Duet Leads the Group

About:

This game is a great relationship builder in a group. I think particularly for adolescents. This asks two people to develop interconnected parts and then the whole groups plays those parts.

Purpose of this lesson:

develop team work with a partner Each partners leads his or her section of the group Members of the group get to experience playing in a section that interrelates with the other section of sections.

Prerequisites:

Call and Echo- so student is capable of coming up with a pattern on the spot. Conducting Endings
Movement in the Center -Stable and Unstable- student clearly understand the difference between stable and unstable rhythms.
One at a Time, so that students are used to playing interlocking parts.

Directions:

I like to have people pair off with the person across from them. This helps have people who are generally not used to working together, work together.
Celebration Rhythm

First I ask someone (ideally the person across from me) to play a repeatable rhythm. Then I say, “Now I am going to make up another part that fits with this one.” I play a pattern that is different from the one that is person is playing, but fits with it. "I want you to get with your partner. Each one of you come up with a part that you can play together." "You have 5 minutes. And here is where you are allowed to go and here is where the physical boundaries 5are. In minutes I will ring a bell and call you back. Before we go are there any questions.
Celebration Rhythm

After about 2 minutes I go and check in with each group. If they are working together well, I give specific acknowledgement for what they are doing. Some pairs help trouble shoot when partners are stuck. or use incompatible time units, or someone keeps shifting their part.
I ring the bell, have students come back together, and sit on the opposite side of the circle as their partner.
Celebration Rhythm

I have the first duet play. Then after they play a bit, I have the people to the right of duet person A join person A. And I have the players on the right of duet player B join player B. I like to have one of the duet players Call the End. They can rumble or count out.
Celebration Rhythm

Glitches:

One of more students can't come up with their own rhythm

"Start with a simple pulse- just a straight beat. Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom."

A student changes their part

What is your part, let's put it into words.

A student plays a part that is not locked into a meter or is a more difficult meter than other students can play.

The response depends a lot on the sophistication of the play and the group. One response is:
"Play your part, let's count how many beats it is." Sometimes it is 3, sometimes 6, sometimes it is uncountable. "The more your part has a countable beat, the more others will be able to succeed in playing with you."

Students try to do parts that are too complicated either for them or for the group to play and sustain.

Needs Met:

Connection

Neuroscience and Psycho-physiology Basis:

Porges, Stephen. Singing is state dependent. Pitch recognition and production only happen in the Social Engagement state. We don't process pitch recognition in the state anxiety/ fight flight. Levin, Peter. Shaking is a good way to dispel anxiety

Metaphor to Explore:

Who do you have to collaborate with?

When in your life have you experienced a solid emotional foundation? When have you had to rely on an unstable foundation?

How do you feel expressing your own voice in a group gathering?

How do you listen to others in a group?

Extensions:

Trio Leads the Group - instead of two people working together, three people could work together. Each come up with their own rhythm that fit together. They then sit equidistant around the circle. Third of the circle plays with them. This game makes sense when there are 9 or more players in the circle.

It takes Four: here 4 our people each come up with their own rhythms that interlock. Each of them sits equidistant around the circle. Their quarter of the circle plays with them. These for section leaders can either sit in the circle or sit in the center of the circle.