The DRUMS are one of the few instruments that access the entire brain… Active engagement, creativity and physically playing rhythms help to sync the left and right hemispheres of our brain, leaving us feeling more connected with ourselves.
ADHD AND DRUMMING
MUSIC THERAPY, for a start is a well-known alternative measure to combating a wide range of disorders. “Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music,” says Oliver Sacks, M.D., professor of neurology at Columbia University and author of Musicophilia.
“For children with ADHD, music therapy bolsters attention and focus, reduces hyperactivity, and strengthens social skills…
…Music is rhythm, rhythm is structure, and structure is soothing to an ADHD brain struggling to regulate itself to stay on a linear path. Music exists in time, with a clear beginning, middle and end,” says Kirsten Hutchison, a music therapist at Music Works Northwest. "That structure helps an ADHD child to plan, anticipate, and react.”
Knowing that rhythm can be so highly effective, and combine it with the physical, primal, interactive act of banging the drums… the results speak for themselves (even if briefly). Not to mention having fun at the same time.
So, what do we know?
…It can be taught!
Drumming requires a great deal of limb independence and coordination along with timing, pattern/structure recognition, and engaging in active listening to oneself and the rest of the band (whether that be a live group or playing along to recordings).
That's a lot going on at once!
It’s all these elements of playing the drums coming together that light up so many areas of the brain and stimulate certain neural-pathways that otherwise wouldn’t get activated or are in need of reconnection and strengthening. The best news of all - it can be taught!
We also know that being active and fit is linked to mental health, and we know that music has major benefits on mental health as well, one in particular being that it’s a mood-affecting medium… making the drums the perfect combination of these two.
Playing the drums also sparks an immediate level of satisfaction due to the more simplified nature of hitting a drum with or without a stick. It’s result is instant-gratification with the sound and feel. Of course this is an oversimplification and playing the instrument musically involves a bit more; but it’s nice to know that absolutely anyone who can strike a drum can produce an instant sonic and physical result.
“ADHD:
Short for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A condition characterised by symptoms that include: inattentiveness/short attention span, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. But not all of these need to be present for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD.” 1
There is still an enormous amount of knowledge needed to be uncovered for us to better and more comprehensively understand the cognitive and psychological reasons behind the disorder. This in fact, rings true across most learning and behavioural disorders. However, positive ADHD diagnoses are becoming more and more prevalent across the world, which is encouragingly leading to a major increase in research and information coming out - as well as reducing the stigma around being ADHD positive.
Research to date shows that pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain. This neurotransmitter responsible for regulating attention, working memory, and motivation is in low supply in ADHD brains. “Music shares neural networks with other cognitive processes,” according to Patti Catalano, a neurologic music therapist at Music Works Northwest. “Through brain imaging, we can see how music lights up the left and right lobes. The goal of music therapy is to build up those activated brain muscles over time to help overall function.”
Go Mad Music’s very own Lee-Jaime conducted a pilot study in 2016 that set out to empirically display the beneficial properties that music plays on so many of our major cognitive and coordinative functions, emotional responses, and psychological functions. This study showed positive results and affirmed that even after one 30 minute drum class, there were overall increased levels of cognitive performance across all participants.
Of course this isn’t a cure for ADHD or any behavioural and learning disorders, but it is a big step forward in managing and living with these cognitive differences in quite a natural manner.
Ideally, a combination of medication and natural alternative therapies are seeming to be a good option for some. In 2013 a research study, also by Lee-Jaime, showed that a combination of drumming and medication could, over time, feasibly lead to an increase in attention and a decrease in dosage. The key is structured, routine practise, and also being patient and knowing that it takes time to see results.
As a side note:
Having worked personally using rhythm and music with a variety of learning difficulties and sufferers of brain injuries; it is so amazing to see how so many of these concepts using music are not only being applied to ADHD children and young adults, but for a large scope of DSM listed learning difficulties, as well as for “at-risk” youths, and Alzheimer and Dementia patients. The intention with younger people being, that with early development of managerial skills (self managing daily life and the disorders) people can begin to excel from much younger ages. Combine this with the increase in awareness, where teachers are no longer simply labelling the children as disruptive or worse, greatness can be achieved much earlier on… There will always (of course) be the exceptional few that reach greatness early on regardless, and there will be those who struggle to achieve, even with aids. But for most, some help and guidance along the way can unlock great amounts of hidden potential.
Helping to raise awareness and normalising ADHD is the increasing number of celebrities and highly successful public figures that are speaking out about having not only ADHD, but a variety of learning and behavioural disorders such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) to just name a few.
These celebrity ADHD’ers range from olympic gold medalists to actors to highly successful entrepreneurs (who proved the Psychology Today’s statistic that someone with ADHD is 300% more likely to own their own [successful] business). 2.
Famous people with ADHD or other learning difficulties
Buddy Rich (drummer The Buddy Rich orchestra)
Kieth Moon (drummer The Who)
Mick Fleetwood (drummer Fleetwood Mac)
Aaron Gillespie (session drummer)
Justin Timberlake (singer in NSync, solo artist) ADHD and OCD – he’s known for beat boxing (highly rhythmic and based on drum patterns).
Adam Levine (Maroon 5) – lead singer and guitarist, started his musical journey as a drummer and still occasionally takes a seat a behind the drums.
Will.I.Am (Black Eyed Peas, solo artist, producer) – his rapping, hip-hop/techno/dance music is all heavily rooted in rhythm and groove.
Florence Welch (singer Florence and the Machine)
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (lead singer and lead guitarist Aerosmith)
Ozzy Osbourne (singer Black Sabbath, solo artist) – has both ADHD and Dyslexia
Carly Simon (singer solo artist)
Jewel (singer and guitarist solo artist)
Joss Stone (singer and guitarist solo artist)
Lou Reed (singer and guitarist solo artist)
Noel Gallagher (guitarist Oasis, solo artist)
Stuart Copeland (drummer The Police)
Tony Bennett (singer solo artist)
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/personal-stories/famous-people/14-musicians-with-learning-and-attention-issues
https://www.parenting.com/gallery/famous-people-with-add-or-adhd?page=0