About
Composing Community Global Organization (CCGO) is dedicated to fostering playfulness and deep communication through music-inspired tools and activities. Founded by interdisciplinary composer, conductor, and educator Keren Rosenbaum, CCGO emphasizes the importance of active listening and sensory engagement to help individuals connect, trust, and expand their perceptual abilities.
A central component of CCGO's methodology is the Active Listening Playground (ALP), also known as the ALP/Playground Approach. This approach is a communication and play methodology developed from Rosenbaum's personal research into Reflexive Music, a synesthetic music and notation experience. (Synesthesia, in this context, refers to a perceptual phenomenon where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to involuntary experiences in another sensory pathway).
The ALP/Playground Approach aims to create environments where individuals, regardless of prior musical background, can engage in workshops and events that promote playfulness, active listening, and deep communication. Through thoughtfully crafted activities and multisensory exercises, participants are encouraged to practice and perform at all levels, rediscovering playfulness as a life approach.
CCGO has collaborated with various institutions, including The Arts University in Helsinki, Al Akhawayn University, Haifa University and Organizations such as Musicians Without Borders, Peace Corps (to name a few)to spread the practice of Reflexive Music through Active Listening. These collaborations aim to foster creativity, innovation, and meaningful connections among participants.
Welcome to the world of the ALP (Attune Listening Playground), where playfulness—a harmonious blend of internal exploration and external interactions—joins with profound communication to transform how we connect with ourselves, others, and our environment. Developed by interdisciplinary composer and educator Keren Rosenbaum, the ALP/Playground Approach is a pioneering methodology that integrates interdisciplinary music-inspired tools, multisensory engagement, and the joy of play to deepen interpersonal relationships and nurture creativity.
What is the ALP/Playground Approach?
The ALP/Playground is a dynamic approach that builds meaningful connections and enhances interpersonal interactions through playfulness, attunement, and innovative exploration.By nurturing empathic exchanges and active engagement, it inspires personal development, heightened awareness, and stronger relationships within a structured, interactive framework - The Playground! Practicing with the ALP/Playground tools, a multisensory exercises, we promote authentic dialogue, deep listening, and shared discovery.The Playground is a 'Joinment Space' where interplay enables individuals to feel seen, heard, and valued. It is a space of co-creating, where internal alignment and external actions intertwine to foster synchrony and growth, embodying effective interpersonal communication.
The Tools of the ALP/Playground
Reflexive Music: Exercises that engage the senses, allowing sound to evoke vivid emotional and sensory responses. These activities are designed to cultivate awareness and presence.Movement & Interaction: Activities that integrate body awareness and physical interaction to foster deeper connections and understanding.Synesthetic Visualization: Unique tools that blend sound, imagery, and emotion to help participants explore the interconnectedness of sensory experiences.
The OperaGame Model in ALP/Playground Approach
The OperaGame Model is a dynamic framework central to the ALP (Attune Listening Playground), blending theory and practice to foster deeper interpersonal connection and creativity. It is structured around four iterative stages: FIND, PLAY, SHARE, and CREATE, which guide participants through discovery, experimentation, collaboration, and integration. By engaging with the perspectives of I-YOU-WE-WORLD, the model encourages participants to balance personal awareness with attunement to others and the broader environment. Every tool and exercise within the ALP/Playground is designed using this model, ensuring a seamless integration of its principles into practical experiences. Through the OperaGame Model, individuals and groups transform ordinary interactions into opportunities for exploration, meaningful connection, and co-creation, cultivating skills in empathy, innovation, and systemic thinking. Collaborative Play: Exercises that emphasize trust, openness, and shared creativity, creating a safe space for meaningful exploration.Why the ALP/Playground Approach?Accessible for All: No prior musical or artistic experience is needed. The ALP welcomes participants from all walks of life. Learn More.
Fosters Connection: Strengthens interpersonal relationships through shared experiences.Enhances Creativity: Encourages innovative thinking and fresh perspectives. Builds Self-Awareness: Helps participants develop a deeper understanding of their own sensory and emotional landscapes. Whether you join a workshop, attend an event, or explore the tools on your own, you’ll find yourself immersed in an experience that celebrates connection, trust, and the infinite possibilities of human interaction. Discover the ALP/Playground Approach and unlock the power of playful, attuned listening. Dive into a world where creativity meets communication, and where every interaction becomes a meaningful composition.
Ready to explore? Play IT to learn more and join the movement.
More about ALP/Playground Approach & Tools
KEREN
ROSENBAUM
Keren Rosenbaum is an internationally acclaimed composer, conductor, performer, educator, and group facilitator. She began her music education at the age of 7, studying with L. Kogan and flute with Y. Arenheim. At 21, she moved to The Hague to further her studies in composition, electronic music, and music education at the Tel Aviv Academy under A. Shapira and L. Schidlowsky. She graduated with honors from the Royal Academy, where she studied with L. Andriessen, G. Bergeijk, R. DeMan, D. Wagenaar, and C. Barlow, and later completed her Master's degree at Brooklyn College under A. Walman and T. Leon.
In 1999, Keren curated her first interdisciplinary music festival and founded the REFLEX Ensemble, a global community of musicians and artists celebrated for their innovative exhibitions, workshops, and performances of Reflexive Music. Often described by audiences and performers as "passionately inventive" and "on the edge," Reflexive Music inspired the creation of the "ALP/Playground" Active
Listening Playground - a unique therapeutic approach and set of tools fostering deep engagement and creativity through active listening and the art of playfulness.
In 2013, Rosenbaum founded Composing Community Global Organization. This initiative is dedicated to spreading the practice of Reflexive Music through Active Listening, fostering creativity, innovation, and meaningful connections. The academy has collaborated with institutions such as Al Akhawayn University, Tel Aviv University, the Arts University in Helsinki, WE ACT, the Goethe Institute, Chelsea Art Museum in New York, Musicians without Borders, and the Peace Corps, among others.
Recognizing the transformative impact of her music and methodologies on communication and community development, Keren expanded her work to the corporate sphere by launching the Executive Playground Initiative. This initiative aims to bring playfulness and the art of infinite internal play to the work environment, enhancing creativity, collaboration, and well-being.
The OperaGame Model of ALP/Playground
The OperaGame Model is the foundational structure of the ALP (Attune Listening Playground), organizing its exercises and activities into a dynamic and iterative framework. This model is designed to foster deeper interpersonal connection and creative exploration by guiding participants through four core stages:
Stages of the OperaGame Model
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FIND
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Focus: Discovery and exploration.
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Participants identify elements, ideas, or sensations from their internal or external world, creating a starting point for engagement.
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Example in ALP: Participants might “focus” on a random word, emotion, or sensory experience to begin their interaction.
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PLAY
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Focus: Experimentation and spontaneity.
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Participants engage with what they’ve found, exploring connections, experimenting with possibilities, and interacting freely with curiosity and imagination.
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Example in ALP: Exercises such as "CRUMPLE IT" or "I PAINT = YOU SING" encourage playful exploration, building a bridge between self-expression and attunement to others.
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SHARE
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Focus: Communication and collaboration.
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Participants express the outcomes of their play, inviting others to engage, respond, or build upon their contributions. This stage nurtures connection and shared meaning-making.
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Example in ALP: Exercises such as "BOX IT," or "SITUATION FACTORY," that encourages participants to share their ideas and creations, fostering meaningful interactions and collaborative exploration.
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CREATE
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Focus: Integration and transformation.
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The final stage centers on synthesizing discoveries and interactions into something new—whether that is a personal insight, a shared understanding, or a creative output that continues to evolve beyond the exercise.
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Example in ALP: Participants might co-create a collective narrative or design actionable insights inspired by exercises, carrying the experience into their broader lives.
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Key Features of the OperaGame Model
Perspectives of I-YOU-WE-WORLD
Each stage encourages participants to engage with multiple perspectives:
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I: Personal reflection and self-awareness.
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YOU: Attunement to another’s experience or expression.
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WE: Collaborative interaction and shared creation.
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WORLD: Expansion to broader, universal contexts or systems.
Simultaneous Awareness and Flow
Participants practice simultaneous awareness of their own role and their interaction with others. This encourages harmony between personal and shared experiences, enabling deep interpersonal communication.
Iterative Nature
The process is flexible and non-linear. Participants may revisit any stage to deepen their understanding, refine their interactions, or explore new dimensions of creativity.
Creativity and Interpersonal Connection
The model bridges inner creativity with external connection, fostering an environment where personal growth and collaborative innovation are intertwined.
The OperaGame Model as Both Theory and Practice
The OperaGame Model serves not only as the theoretical foundation of the ALP/Playground but also as the structural framework for each individual tool and exercise within the program. Every tool is designed using this model, ensuring that participants experience the dynamic flow of FIND, PLAY, SHARE, and CREATE at every level of engagement. This integration reinforces the model’s principles while offering hands-on opportunities to embody its concepts.
For example:
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The exercise "SITUATION FACTORY" reflects the model’s stages by guiding participants to find inspiration (Act 1), engage creatively (Acts 2 and 3), share imaginatively (Act 3), and integrate through collective reflection (Act 4).
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Similarly, "BOX IT" invites participants to explore, surprise themselves, and co-create vivid experiences that embody the stages of the model.
This dual role of the OperaGame Model as both a theory and a compositional method ensures that ALP/Playground tools are not only aligned with its core philosophy but also actively bring it to life in practice.
Applications of the OperaGame Model
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Personal Growth: Exercises can help individuals discover new perspectives, enhance emotional awareness, and ignite creativity.
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Group Dynamics: The stages promote team collaboration, mutual understanding, and shared problem-solving.
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Systemic Insight: The model can be applied to broader contexts, encouraging participants to reflect on and engage with complex systems and societal patterns.
The OperaGame Model transforms everyday interactions into opportunities for discovery, play, connection, and creation. By practicing its principles, participants cultivate skills in attunement, collaboration, and innovative thinking, making it a versatile tool for personal and collective transformation.