Examentrainers - Gebruik een examentrainer als examentraining en slaag voor vrijwel elk vak op VMBO KB, VMBO GT, VMBO BB, HAVO, en VWO.

terug

Drumming: Give it Some Stick

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