Can drumming help your child in school? The academic merit of music and art classes for students today are often debated. A stronger emphasis is placed on testing abilities, which leaves parents confused about what’s more important: the fundamental understanding of a subject or a child’s ability to memorize and regurgitate facts. But the answer is YES! Drumming is one tangible way for students of all ages to concretely understand basic skills in math, science and history.
Drumming Teaches Math
For younger students, drumming teaches counting for both auditory and tactile learners in a fun and memorable way. For older students it introduces fractions, patterns, and practical application of higher math skills. Click the image below to check out a TEDTalk video with drummer and educator Clayton Cameron for a fun lesson on the relationship between math and drumming.
Drumming Teaches Science
As students learn about sound waves, frequency, and how they are applied in technology such as radar and ultrasonography. Students can actually feel and see sound waves move through the drum instead of trying to imagine an elusive and invisible wave. Click the image below to check out an interactive presentation on the relationship between science and drumming.
Drumming Teaches History
As drumming was one of the earliest forms of music and nonverbal communication around the world, the history of drumming is the history of the world. Drums have been found in the ruins of Neolithic cultures dating as far back as 5500 B.C. They have been used by historic military troops walking into battle and are the backbone of all music. Click the image below to learn how this drum, collected in 1700’s Virginia, made it to America from Africa.
Just a few fantastic reasons to join the drum classes at the Crescenta-Canada YMCA, courtesy of Happy Mom Music! (For information about the classes, contact Joletta at 818-441-9662.)
