IN A FEW WORDS :
I invite you to watch—and rewatch from different angles—the video below of the song “These Days” by the British drum & bass group Rudimental, recorded live at Abbey Road Studios in London in 2018 (which should ring a bell for the older among us…).
What is a music video doing on a site about movement, psychomotricity, and accompaniment ?
From its inception to its design, production and final performance, this video beautifully illustrates how harmony and collective performance emerge.
Watch it several times, focusing your attention on different aspects of what’s visible and audible. Perhaps, like me, as it unfolds you’ll notice the reasons (the “how”) and the foundations (the “why”) that make this song and this video work beyond their sentimental, cheerful, and nostalgic side.
“Collective Intelligence”
When music reveals and demonstrates it…
“Coolective Intelligence”
When music reveals and demonstrates it…
FOREWORD
At the origin of this song is a chorus and a few lines by Dan Caplen (the singer), who created this initial draft in 2015. The song was then co-written in 2016 with several other members of the group (Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor, and DJ Locksmith) and four additional writers: American singer John Ryan, British singer Jamie Scott, and composer Julian Brunetta.
Rudimental then invited rapper Macklemore, who collaborated with Dan Caplen by creating a few of his own verses, contributing the qualities of his differences and his unique touch.
It took two years for the producers to assemble this puzzle, bringing these talents together, notably convincing Jess Glynne – with her particularly distinctive voice – to join the project.
Neither a producer, composer, nor singer, but an exceptional drummer, Bennie Bhebhe, also known as Beanie, remains largely unnoticed in the credits. Yet his nuanced, eclectic rhythmic performance resonates perfectly throughout the track, adding real depth to the interpretation.
Every piece finds its place in this puzzle—from backing singers, musicians, and vocalists to cameramen, sound engineers, and the director.
In the end, the song embodies what a group of different individuals, with varied skills, diverse backgrounds, and heterogeneous priorities, can create when given the opportunity and space to express themselves – forming a cohesive ensemble of creative resources.
At the origin of this song is a chorus and a few lines by Dan Caplen (the singer), who created this initial draft in 2015. The song was then co-written in 2016 with several other members of the group (Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor, and DJ Locksmith) and four additional writers: American singer John Ryan, British singer Jamie Scott, and composer Julian Brunetta.
Rudimental then invited rapper Macklemore, who collaborated with Dan Caplen by creating a few of his own verses, contributing the qualities of his differences and his unique touch.
It took two years for the producers to assemble this puzzle, bringing these talents together, notably convincing Jess Glynne – with her particularly distinctive voice – to join the project.
Neither a producer, composer, nor singer, but an exceptional drummer, Bennie Bhebhe, also known as Beanie, remains largely unnoticed in the credits. Yet his nuanced, eclectic rhythmic performance resonates perfectly throughout the track, adding real depth to the interpretation.
Every piece finds its place in this puzzle—from backing singers, musicians, and vocalists to cameramen, sound engineers, and the director.
In the end, the song embodies what a group of different individuals, with varied skills, diverse backgrounds, and heterogeneous priorities, can create when given the opportunity and space to express themselves – forming a cohesive ensemble of creative resources.
WHAT CONNECTION WITH THE APPROACH ?
To start, know that I love music – all kinds of music – if it speaks to me, whether at first glance or on a deeper level. I am not a musician, nor a music expert. An enthusiast ? Absolutely! – though some might find that term too modest. Perhaps a better way to put it is that I consider myself a true listener, not just someone who passively hears music.
It may seem difficult, even far-fetched, to draw a connection between a filmed piece of music and psychomotricity. This was not something I deliberately sought. Initially, I was simply struck by how this track literally grabbed me on the first listen.
A little googling later, I discovered the official video, released after the track went public, which features a couple—without me knowing at the time that it was rapper Macklemore and singer Jessica Hannah Glynne. At that stage, I had no deeper understanding of the reasons behind my auditory and rhythmic attraction.
I then found another video of the same track on Google: a live recording – the one you can see above. Here again, what I saw perfectly matched what I heard. I felt compelled – perhaps even driven – to watch and rewatch this video. Its apparent simplicity made it easy to dissect what happens during the performance, with the word “live” carrying signififcant meaning in relation to what is actually unfolding.
To start, know that I love music – all kinds of music – if it speaks to me, whether at first glance or on a deeper level. I am not a musician, nor a music expert. An enthusiast ? Absolutely! – though some might find that term too modest. Perhaps a better way to put it is that I consider myself a true listener, not just someone who passively hears music.
It may seem difficult, even far-fetched, to draw a connection between a filmed piece of music and psychomotricity. This was not something I deliberately sought. Initially, I was simply struck by how this track literally grabbed me on the first listen.
A little googling later, I discovered the official video, released after the track went public, which features a couple—without me knowing at the time that it was rapper Macklemore and singer Jessica Hannah Glynne. At that stage, I had no deeper understanding of the reasons behind my auditory and rhythmic attraction.
I then found another video of the same track on Google: a live recording – the one you can see above. Here again, what I saw perfectly matched what I heard. I felt compelled – perhaps even driven – to watch and rewatch this video. Its apparent simplicity made it easy to dissect what happens during the performance, with the word “live” carrying signififcant meaning in relation to what is actually unfolding.
First connection : Context
For those who have explored my site, in the field of psychomotricity, I frequently emphasize the importance of context – the environment we are confronted with or interact within. In this case, the “live” setting represents that context, combined with what each participant brings to the moment: their expectations, fears, doubts, ambitions, and certainties. All of this, coming together in such a short span of time, inevitably influences what follows—emotionally, cognitively, and mentally—for each person in different ways.
Research in psychomotricity (psychology of movement) and related fields shows that these factors shape how we coordinate and organize ourselves physically, cognitively, and mentally – perhaps even neurologically – all of which are deeply interdependent when operating in a fluctuating environment. And what could be more unpredictable than the challenge of generating emotion during the live performance and recording of a newly created piece ? Consider a collective performance on an unstable or shifting surface, requiring the same precision and timing. Individual athletes face similar challenges in sports such as skiing, mountain biking, or sailing. On a collective level, examples include relative formation skydiving, synchronized swimming, synchronized skiing, and synchronized diving.
These disciplines highlight the tight connection between performers and the environment they engage with every second. Yet this is something utterly commonplace, because we all do it constantly in every context – whether in sports, artistic creation, intellectual work, administrative tasks, manual or creative activities, scientific or technological work, biological or medical practice, or teaching. We are always adapting to what is happening around us. This is brain’s primary function: to allow us to adapt. However, we all do it differently. Even choosing no to act is itself a form of adaptation.
First connection : Context
For those who have explored my site, in the field of psychomotricity, I frequently emphasize the importance of context – the environment we are confronted with or interact within. In this case, the “live” setting represents that context, combined with what each participant brings to the moment: their expectations, fears, doubts, ambitions, and certainties. All of this, coming together in such a short span of time, inevitably influences what follows—emotionally, cognitively, and mentally—for each person in different ways.
Research in psychomotricity (psychology of movement) and related fields shows that these factors shape how we coordinate and organize ourselves physically, cognitively, and mentally – perhaps even neurologically – all of which are deeply interdependent when operating in a fluctuating environment. And what could be more unpredictable than the challenge of generating emotion during the live performance and recording of a newly created piece ? Consider a collective performance on an unstable or shifting surface, requiring the same precision and timing. Individual athletes face similar challenges in sports such as skiing, mountain biking, or sailing. On a collective level, examples include relative formation skydiving, synchronized swimming, synchronized skiing, and synchronized diving.
These disciplines highlight the tight connection between performers and the environment they engage with every second. Yet this is something utterly commonplace, because we all do it constantly in every context – whether in sports, artistic creation, intellectual work, administrative tasks, manual or creative activities, scientific or technological work, biological or medical practice, or teaching. We are always adapting to what is happening around us. This is brain’s primary function: to allow us to adapt. However, we all do it differently. Even choosing no to act is itself a form of adaptation.
Second connection : Tempo
“Rhythm” and “tempo” are often confused. Tempo refers to the overall pace of a piece of music, usually measured in beats per minute (BPM) and often set by a metronome. This pace can be established by percussion instruments of any kind and is typically associated with what a drummer expresses. However, in this track, the drummer shapes rhythms more than a strict tempo. He organizes variable durations over time, giving the piece different rhythmic patterns. The reverse can also be true: a slow and a fast military march can share the same rhythmic patterns, played at different speeds.
In the field of psychomotricity, each of us has our own personal tempo – a frequency that resonates with who we are, both neurocerebrally and energetically. When aligned with this natural tempo, we make better use of our psychomotor and neurocerebral resources. This can be applied to coordinated execution of complex, rhythmic movements – such as skiing through a slalom – but also in cognitive or manual tasks.
Tempo is one reason I was inspired to write this post: the connection between this song and my own psychomotor organization. That’s what seemed to happen to me (or within me…) when I listened to this track. Its tempo matched my psychomotor rhythm. Beyond my personal musical tastes, this resonance had a stimulating, even energizing effect, giving me the urge to experience it again and again – much like the effect of sugar in food: a subtle “soft power” whose benefits we feel without fully understanding why, yet our psychomotor system instinctively takes advantage of it.
Since we’re talking about frequencies, it’s worth noting another characteristic of our neurocerebral preferences: our systems operate at different frequencies – higher or lower, faster or slower. This directly relates to the tempo discussed above, and it also influences our visual perception. What occurs in response to an auditory tempo can similarly occur when we focus visually on colors: warm colors resonate with systems favoring lower frequencies, while cool colors resonate with systems prioritizing higher frequencies.
Second connection : Tempo
“Rhythm” and “tempo” are often confused. Tempo refers to the overall pace of a piece of music, usually measured in beats per minute (BPM) and often set by a metronome. This pace can be established by percussion instruments of any kind and is typically associated with what a drummer expresses. However, in this track, the drummer shapes rhythms more than a strict tempo. He organizes variable durations over time, giving the piece different rhythmic patterns. The reverse can also be true: a slow and a fast military march can share the same rhythmic patterns, played at different speeds.
In the field of psychomotricity, each of us has our own personal tempo – a frequency that resonates with who we are, both neurocerebrally and energetically. When aligned with this natural tempo, we make better use of our psychomotor and neurocerebral resources. This can be applied to coordinated execution of complex, rhythmic movements – such as skiing through a slalom – but also in cognitive or manual tasks.
Tempo is one reason I was inspired to write this post: the connection between this song and my own psychomotor organization. That’s what seemed to happen to me (or within me…) when I listened to this track. Its tempo matched my psychomotor rhythm. Beyond my personal musical tastes, this resonance had a stimulating, even energizing effect, giving me the urge to experience it again and again – much like the effect of sugar in food: a subtle “soft power” whose benefits we feel without fully understanding why, yet our psychomotor system instinctively takes advantage of it.
Since we’re talking about frequencies, it’s worth noting another characteristic of our neurocerebral preferences: our systems operate at different frequencies – higher or lower, faster or slower. This directly relates to the tempo discussed above, and it also influences our visual perception. What occurs in response to an auditory tempo can similarly occur when we focus visually on colors: warm colors resonate with systems favoring lower frequencies, while cool colors resonate with systems prioritizing higher frequencies.
Troisième lien : la Performance Collective
Le contexte et l’environnement influent sur l’organisation psychomotrice de l’individu… Dit comme ça, cela n’a rien d’extraordinaire. Certains avancent que “c’est tout dans le mental” (autrement dit dans la tête) que lui seul se suffit à lui-même pour faire face à ce qui nous entoure. En effet, c’est possible. En matière d’accompagnement, au sein de groupes, cela permet de simplifier les analyses, les observations, le discours, et les actions à envisager et à entreprendre à leur plus simple expression. Rien d’étonnant à ce que cela soit populaire dans l’air du temps que nous traversons…
Il n’y a pourtant rien de plus faux ! tout ce qui relève du vivant ne fonctionne correctement que globalement. Certains parlent d’harmonie; c’est une vision un peu angélique. C’est avant tout une question de cohérence entre 3 dimensions sur lesquelles nos systèmes psychomoteurs s’appuient tout le temps en toute circonstance et dans cet ordre : le contexte, la perception et l’action; que cette dernière soit cognitive ou physique, elle résulte de ce que nous mettons en oeuvre à l’appui des deux précédentes. Ne pas en tenir compte nous expose à des formes d’incohérences qui empêchent stabilité, régularité, énergie ce que d’aucun appelle le “flow” si on parle de mouvements et de coordination. C’est aussi vrai pour ce qui touche à nos capacités cognitives ou intellectuelles : imagination, créativité, réflexion, analyse, décision…
Au sein d’un groupe, cette cohérence, ce respect ou cette quête de cohérence dans un contexte donné, commence par chaque membre à son niveau. Ce que certains appellent “penser à soi, se concentrer sur soi”, ce qui ne signifie pas se déconnecter de ce qui se passe autour – comme trop souvent suggéré – ou répondre à des injonctions extérieures par souci d’efficacité. Mais bien de rester soi-même d’un point de vue psychomoteur en fonction de ce contexte particulier.
C’est ce que j’observe dans la performance de Rudimental et des artistes invités. Les protagonistes arrivent ici à exprimer qui ils sont; faire de qualités intrinsèques fondamentalement différentes une cohésion d’ensemble remarquable. À tel point, que la concentration initiale cède à une harmonie de groupe (s’agissant de musique) et une prise de conscience collective de ce qu’ils sont en train de vivre et produire.
Vous aurez peut-être noté, comme moi, que les voix de Jess Glynne et Dan Caplen évoluent au fil du morceau et que ces deux voix entrent en résonnance au début du deuxième refrain. Par le fait d’être tous deux concentrés sur le contexte, c’est-à-dire sur leur propre voix et en perception de la voix de l’autre quand ils chantent séparément, au moment de chanter ensemble, leur deux voix entrent en résonnance au début du second refrain.
Cela n’a échappé ni à Jess ni à Dan qui se tournant l’un vers l’autre perçoivent la magie qui s’opère et se lâchent, pouvant vivre l’instant pour ce qu’il est. Cela agit comme un déclic au bénéfice de tous les acteurs et confère au morceau une énergie et une qualité d’interprétation supplémentaire à tous les niveaux.
Les conditions environnantes et personnelles de chacun ont permis que cela se produise collectivement.
Le travail au sein d’un groupe vise à créer des conditions-cadres susceptibles de favoriser l’émergence de potentialités individuelles et collectives créatives.
il n’y a pas d’intelligence sans corps.
Troisième lien : la Performance Collective
Le contexte et l’environnement influent sur l’organisation psychomotrice de l’individu… Dit comme ça, cela n’a rien d’extraordinaire. Certains avancent que “c’est tout dans le mental” (autrement dit dans la tête) que lui seul se suffit à lui-même pour faire face à ce qui nous entoure. En effet, c’est possible. En matière d’accompagnement, au sein de groupes, cela permet de simplifier les analyses, les observations, le discours, et les actions à envisager et à entreprendre à leur plus simple expression. Rien d’étonnant à ce que cela soit populaire dans l’air du temps que nous traversons…
Il n’y a pourtant rien de plus faux ! tout ce qui relève du vivant ne fonctionne correctement que globalement. Certains parlent d’harmonie; c’est une vision un peu angélique. C’est avant tout une question de cohérence entre 3 dimensions sur lesquelles nos systèmes psychomoteurs s’appuient tout le temps en toute circonstance et dans cet ordre : le contexte, la perception et l’action; que cette dernière soit cognitive ou physique, elle résulte de ce que nous mettons en oeuvre à l’appui des deux précédentes. Ne pas en tenir compte nous expose à des formes d’incohérences qui empêchent stabilité, régularité, énergie ce que d’aucun appelle le “flow” si on parle de mouvements et de coordination. C’est aussi vrai pour ce qui touche à nos capacités cognitives ou intellectuelles : imagination, créativité, réflexion, analyse, décision…
Au sein d’un groupe, cette cohérence, ce respect ou cette quête de cohérence dans un contexte donné, commence par chaque membre à son niveau. Ce que certains appellent “penser à soi, se concentrer sur soi”, ce qui ne signifie pas se déconnecter de ce qui se passe autour – comme trop souvent suggéré – ou répondre à des injonctions extérieures par souci d’efficacité. Mais bien de rester soi-même d’un point de vue psychomoteur en fonction de ce contexte particulier.
C’est ce que j’observe dans la performance de Rudimental et des artistes invités. Les protagonistes arrivent ici à exprimer qui ils sont; faire de qualités intrinsèques fondamentalement différentes une cohésion d’ensemble remarquable. À tel point, que la concentration initiale cède à une harmonie de groupe (s’agissant de musique) et une prise de conscience collective de ce qu’ils sont en train de vivre et produire.
Vous aurez peut-être noté, comme moi, que les voix de Jess Glynne et Dan Caplen évoluent au fil du morceau et que ces deux voix entrent en résonnance au début du deuxième refrain. Par le fait d’être tous deux concentrés sur le contexte, c’est-à-dire sur leur propre voix et en perception de la voix de l’autre quand ils chantent séparément, au moment de chanter ensemble, leur deux voix entrent en résonnance au début du second refrain.
Cela n’a échappé ni à Jess ni à Dan qui se tournant l’un vers l’autre perçoivent la magie qui s’opère et se lâchent, pouvant vivre l’instant pour ce qu’il est. Cela agit comme un déclic au bénéfice de tous les acteurs et confère au morceau une énergie et une qualité d’interprétation supplémentaire à tous les niveaux.
Les conditions environnantes et personnelles de chacun ont permis que cela se produise collectivement.
Le travail au sein d’un groupe vise à créer des conditions-cadres susceptibles de favoriser l’émergence de potentialités individuelles et collectives créatives.
il n’y a pas d’intelligence sans corps.
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