On January 20, 2014, Arts Health BC hosted a session of Basketbeat led by Barcelona’s Josep Mª Aragay Borràs at the SFU Woodward’s Atrium, in Vancouver. The session was attended by 34 people, including music therapy students and graduate students in health and social sciences.
In a large circle the participants dribbled their basketballs to Josep’s instructions over the 3 hour session. Sometimes coming together in unison, strengthening the sound through collaboration; other times establishing their own tempo, and harmonies, as the beats reverberated through the atrium.
Josep developed this social transformation methodology when he noticed that at-risk youth gravitated towards sport more than music. He wanted to give the youth that he worked with, the benefit of music, with the accessibility of sport. Using basketballs, Josep designed a series of activities focused on rhythm, percussion and coordination; but which simultaneously demonstrated the power of collaboration, group dynamics and self-perception.
Watch the youth from Saulsville and Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa performing: Shosholoza
