GREAT NEWS!
Drumming can induce dopamine production in the brain. Research has shown that drumming engages multiple neural pathways and cognitive functions, leading to a wide array of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. When a person drums, an intricate web of neurological activity is activated, coordinating the movements of different limbs in a precise and synchronized manner. This requires the cerebellum, motor cortex, and prefrontal cortex to work at full capacity, improving overall motor skills, hand/foot coordination, and cognitive functions. The act of drumming has a significant impact on emotional wellbeing, triggering the release of endorphins and reducing stress and anxiety levels. Additionally, learning and remembering drum patterns and rhythms serve as a cognitive exercise that benefits the brain's memory systems
People who play drums regularly for years differ from unmusical people in their brain structure and function. The results of a study by researchers from Bochum suggest that they have fewer, but thicker fibres in the main connecting tract between the two halves of the brain. In addition, their motor brain areas are organised more efficiently. This is the conclusion drawn by a research team headed by Dr. Lara Schlaffke from the Bergmannsheil university clinic in Bochum and Associate Professor Dr. Sebastian Ocklenburg from the biopsychology research unit at Ruhr-Universität Bochum following a study with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results have been published in the journal Brain and Behavior, online on 4 December 2019.
Drummers were never previously studied
"It has long been understood that playing a musical instrument can change the brain via neuroplastic processes," says Sarah Friedrich, who wrote her bachelor's thesis on this project. "But no one had previously looked specifically into drummers," she adds.
The researchers from Bochum were interested in this group because their motor coordination far surpasses that of untrained people. "Most people can only perform fine motor tasks with one hand and have problems playing different rhythms with both hands at the same time," explains Lara Schlaffke. "Drummers can do things that are impossible for untrained people."
Drumming first, then brain scans
The team intended to gain new insights into the organisation of complex motor processes in the brain by identifying the changes in the brain caused by this training. The researchers tested 20 professional drummers who have played their instrument for an average of 17 years and currently practice for more than ten hours per week. They examined them using various MRI imaging techniques that provide insights into the structure and function of the brain. They then compared the data with measurements of 24 unmusical control subjects. In the first step, both groups had to play drums to test their abilities and were then examined in the MRI scanner.
More efficient motor processing
Drummers presented clear differences in the front part of the corpus callosum, a brain structure that connects the two hemispheres and whose front part is responsible for motor planning. The data indicated that the drummers had fewer but thicker fibres in this important connecting tract between the brain hemispheres. This allows musicians to exchange information between the hemispheres more quickly than the controls. The structure of the corpus callosum also predicted the performance in the drum test: the higher the measure of the thickness of the fibres in the corpus callosum, the better the drumming performance.
Moreover, the brain of drummers was less active in motor tasks than that of control subjects. This phenomenon is referred to as sparse sampling: a more efficient brain organisation in the areas leads to less activation in professionals.
Drumming is more than just a musical skill—it is a mental workout that reshapes your brain. By consistent practice, drummers activate neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and create new neural pathways. This enhances coordination, memory, focus, and even emotional well-being. Let's explore the fascinating connection between drumming and brain health.
What Is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize by forming new neural connections. It’s a mechanism that allows us to learn new skills, recover from injuries, and improve performance over time. When you practice drumming, your brain creates stronger and faster connections, especially in areas that govern movement, memory, and focus.
Key Brain Regions Activated by Drumming
Drumming engages multiple parts of your brain simultaneously:
How Drumming Enhances Brain Function
Improves Coordination Drumming demands independence between your hands and feet, forcing the brain to improve communication between its hemispheres. Over time, this leads to greater coordination, not just in drumming but in everyday activities.
Sharpens Focus Maintaining a steady tempo and paying attention to dynamics during drumming trains your brain to focus for extended periods, a skill that carries over into work, school, and other aspects of life.
Real-Life Benefits of Drumming
Stress Reduction Drumming has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, helping to alleviate stress. The rhythmic nature of drumming can feel meditative, providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Drumming can help reduce stress through rhythmic mindfulness. Discover how to integrate mindfulness into your practice in [Mindfulness and Drumming: A Perfect Pair].
Emotional Resilience The drumming releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which boost your mood and help build emotional resilience. This is why many people turn to music as a form of therapy.
Social Connection Playing in bands or drum circles fosters collaboration and communication. It’s not just about music; it’s about creating a shared experience that brings people together.
Drumming for All AgesA Skill That Grows With You
Drumming offers benefits for every stage of life:
How to Harness Neuroplasticity Through Drumming
Consistency Is Key Practice regularly—15 to 30 minutes a day is enough to create lasting changes in your brain.
Challenge Yourself Learn new rhythms, experiment with different genres, and push your limits. Trying something new forces your brain to adapt and grow.
Incorporate Visualization Mental practice is just as important as physical practice. Visualize yourself playing complex rhythms to strengthen your neural pathways even when you’re away from the drum kit.
Final Thoughts: Drumming as a Path to Brain HealthDrumming is more than an art form—it’s a tool for improving your brain, body, and soul. By leveraging neuroplasticity, drummers can unlock greater focus, memory, and coordination while enjoying the creative and emotional rewards of the music. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, every beat you play reshaping your brain for the better.
What Is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize by forming new neural connections. It’s a mechanism that allows us to learn new skills, recover from injuries, and improve performance over time. When you practice drumming, your brain creates stronger and faster connections, especially in areas that govern movement, memory, and focus.
- Fun Fact: Studies show that musicians, including drummers, develop more efficient neural networks than non-musicians, leading to quicker thinking and better multitasking abilities.
Key Brain Regions Activated by Drumming
Drumming engages multiple parts of your brain simultaneously:
- Motor Cortex: Controls precise movements and limb coordination.
- Prefrontal Cortex: Enhances focus, planning, and decision-making.
- Hippocampus: Strengthens memory and learning capabilities.
How Drumming Enhances Brain Function
Improves Coordination Drumming demands independence between your hands and feet, forcing the brain to improve communication between its hemispheres. Over time, this leads to greater coordination, not just in drumming but in everyday activities.
- Pro Tip: Slow practice techniques are essential for mastering coordination. Explore the benefits in [The Power of Slow Practice for Drummers].
- Quick Exercise: Practice a rhythm, then play it backward to challenge your memory and retention.
Sharpens Focus Maintaining a steady tempo and paying attention to dynamics during drumming trains your brain to focus for extended periods, a skill that carries over into work, school, and other aspects of life.
Real-Life Benefits of Drumming
Stress Reduction Drumming has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, helping to alleviate stress. The rhythmic nature of drumming can feel meditative, providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Drumming can help reduce stress through rhythmic mindfulness. Discover how to integrate mindfulness into your practice in [Mindfulness and Drumming: A Perfect Pair].
Emotional Resilience The drumming releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which boost your mood and help build emotional resilience. This is why many people turn to music as a form of therapy.
Social Connection Playing in bands or drum circles fosters collaboration and communication. It’s not just about music; it’s about creating a shared experience that brings people together.
Drumming for All AgesA Skill That Grows With You
Drumming offers benefits for every stage of life:
- Kids: Improves motor skills, cognitive development, and discipline.
- Adults: Enhances focus, relieves stress, and boosts creativity.
- Seniors: Helps maintain cognitive function, dexterity, and emotional well-being.
How to Harness Neuroplasticity Through Drumming
Consistency Is Key Practice regularly—15 to 30 minutes a day is enough to create lasting changes in your brain.
Challenge Yourself Learn new rhythms, experiment with different genres, and push your limits. Trying something new forces your brain to adapt and grow.
Incorporate Visualization Mental practice is just as important as physical practice. Visualize yourself playing complex rhythms to strengthen your neural pathways even when you’re away from the drum kit.
Final Thoughts: Drumming as a Path to Brain HealthDrumming is more than an art form—it’s a tool for improving your brain, body, and soul. By leveraging neuroplasticity, drummers can unlock greater focus, memory, and coordination while enjoying the creative and emotional rewards of the music. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, every beat you play reshaping your brain for the better.
Drumming Relieves Symptoms of ParkinsonsNovember 18, 2024 / manabunnow4zph Do you like the title of this article? I do. Are
you surprised that drumming relieves
symptoms of Parkinsons?
I am not. I must make a confession before
I tell you more. I have been a drummer
since I was in elementary school. Much of
my time in high school was spent playing in
bands and orchestras. I still love to drum on
anything – chairs, tables, walls and of course
drums of all sizes and shapes.
Some people say drumming relieves
symptoms of Parkinsons so I drum at our Summits.
The purpose of drumming is clearcut: to have fun and feel better.
Drumming fulfills both aspirations effortlessly.
Everyone becomes young again.
The drum is a powerful force in healing.
It releases stress
Energizes the spirit
ability to heal is boundless. Drumming is
a fundamental way to support this ability.
Dr. Connie Tomaino has found that listening
to drumming gives people with Parkinson’s
better control over their movements and
helps to improve their gait in stressful
situations. Dr. Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, uses
drumming in her work with persons with
neurological challenges including dementia.
Here is her report:
“I once worked with a young person
with Parkinson’s disease who had
trouble initiating movement. I
explored different rhythm patterns
with him. We then made a cassette
of different kinds of African drumming
that he seemed to find very stimulating
and helped him get moving.”
“Anytime he had to walk across a street,
whereas in the past he may freeze, he
would put on his headphones and listen
to African rhythms to get to the other
side without freezing in the middle of
rush hour traffic.”
https://remo.com/
What is Drumming?
You do not have to just listen to drumming.
You can drum yourself. Drumming is stress
free and fun by design.
Everyone meets this requirement. Right?
The only agenda is to have fun. Everyone
is qualified to participate.
Any type of drum will do. Bongos, bass
drums, snare drums without the snare,
tympani, hand drums, African drums –
you name it. If it sounds like a drum it
is a drum no matter what it looks like or
how it is made.
You can drum alone or in groups. If you
drum with others, someone in the group can
volunteer to maintain a steady beat – often
like the beat of a human heart. Everyone
else in the group then beats away on their
drum to their hearts content with whatever
beat calls to them.
Some people make simple beats that are
meditative. Others are show offs. It is not
the beat per se that matters. Whatever way
you drum is the right way for you. The room
rocks.
Let no one convince you otherwise. You
may be one who does not like to “keep the
beat.” Good for you. Go for it.
When we are in groups it is fun to sit around
in a circle and drum together. Even if you are
not drumming yourself, it is healing to feel the
thump of the airwaves. The thumbs crawl
under your skin and sit on the lap of your soul.
What you get in return for having fun
by just sitting in the group is euphoria.
What other remedy for Parkinsons can
beat that? You also receive the welcome
benefit of dopamine. Who could use a
little more dopamine today?
Why Drumming Relieves Symptoms of Parkinsons
There is a marked tendency for persons
with Parkinson’s to be hyper-vigilant.
Mental activity is usually turned up to the
top notch.
Hyper-vigilance is a good trait. It is one
reason why people with Parkinson’s
succeed in whatever they choose to do.
But hyper-vigilance also takes a heavy
toll on the human body which has a
foundational need for rest and relaxation.
The body was not designed to pump out
adrenaline 24-7 without registering loud
complaints. You know the story. People
who are always working and never playing
have health problems.
People who are hyper-vigilant also
have a much greater chance of having
no alfa brainwaves. Zero. Drumming
helps to jump start this deficiency by
inducing alfa brainwaves at 8-12 cycles
per second.
The alfa state is that delicious, relaxed
place that ever so gently nudges the
body into a state of pure relaxation, the
place where dopamine is manufactured.
The hyper-vigilant person has difficulty
producing dopamine because they
rarely experience this state.
I suspect that what happens in
transcendental meditation is similar
to what happens with drumming.
Twenty minutes (or so) of a 30
minute transcendental meditation
are spent floating in the alfa state.
Stress and trauma are embodied by a
disconnection from the earth. One good
way to survive stressful circumstances and
trauma (especially when we are young) is to
disassociate from ourselves and from our
surroundings. We yank our roots up from
the earth and let them flop about in thin air.
Drumming helps to connect you back to
the earth. Drumming calls you back to
the embrace of mother earth where it is
safe and exciting to be alive. Drumming
helps you accept everything and everyone –
including ourselves – just as you are.
Drumming invites the body to relax and
unwind. Results happen when you start.
You do not have to wait weeks or
months for the “therapy” to take effect.
Pretty neat, eh?
Testimonials tell us that drumming
helps people with Parkinson’s. We have
no formal research to indicate that it
helps but I say why even bother to do a study?
Why not give it a try and find a drum
today? You can often find great drums
at garage sales for a few dollars.
It certainly cannot hurt you.
It is bound to be fun.
You may laugh while doing it.
When you have fun and laugh …
you give yourself the best dose of
dopamine that exists. It is all natural
and entirely free.
So be honest with me here. Do you think
this is a silly idea? If you do, please take
this opportunity to laugh at me. That will
do you some good for sure!
As for myself, I am on the lookout for
drums at garage sales.
Euphoria is calling me.
Below is a study that affirms the benefits of drumming.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Apr 22;21(4):514 An Exploration of People Living with Parkinson’s Experience of Cardio-Drumming; Parkinson’s Beats: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study
Abstract
Research has shown that physical activity has a range of benefits for people living with Parkinson’s (PLwP), improving muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and walking, as well as non-motor symptoms such as mood. Parkinson’s Beats is a form of cardio-drumming, specifically adapted for PLwP, and requires no previous experience nor skills. Nineteen PLwP (aged between 55 and 80) took part in the regular Parkinson’s Beats sessions in-person or online. Focus group discussions took place after twelve weeks to understand the impacts of Parkinson’s Beats. Through the framework analysis, six themes and fifteen subthemes were generated.
Participants reported a range of benefits of cardio-drumming, including improved fitness and movement, positive mood, the flow experience, and enhanced social wellbeing.
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
you surprised that drumming relieves
symptoms of Parkinsons?
I am not. I must make a confession before
I tell you more. I have been a drummer
since I was in elementary school. Much of
my time in high school was spent playing in
bands and orchestras. I still love to drum on
anything – chairs, tables, walls and of course
drums of all sizes and shapes.
Some people say drumming relieves
symptoms of Parkinsons so I drum at our Summits.
The purpose of drumming is clearcut: to have fun and feel better.
Drumming fulfills both aspirations effortlessly.
Everyone becomes young again.
The drum is a powerful force in healing.
It releases stress
Energizes the spirit
- Heals troubling emotions
- Releases anger
- Creates euphoria
ability to heal is boundless. Drumming is
a fundamental way to support this ability.
Dr. Connie Tomaino has found that listening
to drumming gives people with Parkinson’s
better control over their movements and
helps to improve their gait in stressful
situations. Dr. Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, uses
drumming in her work with persons with
neurological challenges including dementia.
Here is her report:
“I once worked with a young person
with Parkinson’s disease who had
trouble initiating movement. I
explored different rhythm patterns
with him. We then made a cassette
of different kinds of African drumming
that he seemed to find very stimulating
and helped him get moving.”
“Anytime he had to walk across a street,
whereas in the past he may freeze, he
would put on his headphones and listen
to African rhythms to get to the other
side without freezing in the middle of
rush hour traffic.”
https://remo.com/
What is Drumming?
You do not have to just listen to drumming.
You can drum yourself. Drumming is stress
free and fun by design.
- No musical ability is necessary.
No talent is required.
No sense of rhythm is necessary.
No musical training is a prerequisite.
Everyone meets this requirement. Right?
The only agenda is to have fun. Everyone
is qualified to participate.
Any type of drum will do. Bongos, bass
drums, snare drums without the snare,
tympani, hand drums, African drums –
you name it. If it sounds like a drum it
is a drum no matter what it looks like or
how it is made.
You can drum alone or in groups. If you
drum with others, someone in the group can
volunteer to maintain a steady beat – often
like the beat of a human heart. Everyone
else in the group then beats away on their
drum to their hearts content with whatever
beat calls to them.
Some people make simple beats that are
meditative. Others are show offs. It is not
the beat per se that matters. Whatever way
you drum is the right way for you. The room
rocks.
Let no one convince you otherwise. You
may be one who does not like to “keep the
beat.” Good for you. Go for it.
When we are in groups it is fun to sit around
in a circle and drum together. Even if you are
not drumming yourself, it is healing to feel the
thump of the airwaves. The thumbs crawl
under your skin and sit on the lap of your soul.
What you get in return for having fun
by just sitting in the group is euphoria.
What other remedy for Parkinsons can
beat that? You also receive the welcome
benefit of dopamine. Who could use a
little more dopamine today?
Why Drumming Relieves Symptoms of Parkinsons
There is a marked tendency for persons
with Parkinson’s to be hyper-vigilant.
Mental activity is usually turned up to the
top notch.
Hyper-vigilance is a good trait. It is one
reason why people with Parkinson’s
succeed in whatever they choose to do.
But hyper-vigilance also takes a heavy
toll on the human body which has a
foundational need for rest and relaxation.
The body was not designed to pump out
adrenaline 24-7 without registering loud
complaints. You know the story. People
who are always working and never playing
have health problems.
People who are hyper-vigilant also
have a much greater chance of having
no alfa brainwaves. Zero. Drumming
helps to jump start this deficiency by
inducing alfa brainwaves at 8-12 cycles
per second.
The alfa state is that delicious, relaxed
place that ever so gently nudges the
body into a state of pure relaxation, the
place where dopamine is manufactured.
The hyper-vigilant person has difficulty
producing dopamine because they
rarely experience this state.
I suspect that what happens in
transcendental meditation is similar
to what happens with drumming.
Twenty minutes (or so) of a 30
minute transcendental meditation
are spent floating in the alfa state.
Stress and trauma are embodied by a
disconnection from the earth. One good
way to survive stressful circumstances and
trauma (especially when we are young) is to
disassociate from ourselves and from our
surroundings. We yank our roots up from
the earth and let them flop about in thin air.
Drumming helps to connect you back to
the earth. Drumming calls you back to
the embrace of mother earth where it is
safe and exciting to be alive. Drumming
helps you accept everything and everyone –
including ourselves – just as you are.
Drumming invites the body to relax and
unwind. Results happen when you start.
You do not have to wait weeks or
months for the “therapy” to take effect.
Pretty neat, eh?
Testimonials tell us that drumming
helps people with Parkinson’s. We have
no formal research to indicate that it
helps but I say why even bother to do a study?
Why not give it a try and find a drum
today? You can often find great drums
at garage sales for a few dollars.
It certainly cannot hurt you.
It is bound to be fun.
You may laugh while doing it.
When you have fun and laugh …
you give yourself the best dose of
dopamine that exists. It is all natural
and entirely free.
So be honest with me here. Do you think
this is a silly idea? If you do, please take
this opportunity to laugh at me. That will
do you some good for sure!
As for myself, I am on the lookout for
drums at garage sales.
Euphoria is calling me.
Below is a study that affirms the benefits of drumming.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Apr 22;21(4):514 An Exploration of People Living with Parkinson’s Experience of Cardio-Drumming; Parkinson’s Beats: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study
Abstract
Research has shown that physical activity has a range of benefits for people living with Parkinson’s (PLwP), improving muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and walking, as well as non-motor symptoms such as mood. Parkinson’s Beats is a form of cardio-drumming, specifically adapted for PLwP, and requires no previous experience nor skills. Nineteen PLwP (aged between 55 and 80) took part in the regular Parkinson’s Beats sessions in-person or online. Focus group discussions took place after twelve weeks to understand the impacts of Parkinson’s Beats. Through the framework analysis, six themes and fifteen subthemes were generated.
Participants reported a range of benefits of cardio-drumming, including improved fitness and movement, positive mood, the flow experience, and enhanced social wellbeing.
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
Neuroscience reveals how rhythm helps us walk, talk — and even love
Rhythm begins in the womb and the heartbeat.
And recent findings in neuroscience reveal that for the rest of our lives, rhythm will continue to have a fundamental impact on our ability to walk, talk — and even love.
Take a scenario almost all of us have experienced before. You're at a wedding. Everyone's talking, drinking, milling around. Then the DJ plays that one song — and suddenly, everyone rushes to the dance floor, as if obeying a collective siren call. Some tunes just make us want to move, even if we've never heard them before — but why?
It all comes down to rhythm.
Before becoming a world-renowned neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin was an accomplished record producer in California. He's worked with Carlos Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and countless other musicians. He says that when we hear a rhythm we like, our neurons begin to fire in time with the music. And when those neurons start pulsing, our body can't help but follow along.
According to the author of This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, elite athletes have been taking advantage of this principle for decades, even if they're not fluent in the neuroscience behind it.
Sprinters may listen to music with a tempo that's slightly faster than their natural running gait. The neurons begin firing at this new tempo and the body follows suit, supercharging the athlete's performance in a way that would have been impossible without the aid of that rhythmic jolt.
Rhythmic therapyAmazingly, the dynamic that gets people on the dance floor when they hear an infectious groove is exactly the same principle used in the treatment of Parkinson's.
A "steady, clear beat" can help Parkinson's patients overcome their characteristic shuffling gait, says Jessica Grahn, an associate professor at the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Western Ontario. Although this type of music therapy can't "cure" Parkinson's, Grahn says it can significantly improve a patient's quality of life.
Our auditory and motor systems are inextricably intertwined. Music — and rhythm specifically — makes us want to move, says Grahn. But our ability to move also affects the very way we hear music. She has found that Parkinson's patients actually hear rhythms differently than people who don't have movement disorders.
And the workings of rhythm go much further.
According to John Iversen, a research scientist at the Institute for Neural Computation, at UC San Diego, without activity in the motor system, we wouldn't be able to hear the internal pulse — or beat — of music at all. Iversen and his colleagues have developed an hypothesis they call the "ASAP" (Action Simulation for Auditory Prediction), a theory which attempts to explain how our ears help us move — and in turn, how our bodies help us hear.
Language affects how we interpret rhythmHaving a sense of rhythm also underpins our facility with language. Iversen has found that different languages instill certain rhythmic preferences in their respective speakers, and that these preferences affect the way that the speakers actually hear rhythm.
In one study, Iversen presented an ambiguous rhythm to both English and Japanese speakers. The rhythm sequence consisted of alternating long and short tones. With no discernible starting point, the sequence could be interpreted as either "short-long" or "long-short." English speakers heard it as "short-long," while Japanese speakers heard it as "long-short," with both groups following the rhythmic cues embedded in their respective languages.
Nina Kraus is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, who also happens to have worked with Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart. She wishes people spent more time thinking about the relationship between rhythm and language.
Learning a musical instrument can help a child read by identifying rhythm patterns, according to neuroscience professor Nina Kraus. (Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Kraus has found that children who struggle to produce, or hear, rhythms also tend to have difficulty with language processing and reading. Through a pair of longitudinal studies in Chicago and Los Angeles, she's also discovered that playing an instrument or singing for two years can fundamentally — and permanently — improve a child's cognitive abilities. It's a testament to the profound effect that rhythm has on our cognition — and a compelling argument for music education.
But while it's clear that rhythm holds a privileged place in our brains, the question remains: why — why did we evolve to be this way? Scientists still don't know for sure, but they do have some ideas.
One theory is the vocal learning hypothesis, which postulates that our ability to imitate sounds — to hear something and then recreate it — created a close connection between our auditory and motor systems.
It also explains why a cockatoo (another vocal learner) is able to dance rhythmically, like this:
And recent findings in neuroscience reveal that for the rest of our lives, rhythm will continue to have a fundamental impact on our ability to walk, talk — and even love.
Take a scenario almost all of us have experienced before. You're at a wedding. Everyone's talking, drinking, milling around. Then the DJ plays that one song — and suddenly, everyone rushes to the dance floor, as if obeying a collective siren call. Some tunes just make us want to move, even if we've never heard them before — but why?
It all comes down to rhythm.
Before becoming a world-renowned neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin was an accomplished record producer in California. He's worked with Carlos Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and countless other musicians. He says that when we hear a rhythm we like, our neurons begin to fire in time with the music. And when those neurons start pulsing, our body can't help but follow along.
According to the author of This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, elite athletes have been taking advantage of this principle for decades, even if they're not fluent in the neuroscience behind it.
Sprinters may listen to music with a tempo that's slightly faster than their natural running gait. The neurons begin firing at this new tempo and the body follows suit, supercharging the athlete's performance in a way that would have been impossible without the aid of that rhythmic jolt.
Rhythmic therapyAmazingly, the dynamic that gets people on the dance floor when they hear an infectious groove is exactly the same principle used in the treatment of Parkinson's.
A "steady, clear beat" can help Parkinson's patients overcome their characteristic shuffling gait, says Jessica Grahn, an associate professor at the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Western Ontario. Although this type of music therapy can't "cure" Parkinson's, Grahn says it can significantly improve a patient's quality of life.
Our auditory and motor systems are inextricably intertwined. Music — and rhythm specifically — makes us want to move, says Grahn. But our ability to move also affects the very way we hear music. She has found that Parkinson's patients actually hear rhythms differently than people who don't have movement disorders.
And the workings of rhythm go much further.
According to John Iversen, a research scientist at the Institute for Neural Computation, at UC San Diego, without activity in the motor system, we wouldn't be able to hear the internal pulse — or beat — of music at all. Iversen and his colleagues have developed an hypothesis they call the "ASAP" (Action Simulation for Auditory Prediction), a theory which attempts to explain how our ears help us move — and in turn, how our bodies help us hear.
Language affects how we interpret rhythmHaving a sense of rhythm also underpins our facility with language. Iversen has found that different languages instill certain rhythmic preferences in their respective speakers, and that these preferences affect the way that the speakers actually hear rhythm.
In one study, Iversen presented an ambiguous rhythm to both English and Japanese speakers. The rhythm sequence consisted of alternating long and short tones. With no discernible starting point, the sequence could be interpreted as either "short-long" or "long-short." English speakers heard it as "short-long," while Japanese speakers heard it as "long-short," with both groups following the rhythmic cues embedded in their respective languages.
Nina Kraus is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, who also happens to have worked with Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart. She wishes people spent more time thinking about the relationship between rhythm and language.
Learning a musical instrument can help a child read by identifying rhythm patterns, according to neuroscience professor Nina Kraus. (Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Kraus has found that children who struggle to produce, or hear, rhythms also tend to have difficulty with language processing and reading. Through a pair of longitudinal studies in Chicago and Los Angeles, she's also discovered that playing an instrument or singing for two years can fundamentally — and permanently — improve a child's cognitive abilities. It's a testament to the profound effect that rhythm has on our cognition — and a compelling argument for music education.
But while it's clear that rhythm holds a privileged place in our brains, the question remains: why — why did we evolve to be this way? Scientists still don't know for sure, but they do have some ideas.
One theory is the vocal learning hypothesis, which postulates that our ability to imitate sounds — to hear something and then recreate it — created a close connection between our auditory and motor systems.
It also explains why a cockatoo (another vocal learner) is able to dance rhythmically, like this:
Another theory is that our ability to process and create rhythms arose from a need for social cohesion. Whether for cooperative building projects or military might, we've long needed large groups of people to act as one.
"When I was young, I thought pitch was the most important thing in music. And I'm convinced it's rhythm. Everything is in the timing. Rhythm is really the essence of music," says Laurel Trainor, the director of the McMaster Institute for Music and The Mind in Hamilton, Ontario.
Her research has shown that when two people move in synchrony with each other, they're more likely to feel connected to one another and, consequently, are more likely to help each other.
"It says you're working together [and that] you have a common view of the word," says Trainor.
Whatever its evolutionary basis, it's clear that rhythm is more than a fundamental feature of music. It's also a fundamental part of what makes us human.