Pulse team Norway took another journey to winter land in Oslo on the 16th to the 21st February 2015 to attend a seminar for three bands that Pulse team Norway is working with in Oslo.
Our main goal was to share musical knowledge and life skills and to showcase what Field Band Foundation is doing to the community back in South Africa. Further, we wanted to link this to the bands here in Norway. We did a survey about the benefits of what music activities do to the community. One of the most important things that emerged out of all the response identified was socialising. It is very important for the youth to meet together in a place where they have a common purpose and where they are 
supervised by dedicated young and skilled community leaders.
I got an opportunity to interview one of the band- leaders Reidun Ravem about what influence PULSE has in the band She has seen a positive attitude in the member and that they enjoy themselves. As she said, it brings them fun, self-motivation and a more social environment. Reidun believes that it is important that children feel included in the group. She also said that the inner motivation increases when the parental involvement is stronger.
It is clear that the majority of bands in Norway also struggle with membership. When we asked Reidun how this could improve, she said, “each child must be given challenges appropriate to their level, there should be excitement. The answer is not going to the movies as exciting as it sounds but within the band brings different elements and allows inner motivation”.
Pulse went on to create this “element” with some African rhythms and songs for the children in winter land, and only a picture is worth a thousand words.
Our moral of the story is that working together makes us stronger and keeps us aware about how we can use musical activities to create a safe and healthy environment.
PULSE STRONGER TOGETHER.
By: Joel Stamboel
Pictures: Joel Stamboel and Aleksander Braathen
PULSE Music Matters 