The Rhapsody Project’s MARCH Framework underpins the work we do as educators, community builders, and artists. First articulated by Briar and Joe Seamons in 2020, the acronym stands for:

Movement. Acknowledgment. Renewal. Collaboration. Heritage.

Here in spring of 2025, we are practicing and sharing each of these five tenets over several weeks. This week: Collaboration!

Collaboration

In confronting and transforming systems of oppression, we are more effective in working collectively, and so must actively work to collaborate on multiple levels. However, we live in a society that values the fastest path to the most profit, so we may find ourselves steering clear of collaboration in favor of getting something done quickly. If we want to build things that last, we must prioritize collaboration.

So, let’s pause and remember how to collaborate.

“A great collaborator is an amazing listener who is ready to challenge or cajole me just as readily as they might “yes, and” my ideas and schemes. The best collaborators are always those who show up fully present and don’t just add ornamentation to the cake – they throw in a whole other layer that would’ve never been there without them.”
– Joe

Another team member shared their view that the fundamental ingredient to any collaboration – be it work, music, art, or something else – is listening. “The best musicians I know are great listeners,” they said, before elaborating that how well you listen far outweighs how fast or skillfully you play.

By looking at our two takes above, we can see that collaboration is not just contributing ideas, and it’s not just listening, but rather a dance between the two. Rather than one party doing all the talking, and one doing quietly hearing what’s being said, how do we encourage everyone in the room to practice sharing and listening? (This is the sort of question that we want to keep as a question, instead of settling on a correct answer; keep asking how we keep dancing the dance of speaking and listening).

Levels of Collaboration to consider in your life:

Personal Collaborations

Who are the people in your life you remain accountable to? How do you show up for one another? Are these relationships mutual exchanges where both parties receive support and benefit, or does one person tend to extract what they need and fail to respond in kind?

Community Collaborations

However small or large it may be, you are part of a community that shares certain values. Have you found the community groups and organizations that are aligned with the work you want to do in fighting racism and bigotry in our society? Do you need to join an organization, or start one?

Professional Collaborations

Somewhere in your workplace, there are other people like you who are looking to align your business with values centered on social justice and cultural equity. Have you found them? If not, consider if you have the energy to be a lone crusader, or if you want to get curious about what other professional opportunities are out there.

At The Rhapsody Workshop. Students in the winter 2025 session of Vocal Rhapsody II, where a dozen or so creators worked together to write a song — collaboratively — under the guidance of Lady A and John Oliver III. Not an easy task to collaborate across a large group, but one that was worth the effort to have the many individuals listen and share.

Step Up, Step Back

In our monthly Circle Work sessions, we keep the guidance of “Step Up, Step Back” to help the group achieve a balance of sharing and receiving. This phrase reminds us to step forward and share if we’ve been quiet, and to step back and let others speak if we’ve been talking more readily.

Look for these places in your life — where does the world need to hear more of you? And where can you pause and listen so someone else can share their perspective?

Adapted by Liz Castillo from writing by Joe Seamons and Briar. Graphic by Katana Sol and Liz Castillo.