“If you look deep enough you will see music; the heart of nature being everywhere music”
Hi, Chris Holland, Director of the Natural Musicians project here.
You may be wondering “What is this all about then?”
Let me explain: I take groups of people and guide them to seek out and select real and imagined sounds from nature. Then, using a variety of voice, body percussion and found instruments (sticks, bushes…) I help them to weave their own sounds into compositions, for performing to a group, or with the group.
For a moment we step into a harmony of people and place.
Scientifically the whole universe is vibration.
Making spontaneous music inspired by the place is very connecting.
It helps us become present. And that is a true gift!
From there we can move on to compose music singly, in small and large groups, with or without musical instruments or percussion.
I also teach people how to make didgeridoos, drums and percussion from local resources.
The natural musicians – a revolutionary, playful and simple process that connects people to nature, each other and their own creative capabilities
The Natural Musicians is a new set of activities and games that uses found natural objects and visible patterns to create, compose and perform music using voice, body percussion and found sounds – which can then be transposed onto musical instruments.
I developed the activities through a combination of teaching didgeridoo, working with circle/council and my deep love for and interest in nature.
I am a playful environmental educator, musician and storyteller whose love of music, nature and creative outdoor learning has led to the creation of this fun learning system that has a huge range of applications – for creative cross curricular learning and training in schools, for community and team building for organisations, as a composition tool for orchestras, as an interactive performance for festivals and shows, and as a person way to explore creativity and connection.
The Natural Musicians activities help develop creative thinking, a closer community between people and nature
Having spent most of their evolution outside, humans are now spending more time inside buildings than in Nature. Natural Musicians activities help remind us we are part of nature and that we can find community and harmony outdoors too!
I hope you enjoy exploring this site, and I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Chris
PS The video below was from some of the first Natural Musicians sessions in 2012…weve come along way, but it’s nice to know the roots!
More info:
The Activities are a combination of the interpretation of form & patterns in Nature, composition, analysis and the creative expression of sound & movement.The Natural Musicians connects people to place, each other and their own inventive capacities.
The Method: working and performing alone, in pairs or larger groups and ensembles
The Applications: excellent cross curricular activities for schools, for team building and icebreakers, community building and interactive performance.
The Benefits:
- Music and laughter brings people’s minds and hearts together
- coordination, planning, teamwork.
- Being in nature – more freedom to express and music helps people express the inexpressible
- Music/outdoors as a springboard to enquiry into other subjects, creative learning, pupil-centred aspects.
- Being present.
- People learning about themselves, each other and the environment they are in
- Connecting with nature improve memory performance and attention span by 20%
- NO rules creative licence means unlimited potential
- Learn new facilitation, leadership and performance skills
- Develops a sense of harmony and rhythm with nature, and thus a caring attitude….
- there’s more here