Mindfulness and RBC Part 2: Patience

Mindfulness and RBC Part 2: Patience

Our partners in Rapport-Based Communication are much like butterflies emerging from a chrysalis (or a chick from an egg) in that their social skills can only develop at their own pace. Of course we can help to create the conditions for natural social engagement by making ourselves socially available (and the more we do this the more opportunities there will be for development) but ultimately we must wait for our partner to choose to be with us rather than instruct him or her to do something when we want them to.

Be Inclusive : Principles of Rapport-Based Music

Be Inclusive : Principles of Rapport-Based Music

The third and final principle of rapport based musical communication is to be inclusive.  This means that the practitioner should consider each participant’s level of ability and capacity so that participants find the activities both inviting and satisfying to engage in. We know if we are being inclusive when we see participants responding to our offers naturally, of their own volition and the signs of rapport are present - social attention, synchrony and positivity.  If the practitioner is not considering the identity of the participants in this way then the practitioner is not doing this practice.

Be Socially Engaged: Principles of Rapport-Based Music

Be Socially Engaged: Principles of Rapport-Based Music

What does it mean to be socially engaged and how does this differ from the first principle of being responsive? To be socially engaged means to try to establish dialogue with the participants, whether musical, verbal or non-verbal. To be socially engaged requires that we develop skill in all areas of communication so that we can engage people in the way that is most appropriate for them.

What is social learning?

What is social learning?

In social learning theory, learning is understood to be a chain of events involving people engaging with each other which leads to a change in something they care about. The most well known model of social learning is that of a ‘community of practice’, a term coined by Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave in the 1980’s in their research observing how traditional skills are taught and passed on in traditional West African societies.