Post by Tanya Jones Aug 2023
Clem Burke is the legendary drummer from the iconic band, Blondie. In 2008, Clem co-founded the Clem Burke Drumming Project alongside Professor Steve Draper (Hartpury University) and Professor Marcus Smith (University of Chichester).
The study initially set out to examine the physiological demands of playing the drums at gigs and has grown to explore the science behind drumming as a benefit to many health, mental and physical conditions including; Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Stroke, Parkinsons, Dementia and Womens Health.
In 2019, I was a tutor as part of the study into the effects of drumming on the Autistic brain and the results were astonishingly good. They have now been peer reviewed and presented to the scientific community. Click here for the PNAS research article
Results showed that improvements in drumming performance were associated with a significant reduction in hyperactivity and inattention difficulties in drummers compared to controls.
'There is growing evidence that activities designed to provide an effective approach to developing neurological processes that underpin self regulation and executive function skills'
Please click below to view the Clem Burke drumming project website and see the research, the team behind the study and the latest news.
As a part of this exciting research project, I was asked to speak at both the CBD Project conference and the BBC Children in Need Drumathon with Owain Wyn Evans about the experiences I had with my student and the impact drumming had upon him and other students that I teach with disabilities such as ADHD and Cerebral Palsy.
I was also very lucky to take part in The Big Beat with Owain Wyn Evans and other drummers as part of the Drumathon in 2021. (You can find me on the back left, just in front of Dame Evelyn Glennie's percussion set up!). Owain raised over £3.5 million for Children in Need with this fantastic achievement.
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