Music in the working phase

When you work with other people When you choose particular tools
When you choose particular pieces of music

Always have the general goal of your work in mind:

What is it you are trying to achieve
In general - specifically in that situation

 

Music can be utilised in a number of ways:

• On its own, with no instructions other than what the composer has said, like in concerts.

• In development group settings on its own, but interacting with the specific group atmosphere.

• With instructions:

As a part of a fantasy journey
As polarity to a instruction
As a tool to lift emotions
As an aid in surrendering to the Divine

We will go further into these categories throughout this course.

Group work typically go through the following stages:

Start: Getting used to and in harmony with each other, the place, the way
of working. Good keywords for a working flow are : Trust; Expansion; Exploration; Conclusion

Closure: Summarise experiences. Check if anything is left unfinished. Help to translate experiences into every day life.

There is a golden rule - if you want to keep an inner experience, give it away - so a good last exercise is like this: In your minds eye, give your experience to the Divine and/or or to someone that needs it.

 

Music as a tool in the opening phase Typical instructions:

• Be present, feel the group, yourself, the room, everything.
  Make yourself at home.

• Be present, what is your driving force,
  is there a theme for this weekend?

• Be present, then contemplate "trust" in the group,
  in your self, in whatever comes up.

 

Good music for these instructions

Johan Sebastian Bach organ works
Beethoven: Symphonies
David Hykes
Didgeridoo

After the music, invite peole to share: "How was that?"
The theme of the workshop will often be visible already now.

Don’t lock yourself too hard into a goal for the group,
take one step at a time, let the next evolve from the present.

Allow the unexpected to come in!

In order to choose appropiate music and exercises, maybe have a plan, but even more, listen to feedback from the group members

Use your sensitivity

What is going on here?

Projections

Emotions that are in the open

Emotions that are hidden

Mental concepts on the issues:

(I am sad because…)

Confusion

Etc.

When listening to music it is sometimes obvious what sort of inspiration that lead to the music.

This can be used reversed, as inspiration to create an instruction to the music, suggestion some sort of investigation in the sphere the music is already creating.

Examples of obvious music:

Beethoven: Pastoral
Debussy: La Mere
Nature sounds in themselves, without music


More provoking examples could be:
Contemplate love -while playing a blues for example Careless love
(Blues always is about impossible or lost love)

Contemplate cynicism versus realism, while playing Leonard Cohen, ( for example When it comes down to dust I’ll kill you if I must)

Check your own grounding and centeredness,
maybe you are the only person grounded

Remember:

ALL UNCONSCIOUS IS PROJECTED!
Yours and group members


Music in the working phase:
Music as a stirrer

What is the purpose of your group?
What sort of "stirring" are you aiming at?

Music that is stirring
Joergen Mortensen: Spiro; Cyklus
Per Noergaard: Iris Libra
Heart-sounds from the womb
Ocean-waves
Sounds of the Humpback whales

This type of music will frequently lead to transpersonal experiences

After powerful experiences
soothing and stabilising is often appropiate.

 

Music as a soother

In a normal life our moods are up and down; in groups these feelings are often amplified. After powerful work, with a lot of feelings on the boil, it can be a very good idea to put on a peace of music that is soothing while having a break.

 

Often just doing that, can mean that the atmosphere is much better for further work on the issue after the break.

Examples:
Beethoven Eroica
Zamphir

Music as a stabilizer
The difference between soothing and stabilizing could be described this way: Soothing brings you away from the hot issue Stabilizing makes you better capable to face the hot issue.

Examples:
The Ocean
Tambura
Bells

 

We have learned not to listen
We are constantly bombarded with music, often to the extend, that in order to survive, we have to learn not to listen. This is a problem that affects group work. A down to earth distinction this force us to, is between all sorts of music that may be alright, good fun, nice etc., and what we could term ‘higher music’, music that has higher vibrations as its resonance.

Music is an outer event
Music is often a good support so that it can prevent the mind from wandering too much away from a task, but music is external, so readiness to go deep within, beyond the mind, is strongly impaired by most music, ultimately by all music.

Higher music reflects aspects of the Divine.
Many people hear inner music when they are in higher states of consciousness.
This is because music, or more precise, harmonious vibration, is at the core of Divine manifestation

In the beginning was the word

Examples:
Zygar: Gongs
Haendel: Hallelujah (from Messiah)
Arvo Paart: Te Deum

Beyond therapy

Music of this quality can be used in approaches to development that goes beyond therapy, for example working with higher symbols, but if the music is put on, when the group is not ready, it won’t work.

Group work typically go through the following stages:

Start:
Getting used to and in harmony with each other; the place
The way of working

Work:
Trust; epansion; exploration; conclusion

Closure:
Summarize experiences
Check if anything is left unfinished
Help to translate experiences into every day life

Give experience to the Divine and or to someone that needs it.


 

 

 

Music as a tool in the opening phase:
Typical instructions:

• Be present, feel the group, yourself, the room, everything. -make yourself at home.

• Be present, what is your driving force, is there a theme for this weekend?

• Be present, then contemplate "trust" in the group, in your self, in whatever comes up.

Good music for these instructions
Johan Sebastian Bach organ works
Beethoven: Symphonies
David Hykes
Didgeridoo

After the music, suggest your groupmembers to share their experiences.
The theme of the workshop will often be visible already now.

Don’t lock yourself too hard into a goal for the group, take one step at a time, let the next evolve from the present. Allow the unexpected to come in!


Music used to aid summarizing the group process:
Instruction: Go through the weekend and feel if you have left anything behind that needs to be looked at, shared or integrated.

Good music for this type of work:
Joergen Mortensen: Grounding
Spiro
Beethoven: 3 or 6 Symphony
Alistair Black: Earth tones (Didgeridoo)


Music used to close a group
Instruction:

• Try to feel the essence of the weekend. Give this essence to the Divine and/or to someone presenting themselves to you that needs it.

• Link in to the most powerful experience you have had, and give that to somebody who needs it.

Good music for this type of work:
Berlioz: Te Deum
Gounod: Mass of St. Cecile
Chevetogne monks: Chants de la Liturgie Slavonne
Dawn breakers: Call of the beloved