In this Life Lab experience we gave 5 and 6 year old students a situation and asked them what would be an appropriate response, which they all knew – intellectually – how to address.
Through the use of drumming on the Djembes, we did an activity whereby they experienced responding and reacting.
During a Drumming conversation, we found it was easy for them to copy the other person, but it took some real self-awareness to be able to respond calmly and diffuse from the emotion.
“It’s hard for me to go softly when you go hard”
We don’t want to be reacting to a Life Experience the way we receive it and need to be able to choose how to respond.
It appears much more accessible for these children to practise these life skills on drums; then hopefully they’ll be experts with people.