Briana Stuart – Rhythm is Everywhere

Needs: Pen & paper, Table & Chair, a spacious room.

In nature, nothing goes too fast or too slow, all moves to its own rhythm in growth, connection, and survival.

Actually, rhythm is everywhere, and within and outside of all things.

In this moment, you are as you should be and within you are rhythms with similar purpose. Let’s take your heart for example. Without you even doing anything your heart continuously beats, giving you life.
This rhythm is your lifeline.

Let’s explore how we can take this rhythm from within and bring it into space.

• Sit comfortably in front of a table and place your hand at the center of your chest.
• Notice the beat of your heart for about 20 seconds. Is it fast or slow, loud or quiet?
• Keep your hand on your heart and place your other hand on the desk.
• Tap the beat you feel on the desk with your finger.
• Close your eyes, feel and listen.

Then

• Continue feeling your heart and tapping the beat on the table.
• Now, imagine an exciting moment in your life ( a trip, a party, overcoming a fear, etc ).
• Really be there. What did it look like? How did it taste? What did it smell like?
• Close your eyes and really be there, in that moment.
• Notice any changes in the tempo of your heart.

Take a deep inhale and remove your hand. You’ve just synced your heart with 3 of your senses.
Now, let’s discover what it sounds like.

Now

Listen completely:

• After you have fully listened to the track above, stay seated and compose a rhythm using only your feet.
• Using the notation method below, write down your own composition and learn it by heart.
  (Your composition may be longer than the sample below.)

Notation Method: Left foot [Lf], right foot [Rf], two feet [2f], left foot [Lf].

Sample Rhythm: Lf, Rf, 2f, 2f, Rf, Lf, Lf, Rf, 2f, 2f.

• Playback the track again and sync your rhythm to the heartbeat.

• Repeat the previous exercise replacing the stomp of the feet to gently patting your thighs with your hands. Two feet now become two hands clapping together.

Notation Method: Left foot = left hand [Lh], right foot = right hand [Rh], two feet = clap two hands [2h].  

Sample Rhythm: Lh, Rh, 2h, 2h, Rh, Lh, Lh, Rh, 2h, 2h.

• Playback the track one last time while seated and and allow your feet to march to the heartbeat.
• Once the track has finished continue the steady march of the feet.
• Perform your hand rhythm while maintaining the steady heartbeat with your feet.
• Vary the speed of your rhythm. Consciously choose how slow or fast, loud or quiet your feet and hands are.
• Imagine that exciting moment or that person while performing your rhythm.
• Hear it, See it, Taste it, Smell it….

Now what does it feel like?

• Finally, stand up and perform your rhythm by moving around your space. Feel the rhythm within and around you.

Later

Post your score somewhere in your home that’s easy to see.

The next time you are feeling not quite like yourself no matter where you are: at work, at home or on the train, let the rhythm in your score bring you back to you.