Basic Facilitation Principles
When you apply basic facilitation principles, they will enhance your chances for successful group
participation at any rhythmical event you facilitate. Successful participitation happens when your
players feel completely immersed in the process. They feel that their contribution is just as valid
as anyone else’s, that they are bot being overly challenged in the process, and at the same
time they are being given creative licence to explore and take risks. They can push their musical
listening and playing abilities while participating in an ongoing, in-the-moment, everchanging,
rhythmical and musical event.
Are your participants enjoying what’s going on? Are they feeling fulfilled in their
expression? Two barometers for success are whether you, as the facilitator, are having fun, and
whether your circle of rhythmatists is having fun. The basic facilitation principles listed below
will be explored thoroughly, point by point, in the chapters to come.
- Know your purpose — be the facilitator. Have a good understanding of your role in the
event. See the event as a complete experience created in cooperation between you and the circle,
with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- Have a clearly defined goal for the event and clearly define that goal to the
participants (as appropriate) at the beginning of the circle.
- Understand the use of the physical circle as an equalizer for mutual communication using
sight, hearing, and participation.
- Understand the idea of orchestral position and use it as a communication power point to
focus attention and direct the group.
- Understand the importance of body language for orchestration.
- Understand the use of windows of communication (quiet spaces between the rhythms) for
giving verbal directions for setting up the next rhythmical piece and for delivering community-based
metaphors to the participants.
- Educate the group to be self-facilitating by helping participants identify fundamental
elements needed for a successful rhythm circle.
- Read and assess the participants in the circle as one body to determine the level of
rhythmical experitise, listening ability, and ability to participate as a group. This gives you, the
facilitator, the ability to make decisions about challenging the group to its highest potential
while avoiding crisis mode for participants.
- Understand transition points in the process of a circle, and how to use them to further
improve the quality of the music being produced.
- Understand and implement the principal of small successes.
- Open and close the circle in ritual fashion.
