WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING:
General Group Drumming

Time magazine
“Now Americans are fast joining ‘drum circles,' informally or through organized centers, to reduce stress, connect with others or just jam. A recent study in the journal Alternative Therapies even found and increase in disease-fighting cells among participants in drum circles.”

Prevention magazine
“It may not sound like medicine, but the rhythmic thumping of drums may do wonders for your health……Drumming therapy is already practiced in the U.S. as a supportive treatment for a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung diseases, diabetes, and asthma.”

InTouch magazine, The Good Health Guide to Cancer Prevention and Treatment
“People who take part in drumming sessions are almost always excited by the experience. ‘It made me laugh and open up…….' one drummer [said]. Another said….‘It lifted my spirits above and beyond what I thought possible.' And this: ‘I feel happy now – stronger and ready to fight and go on.' ”

The New York Times
“Drum fever is sweeping the country as people discover the physical, psychological and spiritual rewards….even for those who can't read a note of music.”

San Francisco Examiner
“ ‘I have personally witnessed the power of the drum to relax the tense, energize the tired and heal the emotionally wounded,' says Robert Friedman, a psychotherapist who leads drumming circles. ‘I have observed the hand drum's extraordinary ability to create a state of euphoria, release anger and promote feelings of unity.' Friedman has also used drums to release the emotional effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and the pent-up anger of angry adolescents. He's even watched corporate CEOs release day-to-day stress with rhythmic drumming.”

Scottsdale Tribune
“ ‘Our souls are starved because our lives are devoid of ritual, and we try desperately to feed this hunger with food, drugs, sex, alcohol, work, shopping and gambling,' [said Feeny Lipscomb, founder of the nonprofit All One Tribe Foundation in Taos, N.M.] Group drumming is one of the healthiest and most accessible forms of ritual, Lipscomb said, because drumming along with our own heartbeat is so natural.”

USA Today
“Acupuncture, meditation, drum circles and other alternative forms of medical treatment have been inching their way into conventional medical practices for years – even though there hasn't been much scientific proof that they worked. Now, science is putting these methods to the test…….A study led by neurologist Barry Bittman of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, Pa., found that patients who took part in group drumming, or drum circles, experienced increased levels of disease-fighting immune system cells called natural killer cells…..[Bittman] attributes the change to the stress-reducing benefits of self-expression, camaraderie and the rhythmic drumming. Group drumming is being incorporated into stress-reduction programs in workplaces and medical centers, he says.”

Science & Spirit
“Overwhelmed by depression, pain, and paralysis, Heather MacTavish…..had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease….her symptoms began to fade when she began beating a djembe [drum]……Rhythmic cues can help retrain the brain after a stroke or other neurological impairment, says Michael Thaut, director of Colorado State University's Center for Biomedical Research in Music.”

MAMM, Women, Cancer and Community magazine
“Thousands of years ago, people in different cultures used music-making – specifically group drumming – to heal the sick, Now, a study published in the January 2001 issue of Alternative Therapies reports that it might be time for group drumming to make a comeback on the medical scene.”

Teaching Music, journal of National Association for Music Education
“In many parts of the world, people of all ages have begun to experience the delights of drumming activities, which offer benefits that include increased social interaction, greater musical accomplishment, and better mental and physical health for participants. Drumming has been shown in a number of cases to have tremendous positive effects on the minds and nervous systems of players, and it has helped people, from preschoolers to at-risk adolescents to seniors, to have more enriched lives…..we hope that drumming activities such as drum circles and other related cross-cultural experiences will become integral to the general education curriculum.”

The Orange County Register
“Across the nation, group drumming has evolved from a fun activity to a wellness therapy that helps people cope with stress and certain medical conditions.”

Drum! magazine
“The drumbeat echoes the heartbeat, connecting us to our deeper selves. It's a universal language which communes with people from other cultures. Native people say the drumbeat also communes with the Earth, a reminder that all of creation is alive and, therefore, sacred. Now it appears that the gift of the drum may be an antidote to modern society's worst ills….According to current medical research, stress is a cause of 98% of all disease…..Recent biofeedback studies show that drumming for brief periods can alter the brainwave patterns, dramatically reducing stress. Just 15 minutes of drumming along with our own heartbeats can double the alpha brainwaves.”