It was opening night for freestyle+’s Broadway show. The audience packed the house. The energy was high, and the group received one of the most memorable suggestions ever for their show.

“Black Thought (Grammy-winning emcee from The Roots) yelled out the word ‘justice,’ and Mos Def (another Grammy-winning musician) yelled out ‘family’ during one of our songs,” says Anthony Veneziale, co-founder, freestyle+. “We combined those to be ‘family justice’ and that informed our song called ‘TRUE’ in which each emcee tells a true story from their life. It was a very emotional and beautiful song [for which] Young Nees and Arthur the Geniuses sang the hook. There was not a dry eye in the house.”

The group freestyle+ isn’t your ordinary improv troupe. They use hip-hop music and comedy to inspire confidence, creativity and resilience in audiences. The group has performed at events on six continents for Fortune 500 clients such as Apple, Disney and Google. They also performed the first improvised TED talk.

“I have no words to accurately describe my amazement of their skills,” says Chris Basso, director of employee engagement for CARFAX. “We had about 400 people attend the performance and the looks on their faces said it all. Just fantastic.” 

Feeling connected and creative

The group presents its keynote performance “Power of Play feat. Freestyle Love Supreme,” sponsored by Discover Puerto Rico, on June 19, during MPI’s World Education Congress in St. Louismpi.org/wec.

“At freestyle+, we want humans to feel connected, collaborative and creative,” Veneziale says when explaining what the group hopes attendees learn during its presentation. “We want attendees to walk away feeling energized, feeling connected to each other and that they have tools to help them encourage that in others.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton” and “In the Heights”) started “Freestyle Love Supreme,” the only fully improvised Broadway show in history. And the team behind “Freestyle Love Supreme” created freestyle+.

“In the theater world, creating a new Broadway show can be daunting,” Veneziale says. “Not only did we create a new Broadway show every night that we performed, but our work earned us a special Tony Award in 2021.” 

The power of music and humor

Music isn’t just a form of entertainment; using music for educational needs is one of the best ways to create lasting memories and strengthen knowledge.

“Music is stored in a different part of your brain than most forms of communication,” Veneziale says. “It’s more closely related to your cerebellum, and therefore, it embeds a bit more deeply with your motor functions. That area of your brain holds memories longer and in a more lasting way.”

Scientific studies have also repeatedly shown that music helps people feel more connected to each other, that they trust each other more and that they’re more willing to engage in new ideas with each other. When music is included during an event, such as an educational session or a team-building activity, people retain information longer and have a more positive memory of the experience.

Gain a new understanding of how play can foster inspiration and build tolerance for uncertainty during the freestyle+ keynote at MPI’s World Education Congress in St. Louis, June 18-20. Learn more and register today! General session sponsored by Discover Puerto Rico.

Another interesting aspect of using music in your events is that when a group performs or listens to songs together, they start to synchronize their movements and their heart rates. This is one reason why people feel an increased sense of community when they sing together and why music is a great way to engage people in social or corporate environments.

Something else that helps people better enjoy an experience and break down barriers: humor.

“Our goal as a company has always been to help people follow their joy,” Veneziale says. “Cultivating joy helps to empower an optimistic mindset, which has many primary and secondary benefits.”

One of those is trust, he says, and the release of oxytocin.

“Oxytocin helps humans to feel connected, and it’s a way to bolster empathy toward others,” Veneziale says. “When people are activated through humor and laughter, it allows them to open up and trust other people.”

Striking a balance

As seasoned presenters and entertainers, the members of freestyle+ have seen the meeting and event industry evolve over the years.

“The meeting and event industry has gone through a huge transformation, especially post-pandemic,” Veneziale says. “Now, meeting planners have to be very intentional to make the most of their in-person time to connect in a deep and meaningful way with other attendees. They also have to make the most of the build-up and post-event with digital tools that keep attendees interactive and wanting more.”

For planners seeking to increase their knowledge and skills, he suggests it’s incredibly useful for them to understand the moment and where the trends are going.

“Artificial intelligence is being used to help automate and anticipate future work needs, and attendees are both worn out by and eager for that knowledge,” he says. “Striking a balance between the future of work and the need for human connection will be incredibly important for event planners to succeed.”