Yup, I've spent the past year washing my drums....
....anyway - it seems extremely remiss of me not to keep blogging - not least because I really want to remember what I've been up to!
2007 saw trips to Ohio, Skye, and Germany, as well as more domestically related rhythmic ramblings; continuing to tutor would-be community musicians at Strathclyde University, and what has seemed like my biggest rhythm project, working with the occupational therapy department of a local NHS trust to deliver drumming workshops throughout their mental health services.
This has been a fascinating journey: for a while now I have held the belief that the arts can do for our mental health what exercise does for our physical health - i.e. help us improve when we're in bad shape, and act to maintain our health when we're in good shape.
In a drumming workshop, for example, stereotypically, there is a cathartic/emotional dimension, but there's also a huge communicative aspect to it, as we negotiate the give and take, the self-expression and the group dynamic. There's a sizeable amount of self-management needed in order to make music as a group - if I fill up all the musical space, there's no 'room' for others to play, so, much as I may want to let off steam with a great drum roll, I have to hang on to that impulse in the recognition that our success as a group depends on my co-operation and sensitivity towards the needs of others.
Another fascinating aspect is the concentrative power of drumming. Quite often in workshops we talk about how helpful it is to let go of the analytical brain which might want to work out or 'count' a particular rhythm, and try instead to 'feel' for a rhythm. Sometimes this is easier said than done! In any case many people have mentioned that they were both physically, and mentally occupied while they were drumming. Mentally, this manifests in expressions to the effect that 'it allowed me to forget my 'stuff' for a while.'
Physically, some individuals have found the presence of a rhythmic pulse to be quite transforming. With elderly participants, this often looks like 'waking up', as group members who displayed very little activity when they arrive at a workshop, become drawn into active and interactive participation. Other group members with physical difficulties such as repeating spasms, have found that rhythm offers a predictive structure that helps them to order, control, and calm their movements. There has been significant research regarding the use of rhythm in assisting people with Parkinson's and recovering from strokes, known as 'rhythmic auditory motor facilitation'. Here's a link to a lot of extremely interesting research... Anyway, it's fascinating to see it displayed on a small scale, outside the laboratory.
cheers dears,
Jane
