One of our favourite things to do at African Beat is run workshops and events with kids and watching them having fun. There is something about the unbridled joy of beating in time and moving with the beat that makes everyone smile. It is so much FUN!
As adults, we sometimes get caught up in the seriousness of life and concern about being watched or judged.
While adults feel it is their job to teach the younger generation, sometimes there are thing adults can learn from watching kids.
Here is what we have learned from our years working with young people teaching them how to drum:
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Having Fun by Being Creative
Watching kids lose themselves in drumming is uplifting; the abandon and joy in hitting the drum and making music. Kids are so good at immersing in creativity when we can get them away from the computer screen. Being creative is worthwhile – it opens opportunities to try new ideas and helps with our problems solving abilities and self-expression.
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Being Brave
For many people, the thought of singing or dancing in front of others is daunting and makes their toes curl up in fear. When kids are young, they’re not worried about fear, failure or humiliation. They are still full of hope because they don’t know any better. When kids get in front of their drum and let go, you can see the joy in what they are doing. They are not worried about if people are looking at them, they are just having fun.
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Being Silly and Laughing More
Kids find silliness everywhere – in bodily noises, in videos on YouTube, in corny knock knock jokes. Laughter makes us happier, it makes us less stressed and releases feel-good chemicals that make us … well … feel good. Watching kids crack up over something silly they have seen or enjoying a fun activity together like drumming, brings a smile to our faces. We just want more people to have fun and enjoy life a little more.