When participants in Paulo Mattioli 's corporate percussion programs enter his classroom, a pile of instruments, each one representing a different voice in the creative process, greets them. More often than not, eager execs descend upon the drums and shakers with the vigor and clatter of a second-grade class let loose in Toys 'R Us. Then the real ruckus begins. From there, participants add other patterns, often gaining speed until the music reaches a fever pitch. When a drum circle is at its throbbing, frenetic height, it's almost impossible to resist the rhythm.
Group drumming is a seamless exercise in which each tone complements the others.
Participants weave their own rhythmic contributions into the music, adding personal flourishes that make each composition entirely unique. Drum circles, which focus on process as well as product, offer an alternative to more goal-oriented initiative tasks. Participants accustomed to standard team-building fare like ropes courses sometimes assume drum circles are a proven model for success. And in the creative space of a drum circle, anything goes. Each rhythm is valued, and everyone has a voice.