I am a drum circle facilitator, and I believe that playing and listening to percussion in an “open format” strengthens the areas of the brain necessary in learning language. I have notice times when I play a lot, I am able to understand foreign languages in ways I would not normally pick up on.

Visualize how before a golfer or baseball player goes out to play, he/she takes numerous practice swings. The same holds for a person preparing for an exam. Well, is there some prep you might do to enhance learning in a language course?

I would propose a language class try 10-15 minutes at the beginning of each class playing small hand percussion in open format, in the hopes it may trigger the language centers of the brain. You could include another class or two as a control.

I’ve spoken about this to my colleages in drum circle facilitation, and there seems to be some concensus on the connection.

If you desire more information, contact me at Dolle Communications. Thanks.

I am an Afro Cuban percussionist and drum circle facilitator, and have undertaken research with rhythm and cognition, movement, and apply this to team building, communications, neuro disorders, and even sports like basketball and football. It all figures together.

I see a massive connection of music to human movement and communication, also seen in the dancing Cockatoo. I believe music originated as a training tool to replicate important sounds of everyday life. The role of birds as communicators to aid human and other animal survival has been well covered. Birds warn us of danger, sing us to sleep, are of a spiritual nature, and perhaps the first entertainers on Earth.

I believe music originated to enhance our survival thru improved movement and communications for social, reproductive, team work, and averting danger, i.e. recognizing critical sounds on Earth. When science measures the emotional response to music, what it is testing is really whether the person understands the “meaning” of various audible sounds, that I believe is in part passed on genetically (at least pre-wired), familarly, and easily learned thru life.

I believe our brains are pre-wired to process the sounds and movement we will see and hear in a lifetime. Movements outside of our audible range are still rhythmic, and serve us much in the same way as audible sound. We sense movement by way of our vestibular system: sight, sound, middle ear, mid-brain sensors, and body sensory. Our sense of smell can tells us direction when it is unclear.

I believe we sense sound vibration and movement also with our physical body, and that our body is able to carry out cognitive tasks to support multi-tasking by the brain. Using your body aids a specific type of intelligence. Our bodies are also pre-wired to recognize rhythmic patterns, with sensors in each of our joints. We can communicate, think, recall, and execute cognitive tasks in part with our bodies. That is why the brains of musicians are often thicker in certain cortex areas, having had music as a training tool.

I would be happy to share more of my rhythm and brain research with any in this program. I am now doing keynotes where I play and speak. Please contact DolleCommunications.com