Drums and the Houseless: A new program on the rise?

By Brennan Kane

We're going to start this blog off in a different place today: drum circles. How are drum circles related to homelessness and sustainability? I will get to that in a moment, but for now, let's take a dive into drum circles.

Drumming is, as Jim Donovan put it in his article Rhythmic Healing: 7 Ways Drumming Elevates Your Mental Wellbeing, “a cornerstone of human culture.” And while it is not as common of a practice here in the USA today, there are many benefits to its practice, specifically that of group drum circles. It can help in:

• being a stress reliever,

• boosting brain power,

• elevation of mood,

• enhanced self expression,

• improved social bonds,

• increased mindfulness,

• emotional release,

and more!

These are all extremely helpful mechanisms in living a healthy emotional life, and it comes from something as simple as getting together and drumming. Not only that, but it can have direct health benefits, such as improved recovery for cancer patients and increased immune system responses. This is all wonderful news, but back to the question at the beginning, how does this relate to the houseless crisis here in Portland?

Specifically, what if someone were to apply the practice of drum circles to our current houseless population? They would have improved mental health and physical health in some cases. In fact, some studies show that it specifically has a greater mood and behavioral effect in low income children. So, this seems like a perfect pairing! Drums and the houseless crisis. However, the biggest barrier to start drum circles at homeless shelters is the price of drums. However, Jeremy Kane, a band director in the Beaverton School District, is starting a program in which he provides drums and organizes drumming circles for the homeless shelters in Beaverton and Portland. This program is something we should all look out for! Stay tuned for more information.

More reading on drumming and its positive effects can be found below.

https://www.jimdonovantrainings.com/blog/7-mental-health-benefits-of-drumming-and-drumming-circles

https://justaddrhythmnow.com/drum-circles/drumming-health-a-curated-list-of-clinical-studies/