Find Your Rhythm

What defines some sound as "music?" It's organization and intent. Music is sound meant to communicate and connect and rhythm is the organizing element of that sound. Music is done out loud, with and for others, and it has a beat.

With music, as it is in any meaningful endeavor, timing really is everything!

Rhythm comes from the ancient Greek word ῥυθμός, rhythmos, and defined as "regular recurring motion, symmetry." Repetition and balance help your endeavor, musical or otherwise, establish patterns worth recognizing and remembering. Rhythm also encourages movement, forward motion, and a sense of progression.

It's also important to establish frequency (how often), and period (how long). Frequency and period determine if what you're sharing is a riff, a movement, or a complete symphony.

Intentionally establishing a steady beat (the "pulse" your audience taps their foot to), and the tempo (the pace or speed of that movement), is essential. It can also help to vary or syncopate (intentionally inserting "the unexpected" or unanticipated), the timing. This encourages your audience to "lean in" or "wake up" and pay closer attention.

In music and other meaningful exchanges, rhythm has a huge impact on "what happens next." It inspires and informs "the dance."

Does the rhythm of your work swing, shuffle, or march? Is it suited for the ballroom, the bar room, or the mosh pit? Finding your rhythm is essential for flying higher in your venture!

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose

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