Are you getting offended by some of the famous “drummers jokes”? For example There are three kinds of drummers. Those that can count and those that can’t.” Or this one: “How can you tell if the stage is level? When the drummer is drooling out of both sides of their mouth.”. Sometimes funny, sometimes not – but now we have something to prove all the people wrong! It’s science time.
According to research by the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, drummers’ brains often posses the ability for quick problem-solving. Researchers had various drummers play a series of different beats, and then were tasked with solving an intelligence test consisting of 60 problems. According to the results, the drummers with the highest scores were also able to keep the most consistent rhythm.
But it doesn’t stop there. A drummer that keeps a steady beat can bestow their intelligence onto others within earshot. Studies about rhythm in the human brain have revealed that a steady beat leads to improvements in congnition. A psychology professor from the University of Washington used rhythmic light and sound therapy on students and resulted in improved test scores. In a similar experiement, a researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch used the same method on elementary and middle school boys with ADD. The results also showed an improvement in the boys’ IQ scores.
Of course, the studies have centered on the effects of rhythm on the brain rather than the brains responsible for the rhythm. But the positive effects from drumming doesn’t stop at their problem-solving abilities. Researchers from the University of Oxford have also shown that when a group of drummers gather together and create a “drummer’s high”, both their level of happiness and their pain tolerance increased.
So our drummers and drummerettes: do what you love and be happy!
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