Music and Facilitated Workshops??

Lay it down, music is the bedrock that fuels workplace enthusiasm or dulls monotony — no denying it. Huddled over the monitor and covered in headphones; the modern worker is not drowning out co-workers — they are listening to brain-energizing music on the way to productivity.

So why can’t it be the same for a stylishly wacky Workshop environment, where creativity and passion should be running rampant like a Pamplona bull?

Get this out of the way first; Music and Workshops? Some find it distracting, maybe only use it or breaks. Well hold it right there person, to me a non-curated playlist and an overzealous volume removes the fluff from the musical pillow of opportunity .

Volume — that’s either AV issues or shattered eardrums (too many concerts do that?), your meticulous preparation and day-of testing should fix that.

A playlist that works? Well i’m not here for a haircut.

A good Workshop environment should be challenging and move people away from the norm of the everyday — the playlist needs to be thoughtfully curated for each stage. Luckily I love music and have a few opinions, and this might just save your life.

Firstly settle on some ground rules:

#1 — Music only in activity times, don’t use at sharing or talking times — likewise when Freddie Mercury is singing, people shouldn’t be talking (although stamping feet and clapping is acceptable).

#2 — Keep the volume at a gentle level, rock out in your own time.

#3 — Explicit lyrics or inappropriate content a big no, it’s a workplace still got-it?

#4 — Don’t play records cover to cover — or just play one artist, the day deserves and demands diversity.

#5 — Want to stream a station? Know what’s in it — remember #3..

Formalities done, let’s take a typical prototype session, and score it accordingly.

Introduction Phase

Start the day being large and in charge. This music backs up the playfulness and detachment required and most of all this is fun; more smiles mean more people are bought in (especially if your jokes are rubbish). Announce the day with some Top 40s Pop (think Tay Tay Swift), or dust off some Classic Rock (Springsteen always wins), to bring some nostalgia.

Problem Identification

Now we’re talking turkey; problem extraction is happening and deserves some soft, but challenging music to provoke thoughts. Expect conversation at this point, so the volume shouldn’t dominate, nor should lyrics. Set the coffee house vibe with Smooth Jazz (Brubrek, Davis or Coltrane to name a few), or some Alternative Instrumental Folk (Fleet Foxes might be good), the ears should be ready for tender complexity to drive.

Ideation

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy it’s the fun part of the day — with swarth of rad ideas buzzing around their heads like beard of bees, the music needs to be somewhat ethereal and smooth as silk to get the best creative juices flowing. Fold your legs and plays some Classical (think Post Minimalist — i’m getting into Max Richter), Chillwave Electropop (like Flume or Petit Biscuit) or go all yogi with some New Age Relaxation.

Prioritization

Right about now there has been a massive amount of brain power used, and it’s coming back to using a critical lens — and people are nursing a cup of tea/coffee flavoured water. Get them back out of their seats with some R&B/Motown sounds (it’s always time for Marvin Gaye) or even ham it up with some 80s Pop (Aha or some prime INXS).

Prototyping

Home stretch now, ideas are out in the open and it’s serious play-time. Music at this stage is totally background, mirroring the movement of productivity. At this point you could put Morgan Freeman narrating Apple’s terms of service — blast out some tunes to put them in a working rhythm like Indie Folk (personal hipster pick of Shoegaze Rock — like This Will Destroy You ) or even some Contemporary Bluegrass Country (Alison Krauss or anything from a post 2000s Coen brothers soundtrack).

It shouldn’t be to use music or not to use music — it’s how you use it and what you play that will either have you repeated success or guest DJ’ing one of the attendees kid parties.

My musical opinion is purely subjective, and it might be different for you or the audience.

If you think carefully about the music that drives your Workshop session, tunes may help you achieve the ideal outcome.