If you’ve
ever had to hunt for a parking space on a college campus, you know what a
hellish nightmare it can be. The other day, I scored a primo spot, tucked
beneath the shade of a giant oak, just outside the College of Music. I cranked
down my windows and was reviewing my lecture, when suddenly I noticed a gangly
little dude with a snare drum setting up shop in front of the building. The drumming
quickly commenced and within minutes, his incessant Rat-a-Tat-Tat attracted a second band member – of all things, a
cymbals player. Together, they banged and clanged their way across my last
nerve.
Despite
their annoying performance, it got me thinking about drumming. What
is it about the banging of drums that gets our blood pumping? Imagine music without
drums (OK, classical music aside). Tough to do, because drums play a critical
role in the way music stimulates our bodies and, more importantly, our brains. And what
blissful stimulation it is.
Drums
are one of our most ancient musical instruments. Think about it… It doesn’t
take much to produce a drum (or drummer, for that matter. I’ve seen chimps
pound out a decent rhythm with nothing but twigs and a coconut). Just about
any surface can be transformed into an instrument. Wood, metal, skins, or gourds
all produce their own distinct sounds. And whether they are played with sticks
or hands, drums form the backbone to music, setting the tempo, tone, and ambiance
of a song.
But it’s
that rhythmic beat that our brains find irresistible.
Neurologists have discovered that rhythmic beats actually cause our brain waves to match
tempo. A fast, pulsing beat drives our brain waves to keep time. A slow,
methodical rhythm lulls the brain, which is why drums are used to induce
meditative and trancelike states.
It turns
out this wave-altering mechanism may be just the trick for treating conditions
such as attention deficit disorder (ADD). In fact, scientists used rhythmic
sound and light stimulation on a group of young ADDers and found it to be just
as effective as medication in improving concentration and elevating
intelligence scores (although ADD and a drum set could make for a lethal combination,
at least for the parents).
And
speaking of drums and brains… It turns out kids who play drums may have a
leg up when it comes to intellect. Little drummers were shown to have improved
IQ scores following a series of lessons. And the same holds true for adult
percussionists. Studies have found correlations between intelligence and
rhythmic ability. Those with the best rhythm tend to score better on
intelligence tests, for it turns out the parts of the brain used for rhythm are
also employed for problem solving.
Rhythmic
therapy may also improve cognitive function in the elderly and folks with brain
injuries. The stimulating effects of rhythm actually increased blood flow to the
brain, which improved cognitive scores among a group of senior subjects and therefore
may have application for victims of stroke and head trauma.
But the
positive effects of drums go far beyond the individual. They are an essential
part of the human experience, a fundamental aspect of culture. Drums served as
efficient forms of communication among many African cultures, and were effective
means of transmitting messages over long distances. And drum circles are an
ancient tradition spanning the globe, drawing people together for ceremony,
celebration, and socialization. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a
culture that doesn’t include some form of drumming. And what a boring and monotone
culture that would be... 
Drums
are part of our human heritage. They allow us to communicate in a universal
language; one that lifts our spirits, moves our bodies, and even manipulates
our brains. So perhaps that annoying snare drum player was simply indulging in
a force greater than himself. If so, then rock on, little dude!
