Drumming: Give it Some Stick |
| | | | | | children. I became hooked. My |
| | | | | children may have been [id:95139] to |
| | | | | see their mother wildly hitting the |
| | | | | drums, but they still agreed to come |
| | | | | to a family lesson. |
| | | 6 | | Our hour-long session begins |
| | | | | with maths. Not a good start - I see |
| | | | | my children turn pale - but, says |
| | | | | Ralf, “in drumming, maths is easy”. |
| | Pounding out your frustrations | | | | It is all about recognising multiples |
| | on the drums is a perfect, | | | | of four so you can go at different |
| | healthy family activity, says | | | | speeds. We are using electronic |
| | Lucy Atkins | | | | drum sets, which are more compact |
| | | | | | and, [id:95140] , have volume control |
1 | | Rock drumming lessons may not | | | | (you can even plug in headphones |
| | seem an obvious family activity, but | | | | to avoid upsetting the neighbours). |
| | an hour with teacher Nigel Ralf turns | | 7 | | Next, Ralf introduces us to the |
| | out to be the best entertainment | | | | basic ‘four-beat rock rhythm’. This |
| | money can buy - not just for adults, | | | | involves a surprising degree of |
| | but for children too. | | | | mental flexibility: two hands and a |
2 | | The benefits of rock drumming | | | | bass-drum foot, each doing |
| | are [id:95136] . First, there is the simple, | | | | something different [id:95141] your |
| | therapeutic joy of hitting. Then there | | | | brain keeps a one-two-three-four |
| | are the newly discovered health | | | | rhythm. It is a brain-aching exercise |
| | effects. Researchers recently | | | | in coordination, which, he points |
| | studied Clem Burke, the drummer | | | | out, must have knock-on benefits in |
| | from Blondie, and discovered that | | | | sport, [id:95142] boosting sluggish brain |
| | he burned off up to 600 calories per | | | | cells. |
| | hour. His fitness, they found, was | | 8 | | “Virtually any child - or adult - |
| | similar to that of a professional | | | | can get some sense of achievement |
| | footballer. The researchers now | | | | from drumming,” says Ralf, who left |
| | plan to develop rock-drumming | | | | a job in electronics to teach |
| | programmes in schools as an | | | | drumming in primary and secondary |
| | ingenious way to get either chubby | | | | schools in Oxfordshire. “It’s also a |
| | or non-sporty, computer-obsessed | | | | great way to get people interested in |
| | children to [id:95136] . | | | | other musical instruments.” Though |
3 | | Ralf, of course, is already doing | | | | he offers private lessons, most |
| | this. “Drumming is seen as cool,” he | | | | pupils come to group tutorials after |
| | says, “and although you work up a | | | | school or to holiday rock schools. |
| | definite sweat, no child thinks of it | | | | “I get lots of mad mummies wanting |
| | as exercise.” They are, after all, still | | | | a go,” Ralf says. “The dads are |
| | sitting down. | | | | often more [id:95143] . Perhaps they |
4 | | There are also many | | | | don’t want to look as if they don’t |
| | psychological [id:95138] . For example, | | | | know what they’re doing.” |
| | drumming is used to treat | | 9 | | It has been brilliant learning |
| | depression and other mental | | | | something new. All in all, our family |
| | illnesses, as well as in drug | | | | rock-drumming lesson is a roaring |
| | rehabilitation programmes and as an | | | | success. We leave relaxed and |
| | aid to stop smoking. The idea is that | | | | smiling, energy spent. |
| | banging a drum activates the brain’s | | | | |
| | pleasure centres, tackles stress, | | | | Nigel Ralf runs Drum Beats in |
| | takes you out of your self-obsessed | | | | Oxford. One-hour private lessons |
| | routine and promotes a sense of | | | | cost £26; group lessons from £8 per |
| | community. | | | | child, ages eight and above. |
5 | | Best of all, it is enormous fun - | | | | (www.drum-beats.co.uk; 07910 |
| | for all ages. I first discovered this at | | | | 433265) |
| | the school summer fête, where Ralf | | | | |
| | put on a drumming competition for | | | | The Guardian, 2008 |