Kosen-Rufu Workshop
The Kosen-Rufu Foundation was founded in 2003 by internationally acclaimed professional musician and entertainer Joseph Bowie. The original workshop concept was designed for musicians, however the curriculum quickly developed into a program for children and adults not only focusing on musical skills but social and personal development. Our workshop strengthens areas in communication, humanity, group cooperation, self-confidence and basic disciplines in understanding time and rhythm as well as awareness of maintaining good health through regular exercise. Mr. Bowie has been involved in community based workshops throughout the world, i.e. Music D'nuit (Bordeaux, France), Banebleu (Paris, France), Music School Luzern, Switzerland and throughout Colleges and Universities in the United States including Dartmouth College in New Hamshire over the past 20 years, borrowing many valuable techniques from associate
Dr. Kahil El Zabar. He has synthesized these workshop experiences and developed a specialized workshop beneficial to children and adults, recognizing that the weaknesses in rhythmic development and cooperative working skills are primarily caused by lack of exposure at a young age. This is when we learn our basic techniques of reading, writing and mathematics. In our society we are now in a period of budget restraints, when schools cannot afford to offer curriculum in creative subjects such as music and art in a comprehensive manner. Utilizing specific training in Tai-Chi, Vocal excercises, timing and rhythmic development and finally work with percussion utilizing djembe drums, Kosen-Rufu achieves a balanced, comprehensive yet enjoyable program to enhance the personal and social skills of children and adults.
The members of the Kosen-Rufu Foundation are Community Volunteers who share the desire to offer positive energy and input into our community. We offer workshops to schools for ages 4 to 18 years. For adults we conduct a free community based workshop at the Community Center Haarhorst in Gorinchem, NL as well as to Nursing homes, Special Education and Handicapped Facilities, as well as to businesses in the community. Our workshops are expecially beneficial in "Team" development and Management training.
Sponsorship and Subsidy
The Foundation Kosen-Rufu workshops are available to everyone, especially schools and the entire community. This means we do "Free Workshops" in the community, for schools and other organizations who have no funding to offer. To make this possible, we ask participating schools and organizations to make a reasonable donation including travel costs to the Foundation in exchange for our specialized Culture services. We work in cooperation with organizations such as Arkelstad, who obtain subsidy from the Community Government and enable participating schools to be involved in the workshops at the Community Center Haarhorst at "no costs" to the school. We encourage several schools to organize together to realize a fair and reasonable funding solution so the foundation can realize a basic and fair fee to compensate for volunteer time, travel expenses, and instrument purchase.
We offer Community Businesses the unique opportunity to support schools in the community by sponsoring workshops for schools of their choice or those recommended by us. In exchange, we conduct comprehensive "Team and Management" training for the business sponsoring the schools directly linked to the amount of the sponsorship. For example, a sponsorship to a school of a 4 hour workshop is €850. For this donation from a business, we will conduct a 2 hour workshop for the sponsoring business at "No cost". This enables the business to make a valuable contribution to the community and benefit itself directly from the specialized curriculum of the workshop.
On a larger scale we conduct Corporate Workshops specifically for Business Conventions and Training Seminars, independent of school sponsorship. The cost for these workshops is based on fair market value for similar services rendered. We accomodate up to 50 participants for these intensive and concentrated workshops.
"Kosen-Rufu"
A Japanese/Buddhist term that means to spread the ideals of compassion, love and education to all human beings so that we can attain World Peace. By teaching and honoring values of respect for all living things and nurturing respect for each other, regardless of race, economic condition or culture, we build the foundation for a world where peace can be a normal condition and not an exception...a world where we take responsibility for each other and responsibility for our individual actions. A world where good causes are made resulting in good effcts.
For a better the world, begin with yourself!
To make an improvement in our life condition, we must begin with the education and exposure of our children to varied forms of art, music, culture and expression as well as fundamental skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics and awareness of how to improve our health through physical excercise and a healthy diet. We must instill the discipline of "positive action" without fear and shame, to encourage the child to develop self expression and confidence. As adults, we must challenge ourselves to constantly make improvements in our character, dismissing selfish and egocentric thought and constantly expanding the knowledge we possess, nurturing our positive qualities and dismissing the negative aspects. An atmosphere of learning and working together must be instilled in our consciouness so that we can attain true happiness beyond the accumulation of "things". This is the common foundation we must build leading to World Peace.
The Kosen-Rufu Foundation Workshops include:
• Part One includes Tai-Chi, breathing excercises, 5 Tibeten rites, Treasure Tower exercises and other excercises to improve circulation, concentration, conditioning and body awareness. This first portion of the workshop warms the body, releases tension and encourages group cooperation and helps to eliminate "shyness". Kosen-Rufu Foundation volunteers assist the participants in executing the exercises in the proper manner encouraging a positive attitude at all times.
• Part two of the workshop involves vocal awareness and simple training. The voice is the primary instrument we all possess. We work in a circle, where all participants are aware of each other. We sing "tones" together and begin by holding hands to become aware of each others body rhythms. We learn to follow the directions of the leader (as in an orchestra) and respond as required. The concept of "many as one" is taught through repitition, games and discipline exercises. We learn to count together, understand rhythm and how to manage rhythms together in a group. We sing different rhythms and learn to feel how a band, sports team, company, choir or orchestra functions. We learn to coordinate different rhythms with different parts of the body operating independently from each other also utilizing various hand clapping excercises and body movements. Finally, we perform multi-rhythmic vocal songs and have each participant come the the center of the circle and make an independent expression. This expression is totally of the participants choice...singing, dancing, mime or whatever the individual considers his or her self expression at that moment. The requirement is that each person be individual and create a short expression totally unique to themselves. Kosen-Rufu Foundation workers (1 person for every 10 participants) assist with all procedures and encourage the participants to work at their maximun potential. This is the preparation for Part three.
• In Part three of the workshop each participant is given a Authentic West African Djembe drum and we begin working in the principles introduced in Part Two. No musical training is neccessary to excel in this segment! All excercises are based in talent we all naturally possess. We further explore the understanding of timing, rhythm and performing together, conscious of all participants in the group. This discipline further emphasizes working together in a group working towards a common goal. We perform various exercises in counting and concentration, focusing on the musical goal of the group. We play games stimulating concentration and following directions. We execute rhythmic patterns and learn how to perform various techniques on the drums, eventually playing rhythms together in a structured manner while Mr. Bowie performs solos on djembe drum with the ensemble, further exhibiting self expression in conjunction with a variety of rhythms played together by the group in a common tempo. This part of the workshop further emphasizes the lessons of group cooperation learned in Part two. The participants are able to see and hear the value of concentration and cooperation in a group setting.
• Part four - "Limbo Dance" In this section we form a large circle and use 2 or 3 limbo sticks (depending on the size of the group). The participants are given small rhythmic instruments to shake or play while they do the limbo dance around the room in a large circle. Mr. Bowie and volunteers play rhythms on the drums to accompany the dancing. Kosen-Rufu workers hold the limbo sticks and assist the participants in creating an atmosphere of celebration. This is the last portion of the workshop that combines physical activity, body movement, group cooperation discipline and most of all...FUN!
For further information and workshop reservations:
www.stichtingkosenrufu.com
Telephone
Email: kosen-rufu@planet.nl
Registratinummer Handersregister: 11066060
Banknummer Rabobank: 397254997
e-mail; kosen-rufu@planet.nl
registratienummer Handelsregister : 11066060
Banknummer Rabobank te Gorinchem : 397254997