Drum Therapy Singapore

DRUM THERAPY SINGAPORE©

DRUM THERAPY SINGAPORE©

Calming beats, rhythmic connections

Module Book 1

written and developed by Yuro T.

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Welcome to Drum Therapy Singapore©.

Many articles have been written about drum therapy and how it helps the participants in physical, social and emotional aspects.

And these claims have been backed by scientific studies and researches mostly done in the west. We at Drum Therapy Singapore believe that these benefits should now come to our region and bepart in makingquality of life better. Asia is acenter ofeconomic growth.With progress comes added stress for the working individual and lesser time for the parent to bond with the growing children.

We want to help.

Drum Therapy Singapore©is committed to bringing the value of therapeutic drumming and drum circles initially to Singaporeand the rest of Asia.

Plans to set up the first clinical study to prove its effectiveness to Asian are already in place. And we are confident that in a few years, you will be part of history as you become one of the first to benefit from drum therapy.

Led by a qualified and experienced music instructor who is passionate about music and children, Drum Therapy Singapore has regular drum circles with participants ranging from 3 to 79 years old.

Everyone reaps the benefits of Drum Therapy.The preceding article is a compilation of what have been said and written regarding drum therapy. It our hope that you will get to understand and appreciate it better after reading through. But the best way is to take part in one of our drum circles and feel the tensions released, the emotions cleared and general well-being enhanced.

History:

From ancient time, group drumming is being used as a tool for wellness and community building.

Music is effective because it is a nonverbal form of communication, it is a natural reinforcer, it is immediate in time and provides motivation for practicing nonmusical skills. Most importantly, it is a successful medium because almost everyone responds positively to at least some kind of music.

Drum circles are a cultural phenomenon that have been featured in Time Magazine, Discovery and even Natural Beauty and Health. Drum circles are probably one of the most ancient forms of community building known to man.

Here, people come together to create an improvised composition that becomes the score for their own lives. The drum circle is a platform for musical expression and it is accessible to anyone regardless of age or ability level. The use of the drum presents for creative expression.

Drum circles are happening in many places. People attend these events not to become better percussionists, but to reduce stress, build community, and have fun. It is a recreational activity that engages the mind, body, and spirit.

In drum therapy, it’s not about performance, it’s about feeling good about one’s self.

In one article, drum therapy was described as fun, relaxing and entrancing, and made for a great feeling of community. In a series of sessions that were part of a study to see if drum therapy helps heart patients, the results observed by Miranda Ritterman from UC Berkeley were encouraging.1

There are many uses and benefits of Drum Therapy, among which are for:

The elderly and the sick

This method have been proven in many part of the world and have benefitted numerous elderly. It mimics a community and participants instantly feel a sense of belonging. 2

Drumming is a complex composite intervention with the potential to modulate specific neuroendocrine and euroimmune parameters in a direction opposite to that expected with the classic stress response.5

In a study among Oncology Patients by Christine Stevens, James Gordon, MD of the Mind-Body Center in Washington D.C. was quoted as saying "Oncologists should be open to group drumming if their patients are interested in it. Drumming can put people in a state of relaxation. It was used as a healing technique 1,000 years ago. Why not now?" (MAMM Magazine, July/August, 2001) 6

Even the Canadian Cancer Society espouses Drumming as good for cancer patients. And the healing power of drumming for Alzheimer patients was explored in a book by drum facilitator Robert Lawrence Friedman. 8

Adults

Drumming technique for assertiveness and anger management in the short-term psychiatric setting for adult and adolescent survivors of trauma. 9

In the April 2010 issue of Science of Mind Magazine entitled "Good Vibrations"with David DiLullo and Rick Allen (Def Leppard, Raven Drum) by Barbara Stahura where they expressed that drumming “increases heart rate and blood flow. It also synchronizes the hemispheres of the brain, causing brain waves on both sides to entrain, of fall into the same pattern, which can produce effects similar to deep meditation. Entrainment also occurs among members of the drumming group, bringing about a sense of oneness and community.” 10

These same experts also mentioned that drumming helps your brain and your health. 11

Women also have special interest and emerging expertise in this area. Their important role and perspective is highlighted in an interview published in Drum! Magazines March2010 issue. 12
Children with special needs

There are manyScientific Researches that support that Music Helps Children Mentally. Drumming is a vital part of music and enables the benefits of Music therapy to be reaped in Drum therapy as well.

Students

There are a lot of article supporting and proving that drumming help the young deal with their substance abuse issues. 13

Drugs have been a menace to society and interestingly, it is the adolescents who are easily hooked on drugs that are also particularly interested in drumming. 14

Drumming has also been used as complementary Therapy for Addiction. 15

Musicians, teachers, and leaders throughout the ages have known and taught that music is a healing art. There is now a significant body of information and research among contemporary musicians, educators & researchers verifying the health and educational benefits of music.

For students, the Benefits have been outlined byGregoryHochman of Artdrum.com:

1. Drumming can help students grow academically and improve students' ability to concentrate and compliment their studies inmath, science, language arts, history, physical fitness and the arts.

2. According to scientific research, playing music, and hence drumming and playing percussion, increases thedevelopment of various regions of the brain,

3. Playing drums and rhythms can be an optimal experience and encourages participants of all ages to achieveflow.

4. Drumming is ahealing artand therefore it can give participants of any age a better sense of well being.

5. Hand drumming (and regular participation in any form of percussion playing) increases the physical stamina of students.

6. Drumming increases body awareness & kinesthetic development; drumming helps students develop graceful coordination and self-control.

7. Playing rhythms improves listening skills and increases childrenand teens' ability to focus for extended periods of time.

8. Generally, the increasing of rhythmic skills - and the learning of any musical instrument - increases students' confidence.

9. Playing rhythmic music helps students to take notice of the rhythms and beauty in nature and their surroundings.

10. Drumming in group formats, such as drum circles, bands and orchestras cultivates an appreciation for teamwork and cooperation.

11.Drum circlesare greatethnic and cultural bridges; they harmoniouslybring diverse people, instruments and musical styles together.

12. If parents play or take interest in the musical and learning process of their children, then drumming can be a means to forge meaningful bonds between parents and children.16

Music is right for your children because it provides a healthy, natural and truly invaluable opportunity for individual expression. It encourages the development of the whole child by enhancing cognitive, social, physical, and emotional skills.

OUR OTHER OFFERINGS:

Drum circles for team-building in the workplace. These are effective in reducing workplace stress and energizing any meeting.

In the west, drum therapy has been embraced and rated effective by top companies including Toyota, Unilever and Oracle. In an article at NY Times, the author mentioned that an $11000 program will effectively save the company in the long run as it lowers employee turnover. In an industry thatspends $30-$60k to find and train a replacement, it’s an investment well worth it. 17

In Singapore, we are pioneering Drum Circles to become staples in team building activities in the corporate world.

References:

REFERENCES and ARTICLES:

Drum Circles: An Ancient Methodology for a Modern World

- Remo Belli

How group drumming is being used as a tool for wellness and community building

In drum therapy, it’s not about performance, it’s about feeling better. This benefit comes to those who have not learned how to make their own music.

Based upon a recent study, the medical community is beginning to embrace this application of music and medicine. Dr. Bittman, CEO of the Meadville Medical Center and his research team discovered that a specific group drumming approach significantly increased the disease fighting activity of circulating white blood cells (Natural Killer cells) that seek out and destroy cancer cells and virally-infected cells. The study included 111 normal subjects, all of whom were non-musicians. Along with conventional medical strategies, Dr. Bittman includes group drumming in all of his disease-based programs at the Mind-Body Wellness Center.

Drum circles are happening in many places. This demonstrates the importance of establishing a rhythmaculture in our Western world. People attend these events not to become better percussionists, but to reduce stress, build community, and have fun. It is a recreational activity that engages the mind, body, and spirit. Arthur Hull, father of the modern day drum circle, developed his unique approach to facilitating drum circles in the 1980s through an observation of the need that extended beyond percussion skill development. According to Arthur, "when we drum together, it changes our relationships and helps us cope with whatever challenges life hands us."

Drum circles may be seen in corporations for teambuilding, hospitals for music therapy, and music stores for community building. At the Remo Percussion Center in North Hollywood, we are exploring the application and value of weekly drum gatherings for social well-being and personal health. A recent survey of sixty participants showed that the most common reason for attending the weekly drum circles was "stress reduction." The fact that people are now making their own music for Believing in the need for music making to maintain health demonstrates a paradigm shift – that musical expression may actually be necessary – more than for entertainment, but for its health promoting value.

We are focused in integrating drumming and wellness to share information, insights, articles and develop user-friendly instruments that can be used in health care settings globally. Our efforts help people integrate drumming as a tool for enhancing their lives, reconnecting with their community, and maintaining their health.

Drum therapy keeps patients on the (heart)beat
Clara-Rae Genser. Apr. 09, 2004 inCOMMUNITY FOLK

Drum your name, we were ordered, and we did, repeating the beat and the name until ordered to stop. Thus began a four-week study of drum therapy with Miranda Ritterman and her father, Dr. Jeff Ritterman, a cardiologist at Kaiser in Richmond.

It was fun, relaxing and entrancing, and made for a great feeling of community. And that was the goal, according to the Rittermans and to Christine Stevens, who flew up from Los Angeles each week to lead the sessions. From all walks of life, and different backgrounds, by the end of the sessions we knew each other liked each other a lot. Almost everyone was terribly unhappy when the four-week sessions were over.

The sessions were part of a study to see if drum therapy helps heart patients. As Richmond's pioneers in this study, we were invited to attend future sessions for cancer patients, to let them know our assessment of drum therapy.

Miranda Ritterman, a doctoral student at UC Berkeley, had read something about drum therapy and talked with her father about it. He was interested, and did his own reading on the subject. "He is a much faster reader than I am," Miranda Ritterman said, "and it was he who found this program of HealthRhythms, a new division within Remo Inc." Dr. Ritterman's heart patients were invited to take part in the study. Christine Stevens is an international speaker, music therapist and author. She supplied the drums (many of them bongo drums decorated with EKGs) and other heart décor.

Through her company, UpBeat Drum Circles, she offers community drum circles for corporate team-building, diversity training, personal growth, and health and wellness. The major aim is to fight stress, and bring relaxation and calm. One of the things Christine asked of us was to drum how we felt when we were stressed, and then, how we felt when we did not feel stressed. The response was dramatic.

The sessions included more than just drumming. There were "shakers" that looked like small apples, with which we played games in our circle, giggling and laughing. There was a large drum that made sounds likes waves when moved -- it could be a calm and soothing sound like huge waves breaking on a rocky shore. An important person during the study was Margie Ginotti, a registered nurse and adult-care manager. She was at every meeting, and joined in the fun, even leading them when Christine could not. We do not yet know the official findings of the study, but among ourselves those who participated know that drum therapy is a very positive and important addition to the world of therapy. Most of us plan to continue on our own in some way.

Elderly Patients Drum Away the Pain
07.24.08

Paradise View in New York City does not actually have a view, but the long-term care residence in Upper Manhattan does have a drum circle.

The genesis of the drum circle was about three months ago, when Community Coordinator Paul Padial and Cantor Daniel Pincus were playing drums in Paradise View's dining room, and they attracted the attention of residents. "Everybody started coming out to see what all the noise was, and it turned into a dance floor," Padial says. "We just looked at each other and said, 'This is the coolest thing.'"

Pincus, who is a member of the religious life department at Manhattan Jewish Home Lifecare, the nursing home of which Paradise View is a unit, and Padial organize a drum circle for residents. Meeting for an hour every Thursday, it is a success, say staff and residents alike.

The drum circle is part of Jewish Home Lifecare's bid to change what was a conventional nursing home into a real home for the residents, replete with plenty of activities and choices about when to wake up and what to eat. The benefits of the drum circle are more than just musical: Pardial says it builds community and provides health benefits.

"Part of my job is to build community, and drum circles actually mimic a community," he says. "In a drum circle, every person has a voice. No one person is more important than the other."

The elderly patients who participate can't seem to get enough of making music. One recent drum circle attracted approximately 30 residents, ranging from ages 65 to 102. They sat waiting for drums or other percussion instruments to be handed to them. "I love it," the oldest member of the group, Laure Gaeckle, who turns 103 in February 2009, says. "They started it up, I joined, and I've been drumming ever since."

Gaeckle spends much of her time in bed, and never played the drums before joining the circle. Suffering from poor eyesight and having difficulty with mobility, drumming provides a welcome diversion. "I wish it would go on for another hour," she says. "I don't know if I'll be around to play at 103."

At 85, Ernestine Johnston looks like a trendy Manhattanite, with sunglasses, gold earrings, and a pearl bracelet. While she is not a member of Paradise View, she has been welcomed to the circle. "We just found out about it and we started coming down. It's new to me so it's fun," Johnston says. "It's very energetic. It really does send blood through the veins."