HealthRHYTHMS®

“Drums somehow overcome all the things that stop people making
music, we may turn away but the primal beat just keeps calling”
Christine Stevens MSW, MM, MT-BC, Founder of Upbeat Drum
Circles.

HealthRhythms is a research-based program founded by drum manufacturer Remo, Inc. and developed by Neurologist Dr. Barry Bittman and Music Therapist Christine Stevens.

It’s a fun, evidence-based whole person strategy which promotes socialization and ensures a healthy non-strenuous workout. On a deeper level it builds bridges while fostering nurturing, support, camaraderie, self-respect and respect for others.

It is not really about drumming, but uses the drum as a tool for communication and personal expression. This system can be integrated as a therapeutic strategy in group counseling sessions, support groups, rehabilitation centers, schools, hospitals, aging facilities, community outreach, and more.

The HealthRHYTHMS Protocol consists of a series of 10 easy steps that facilitate communication and personal expression through wellness exercises, a fun ice breaker, ABC’s of rhythmic drumming, group entrainment, motivational beats and guided imagery.

Research has shown this protocol can help strengthen the immune system through increase in natural killer cell activity, can reduce stress and burnout rates, improve mood states, promote creativity and bonding, and more. (See Research for Details).

7 Evidence-Based Elements of HealthRHYTHMS Group Empowerment Drumming

Stress-Reduction

HealthRHYTHMS strengthened the immune system by increasing Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. (Bittman, Alternative Therapies, 2001) It also reversed multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level, not just reducing but reversing 19 genetic switches that turn on the stress response believed responsible in the development of common diseases. (Bittman, Medical Science Monitor, 2005)

Exercise

Drumming is an accessible exercise which burns calories and improves mood and may reduce the risk of disease. A Norwegian study of 25,000 women age 20-54 that performed leisure time exercises at least 4 hours/week experienced a 37% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. (Thune, Brenn, Lund, Gaard, 1997)

Self-Expression

HealthRHYTHMS Empowers people to move beyond their perceived boundaries.

Camaraderie/Support

A 1992 Duke University Study linked lengthened lifespan with having a close confidant. HealthRHYTHMS protocol builds camaraderie and support by creating a safe space where people feel comfortable sharing and offering support.

Nurturing

HealthRHYTHMS protocol creates a level playing field where support of growth and development is encouraged. As equal partners in this process participants often discover inner strength and encouragement by those sharing the experience.

Spirituality

HealthRHYTHMS is a group hand-drumming protocol. According to Jan Gregory, Adjunct Professor of Liturgy, Worship and Spirituality at Hartford Seminary, “Hand drumming is an ancient art that has been used in many cultures. The music of drums creates a conduit to the Divine. This is an opportunity to experience worship with our bodies as well as our minds”.

Music-Making

Systematic inquiry into the relationship between music and brain function is one of the most rapidly developing fields of human research. “Music making offers extensive exercise for brain cells and their synapses (connections). It would be difficult to find another activity that engages so many of the brain’s systems.”(Weinberger, N., 1998)

Glenn Huxtable, founder of Sustaining Rhythms, is one of a perhaps a handful of trained HealthRythms Facilitators in Australia, and the only one practicing in Perth to our knowledge.