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It's been ages since I last posted...wedding, honeymoon, Christmas all took priority. Anyway I have a free moment so I thought I'd write something new. Musicatwork is going great guns. We are just at the stage of employing additional music therapists at various places in the UK. This is wonderful, as I have been creating lots of new work opportunities, most of which are for other people to do. So if you want to send Musicatwork a good vibe/prayer in the next few days then make it for an abundance of work and a successful thriving company.

I married a Buddhist, and have become very tuned into their view that intentionality and "calling for it" really makes a difference. If the Universe or Life or God etc knows what you want (and you don't cancel the order just because something happened or you got upset coz it didn't come quickly enough) the results you want really come true. And, calling for gratitude, or generousity or abundance as I have been doing means that I am called to become those things as the first step to seeing them manifest in the world.

It's great!! And btw if anyone os looking for a great musical mad weird wonderful holiday...let me recommend Cuba!!

Using Laughter & Laughter Clubs

Last year, I went along to a laughter club in Bristol, UK. I was nervous and quite excited, but really didn't know what to expect. Joe Hoare was the facilitator, and over the course of about 2 hours, the group went through a bunch of exercises including some basic body awareness and relaxation techniques, mixed with a good deal of facial warm up and smiling exercises. As we kept going, and pulling funny faces at each other, our laughter began to rise, and soon enough the 10 adults were reduced to gaffawing heaps of aching stomach muscules with tears running down our faces....it was, actually very very funny and very very releasing!

So I was looking forward to attending a Laughter Facilatation Course, run by The Laughter Network, in London at the end of September. Again, some familiar faces, and familiar exercises grounding us in tools to enable people to laugh. Actually I was suprised to watch myself getting very serious over the course of the weekend..."I've come here to learn about the serious job of laughing"...which was an interesting response!!

Anyway, now about two weeks since, and I have been putting some of those techniques into training sessions that Musicatwork have been running, with a group of Life Coaches firstly, and with a major building society here in Wales, whom I'm delivering team building training for.

It's been amazing...the stress release, and the feelings of relaxation after the laughter is powerful. But what touches me the most is when participants say that this was the first time they have laughed in ages, months for some of them. Such a simple thing, such a direct connection with that part of us that is light, playful and willing to let go of ego/what we look like/what others may think of us, and just be.

The opportunity to laugh as a way of life is to create joy, calmness, fun and sore belly muscles! Research has shown that as kids we laugh about 300 times per day, and as adults we laugh about 10-15 times a day. Laughter is your opportunity and was mine, to begin to laugh at life, at ourselves and re-connect with the lightness that is essentially human being.

As Dr Kataria, the founder of Laughter Clubs says, "fake it, fake it til you make it!"

Making Teams Work: "How can you tell when a team needs some teambuilding?"

Making Teams Work: "How can you tell when a team needs some teambuilding?"

This article may give you some clues as to what to look out for, and then what action to take to help develop your teams.

Interactivity

As much as I love creating this blog, my intention is that it is a forum for discussion, information from around the world, and dialogue. So...my request is that if you're reading it, make a comment, or email me with topics that you would like to be covered, or articles that you would like to have considered for posting on the blog.

What are your experiences of arts-based therapy/training? Are you a practioneer? Do you have a point of view? Have you or are you a client taking part in arts-based therapy/training?

Lets use this space to create miracles!

CNN highlights the benefits of Music Therapy

In a recent CNN report that focused on music therapy in the United States, the news channel highlighted the case of a teenager who has been receiveing regular music therapy sessions with a therapist from Boston's Berklee College of Music. With the BBC in the UK, CNN in the States (and worldwide) and other news organisations picking up on and educating people, governments, organisations on the benefits of music therapy, its acceptance as a valid form of medical & social intervention is increasing.

Often I run ice brakers sessions, or team building days with a bunch of strangers. Then through the first moments of embarrassed giggling, jokes and excited anxiety comes their music. Tentative or bold the music breaks down their barriers and social and emotional connections are made. Acceptance and warmth starts to occur, and people are genuinely amazed at the sense of relatedness and intimacy they have created.

With all the wars currently happening in the world, and the recent conflict in Israel/Lebanon, peaceful dialogue through music is a way to create harmony, compassion and a sense of a shared experience of the world, whomever we are, whatever our religion or social background, race or creed.

The aftermarth of the 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia has seen music therapists and musicians including Pavorotti create music schools and orchestras to unite the people and build music then social then community bridges. Music Works...Duh!

My deep intention in life is to continue to use music, and more widely use The Arts as a tool for creating a world in which while peace may not always be present, war and violence are absent, and people are respected and fully able to live out their greatness and potential.