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Music Conservatory to host drumming initiative

Photo submitted to Times Observer Rich Schuller of Jamestown Thunder Drums leads a drum circle at Chautauqua Lake. Schuller will be leading a drum circle at the Warren Music Conservatory at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5. The conservatory hopes to continue holding drum circle events on the first Wednesday of every month.

Drum circles are more than just social percussion.

The Warren Music Conservatory is hosting a free community drumming initiative starting at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.

“Hand drumming and drum circles have measurable science behind them that prove how healthy they are for the brain in countless ways,” Conservatory Music Director Joseph Glarner said. “Plus, it’s fun.”

Those are the keys to the event, which Glarner said he hopes to be able to hold on the first Wednesday of every month.

“This is not a highly educational experience,” he said. “It is immersive drumming for the soul. Hand drumming and drum circles trigger the synapse rhythm of the brain and the affects are long-lasting. Drum circles are often used in music therapy as an activity to help cross-callus activity.”

“The corpus callosum is a large bundle of more than 200 million myelinated nerve fibers that connect the two brain hemispheres, permitting communication between the right and left sides of the brain,” Glarner said. “These kinds of musical activities are known to help people with attention problems, people with Alzheimer’s disease, and those who suffer from anxiety and stress-related disorders like depression and PTSD.”

The sessions will run for about 45 minutes. Drums will be provided to those who do not bring their own.

There is no fee nor tuition associated with the event, but donations are welcome.

“Donations will be accepted to the Music Conservatory, and any donations raised will go towards paying the drum leader – Rich Schuller of Jamestown Thunder Drums – and our students with disabilities scholarship program,” Glarner said.

“Music is good for the brain,” he said. “People that are suffering with depression or stress should try taking a drum and beat it!”

The conservatory is located at 220 Pennsylvania Ave. W., in Warren.

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