On Creating Music Together retreats, we work as much as possible in the silence. Preparing food, washing the dishes, or cleaning the house, we work with as little talking as possible. During the 24 hours of silence on the Retreats in Place, we try to practice this at home with our families. Some of us have found the practice useful to apply in other situations.
Why do this?
Limiting speech during labor improves safety, saves energy for creative work, and supports us to connect with others on a different level.
When working with sharp knives, fire, and boiling water in the kitchen, a lapse of attention can easily lead to serious injury. Many of us have difficulty paying attention to a conversation while doing another task. By limiting speech to simply what is necessary, we reduce the risk of injury. Of course, when speaking will avoid danger, for example to let the rest of the meal team know the stove is on fire, we use our voices. There are times when it's too complicated to complete a task without words; many of us have found those occasions decrease with practice.
Equally as important as safety is practicing doing one thing at a time. By focusing our attention to the task at hand, we save creative energy. On retreats, there is usually a tight deadline to compose, rehearse, and perform new works. Periods of silent labor become moments for the creative mind to recharge. Many of us have been surprised when inspiration has come to us while engaged with manual labor.
The third reason we limit speech during manual labor is to support connection with others in a new way. There is a subtle way of being together many of us overlook while talking. Many of us have built up a certain personality and way of relating to others which is reinforced through conversation. And some of us chat to avoid being fully present with others. When laboring in silence, many of us are able to connect on a different level.
How to do this?
As with much of CMT work, we learn by doing. Being silent together and listening to our words requires takes practice and we get better the more we do it. That being said, there are some things useful to keep in mind.
Before speaking, we pause and ask three questions:
1) Does this need to be said?
Is what I want to say necessary? Will it help us accomplish the task at hand? Will it help the other person? Is there a practical reason for it? Or am I trying to fill silence? Am I speaking just because I'm uncomfortable? Because I want to seem important?
If it does need to be said, then go to the second question.
2) Does this need to be said right now?
Is this the right time to say what I want to say? Is there a better time to say this? Will saying this move things forward or hold up the process? If I want to tell a joke, can I save it for social time after the meal? For example: If the meal is ready to go out, do I need to raise the items to go on the shopping list? Or should I wait until after the cleaning up to let the lead cook know we are out of garlic?
3) Does this need to be said right now by me?
If the thing needs to be said, and needs to be said right now, am I the right person to say this? Does it fall within the scope of my role? What happens if I don't say anything? Will someone else address the issue? If another member of the meal team neglected a part of the meal, is it better for the lead cook to say it?
When all three things are true, it’s probably fine to say it. Over time, many of us have found that much of what we said was not in fact necessary, and many things we felt we needed to say got resolved without us saying anything. And we all make mistakes. That’s why we keep practicing.