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Keynotes and Workshops: Music Therapy thru Drumming

    Music and the arts offer many techniques that aid health and cognition. Much has been published regarding the study of music for students in grades K through 12, demonstrating higher IQ scores and increased creativity. Music study and performing serves as a catalyst for learning, and is known to be helpful in rehab following illness, and neurological injury. The benefits are seen through an improved understanding of spatial, analytical, and creative relationships. These stimulate new interests and comprehension in learning, and help seniors that may be suffering ill health, and neurological changes such as stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, hydrocephalus, dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and other disorders. We discuss these in further detail under drum circle workshops and health & wellness drumming.

    Click to listen/download to music from the instrumental healing song "Evening Solstace." The song was recorded in 2002, and has been listened to by persons with cancer, neurological disorders, and chronic illnesses across the U.S.

    We believe the most significant advancement in music therapy more recently has been in the healing and communications benefits with rhythm and percussion through participation in Drum Circles, often incorporating instruments that are hundreds of years old. Rhythm is felt to be highly inspirational because human, plant, and animal functions are closely linked through the Earth's "harmonics," as biological organisms having common amplitude and frequency vibrations. 

    In 2002, and later amended in 2005, we undertook a neurological study that studied the relationship between auditory, vestibular, and visual stimuli - and neurological deficits (defined in the study as neuro-hypersensitivities) - which commonly involve a decrease in the tolerance to sights, sounds, and vestibular orientation. We found a direct relationship between heightened sensitivities to specific repetitive rhythm patterns, and headache, dizziness, disorientation, and fatigue - which affect one's ability to learn and comprehend. Next, we introduced a protocol gradually exposing the study subjects to the offensive stimuli, to improve his/her tolerance and compensation, thereby improving the associated neurological deficit. We found a causative relationship between simple harmonic rhythms and complaints and one's decreased ability to learn, where more complex or syncopated rhythms were actually helpful in learning and in developing compensatory function. 

    Harmonics plays a key role in the physical world, the universe, and possibly the spiritual realm too. All harmonics are measured via mathematical relationships, whether they be music, time, physiologic processes, or earthly matters. When our bodies become ill, physiological processes deviate from normal harmonic function. In theory, music's harmonic sound waves could provide health and well being benefits by restoring normal harmony to body functions.

    Early African, Latin, Persian, and Irish music introduced a variety of percussion instruments. The authentic African djembe drum and other percussion instruments have gained much popularity today in the West. The "djembe" produces distinct sensory tones with specific effects upon listeners. These tones and rhythms are thought to possess Spiritual qualities, and are considered therapeutic. Its effect may be due to the harmonics of rhythm, or flow of its tones, which appears to influence humans, plants, and animals. Synthetic skin djembes and numerous shakers, bells, and percussion instruments are manufactured by the Remo Drum Co. of Valencia, California. Hand drums and small percussion instruments are played in a variety of "drum circles," each designed to elicit a specific response from the participants of the circle. Drum circles can involve from as few as three or four participants, up to several thousand or more. Remo has introduced their own Health Rhythms division for facilitation training of those interested in wellness and teamwork drum circles. Mr. Stephen Dolle is active today in drum circles today, and has observed its many unique and spiritual effects. He proposes using percussion and hand drum instruments as a Philanthropic Community Music Outreach Project to aid at risk youth in the inner cities. We would like to see more Rap and Hip-Hop artists employ live percussion in place of widely used electronic rhythm tracks.

    A question that has confounded scientists for many years is whether "Spiritual sensation" is actually a "6th Sense." Books, movies, and Spiritual writings indicate its existence, yet science has yet to formally confirm it as a sensory function, perhaps as it tends to occur in certain individuals, and to varying degrees. It appears, at least in part, to be the foundation for many of the benefits provided through compensatory or alternative therapies, and is viewed as pivotal to creative and intuitive abilities of many modern artists, scientists, businessmen, religious and political leaders. 

    We believe that it is hippocampus's key role in processing sensory information that sometimes causes audible and visual information processing to become more challenged - in individuals with certain neurological deficits and disorders, and that these disorders often render loud and " repetitive" audio and visual stimuli to be much more difficult to tolerate (termed sensory overload), than syncopated or melodic patterns which are more pleasing. We believe our brain's melodic affinity to very syncopated sound is at the very core of the positive mental benefits through what is known as the "Mozart effect." Our own Auditory Vestibular Visual Study discusses the mechanism of audio-visual over-stimulation from sources like machinery and room noise in public places. Research suggests that music's extraordinary affect upon the brain is due to the result of both rhythm and tonal influences emanating from voices and musical instruments.

    Listening to classical music while performing complex intellectual tasks has been reported to improve concentration. This music may also improve the well being in individuals who are ill. Classical music may also produce an emotional response, thereby releasing specific neurotransmitters, facilitating new brain synapses, and cognitive levels. The full scope of these processes is not well understood, but music has been shown to cause increased recall of long term memory in patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and surgical trauma.

    Painting and graphic arts strengthen spatial and creative reasoning critical in cognitive health. Many seniors have taken up these arts in recent years, and it has been shown to further happiness, quality of life, and life extension.

    Dramatic acting, musical performing, and dance can stimulate multiple areas of the brain. One its surface, the arts allow free expression of thought and feeling - thereby improving emotional health. Emotional health influences overall health. They stimulate creative thinking, and improve cognitive function and learning. They aid spatial and energy awareness through coordination of movement. These arts do require a level of cognitive function to memorize and execute the performances. If done successfully, they can induce powerful changes in individuals.

    Viewing film and theatrical performances provides a multitude of benefits. Primarily, it aids in the compensating mechanism to poor health, by enabling the viewer to focus their thoughts on positive or rewarding experiences. You can actually laugh many of your thoughts and awareness of ill health away. It can aid in creative and analytical thinking, and stimulate cognitive function in a similar manner as would a game. The movie, "Groundhog Day", which repeats 30 to 40 variations of the same scene, is an excellent exercise to improve short and long term memory.

We have a general information Group Drumming slide show entitled, "Team Building & Communications thru Group Drumming: Engaging the Rhythms of your Brain."

View in Microsoft Power Point versions 1997-2007: Team Building & Communications in Group Drumming

Faster Load Power Point (must have 2007 v. installed): Team Building & Communications in Group Drumming

View Slide Show in Adobe Acrobat Reader: Team Building & Communications in Group Drumming (Adobe Acrobat)

The above Power Point shows may take up to 15 seconds to load depending on your Internet connection speed. The presentation may or may not play automatically. If it does NOT play, select in the top left corner "From the Beginning." To view options during play, right-click your mouse anywhere on your screen and make your selection to go back, forward, or exit.

Here's a "flier" of interest on a Rhythm Balance & Mobility Workshop.

    As founder of Dolle Communications, Mr. Stephen Dolle has had numerous personal and professional experiences with Music & Art. In 1992, after suffering a brain injury, he devised techniques that facilitated his own rehabilitation. For instance, he used the analytical (math) aspect of music to strengthen his reasoning functions, while writing and creatively playing music to boost overall well being.

    Music and Art has been shown to benefit people of all ages and skills level. A simple Internet search of "music therapy" or "art therapy" will reveal thousands of useful resources. Please visit the music industry's national site American Music Conference (AMC) section on music and wellness.

    For information how our music therapy and drum circle workshops might assist you, Contact Us here.

    Add us on Facebook to follow our calendar of drum performances, drum circles, and speaking engagements.  Join our Orange County Drum Circle group on Facebook and MeetUp.com to connect with other Orange County drummers.