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…Ultimate Musical Asset: The Super-Connected Drummer’s Brain

Recognize that elite rhythmic performance goes far beyond "natural talent." 

The modern science of neuroplasticity proves that your brain is a physical structure you can actively sculpt. Every time you step behind the…

Verbalise…say it out loud.

 Turn your random skippy brain into a linear time keeper!

Key Take Aways

Hebbian Axiom “neurons that fire together, wire together”

Somatic Integration: Hebb  with Gust

Myelination: protective lipid sheaths, boosting signal transmission speeds up to…

Collective Effervescence!

Flow State

Musician flow state, or being "in the zone," is a scientifically validated, intense, and pleasurable state of total immersion during performance, characterized by effortless attention and high skill-challenge balance.

 Studies reveal this state correlates with neural…

Didgeridoo

Ive been playing didge since the late 1980s…Today Im working on a video for my didgeridoo playing, music, lessons.   

My theme was " The Didge is a drum that I play with my mouth"....as the hook to get people…

Drummers and Percussionists are Athletes

Studies have shown that Drummers and Pecussionists can reach heart rates and calorie burn comparable to those of elite athletes during performances. 
•    Physical Demands:
Playing the drums, particularly at higher tempos and with complex…

Myelination

Myelination is the process where myelin, a fatty substance, forms a protective coating around the axons of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. This insulation significantly increases the speed and efficiency of nerve impulse transmission, crucial for…

Seeing and Hearing the Pulse

I've been using clicks (audio only) in my headphones for recording for the last 40 years.

It works but its isolating and its very difficult to ‘groove’ with the other tracks….this is because the visual…

Recording yourself is the only objective way of being able to reflect on your own playing, as well as prepare yourself properly for any upcoming studio sessions. It also lets you properly hear important aspects of your…

Your brain, emotion and timing...

Your timing is subjective…turning your varying subjective internal clock into an objectively acceptable predictable and dance-able drum groove takes years.

The insular cortex, particularly the anterior part, plays a role in processing time intervals, especially…

Life-long Drumming

Leo Pearlstein is the world's oldest living jazz drummer at the age of 104. You can watch him play "All of Me" on Instagram. 
 

Viola Smith
A professional drummer who was known as "America's fastest girl drummer". She…

The fine resolution of the Perception of Musicians

Hearing pitch variations down to 3 cents is possible…thats 1/30 of a  semitone…Microtonal.

Hearing timing differences down to a 10 milliseconds is called micro-Rhythm.

It takes years of systematic listening to hear…

Perception of time is very Subjective

As a drummer…focusing on tiny increments ot time and trying to define them with short percussive sounds, loud, soft, dense, sparse…As a Drummer…Ive become very aware of time passing at different rates depending on…

Drumming isnt about ‘Grip’ alone…drumming and percussion is a body driven art form…more than any other instrument drummers have to have a clear mental map of their entire anatomy and how it works.  Stick grip is just one tiny aspect!

The best feature of drum kit and percussion is that you can practice without your instrument at hand.

Here are some ways to practice drums without a drum set:

Practice pad: 

A quiet way to practice rudiments and sticking exercises…

Are online drum lessons worth it?

Online drum lessons with reputable teachers with a good setup…that is…a multi camera (cams on both feet and hands overhead)…clean sound and vocal…interactive approach with speech/chat, whiteboards docs, pics, vids,…and support for you and…

Breathing is an important part of drumming because it helps drummers stay relaxed, keep good time, and perform safely: 
Improves performance: Proper breathing helps you use oxygen to produce your best sound and avoid lactic acid buildup in your muscles. …

Drumming and Feeling Good

What does drumming do to the brain?

Drumming (Kit Drums, Percussion, and Didgeridoo) has a positive effect on anxiety, grief, fatigue, depression and behavioral issues. 

…children strengthen their ability to focus and work on impulse control…

Why Go Symmetrical with your drumming?

Do you love drumming but feel stuck in the same rhythm routines? Symmetrical Drumming might be just what you need to take your skills to the next level! This innovative approach encourages you to…