Scientific Study Shows That Group Drumming Is Beneficial
By Andy Doerschuk Published November 30, 2010Are you having as much trouble as I am keeping up with conflicting news on the health benefits/health risks associated with hand drumming? In August we reported on a study by a pair of rheumatologists at the University Of Pennsylvania who found that drumming could cause certain wrist bones to collapse.
But a different study published in the Oxford Journal now shows how group drumming can improve social and emotional behavior in low-income children. Funded by Remo founder Remo Belli and conducted by the Pediatric Pain Program in the Department Of Pediatrics at the David Geffen School Of Medicine, University Of California, Los Angeles, the study concludes that group drumming can significantly improve such problem behaviors as depression, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and oppositional defiance. The researchers, who conducted the study with fifth grade classrooms at Napa Street Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, reported that its results “underscore the potential value of the arts as a therapeutic tool.”