversity management exercises 132–4
alcohol users
exercises for 169–70
and Rhythm2Recovery model 46–7
analogies
for Rhythm2Recovery model 216–23
Appreciation Chair, The 165–6
Are You In Or Are You Out? 138
Are You OK and Can I Help? 153, 170, 171, 182
Are You Ready? 192–3
Attention 186–7
Attention Call, The 75
autism
and Rhythm2Recovery model 38–9
awareness exercises 117–19

Balance Beat 137–8

balance exercises 167–9
Balance Me 111, 204
Ball of Feelings, A 228
bass notes 90–1
as analogy for Rhythm2Recovery 217
Bass, Tone and Flam 109–10
Becks Depression Inventory (BDI) 241
Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2) 241
belonging exercises 175–6
Best Drummers Play the Fewest Notes, The 231
Blame Game, The 71
body percussion 207–8
Body Scan, The 98–9
Bounce Back (Back on Track) 132–3, 158, 204

233
boundaries exercises 113–15
Breath to Sound 210–11
Buddies 131

Call and Response 37, 39, 104, 186–7, 211

Call and Response Into a Rhythm 104
Call and Response Over a Rhythm 104
call and response exercises 104
care and empathy exercises 128–30
certificate of Learning 202
change exercises 191–2
Change Is Coming 144–5, 191
choices exercises 121–2
cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
and Rhythm2Recovery model 23
Collard, M. 161
communication
exercises for 186–7, 230–3
Community Circle, The 139
community
as analogy for Rhythm2Recovery 222–3
exercises for 139–40
Contrasting Emotions 123–4, 227
Controller, The 188
Conversation in Pygmy, A 214
Copy That 37, 231
corporate management and staff
and Rhythm2Recovery model 54–6
Costs and Rewards 194
counselling skills
active listening 62
building trust and rapport 59–61
cultural awareness 65–6
difficult behaviours 66–72
empowerment 72–3
encouraging reflection 63
expression and validation of feelings 61
summarising 64–5
Count and Move 207
Counting On You 168–9, 238
country exercises 142–4
courage exercises 149–50
creativity exercises 190–1
Crossing the Line 117, 151–2, 190, 205
cultural awareness
in counselling and facilitation skills 65–6
exercises for 141

Darling, David 210

death exercises 182–4
Dialogue 232

234
difficult behaviours
in counselling and facilitation skills 66–72
exercises for 68–70
diversity exercises 140–1
Don’t Let It Bring You Down 157–8
Drop It 125, 161, 178
drug users
exercises for 169–70
and Rhythm2Recovery model 46–7
drum-circle facilitation skills
effective elements of 74–5
as recreation 77
signalling 75–6
drumming
as analogy for Rhythm2Recovery 219–21
tablature 92
drums 83

early childhood
exercises for 37–8
and Rhythm2Recovery model 36–8
Echo Wave, The 100, 124–5, 182
Ego Trap, The 162–3
emotional awareness
exercises for 227–30
emotional control exercises 122–5
Emotional Detective, The 129–30
Emotional Journey 45, 49, 170
emotional regulation
exercises for 98–100
empowerment
in counselling and facilitation skills 72–3
evaluation 202, 239–42
exercises
for communication 186–7, 230–3
for difficult behaviours 68–70
for early childhood 37–8
for emotional awareness 227–30
for emotional regulation 98–100
families, teams and communities 184–99
final sessions 199–200
generic 236–8
health and wellbeing 166–84
identity and culture 134–48
introductory 103–15
for literacy 237–8
for mental health 45–6
for numeracy 237–8
rhythmic movement 204–7
rhythmic voice 210–15
rumble games 105–6

235
 social and emotional learning 115–34
strengths and virtues 148–66
for trust 63–4
for values 27–31, 115–17, 189–90

facilitation skills
active listening 62
building trust and rapport 59–61
cultural awareness 65–6
difficult behaviours 66–72
empowerment 72–3
encouraging reflection 63
expression and validation of feelings 61
summarising 64–5
Fade Away 100, 102
fairness exercises 157–8
families
application of Rhythm2Recovery 32, 33 see also parents
exercises for 135–6
‘Families, Teams and Communities’ cards 47, 54, 102
families, teams and communities exercises
belonging exercises 195–6
change exercises 191–2
communication exercises 186–7
creativity exercises 190–1
leadership exercises 185–6
motivation exercises 192–5
partnership exercises 196–7
power dynamics exercises 187–9
values exercises 189–90
vision exercises 198–9
Fear 229–30, 232–3
Feel Your Bass 94
feelings
in counselling and facilitation skills 61
final sessions exercises 199–200
Find Your Bass – Find Your Place 175–6, 196, 217
Find Your Place 143–4, 176
Find Your Strengths 46, 186
Find Your Strengths Rhythm Game 178, 200
Find Your Voice 190–1, 213
Find Your Way Home 134, 141, 143
Finding Five (Or More) 115–16, 141, 190
Flam note 91
Football Chant, The 211–12
forgiveness exercises 158–61
foundation rhythms 92
Four on the Floor 93
Free Expression 45, 102
Freeze 206–7
Friends 46, 137–8, 205

236
friendship exercises 137–8
From LittleThings Big Things Grow 146–7

generic exercises 236–8

Gift of Hope, The 174–5
Give And Take 130–1
Giving and Receiving 132
giving back exercises 130–2
Giving Thanks 200
gratitude exercises 165–6
grief exercises 170–1
Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ) 240
groups
application of Rhythm2Recovery 32, 33–5
effectiveness of 34–5
pre-assessment make up 81–2
Grow 146, 204
growth exercises 146–7
Guide Me Home 197

hand–drum techniques 89
Hands Off! 69–70, 113–15
Hang On In There 152, 194
harmony
as analogy for Rhythm2Recovery 221–2
Harmony 196
Have You Ever? 231
healing exercises 172–4
‘Health and Wellbeing’ cards 47, 102
health and wellbeing exercises
acceptance exercises 177–8
balance exercises 167–9
belonging exercises 175–6
death exercises 182–4
drug and alcohol exercises 169–70
grief exercises 170–1
healing exercises 172–4
hope exercises 174–5
love exercises 179–82
relationships exercises 166–7
Heartbeat Rhythms 93
Help Me Out, If You Can 172
Hold Onto Your Rhythm 46, 99, 122
Hold Onto Your Values 46, 117, 169, 189
honesty exercises 150–2
hope exercises 174–5
How Many Beats? 38, 238
Hull, Arthur 58, 75, 104, 134
Human Maze, The 185, 205
humility exercises 162–5
humour exercises 161–2

237
Hunn, W. 234
Huxtable, G. 234

I Have a Dream 198

‘Identity and Culture’ cards 102
identity and culture exercises
community exercises 139–40
country exercises 142–4
cultural awareness exercises 141
diversity exercises 140–1
family exercises 135–6
friendship exercises 137–8
growth exercises 146–7
responsibility exercises 147–8
self-awareness exercises 136–7
If It Is To Be, Then It’s Up To Me 145, 199
If We Were All the Same 140–1
Imagine It Was You 128–9
In a Nutshell 199
In Balance 168
instruments
drums 83
percussion 84
recycled 85
tonal chimes 84
Into the Unknown 149–50, 205
introductory exercises 103
call and response exercises 104
establishing boundaries 113–15
introductory games 107–9
resilience exercises 144–6
rhythm coordination games 109–13
rumble games 105–7
introductory games 107–9
Introductory Name Game, The 107–8
It Takes Time 172
It’s Unfair! 157
It’s Your Choice 121
I’ve Got the Power 188–9

Keep Your Distance! 120–1, 169

Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) 241
kindness exercises 153–4
King, Terrie 50
Knysh, Mary 210

Laughter is Contagious 161

Layer In Your Rhythm 176, 196, 197
Layering In, One Person at a Time 236
leadership exercises 185–6
learning

238
 repetition in 20
Let It Go 158–9
Listen for the Bass 176
Listen Closely 187
literacy exercises 237–8
Lookout, The 46, 165
love exercises 179–82

Make Me Smile 161–2

Make Up Your Own 38, 46, 191, 236
Make Up Your Own – Solo 236
Marco Polo 156
McAfee, B. 214
mental health
exercises for 45–6
and Rhythm2Recovery model 43–6
metaphors
for Rhythm2Recovery model 223–6
Mindful Awareness Script – Awareness 172–4
Mindful Awareness Script – Country 142–3
Mindful Awareness Script – Death 182–4
Mindful Awareness Script – Forgiveness 159–60
Mindful Awareness Script – Love 179–80
Mindful Awareness Script – Humility 163–4
Mindful Awareness Script – Sound 62
Mindful Movement 205–6
mindfulness
and The Rhythmic Wave 95–8, 102
Mindfulness Awareness Script – Sound 118–19
Mirror That Emotion 45
moral dilemma scenarios 29–31
More Than a Name 109, 136
motivation exercises 192–5
Move to the Middle 206
Move With Me 166–7, 204
Musical Chairs Version 1 192
Musical Chairs Version 2 100, 237

Name That Emotion 227

Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out 181–2
non-verbal communication 57–8
in drum-circles 75–6
numeracy exercises 237–8

older people
and Rhythm2Recovery model 52–4
One Door Closes and Another Opens 133–4
One For All, and All For One 139–40
One To the Right, One To the Left 154–6, 197, 205
One, Two, Three and A Place For Me 94
ongoing support 201–2

239
Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) 241

parents
and Rhythm2Recovery model 51–2 see also families
partnership exercises 196–7
Pass It 235
Pass the Rumble 105
percussion instruments 84
performance in Rhythm2Recovery program 200–1
perseverance exercises 152
Play How You Feel 229, 232
Play It Fast, Play It Slow 100
Play It Loud, Play It Soft 100
Positive Psychology (PP)
and Rhythm2Recovery model 23, 24–5, 60
positive relationships exercises 127–8
posture 89
power dynamics exercises 187–9
Pressure Pot, The 45, 122–3
Pressure Valve 45, 100, 123
Put Ups – What I Like About You 126–7, 154

Quitting Is Easy 152

Rap It 213–14
Reading in Rhythm 238
recreation
in drum-circles 77
recycled instruments 85
reflection
in counselling and facilitation skills 63
Relate to the Rumble 167
relationships exercises 166–7
repetition
role in learning 20
resilience exercises 144–6
responsibility exercises 147–8
rhythm
as analogy for Rhythm2Recovery 217–18
importance to life 18–19
as metaphor for life 21–2
as non-verbal communication 57–8
in trauma treatment 19–20
rhythm cards 46, 47, 54, 102
rhythm coordination games 109–13
Rhythm Name Pass 107
rhythm songs
bass and tone notes 90–1
drum songs 93–4
drumming tablature 92
Flam and Slap notes 91

240
 foundation rhythms 92
hand–drum techniques 89
pace of 92
posture for 89
safety in 89–90
Rhythm2Recovery model
alcohol users 46–7
analogies for 216–232
applications with individuals, families and groups 32–5
certificates for 202
corporate management and staff 54–6
description of 23–6
drug users 46–7
early childhood 36–8
evaluation of 202, 239–42
learning in 20
mental health 43–6
metaphors for 223–6
older people 52–4
ongoing support 201–2
parents 51–2
performance in 200–1
pre-assessment of groups 81–2
and rhythm as life metaphor 21–2
rhythmic movement in 203–4
rhythmic voice in 209–10
room set up for 78–80
special needs individuals 38–40
supportive environment 80
trauma 47–9
and values clarification 26–31
veterans 49–51
young people 41–3
Rhythmic Conversation, A 128
rhythmic movement
and body percussion 207–8
exercises for 204–7
in Rhythm2Recovery model 203–4
rhythmic voice
exercises for 210–15
in Rhythm2Recovery model 209–10
Rhythmic Wave, The
and mental health 44
and mindfulness 95–8, 102
and trauma 49
room set up 78–80
Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (SES) 241–2
Rumble Basketball 106
Rumble Facilitation 105
Rumble for the Giving 131–2
Rumble If You Hope To 46, 174

241
Rumble in the Jungle 69, 100, 228–9
rumble games 105–7
Rumble Solo 107
Rumbles 39

safety
in counselling and facilitation skills 67
during drumming sessions 89–90
strategies with young people 42–3
Say Your Name and Play Your Name 109
Scratch My Back 135–6
See It, Then Play It 112, 198–9
self-awareness exercises 136–7
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? 194–5
Show Some Emotion 45, 117
signalling
in drum-circles 75–6
Slap note 91
‘Social and Emotional Learning’ cards 46, 47, 102
social and emotional learning exercises
adversity management exercises 132–4
awareness exercises 117–19
care and empathy exercises 128–30
choices exercises 121–2
emotional control exercises 122–5
giving back exercises 130–2
positive relationships exercises 127–8
thoughts and feelings exercises 119–21
tolerance and understanding exercises 125–8
values exercises 115–17
Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales 241
Speaker’s Chair, The 63–4
special needs individuals
and Rhythm2Recovery model 38–40
Standing Up For It 149–50
Statues 207
Stop Cut 186
Stop Or Go 193
Storm of Feeling, A 38, 227–8
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) 241
‘Strengths and Virtues’ cards 102
strengths and virtues exercises
courage exercises 149–50
fairness exercises 157–8
forgiveness exercises 158–61
gratitude exercises 165–6
honesty exercises 150–2
humility exercises 162–5
humour exercises 161–2
kindness exercises 153–4
perseverance exercises 152

242
 teamwork exercises 154–7
Stretch to the Rhythm 110, 204
Strike Out 237
Struggle Stop 177–8
summarising
in counselling and facilitation skills 64–5
Swing Time 94

Tag (You’re It) With Rhythm 111–12, 205

Talk to Me 231–2
teamwork exercises 154–7, 234–5
therapeutic environment
pre-assessment of groups 81–2
room set up 78–80
supportive environment 80
Thinking Of You and What You’re Going Through 171
Thoughtful Rhythm, The 153–4
thoughts and feelings exercises 119–21
tolerance and understanding exercises 125–8
tonal chimes 84
tonenotes 90–1
trauma
importance of rhythm 19–20, 47–8
and Rhythm2Recovery model 47–9
trust
in counselling and facilitation skills 59–61
exercises for 63–4
Trust Me 150–1, 196
Twisting the Truth and the Silent Lie 151
Two-Way Shuffle, The 197, 205, 234–5

Up and Down 125–6, 141, 204

values
and corporate management and staff 55
exercises for 27–31, 115–17, 189–90
moral dilemma scenarios in 29–31
in Rhythm2Recovery model 26–31
Values Rhythm, The 116, 189
veterans
and Rhythm2Recovery model 49–51
vision exercises 198–9
Vocal Yawn, The 213

Wake Up Your Face 214–15

What Do You Know About? 108
What Do You Want From Your Life? 28–9
What Does a Good Friend Do? Part 1 27
What Does a Good Friend Do? Part 2 28
What I’d Do For Love 180–1
What Sound Was That? 37, 112–13

243
Witek, S 234
Working Alliance Inventory Client (WAIC) 240
Working Alliance Inventory Therapist (WAIT) 240

young people
and Rhythm2Recovery model 41–3
Your Family, Your Bass 135

Zombie 137

244
 AUTHOR INDEX

Acierno, R. 49
Amir, D. 50
Arthur, M.W. 46
Austin, D. 209
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 53

Bennett, M.P. 162

Bensimon, M. 50
Berger, D.S. 45
Bernardi, L. 210
Biggs, J. 40
Blenkiron, P. 223
Brinol, P. 89

Campitelli, G. 20
Carr, E.G. 67
Chanda, L.C. 19, 20, 47, 95
Chatto, A. 219
Clift, S. 209
Coakley, C.G. 62
Csikszentmihalyi, M. 71

DeCasper, A.J. 19
Durlak, J.A. 24

Eckersly, R. 222
Emmons, G.P. 207

Fancourt, D. 44
Flores, K. 89
Follette, V.M. 201
Friedman, R.L. 44
Frueh, B.C. 49

Gan, S. 41
Garcia Coll, C. 134
Gobet, F. 20

Hambrick, E. 19, 20, 48

245
Hari, J. 46
Hawkins, J.D. 46
Hayes, S.C. 71
Holmes, J. 239
Holyoake Institute 43, 45

Imel, Z.E. 239

Kenyon, G.P. 203

Kounin, J. 70

Lengacher, C. 162
Levitin, D.J. 19, 20, 43, 47, 95
Lou, C. 21

Mabbot, D.J. 20
MacTavish, H. 53
Marks, A.K. 134
McGarry, L.M. 204
McKendry Anderson, L.M. 207
Medina, J. 70
Miller, S.D. 59, 239
Minton, K. 48

Norcross, J. 41, 60

Ogden, P. 48, 207

Pain, C. 48
Perry, P.B. 19, 20, 48
Petty, R.E. 89
Pollard, J.A. 46

Read, N. 218
Rice, N. 201
Richardson, L.K. 49
Russo, F.A. 204

Sacks, O. 85
Schneck, D.J. 45
Seligman, M. 25, 239
Slotoroff, C. 47
Strong, J. 39
Strosahl, K. 72

Tamplin, J. 58
Thaut, M.H. 203

Van Der Kolk, B. 20, 23, 48, 95, 207

Wilson, K.G. 72
Winkleman, M. 47
Wolf, Y. 50

246
Wolvin, A.D. 62

Yoon, J.S. 68

Zillman, D. 41

247
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank all those who inspired and supported this work
and the many individuals who have participated in Rhythm2Recovery
programs. Your contributions and wisdom are firmly embedded in this work.
Special thanks go out to my family, who have provided the foundation from
which this work has grown and the nurturing love that has enabled my interest
in this field to develop and thrive.
For information on Accredited Rhythm2Recovery Training Programs visit
www.rhythm2recovery.com

Contact: [email protected]

248
First published in 2017
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.jkp.com

Copyright © Simon Faulkner 2017

Foreword copyright © James Oshinsky 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material
form (including photocopying, storing in any medium by electronic means or
transmitting) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in
accordance with the provisions of the law or under terms of a licence issued in the UK
by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. www.cla.co.uk or in overseas territories by
the relevant reproduction rights organisation, for details see www.ifrro.org.
Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this
publication should be addressed to the publisher.

Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result
in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Names: Faulkner, Simon.
Title: Rhythm to recovery : a practical guide to using percussion, voice and music for
social and emotional development / Simon Faulkner ; foreword by James
Oshinsky.
Description: London ; Philadelphia : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016022422 | ISBN 9781785921322 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Music therapy. | Drum circles. | Socialization.
Classification: LCC ML3920 .F24 2017 | DDC 615.8/5154--dc23 LC record available
at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-
3A__lccn.loc.gov_2016022422&d=DQIFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-
v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=4EemtO9R1x-uacXap7EaQ1RHPq9-MnYBwnfuC-
ulpHU&m=g67BJCtbeF_5_OVUT4WJr09mMFIc1TWbPTBL4ContTY&s=tXM_piF1S7-
Sj59R7amJtTxB6qUtqVheSRSXQa-FZes&e=

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 78592 132 2

249
ISBN 978 1 78592 132 2
eISBN 978 1 78450 397 0

250
of related interest

Eurhythmics for Autism and Other Neurophysiologic Diagnoses

A Sensorimotor Music-Based Treatment Approach
Dorita S. Berger
Foreword by Stephen M. Shore
ISBN 978 1 84905 989 3
eISBN 978 0 85700 905 0

Using Poetry to Promote Talking and Healing

Pooky Knightsmith
Foreword by Catherine Roche and Dr Fiona Pienaar
ISBN 978 1 78592 053 0
eISBN 978 1 78450 323 9

Cartooning Teen Stories

Using Comics to Explore Key Life Issues With Young People
Jenny Drew
ISBN 978 1 84905 631 1
eISBN 978 1 78450 106 8

The Book of Games and Warm Ups for Group Leaders

Second Edition
Leo Rutherford
ISBN 978 1 84819 235 5
eISBN 978 0 85701 184 8

Neuroscience for Counsellors

Practical Applications for Counsellors, Therapists and Mental Health Practitioners
Rachal Zara Wilson
Illustrated by Pagan Tawhai
ISBN 978 1 84905 488 1
eISBN 978 0 85700 894 7

Once Upon a Group

A Guide to Running and Participating in Successful Groups
Second Edition
Maggie Kindred and Michael Kindred
ISBN 978 1 84905 166 8
eISBN 978 0 85700 380 5

251
‘In Rhythm to Recovery, Simon Faulkner has distilled years of successful, evidence-
based practice into a comprehensive series of highly accessible rhythmic exercises and
reflective starting points that will be a valuable addition to any therapeutic
practitioner’s toolkit. What’s more, he has opened up the field of rhythm work in such
a way that no prior musical expertise is needed to be able to use these exercises –
making this accessible to therapists, educators and group leaders who may never have
considered using rhythm in their work until now. Highly recommended!’
– Dr Jane Bentley, specialist consultant, music in health care settings

‘Over the past several years Simon Faulkner has trained a large number of our school
counsellors in using rhythmic based interventions. This model has been of great value
for them in both individual and group work. The manual and the cards are easy to
follow and very practical. My team have had great success working with children,
adolescents, older people and residents in rehabilitation centres.

The versatility of the Rhythm2Recovery model makes it suitable for use with
a variety of ages and presentations – from students who are very anxious and
withdrawn to those that have difficulty with emotional regulation and
substance abuse.

Everyone benefits from drumming – the participants are able to address issues
and communicate while having fun and the facilitators enjoy it too.’

– Virgina Banks, Senior Team Leader, School Counselling Programs, Catholic

Education, Sydney

‘If you are now working with, or ever planning to work with, any type of at risk
population in schools, behavioural centres, hospitals, drug and alcohol rehabs, mental
health rehabs, trauma services, prisons or child protection services, then you cannot
afford to miss an opportunity to learn from the body of work Simon Faulkner provides
in this new book.’
– Arthur Hull, Village Music Circles, CA

‘The beauty of what Simon offers with the Rhythm2Recovery model is in its
flexibility. I am able to tailor the program to the needs of the group. Whether in
sessions with individuals all the way through to larger groups, R2R allows me the
flexibility to address any number of issues that come up and for any length of time.’
– Gerard McDonnell, Senior Psychological Advisor, Specialist Support Unit, NSW
Education

252
Indice
Title Page 2
Contents 3
Foreword 5
Introduction 8
Part 1 Theory, Research and Resources 11
1 Why Rhythm? 12
2 The Rhythm2Recovery Model 17
3 Individual, Family and Group Applications 26
4 Working with Specific Populations 30
5 Less Talk and More Rhythm 50
6 Counselling and Facilitation Skills 52
7 Drum-Circle Facilitation Skills 66
8 The Context 70
9 Resources: What You Need to Get Going 75
Part 2 Games, Exercises and Applications 78
10 A Rhythm Catalogue 79
11 The Rhythmic Wave: Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation 87
12 Sessional Themes and Rhythmic Exercises 95
13 Rhythmic Movement 186
14 Rhythmic Voice 192
15 Five Key Analogies 199
16 Additional Games and Exercises 210
17 Reflective Practice and Evaluative Resources 221
Further Reading 225
Simon’s Bio 227
References 229
Subject Index 233
Author Index 245
Acknowledgments 248
Copyright 249
Of Related Interest 251
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Of Related Interest 251
Endorsements 252

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