Components of a Successful Drums Alive® Program

A safe and successful Drums Alive^® program depends on the instructor’s ability to apply sound instructional principles and practices as well as understand the nature of learning. Following the American Council of Exercise guidelines (click here for a sample chapter from the ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription) will help provide the instructor with a sound foundation of these principles and practices. In addition, the Drums Alive^® program should pay special attention to the following:

Ensure proper class design 

• Provide a breakdown of rhythmical and movement design to facilitate the success of participants.
• Execute proper form and technique to ensure safety.
• Focused and concentrated energy of participants.
• Teach exercises in a progression: easy to hard, light to heavy; Rhythmical progressions should be simple to moderate, moderate to complex.
• Teach movement and rhythmical combinations separately, then together.
• Develop movement and rhythms that challenge the physical and cognitive level of participants.
• Use rhythms and movement to stimulate both alpha and beta brain waves.
• Teach cross-over patterning to improve synchronization between the right and left brain hemispheres.
• Provide a movement and rhythm environment that is more process-than product-oriented.
• Focus on relaxation, concentration, and self-awareness.
• Allow the enjoyment of the essence of the experience.
• Communicate in a “Whole Mind – Whole Body” language.
• Support and reward creativity and participation.
• Experiment and be innovative! Try to integrate new ideas both rhythmically and physically.
• Stay young at heart and have FUN!

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father. –Roger von Oech

Adding cognitive education to your program

People learn better and remember more if you are able to use all of the senses to complement the cognitive learning process. This is a key component in the Drums Alive program–it’s CRUCIAL to engage as many senses (sight, sound, touch, smell) when conducting a Drums Alive class for brain health. You can re-watch the video, “The Miracle of The Human Brain” in Lesson 9: Effects and Benefits of Drumming to better understand why we use visual cues and props (e.g. the Drums Alive Number Cards, Drums Alive Rhythm Cards, and scarves–see Lesson 25: Additional Drumming Activities “Let the Sunshine In”), speech patterns (see Lesson 25: Additional Drumming Activities such as Syllables and Drumming, Speech and Drumming Patterns, and Creating Rhythms and Speech Patterns with Master Trainer Hachya Franklin), hand-clapping games, and of course, music.