An Art Therapy Session is the specific use of art (fine art such as painting, drawing etc) repeatedly on an individual or group level, over a period of time to address a pre decided behavioural or therapy goal / objective. The use of one particular art form in an art therapy session substitutes the use of the conventional talk-based therapy methods.
Perspectives of Team Building
When it comes to team building, there are numerous perspectives that define what it is. In our definition, Team Building is a process of co-creation, building harmony within the team, making everyone feel acknowledged, appreciated and accepted and most importantly, building a sense of ownership in each and every member of the team. We at Taal Inc. use Drum/Rhythm Circles and other creative modalities to highlight the aforementioned aspects of team building in the most experiential way possible.
Over the last decade as Pune progressed into becoming one of the few IT hubs in the country, the need for team corporate engagement activities also saw a surge and Taal Inc. is one of the first few organisations in Pune and in the country that’s been offering these Team Building Activities in Pune in fun, engaging yet impactful ways for over 12 years. The Drum Circles conducted by Taal Inc. are among the most interactive and effective employee engagement activities you can organise with your team. Apart from Drum Circles, Taal Inc. has a host of other fun employee engagement activities be it our short and long term theme/objective based interventions, our signature Ex-Change programmes where the name stands for ‘Express for Change” and that’s exactly what these 90-120 minutes sessions with mixed activities do or our boomwhacker sessions where the participants are given a beautiful sounding instrument called Boomwhackers to create a melodious rhythm together, all these activities are meticulously planned and curated after having discussions with the HR team or the person organising the activity to address a certain desired outcome and these messages are so subtly and intricately woven with our fun employee engagement activities that it always leaves the participants asking for more.
Taal Inc. corporate engagement activities are highly customizable and hence, regardless of the occasion, it always flawlessly does the job. The next time you think of organising a team building activity in Pune, look no further, give the highly trained experts at Taal Inc. The pioneers of Drumming and rhythm based team building activities in India a shoutout and we will assure that you and your team has an experience to remember and cherish for a long time.
Creative Art Therapy and The Magic Of Creation
Hope you all are at home, safe and keeping well physically and mentally during these times when a pandemic is hovering over us. Talking of pandemic, How are you guys keeping yourself occupied in these times? Can you imagine being in this situation without Art and Creativity? If your answer is a resounding ‘No’, you just realised the power and healing potential of art, And that right there is Creative Art Therapy for you in a nutshell.
Now, let’s understand it with a little more depth. Creative Art therapy is the umbrella under which the modality specific therapies fall. It is the area of mental health that uses art based interventions, other creative processes and modalities to explore emotions, reduce anxiety and stress, increase self-esteem, encourage self discovery and resolve other psychological conflicts. Through experiential methods,these Creative Therapy Sessions engage the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone.
Now, there can be two approaches to conduct/facilitate these sessions, Therapy and Therapeutic. While everything that happens in an Art Therapy Session is therapeutic in nature, the same can’t be said in a situation the other way around. The key difference here is, in a Creative Art Therapy Session, Your art therapist is highly trained in various art forms (visual art, music, creative movement, drama and poetry etc) as well as psychology, and he or she will have a more psychology oriented approach to guide you in the process of creating art (or expression) using specific types of materials (and methods), whereas in a therapeutic activity, the modalities can be more varied and experimental and can be directed towards individuals as well as a group setting. The good news is, we at Taal Inc. have in-house experts for both who have worked with a wide range of populations such as special needs children, geriatric populations, at risk groups, hearing or visually imapaired adults/ children and individuals seeking counseling and therapy using Creative Art Therapy through modalities such as Drumming, Music Making, Theatre and Creative writing on individual and group level with the focus on the process and not the end result.
Once this storm passes, the need for such processes will be even more essential as individuals and communities, to connect deeply with oneself and others around us and the process of art and creation has magical abilities to help us leave this behind with positivity and a big smile on our faces. Do give us a shoutout whenever you’re in need of experiencing this magical and healing process with your loved ones or colleagues and we’ll be more than happy to be of help. Until then, Stay Home! Stay Safe!
Come. Drum. Be One.
My Impressions of the Djembe and the movie Djembefola: Anubha Kaul, Singer, Mumbai
I teach a semester titled ‘Introduction To World Percussion’ at the NMIMS School Of Performing Arts in Mumbai. It is a very encouraging sign to see the quality of music education evolve into an international standard course at an institution with the best faculty in the country coupled with a growing infrastructure. As a part of this course, working in tandem with my big brother and drum faculty, Mr. Gino Banks, I introduce all the students (regardless of their instrument specialization) to various percussion instruments, basic rhythmic concepts that they can apply on their respective musical instruments and finally, to the world of djembe (West-African Percussion). It could be something as small as playing a shaker or a clave while singing to support the overall groove; percussion is an integral part of everything. An understanding of a new (Mandingue) culture helps us welcome new indias into our compositions and music making style. Besides, knowledge is power and knowing the depth associated with the djembe will help eradicate the common misconception that it is merely a drum circle instrument. On the contrary, it has a rich tradition and every social phenomenon in life in the Mandingue is accompanied with the djembe. There is an attractive element to this instrument which made its popularity spread like wildfire over the last two decades. Basically, there is a lot any instrumentalist can take back from this module.
The following report is written by Anubha, one of the singers at the college. I thought that her clarity of thought deserved a highlight. If you are looking for drum classes in Mumbai, djembe classes in Pune, you know where to look. Happy reading…
Varun Venkit
Djembefola, February 26, 2020 – our tiny batch of 9 watched “Djembefola”, master Mamady Keita’s documentary portraying his journey as one. As a little kid, the master would beat on anything and everything idiophonic and at just 14, would become one of the five percussionists in Le Ballet National Djoliba. His love and passion for the instrument, the culture that has birthed the instrument and the people that have built the culture have been very beautifully captured.
Of all the things that caught my attention, what especially stood out is that Africans take immense pride in their culture. And an integral part of this culture is their music. The two are wholly symbiotic. Every life event calls for a celebration in the community and every celebration has its own synonymous dance and music. It is the purest form of art – one that comes out of passion.
An act of compassion as lending a helping hand on farmlands of the old or the sick (called Senessounian) is also celebrated with music and dance. Upon his return, Mamady’s sister performs the Moribayassa. No matter what the occasion, we find that the djembe is always present. Many instances in the documentary reiterate that the djembe and the African music are mutually inclusive. It is one of the key elements driving the music.
Their firm beliefs are deeply rooted in the culture. They half contribute to the richness of art. For instance, the master attributes years of his tireless and painless playing to a treatment with the extract of a ‘special plant’ done by his first teacher, Karinkajdan Kondé.
Having returned to Conakry and the musicians he grew up with, even after 6 years, they shared a non-verbal understanding of the way each one played. Mamady mentioned that he never has to worry about his solos when playing with them because of this understanding and the fact that they’re incredibly skilled. Also, because this music and the rhythm runs in their blood.
Playing the djembe is an arduous activity but he never seems to treat it as such. He is as natural and effortless as they come. Every beat translates to an expression. He is testimony to the fact that skill is not the only asset necessary for musicianship. Our experiences, the magnitude of our surrender shape the delivery of that skill.
Anubha Kaul, Singer and student at NMIMS School Of Performing Arts, Mumbai
Are You An Art Therapist? Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner? Arts Based Facilitator?
Today, it is more and more common to hear about, read about or attend workshops to experience the use of a particular art form to positively influence a behavioural objective (using art not only for the purpose of creating art, but more!). Art therapy, arts based therapy, music therapy, expressive arts therapy, visual art therapy, drama therapy and so on are words that are used very often and hence rather loosely too.
This article is a compilation of information from various sources and is aimed at starting a discussion about the topic of appropriate nomenclature for people working in the field of using arts modalities for health and wellbeing.
Every course that you do will (or should) have a clear description regarding its scope and application.
If you complete a university degree course in Music Therapy or Expressive Arts Therapy, then you are a Music Therapist or Expressive Arts Therapist respectively. Depending on the autonomy of the university in question, the course may be a diploma or a certificate course. In both these cases, it is mandated that the title you receive at the end of the course will be clearly mentioned and detailed out beforehand.
Apart from Universities, there are a myriad private institutions offering courses in one and or many art based modalities to be used in the field of arts for health and wellbeing. For example: NLP, Introduction to Visual Art Therapy, Drum Circle Facilitation Course, Find Your Inner Rhythm Facilitator Training Courses, Dance Movement Therapy Diploma Courses, Access Consciousness Training Courses, Hypnotherapy and so on. Now, despite the name of the workshop or course, you will not earn the title of ‘therapist’ at the end of such a privately run course. Why? Because the course design has not gone through a process as stringent as a university degree course goes through vis a vis time spent in theory, practical work, supervision, observation, internships etc. Hence, you may receive the title of ‘facilitator’ or ‘practitioner’ at the end of such courses. This would make you a
- Visual Art Therapy Practitioner / Facilitator
- Dance Movement Therapy Practitioner / Facilitator
- Drum Circle Facilitator
- Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner / Facilitator
- Arts Based Therapy Practitioner / Facilitator
- Creative Arts Therapy Practitioner / Facilitator
Note that if you have done many of these more-focussed and privately-run dance, music or visual art based courses, this does not make you (as you would intuitively like to conclude) a creative arts therapist or an expressive arts therapist. In short, dance therapy + visual art therapy + music therapy ≠ expressive arts therapy. Expressive arts therapy is a whole other modality and is to be treated that way.
Seems all too wordy considering all this started with the main prerequisite being people with a strong intention of ‘healing’ through their respective medium or art form. Having said this, knowledge is power and this information does help us spread accurate, standardised and authentic awareness of what Arts for health and wellbeing is and what it is not!
Come. Drum. Be One
Team Buiding Activities in Pune-Taal Inc
Coming together and being together for wealth generation or one’s well-being forms a core factor in an organization and society. The team and the team culture have to be the focal point for profitable companies and, in turn, for the well being of society at large. Taal has rightly tapped the core factor of enhancing and motivating the teams by their various Team Building activities in Pune.
What do you do to motivate your office staff ?
Stress is (directly or indirectly) negatively affecting us all… especially due to our hectic schedules, always being ‘online’ and lack of work-life balance. Are you making time for your team to ensure long term holistic health and well-being through ongoing stress reduction activities and staff motivation sessions?
Those of you who have been in the business long enough, know by now that it’s not as much about what you do, but how you do it. We’re a part of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and hence may not be able to catch the problem in time due to a sudden surge in convenience and (apparent) quality of life through tangible benefits. But a sure shot giveaway of the side effects is the increase in stress based illnesses, cases of burnout, depression, anxiety issues and more… That’s a heavy indirect price to pay for “success” according to common logic.
As a CEO, Team Leader or HR professional you will understand the importance of emphasising the well-being of your work force. Here are some ways we can help:
- Workshops or ongoing Stress Reduction Activities at your workplace: Using various Art based modalities such as Group Drumming, Drum Circles, Visual Art, Drama and Story Circles, Expressive Art Therapy Sessions, Art Therapy Sessions, Creative Art Therapy Sessions, Art Based Therapy Sessions, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) Sessions, Yoga based activities, Meditation sessions, Mindfulness Sessions, we will conduct weekly, monthly workshops or ongoing sessions to spread awareness of ways to cope with daily stressors because prevention is far more effective than cure.
- Let us be your Mental Health Team / Support System: By employing our team of mental health experts, counsellors or psychologists, we will assess (qualitatively through interviews, group discussions and quantitatively through psychometric testing, psychological testing) and provide you with a *holistic health quotient* for your team on an individual and/or group level. This will help you understand how healthy your time is and decide what kind of sessions or interventions to plan to tackle problems faced by the team.
- Hobby Classes at your Company: Taking up a hobby or a creative activity helps us develop in an all round way, be more motivated and happy doing what we do. So investing an hour of work (which might mean 10 man hours on an average) may seem a lot prima facie but, isn’t it worth it when it leads to an increases productivity in the long run as measured by a predefined parameter such as increased speed of completion of tasks, reduced attrition, increased workplace happiness and group cohesiveness? We will be able to start drumming classes, singing classes, visual /fine art classes and also creative movement classes at your office. How are our classes different from any other organisation? Our teachers and facilitators all have a psychology background in addition to mastery in their art form. So when you commission Taal Inc., you can rest assured knowing that you are in safe hands.
- Support Groups for Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Relationship Issues, Stress and more: Knowledge is power. Today we’re more aware of the importance of mental health issues and it is not uncommon for people to feel the need to express themselves and know that they are not alone. Regular support groups facilitated by a psychologist, counsellor or mental health professional will help give a voice to those who feel that don’t have one and are often shy to reach out for help for the fear of judgement or being ostracised from their social circle.
- One on One Counselling Sessions with an Expert Psychologist on site: Once the group sessions have made their mark we would follow this up by providing a psychologist, counsellor or mental health professional to your company on a set day (or days) of the week to be available for 1 on 1 sessions for employees to reach out to on a regular basis.
What any and or all of these interventions will do is send a strong and clear message across the organisation. The message that YOU matter, your health and well being is our concern and you are not alone. This will make way for a healthy, happy and competent team with Taal Inc.’s art based interventions.
Come. Drum. Be One
Team Building Activities in Pune | Taal Inc
This new team building activity (whether it is Drum Circle, Dance Movement Therapy, Creative Writing or Theatre Games), will help them bond together on a totally new forum and start working more cohesively. They’ll be much more intrinsically motivated and more empathetic about each other. These are two very crucial characteristics needed when dealing with a pressuring situation. How will all this magic happen you ask? Well to start off with, it is human nature to synchronise. Take the pendulum principle as evidence thereof. In fact, when ever we feel out of sync, there is conflict or dis-ease. Group drumming helps us identify and reconnect with our very innate and natural tendency of working in a team, collaborating, synchronising with our fellow team members. Secondly, this ‘fun’ activity helps us look at ourselves with less judgement and take ourselves less seriously. Hence, when you least expect it, you will have an epiphany, like the answer was with you all along.
WHAT IS A DJEMBE?
A goblet shaped percussion instrument from West Africa, made out of a hollowed out piece of hardwood with a leather skin that is held fast with ropes that are pulled vertically.
Remember – NO two classes or workshops are the same and so, – If you have been playing the djembe already – If you are a percussionist and would like to ‘check out’ this instrument – If you have attended one our our previous workshops, and – Even if you know nothing about music, These classes or workshops are for you!
You will learn – How to learn the Djembe Drum Lessons– Various West African rhythms along with their breaks & accompaniments – The origins & stories behind each rhythm – The traditional West African songs- Box notations – Basic time signatures and ‘feel’ of west African percussion – A step-by-step guide of how to pursue your path of learning with Djembe post workshop Come be a part of a unique and elite group of highly-skilled professionals who will represent the djembe in it’s truest / traditional form About the Instructor Varun Venkit, Director of Taal Inc. Varun pursued clinical Psychology along with Drumming. He is now a published Psychologist, master neuro-linguistic programing practitioner, a Drum kit player, Percussionist and Drum Circle Facilitator and member of the Drum Circle Facilitator’s Guild; He has been playing the djembe for over 10 years and is an advanced level student of djembe grandmaster Mamady Keita (president of the Tam Tam Mandingue Djembe Academy) He was christened as ‘certified teacher’ of the djembe by the grandmaster himself in Tulum, Mexico in 2014 and as ‘Senior certified teacher’ in Monterrey in 2017. He has been facilitating group drumming activities for a wide range of populations since 2003.He has studied with various teachers nationally and internationally. With over 800 drum circles as a facilitator under his belt, You can learn the djembe at Taal Inc.’s Traditional West African Djembe Classes or Jr. Djembe Classes and study with India’s only certified TTM professor and team of teachers.
Stress Reduction Activities | Taal Inc
Now that you’ve successfully outgrown of the ‘cut-paste’ mentality (if not, please read part 1 of this blog series) and are looking to actually make a difference or to bring about a culture change in your corporate engagement activities, here are some unique things you could do…
- Game of Trash-Thrones: Recycling / reusing as an incentivized activity!
- Fear (no) Factor: A support group to help overcome mild to strong phobias!
- Be Kind-Unwind: The kindness challenge!
- The Corporate Ensemble: Build your in-house band!
Since we are an ART – based positive-change-bringing organization, we will start with the Corporate Ensemble in this article. Continuing with the scientifically proven fact that playing an instrument stimulates several parts of the brain simultaneously and is connected with higher intelligence, creativity and stress reduction activities; It would be a wonderful investment by you (fellow team leader) to identify hidden talents of team members and lovingly help them pursue their active hobby while at work.
Taal Inc. 