Six benefits of drumming

Let’s enjoy the benefits of drumming

There are some proven serious benefits of drumming. Obviously by being a drummer you are the coolest person in the land but there are also some great benefits of drumming that you can enjoy beyond coolness.

Here are the six top benefits of drumming:

1. It’s huge fun
This might not sound very scientific or important but it really is. Modern life moves so fast and the technology that was meant to make life simpler has actually placed more demands on us. Mental health problems are on the rise. We need to take action to stop and take time out for things that make us smile. Doing something that makes you feel good will help your mental state, help you calm down and actually make you more productive when you go back to work. Adults should laugh, smile and play just the same as children do. And nothing brings on the smiles and good feelings than the joy of drumming.

2. Give the immune system a boost
Surely not? Yes it really does. The team at drum head company Remo have stated, “Remo’s Health Rhythms Department is on the forefront of establishing a solid foundation for proving the biological benefits of drumming. Neurologist Barry Bittman, M.D. and his renowned research team discovered that a specific group drumming approach (HealthRHYTHMS protocol) 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. Along with conventional medical strategies, Dr. Bittman includes HealthRHYTHMS group drumming in all of his disease-based programs at the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Pennsylvania.” So as well as an apple a day you might want to introduce a drum beat a day too. I’m not suggesting that a drum beat will give you immortality but it seems that drumming as part of a group can help encourage T-cells which do act against viruses such as cancer and AIDs.

3. You will become more intelligent
The drummer stereotype portrays us as the Neanderthals of the band, the scourge of society, the ones that get to hang around with the real musicians, etc, etc, etc.  Drummer jokes are aplenty but we now know that these might be borne out of insecurity within the other musicians who have realised that they are dealing with superior minds.

When drumming is performed the logical left side of the brain is activated as well as the creative right side. This can be very beneficial. Results from University of Toronto professor  E . Glenn Shallenberg’s study showed that test scores from a group of six year old children improved significantly after receiving drum lessons. He studied 144 children and split them into four groups; those receiving no music lessons, those receiving drum lessons, those receiving voice lessons and those receiving drama lessons. The highest IQ point improvement was that of the drummers who achieved an average of seven extra points compared to four extra points for those having no lessons.

4. You don’t need to go to a gym
What great news. OK it’s also not strictly true but drumming is definitely a very physical activity. Recent studies by Blondie drummer Clem Burke at Chichester University showed that a rock drummer has a comparable output after a sweaty gig as that of a professional athlete. Clem’s heart rate was said to average around 150bpm, peaking at 190bpm and burning up to 600 calories an hour!

5. Pain relief
It gets even better. Drumming can actually aid production of endogenous opioid peptides (our internal ‘drugs’) known as endorphins. These are feel good chemicals that work as a natural pain killer. During and for a while after drumming endorphins can be released which acts to stop pain. As well as that you can get lost in the music which helps to distract us from all manner of physical and emotional problems for the time.

6. Relieves anxiety and stress symptoms
Not only can it stop physical pains, mental issues such as anxiety and stress can also be alleviated with the release of endorphins. In Neurologist Oliver Sack’s book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain he states that, “While music can affect all of us – calm us, animate us, comfort us, thrill us, or serve to organize and synchronize us at work or play – it may be especially powerful and have great therapeutic potential for patients with a variety of neurological conditions.”

So with all that scientific evidence, added to the fact that your ‘cool factor’ will sky rocket, what more reason do you need to start drumming today?

If you live in Surrey or Hampshire then you’re in luck as you can call on drum teacher Matt Dean.

If you want to find out more about Matt, what his experience is and what he’s about then check out the about Matt page.

You can also visit his online teaching website at Total Drummer.

And to get a feel for Matt’s style and the studio check out the beginner drum lesson below.

If you want drum lessons contact us or use the form below.