Deep Within:
Drumming as a Healing Strategy
by Barry Bittman, MD
From the very first time I participated in a drum circle, I
recognized something profoundly moving about the experience.
It was far
more than just delighting in the chance to make music together.
It was far more than just delighting in the chance to make
music together. My feelings intuitively struck a chord (If you don’t mind the
pun) that’s still vibrating with excitement about music’s yet unrealized
potential as a healing strategy in healthcare. That day a door opened and
beckoned me to enter a relatively uncharted territory with few road maps to
guide the way.
The quest ahead seemed mysterious at first. While it’s common
knowledge that music has been one of the central healing strategies of
antiquity, traditional medicine seems almost devoid of sound--healing sound that
is. It was incongruous to compare music’s widespread popularity as a relaxing
pastime with the stark paucity of medical interventions that incorporate music.
Even more surprising was the fact that most physicians play an instrument, yet
few integrate healing sounds when they’re needed the most.
DOUMBEK