This past Saturday was the first installment of an improv series led by Alec Johnson MT-BC, NMT. We had a ton of fun challenging our creativity in a collaborative setting.
The workshop is designed to build a better brain and enhance cognitive and social skills.
- We started class with a warm up of easy Charades to get our creativity flowing.
- Next, we had to pick an emotion, act out a scene, and match the emotion of other players around us. It’s a great exercise to awaken your brain and tap into empathy.
- “What Are You Doing?!” is a fun, fast paced improv game that proved to be the most challenging part of the workshop. Scene partners had to pick an action, and when asked “What Are You Doing?!” they had to cue their partner to act out that scene. Each scene was mere seconds before your partner cued you, and you also had to be prepared to cue them. This activity sparked creativity and challenged our quick thinking skills!
- Finally, we brought out our instruments and worked on listening more than playing, and cuing when to let other members of the group take the solo. This skill is especially important in jamming with other musicians and understanding the nuances of playing in a free flow state.
The biggest takeaway from the workshop was the notion to stay flexible and focus on the task at hand. Some of us felt our performances had to be funny or interesting, but that was a pressure we put on ourselves. This lesson can be applied to many aspects of our lives and serves as a reminder that sometimes simple is best!
Join Us at TMC
We’re looking forward to hosting regular improv workshops, so be sure to keep an eye on our website and social media for upcoming events. Here at TMC, there is a place for everyone. Whether you’re new to music making or a seasoned industry professional, you’ll walk away from our artist development workshops knowing more than you did before!
