Rhythm For Good

Archive | March, 2010

Drum Circle Facilitation and Music Therapy

By Kat Fulton on March 30, 2010 in Business & Practice, Drumming

After a meal and an evening of music-making with three amazing women drummers last weekend, I was inspired to write about drum circle facilitation and a program that connects all four of us: Remo’s HealthRHYTHMS®.

Mary Tolena and Jú Linares of ZaBoomBala Drumming Works stayed with me in San Diego for 2 days and told me stories of their recent Drum-About across the United States and through Brazil. Christine Stevens of UpBeat Drum Circles joined us over the weekend, and we four shared music and touching stories about our experiences in our work.

The following paragraphs should clarify the difference between a music therapist (MT) and a drum circle facilitator (DCF). There are MTs, there are DCFs, and sometimes people are both MTs and DCFs (like myself and Christine Stevens). DCFs are not considered therapists, but facilitators, coaches, teachers, and/or mentors. Music therapy is an allied healthcare profession established in the 1940s, while drum circle facilitation is a relatively new field. DCFs come with diverse backgrounds: professional drummers, social workers, music therapists, healthcare professionals, wellness consultants, corporate trainers, and more.

Music therapists ~

Use evidence-based music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship (American Music Therapy Association, 2010)
Are required to obtain a degree (bachelors, masters, PhD), attend a 6-month internship, and pass a board-certification exam.
May be members of the American Music Therapy Association in the US.
Are all formally trained musicians.

Drum circle facilitators ~

Utilize a variety of techniques to make an interactive music experience easy, fun, and meaningful for participants (Drum Circle Facilitators Guild, 2010)
May attend a training program. They vary between 4 days and 2 weeks. HealthRHYTHMS is one such training program. I’ll be writing about more DCF training programs soon.
May be members of the Drum Circle Facilitation Guild in the US.
Are not necessarily formally trained musicians, but some are world-renowned musicians.

MT is an awesome path if you are a formally trained musician and would like to work in the medical, psychiatric, educational, or wellness fields. DCF is a wonderful opportunity for people interested in empowering others to make music in a recreational setting, without having to obtain a degree or become proficient on an instrument. DCF is also great for those already on a healthcare or corporate career path, looking to supplement their current services.

For those interested in continuing education with regards to wellness, the HealthRHYTHMS® training program is a good option because the program focuses specifically on health and wellness through group drumming. The HealthRHYTHMS® research over the past ten years has helped to bridge the gap between the ancient art of healing and modern science.

The body of music therapy literature is prolific, spanning 5 decades of quantitative research that focuses on a variety of techniques with a variety of populations. For instance, I have posted a snapshot of the MT research on infants in a NICU here. MTs are formally trained with regards to the importance of the therapist-client relationship, how to build rapport with the client, how to follow systematic steps for successful client transformation, how to apply these steps with a variety of populations using an enormous variety of music interventions.

Although I was never lucky enough to meet legendary music therapist, Bongo Barry Bernstein, MT-BC, he left his mark in the music & wellness world through his years of service, creative rhythmic interaction, and creating the bridge between music and science. In this video, you may notice that the spirit of Bongo Barry lives on in both the music therapy field and drum circle facilitation.

Image courtesy of Lucas Lee.

Comments { 17 }

9 crazy ideas for playful spontaneity during the work day

By Kat Fulton on March 25, 2010 in Music & Wellness

Sometimes my eyeballs get stuck on the computer screen.

Sometimes I find myself doing the same daily routine, and I need a change.

This week I found bits of time during the day to give my left brain a break, clear my mind, gain new perspective, exercise my imagination, and return to work refreshed.

Here’s how I’ve made music, art, and dance this week between sessions, blogging, and working in my office.

Make your fingers dance on the desk. Do a fun jig or line dance, then modulate into a sensual tango. The best part is that there are TEN of them instead of only TWO!
Make music with your car. Listen to the tone of your car starting. Yes, the bonnnng, bonnnng, bonnnng. Match the pitch or sing different tones with it. Turn your car off and on and off and on until your improvisation feels complete.
Put in a little skip or click your heels next time you walk to your car. Twirl around. Immediate mood enhancer.
Doodle using pen/paper or the computer. The Scribbler is one of my bookmarks. (Thanks for the tip from Victoria Torf.)
Sculpt out a brilliant masterpiece in the air. Use your masterful carving skills to create anything you’d like. Then give yourself applause following the formal installation on your desk. (Thanks for the tip from Draza Jansky.)
Tap your fork onto the glass and plate at lunch. Notice the difference, then create a fun beat with your other hand patting the table.
Boogie in your car. Enough said.
Wink at yourself. Next time you see yourself walking next to a reflective wall on a building, wink and sway your hips dramatically.
Shake off your day before bed. Shake your whole body from head to toe and everything in between. Shake fast, but move the focus of your shaking around your body slowly. (Thanks for the tip from Draza Jansky.)

Sometimes my thoughts lean towards “Oh you don’t have time right now” or “Save the fun creative stuff for after hours.” But then I remember that I’m actually more productive when I throw in spontaneity for a minute here and there.

How do you clear your mind during the day?

Image above courtesy of Francesco Marino.

Comments { 2 }

Schlepping Made Easy

By Kat Fulton on March 23, 2010 in Business & Practice

Do you facilitate group drumming? Or maybe it’s something you’ve thought of doing, but you’d rather not go through the trouble of carrying around drums? I love drumming, so I’ve tried several different schlepping solutions, and I’ve come up with a few good ideas. Check out the video and the following products for transporting enough instruments for 25-30 participants.

Folding cart from Target
Big box from Container Store
Laundry bags from Container Store or Target (in store only)
Mesh black bag from Container Store
Black folding cart from Taylor Gifts

What do you do for schlepping? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Comments { 7 }

6 Studies that Show How Making Music Affects the Body

By Kat Fulton on March 17, 2010 in Research

A couple of weeks ago, Matt Logan of the Music Therapy Source tweeted a completely “irreverent, hilarious, & surprisingly accurate” article entitled 7 Insane Ways Music Affects the Body (According to Science). While I’m constantly reading up and obsessing myself with research on music’s physiological effects, this article opened my eyes to a new perspective. Stepping away from my music therapist mindset, I can imagine how wild it must seem to find out that music can elicit the dramatic effects on the human body as the research has shown.

I can relate to that article. It is insane how music affects the body!

Here are some of my favorite articles on music-making and changes in the body. I found these articles through Google Scholar. We know that making music:

Fortifies the immune system.
Koyama M, Wachi M, Utsuyama M, Bittman B, Hirokawa K, Kitagawa M. (2009). Recreational music-making modulates immunological responses and mood states in older adults. Journal of Medical and Dental Sciences, 56(2): 57-70.
Enhances mood, increases cancer-killing white blood cell activity, and reduces stress.
Wachi M, Koyama M, Utsuyama M, Bittman B, Kitagawa M, Hirokawa K. (2007). Recreational music-making modulates natural killer cell activity, cytokines, and mood states in corporate employees. Medical Science Monitor, 13(2), 57-70.
Reduces stress.
Bittman B, Berk L, Shannon M, Sharaf M, Westengard J, Guegler KJ, Ruff DW (2005). Recreational music-making modulates the human stress response. Medical Science Monitor.
Reduces burnout, enhances mood, and is cost-effective.
Bittman B, Snyder C, Bruhn KT, Liebfreid F, Stevens CK, Westengard J, Umbach PO (2004). Recreational music-making: An integrative group intervention for reducing burnout and improving mood states in first year associate degree nursing students: Insights and economic impact. International Journal of Nursing Education and Scholarship, 1(12).
Decreases burnout and enhances mood.
Bittman B, Bruhn K, Stevens C, Westengard J, Umbach P (2003). Recreational music-making: A cost-effective group interdisciplinary strategy for reducing burnout and improving mood states in long-term care workers. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 4-15.
Reduces stress and enhances immune system.
Bittman B, Berk L, Felten D, Westengard J, Simonton O, Pappas J, Ninehouser M (2001). Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects. Journal of Alternative Therapy, 38-47.

Comments { 6 }

Make Music for St. Patrick’s Day

By Kat Fulton on March 16, 2010 in For Music Therapists, Older Adults

There are a million ways to get in the Irish spirit this season. Leprechauns, rainbows, and shamrocks are posted in store windows and on community walls. Irish fiddlers are sitting on street corners. Everybody is wearing green socks, shirts, earrings, tattoos. It’s everywhere!

The easiest way to get my older adult clients in the spirit is to bring loads of green shakers, a penny whistle, and a bodhrán.

A penny whistle is a fun, easy instrument that you can carry around in a purse or a guitar case. Bring it to the beach or to the mountains and play it in nature. Or play it with friends. You can make up your own melody or learn some traditional Irish tunes.

The shakers are great for keeping the rhythm of tunes such as When Irish Eyes are Smiling, I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen, and Cockles and Mussels.

The bodhrán is a traditional Irish frame drum that is commonly used in Irish music today. You can keep the downbeat on your drum with 2,700 other musicians here at the world’s largest Irish music jam session:

Finally, if a green shaker, penny whistle, and bodhrán are too far out of reach, simply turn on some Van Morrison, U2, or Lisa Hannigan and make up your own Irish jig!