The power of words -

 and the effects can last a lifetime.

I would like to give full credit to the artist/author of this powerful, thought provoking shot. If anyone knows where it came from please let me know.

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Norway

Today I'm over at jumpingaground sharing my thoughts for Norway and my blog friends with a Drabble (here).  For well expressed information, check out the Giraffability of Digressions,   Here.

East Side Gallery. Berlin.

The Transformers Choir & the power of music to heal.

Songwriting as a tool to process grief.

Dr Felicity Baker at the Happiness and its Causes conference discussed research into the power of music which showed that listening to music helps people who have had strokes improve their cognition and ability to think. She also discussed the therapeutic value of songwriting as a tool to help process grief as well as joy.

It’s like telling healing stories in a musical way. 

We heard in a panel discussion that musicians are sensitive souls who need to understand the depth of human emotions to be able to express them through song and music.

“It’s a gift to be able to move people to tears. Musicians are sensitive souls and need to understand emotion and to share, to be vulnerable in front of an audience for a living, to lay oneself bare, for the emotions to be bare, as a gift to the audience”.

The Transformers Choir
The Transformers are a group who experience extreme disadvantage in their communities and may experience mental health problems, general disability and homelessness in inner city Brisbane. Nonetheless they rehearse weekly and perform regularly. Their motto is a quote from Hans Christian Andersen: “Where words fail, music speaks”.

Transformers Choir - pic from here

The goal in creating the Transformers Choir was to bring people together as part of a community, to connect with others and let music do its magic. Creating music added a new focus to their lives. Participating in the group has given meaning to many and some group members say they feel less depressed. Apparently focusing on creativity in one sphere of our lives can encourage us to be creative in how we deal with ourselves in other areas.

The Transformer’s songwriter Brian Procopis, listens carefully to group members and collaborates fully with the contributors, it’s their experience he’s writing about, not his, and he’s very respectful of this. The bad stuff in life isn’t ignored or denied, and is incorporated into song, but the primary focus is on creativity and the process of writing the song. This was a really powerful illustration of the therapeutic effect of music and song that Dr Felicity Baker mentioned.

So much to think about. I’m in awe of the courage it must take to perform on stage when you are vulnerable, not only as a musician but as a member of a group disengaged from mainstream society.

This comment moved me deeply:  “The Transformers want to be inspirational and give to the audience”.

There we were, a privileged audience, consisting of professional, medical, creative, religious, artistic, and generally well to do people, being offered a gift from those who have little to give, expect themselves, their voices and their experiences.

It's really the greatest gift of all isn't it, to give yourself. Not a thing, not something with a dollar value, but yourself. They have nothing, but they gave everything.

I felt gratitude, but also humbled, privileged, honoured, energised, uplifted, and moved to tears.

They received a standing ovation.


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Creativity. Music. Curiosity. 

A great combination to begin the healing process after bullying.

Given what we now know about the power of song-writing to aid healing, it'd be great if those who have been the targets of bullying, and are hurting in other ways, could have a go at writing about your experience in song and perhaps make up a tune for it. Or if that's a bit too daunting to start with, try singing a song perhaps while washing the dishes.  See what happens. Be inspired by the very obvious benefits the Transformers experience and see how it pans out in your life.

Articles about the Transformers Choir here and here.
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3 simple things to remember when the world seems to be falling apart

Friends and family are looking around and counting themselves fortunate that they haven’t been personally affected by the desperate and dramatic events absorbing our attention hour by hour in Japan.

Capture from TV. Qld Jan 2011

They feel lucky to have avoided (more by sheer luck than good management) being involved in some of the recent distressing scenes of natural devastation.

The dreadful floods in Queensland followed by those in Victoria, fire, more floods around the country, cyclones, all happening one on top of the other. Then the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand so closely followed by the one in Japan.

Many onlookers feel almost as if they are under siege, there’s a sense of fragility and insecurity in what had seemed a relatively stable world. There’s a feeling of being tired and drained, of feeling insignificant. As well there’s often a sense of frustration at being unable to help, there’s a need to “do something”.

Screen capture from TV. Qld Jan 2011

For those who have spare cash, it’s sometimes easy to give money, to say: “I’ve helped”. For many though, this either isn’t possible, or it’s not enough to soothe the uncomfortable feeling of life being much less secure than before.

At times like this, it’s important to safeguard our emotional and physical health, to check in regularly to see how we’re coping. Unfortunately it’s too easy to find reasons not to do what will benefit us.
We know that eating well is important, as is getting adequate sleep and exercise.

Izzy the Guide Dog puppy
waiting patiently for a walk

It’s extremely easy to get sidetracked from looking after ourselves when under stress. We hit the comfort foods, guzzle too much alcohol, and because of that, our sleep is more broken and we feel less inclined to exercise. We don't think as clearly because of all this and some decisions are not as good as they could be. The result: a vicious cycle that adds physical discomfort to the already wobbly emotional state.

There’s one other thing, often overlooked, that can be immensely supportive in times when we feel fragile, and that is sharing the feeling of vulnerability. It can be immensely reassuring to feel that you are not alone, reaching out, expressing (no matter how imperfectly), feeling part of the whole. Just to say, “Yes I feel crappy too”. It’s comforting to know that others are struggling as well. On line or real life friends, it doesn’t matter where you meet, but it is important to share even when you are unable to "do".



So, if nothing else, remember these three things:

1.  Look after your mind
2.  Take care of your mates (and let them take care of you too)
3.  Keep moving

The three M’s 

Mind, Mates & Movement.

"Mmm"

The trio of support for a healthy life.

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The Mask

It’s happened a few times now.

Everything appears to be going well. The students are contributing enthusiastically, writing when asked, chatting in pairs when that is requested, and contributing to the brainstorm of ideas I’m hurriedly writing on the board.

I thoroughly enjoy working with adults who are returning to study. So often they are unreasonably nervous. They don’t yet know how competent they are, so they feel quite entitled to be quivering with uncertainty. My job is to assist them to accept that they’ve 'got what it takes' and to unearth the skills they don’t yet know they have.

We discuss how adults learn, the different learning styles, and when time permits, we also squeeze in some light-hearted quizzes. It’s all in the service of unpacking the mystery of expectations at the tertiary level, and ensuring success is attainable.

Sometimes however, things go a little askew. You see, when discussing learning styles, it quickly becomes apparent that many adults I work with have grown up in the “sit still, do as I say, and don’t ask questions” classroom.

As you can imagine, for someone who is for instance a kinaesthetic learner, this hasn’t worked to their advantage, and their schooling has been less than ideal. Some struggle on suffering in silence, some withdraw completely, and others act up and get kicked out at the earliest opportunity.

I’ve learnt to keep a tissue box on hand when presenting this particular workshop. It’s not that I’m a meanie, and bring students to tears. But often there’s a release of pent up tension that results in weeping, and on occasion outright sobbing.

Tears of grief, tears of sadness at schooling wasted because teachers haven’t known about or have been unable to accommodate different styles of learning. Sometimes this is due to ignorance, often there were too many children in a class, and occasionally… well, some teachers had lost their passion for teaching, and possibly should have changed careers.

But often the tears are those of relief. Some adults are so relieved to discover they aren’t stupid. It’s a revelation for them to discover they simply learn differently. They feel validated, reassured, and empowered. They are ready to forge ahead with new tools and a different perspective.

What a privilege not only to help adult students realize that learning can be fun, but that academic success is within their grasp.


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