Collective commitment
Rugby's culture, its sense of belonging to a group, teaches us the basics of collective commitment, without which no victory is possible. If everyone plays their own part, the notion of a team weakens. In music groups, where playing one's part is essential, human relations are often altered. In any shared adventure, the notion of putting oneself at the service of others is a guarantee of success. The concept of the group par excellence is where the link between the individual and the collective is played out, where the sense of belonging and exclusion is defined, and where the identity of each person is elaborated. photo credit: © Alain Hiot
In every shared adventure, whether sporting or cultural, the sum of the people involved tends to be directed towards a common goal. How each athlete, each artist expresses their feelings about a group that can either support them and make them grow, or become oppressive and confining. Camille Delteil, a rugby player with theAsm Romagnat women's rugby team, testifies: "Rugby provides us with an overall objective where solidarity and benevolence reign, the effect of belonging to a group is reinforced. Conflict management is entrusted to the coaches, who are clearly identified as the regulators of the team's emotional state. From the encouragement given to the players on the pitch, we can see that the group dynamic has a positive effect on the development of each player. As Camille Delteil again relates: "The fact of sharing this collective experience around rugby has given me important social codes, rugby has helped me to build myself and to gain confidence in myself.
For Marie Trottard, also a player of the Asm Romagnat women's rugby, it is the notion of complementarity that is important as she informs us: "Within a group, each individual must bring something extra to the table in order to create the synergy necessary for the group to function properly. Moreover, she adds: "Rugby brings us this need to create links and to develop our way of communicating. This collective sport, a sport of contact and commitment, has the ability to unite its players and help them move forward in life.
"In the arts community we have a lot to learn from team sports and how it is managed."
In music groups, there is often an obligation to achieve immediate results. Musicians, in a hurry to achieve success, often forget what they have promised to share. Human relations are therefore altered, conflicts break out within the group and the adventure, so beautiful at the beginning, suddenly ends.
Stefan Columbus
music producer in the Vichy area, has seen many bands in his studio. So he has a certain experience that he shares with us here: "The first thing is to create a human link and to accept that words can flow freely. Confidence is an important guarantee of success if you want to launch a production or a creation. Just like a sports team, the musicians will be confronted with pitfalls and it is at these moments that they will have to show solidarity and question themselves. Stefan Colomb insists on this point: "Unlike rugby teams, where the game and life project is firmly anchored, music groups often overlook and neglect the essence of what they are together for.
This experienced music producer sees himself as the guarantor of the project he has been entrusted with and is kind to the members of the groups he accompanies. Inspired by the values of the game of rugby, Stefan Colomb insists on the relational, collective and solidarity aspects that such adventures require: "It is important to ensure that the group is balanced so that each individual in the group feels comfortable with their feelings. And for this experienced musician to quote: "In artistic circles we have a lot to learn from team sports and how it is managed." In an increasingly individualistic society where everyone is unconsciously or not looking for a bit of light, it is not easy to remember that it is difficult to exist without the contribution of others, whether you are a musician, actor or sportsman. This is the very essence of any shared sketch.
Philippe THIVAT.