| Research |
| Dream |
| Unity |
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| Jeff Mann Drums PO Box 634 Brockport, NY 14420 USA |
| Love |
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| Foundation for Universal Music Literacy ~ How Music Effects Child Development: “A ten-year study, tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background … music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who had no music involvement.” “Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels … seems to contradict the United States' focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology.” |
| The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy |
| Education |
| Dana Foundation ~ Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain - Teachers and Educators … visit this site for your Free Report, "Findings and Challenges for Educators and Researchers from the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Summit". Sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Neuro-Education Initiative, and focuses on the convergence of neuroscientific research and teaching and learning, with an emphasis on the arts. |
| The Washington Post ~ VIDEO "Enlivening the Senses" “Arts/Learning encourages active engagement of preschool through college students in developing their highest artistic and academic competence by promoting practices, programs and partnerships to achieve a new level of excellence in teaching and curriculum development.” The Close Captioned Version is at: http://vimeo.com/12623599 |
| Web Article ~ Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts: “In the sometimes harsh reality of limited time and funding for instruction, however, the inclusion of the arts in every student’s education can sometimes be relegated to a distant wish rather than an exciting reality. It doesn’t have to be that way!” |
| Drumatic Innovation |
| Jim Donovan’s Blog ~ Drumming on the Edge of Leadership: “Hand Drumming and Leadership Skills for the New Millennium … A new awareness of the value of leadership training, our growing understanding of the uses of hand percussion, and the trickle-down of quantum concepts into everyday thinking have set the stage for dramatic positive change.” |
| Sixty Second Parent ~ New Research Shows Babies Are Born To Dance: “The findings, based on the study of infants aged between five months and two years old, suggest that babies may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically in response to music. Research suggests that it is the beat rather than other features of the music, such as the melody, that produces the response in infants.” |
| Think Drums ~ Study Shows Percussion Improves IQ Scores of Children: “Improved IQ scores can now officially be added to the ever-growing list of benefits from playing drums. A recent study shows that playing the drums or other percussion instruments actually improves IQ scores of children. While previous studies have hinted that musical training improves a child's literacy and math skills, this is the first time that a study has shown that one's intelligence level can be improved by drumming.” |
| Americans for the Arts ~ VIDEO from the Congressional Arts Kick Off: “Some people get it … the importance and value of Arts Education to our country and to our civilization … and now is the time to help everyone else understand. (Arts Advocacy Day on Capital Hill 2011).” |
| Health & Wellness |
| Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute ~ The Benefits of Recreational Music Making: “For the first time in the history of music and medicine, we performed a controlled scientific investigation of stress-reversal elicited by group drumming in 111 subjects. Our latest publication … we demonstrated effective stress reversal on the DNA level. Recreational Music Making has substantial societal value, as well as profound biological impact … to alter the perception of active music participation as a life-long tool for success.” |
| REMO’s Health Rhythms ~ A Compilation of Their Recent Studies: “Numerous research studies have been published in peer reviewed journals which demonstrate the health & wellness benefits of our research-based HealthRHYTHMS Recreational Music-Making (RMM) protocol. HealthRHYTHMS Group Empowerment Drumming is Remo's internationally acclaimed research-based RMM program and is the basis for this research.” |
| "It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception." ~ Albert Einstein “It had never occurred to me before that music and thinking are so much alike. In fact you could say music is another way of thinking, or maybe thinking is another kind of music." ~ Ursula K. Le Guin "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." ~ Plato “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.” ~ Henry David Thoreau "The life of the arts far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is close to the center of a nation's purpose-and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization." ~ John F. Kennedy “Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.” Bill Clinton, former President, United States of America. |
| Great Quotes |
| “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” ~ Maya Angelou "Music is given to us with the sole purpose of establishing an order in things, including, and particularly, the coordination between man and time." ~ Igor Stravinsky "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." ~ Ludwig van Beethoven “I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us.” ~ Martin Luther “Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the body.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes “Where words fail, music speaks.” ~ Hans Christian Anderson “Music is well said to be the speech of angels.” ~ Thomas Carlyle: The Opera |
| “It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.” ~ J. S. Bach "Bach gave us God's Word. Mozart gave us God's laughter. Beethoven gave us God's fire. God gave us Music that we might pray without words." ~ a quote from outside an old opera house ~ by Unknown "All the sounds on the earth are like music." ~ Oscar Hammerstein "Sugar is not so sweet to the palate as sound to the healthy ear." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson “Music has a great power for bringing people together. With so many forces in this world acting to drive wedges between people, it’s important to preserve those things that help us experience our common humanity.” ~ Ted Turner, Turner Broadcasting System. “Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together.” ~ Anais Nin "There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres." ~ Pythagoras |
| "The man that hath no music in himself Nor is not move'd with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted." ~ Wm. Shakespeare “The music masters familiarizes children's minds with rhythms and melodies, thus making them more civilized, more balanced, better adjusted in themselves, and more capable in whatever they say or do, for rhythm and harmony are essential to the whole of life.” ~ Plato “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” ~ Albert Einstein "Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best." ~ Henry Van Dyke “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” ~ Albert Schweitzer “Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.” ~ E. Y. Harbug “Music is one way for young people to connect with themselves, but it is also a bridge for connecting with others. Through music, we can introduce children to the richness and diversity of the human family and to the myriad rhythms of life.” ~ Daniel A. Carp, Eastman Kodak Co. Chairman and CEO. |
| “Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” ~ Gerald Ford, former President, United States of America "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order and lends to all that is good and just and beautiful.” ~ Plato "I took violin lessons from age 6 to 14, but had no luck with my teachers for whom music did not transcend mechanical practicing. I really began to learn only when I was about 13 years old, mainly after I had fallen in love with Mozart's sonatas." ~ Albert Einstein "The will must be stronger than the skill." ~ Muhammad Ali “During the Gulf War, the few opportunities I had for relaxation I always listened to music, and it brought to me great peace of mind. I have shared my love of music with people throughout this world, while listening to the drums and special instruments of the Far East, Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far North and all of this started with the music appreciation course that I was taught in a third-grade elementary class in Princeton, New Jersey. What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children.” ~ H. Norman Schwarzkopf, General, U.S. Army, retired “Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.” ~ Italian Proverb |
| “Casals says music fills him with the wonder of life and the ‘incredible marvel’ of being a human. Ives says it expands his mind and challenges him to be a true individual. Bernstein says it is enriching and ennobling. To me, that sounds like a good cause for making music and the arts an integral part of every child’s education. Studying music and the arts elevates children’s education, expands students’ horizons, and teaches them to appreciate the wonder of life.” ~ U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, July 1999. "He often told me that one of the most important things in his life was music. Whenever he felt he had come to the end of the road or into a difficult situation in his work, he would take refuge in music and that would usually resolve all his difficulties." ~ Albert Einstein “Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. It means you think of yourself less.” ~ Ken Blanchard “If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars, or your legs, or your hands, or your hearing? Add up what you do have, and you'll find that you won't sell them for all the gold in the world. The best things in life are yours, if you can appreciate yourself.” ~ Dale Carnegie "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." ~ Japanese proverb |
| “Studying music encourages self-discipline and diligence, traits that carry over into intellectual pursuits and that lead to effective study and work habits. An association of music and math has, in fact, long been noted. Creating and performing music promotes self-expression and provides self-gratification while giving pleasure to others. In medicine, increasing published reports demonstrate that music has a healing effect on patients. For all these reasons, it deserves strong support in our educational system, along with the other arts, the sciences, and athletics.” ~ Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Baylor College of Music. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." ~ Plato “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go . . . no one else. ~ Les Brown “My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you don't make them because they're popular; you make them because they're right.” ~ Theodore Hesburgh “People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else. Experience is determined by your self … not the circumstances of your life.” ~ Gita Bellin “Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” ~ Abraham Lincoln |
| "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." ~ Albert Schweitzer “You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.” ~ Charles F. Kettering “I have lived a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth; that God governs in the affairs of men.” ~ Benjamin Franklin “A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” ~ Patricia Neal “Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don't talk back.” ~ W.K. Hope "The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind." ~ William James "Any system or blueprint for success is better than none at all. Think on paper." ~ Brian Tracy "Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: Busy doing what?" ~ Jim Rohn “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first hour sharpening the axe.” ~ Abraham Lincoln |
| Jim Donovan’s Blog ~ Complementary Therapy for Addiction: Drumming Out Drugs “Recent publications reveal that substance abuse rehabilitation programs have incorporated drumming and related community and shamanic activities into substance abuse treatment. Often promoted as "Drumming out Drugs," these programs are incorporated in major rehabilitation programs, community centers, conference workshops and training programs, and prison systems.” |
| Mind Body Wellness Center ~ Deep Within: Drumming as a Healing Strategy “From the very first time I participated in a drum circle, I recognized something profoundly moving about the experience. It was far more than just delighting in the chance to make music together. My feelings intuitively struck a chord (if you don't mind the pun) that's still vibrating with excitement about music's yet unrealized potential as a healing strategy in healthcare.” |
| Rhythm Centre Article ~ Should Drums Be Sold in Pharmacies? “Since the groundbreaking research funded by Remo, Inc. demonstrating immune-system enhancement after one hour of group drumming, the idea of drums being sold in pharmacies has become more of a possibility. The medical community and music therapists are not waiting for this to happen in order to apply this paradigm to their practices … and neither is much of society, for whom regular participation in community drum circles is seen as creative fitness and stress-reduction workouts.” |
| Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute ~ Recreational Music Making: Explore the effects of Recreational Music making (RMM) on the Human Body including the Nervous, Circulatory, Endocrine and Immune Systems. |
| Stanford News Service ~ Therapeutic benefits of musical rhythm: “Rhythmic music may change brain function and treat a range of neurological conditions, including attention deficit disorder and depression, suggested scientists who gathered at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. A small but growing body of scientific evidence suggests that music and other rhythmic stimuli can alter mental states in predictable ways and even heal damaged brains.” |
| Jim Donovan’s Blog ~ The Use of Drumming as a Cure for Children with PTSD: “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event in which grave physical harm occurred or was merely threatened. Different forms of music such as drumming are becoming an important therapeutic tool. Drumming exercises greatly reduce stress … apparently by altering their brain-wave patterns.” |
| In the Workplace |
| New York Post ~ Fortune 500 Tunes Into Bang-the-Drum Therapy: “Corporations are boosting employee productivity and reducing sick days by getting workers to march to the same drummer - literally. A novel program underway at several big firms - including Toyota, Unilever, Raytheon and Oracle - hauls in drums to the office so that workers can take an hour a week to beat on them alongside their bosses and co- workers.” |
| Prevention ~ Beat and Bongo Away Stress: “Wesbury United Methodist Retirement Community in Meadville, PA, asked 112 of their employees to take a recreational drumming and music-making class under the guise of employee enrichment, participants grumbled. Yet 6 weeks later, workers reported feeling more energetic and less depressed and angry. (The ‘class’ was really a study.)” |
| BBC News ~ Drumming Up a Happier Workplace: “Drumming sessions at work could help employees defend themselves from stress and lower staff turnover, according to a new study from America. When the participants took part in six weekly drumming sessions, it improved their mood by almost 50%.” |
| CNN Headline News ~ VIDEO Interview with Barry Bittman, MD: Dr Bittman explains the effects of stress in the workplace and how Recreational Music Making (RMM) brings people together, lowers stress and reduces employee turnover. |
| Jim Donovan Drums ~ Biofeedback Indicates Drumming Relieves Stress: “A new study by Barry Quinn, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in neurobiofeedback for stress management, indicates that drumming for brief periods can actually change a person's brainwave patterns, dramatically reducing stress.” |
| Research on this Page is in Three Parts: Education, Health & Wellness, and the Workplace Plus: I've Included some Great Quotes about Music from People We All Admire |
Over Thousands of Years Drums have been used in Ceremony, Healing and Celebration. There's been a 'Rhythm Revival' in Europe and North America for the past Few Decades. Recently, studies have been conducted exploring the positive benefits of Making Music & Playing Drums and the Evidence is Crystal Clear !! Music Education impacts a Student's Mental, Physical, Emotional and Social Development, and it enhances all types of learning. It is Economic Foolishness to Cut the Arts from Our School Curricula, they are as Fundamental to Education as Reading and Math. Health and Wellness is a Big Concern with Our Fast-Paced Lifestyle and the Low-Nutrition / High Caloric Food We Often Consume . . . Who has Time for Exercise? Every Day More People are Successfully Using Alternative Methods, like Drumming, to Combat the Negative Effects of this Stress and Poor Diet. In the Workplace, Group Drumming is Successfully Being Used to Reduce Employee Stress, Burnout, and High Turn-over Rates . . . While Increasing Moral, Productivity and a Sense of Camaraderie. When it comes to the Bottom Line, Spending Thousands to Save Millions is a Great Investment. Group Drumming Brings People Together for a Fun Activity where Everyone Can Participate. Used as an Intro to Music, Stress Relief, Therapy, Team Building and So Much More ! ! |