Report Meditation and Ambient Music Workshop Mini report by Taku Yokosuka

Meditation and Ambient Music Workshop “Mark to the Music”

When I heard the outline of the event beforehand, I imagined that there would first be a live music concert, where we would listen to music and then everyone would paint. I had no idea how the music would affect the children or how it would differ from the usual atelier activities until the event began.

First, we begin with a meditation experience, following Jolien’s navigation, closing our eyes, and allowing the quiet time to flow by. The sounds are quiet at first, then begin to take on a rhythm and turn into music. The children began to sway their bodies in time to the music, and I could tell that they were beginning to get into the swing of things.

Some of the children even lay down in a sleeping position, creating the ultimate relaxation space in no time. It was only then that I finally understood that something completely different from the studio work we normally do in the classroom was about to begin.

From meditation time to painting time

I was there to support Shun-kun, whom I often support at atelier A. He was staring at the acrylic paints, so I asked him, “Do you want to try using the paints?” He nodded his head yes.
I prepared the paints for him, wondering what would happen to the unique line drawings he usually draws with a pen when he uses paints.He first chose blue paint. He continued to scrub his brush, and a mass of blue color appeared on the paper.

He kept rubbing the paper in the same way even when the paint was gone and the brush was dry, perhaps because he was not used to using a brush. I asked him, “Do you want me to add more paint?” but there was no response.　
I wondered if the paint was too hard for him, so I asked him, “Do you want to try painting with a pen?” He nodded yes, so I decided to switch from paint to pen.

Reasons for scrubbing

Photo by Isamu Sakamoto

He takes a purple pen and continues to scrub at the paper again. I watched him, thinking that this was different from his usual line drawing. After a while, I asked him, “Do you want to change the color? He nodded yes. I changed the color in order, yellow next, red next, and so on, but he continued to scrub away at the paper as usual. I thought it was a little strange because his drawing style was different from the past.

Photo by Taku Yokosuka

This is something I would find out later, but when Shun-kun was leaving, his mother told me, “Shunsuke loves music very much, and he always listens to it at home. Shaking his body like this. He loves it”.

Come to think of it, he seemed to be swaying more than usual today. It was then that I realized for the first time that Shun-kun had been drawing to the rhythm of the music.

Then, I reflected to myself that I should have continued his acrylic paintings for a little longer. However, I am very happy to have seen a new side of Shun and to feel the sound (music) that reached his ears from the completed paintings. I would like to exchange a few words with him the next time I see him, saying, “We enjoyed the music, didn’t we?”

Text: Taku Yokosuka (Designer / atelier A Staff)