article : Kids learn beat of the drums (to help dyspraxia!)

[Guest guest]

Do I smell drum sets for holiday gifts?!!! Hello drums and goodbye

quiet!

Kids learn beat of the drums

By LEE MATTHEWS - Manawatu Standard | Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Paddy Cook beats it up for kids every week, and they love it.

He's a drummer, teaching drum to anyone interested.

He's got a theory that learning drums can help children with dyslexia

and dyspraxia - both most easily described as cross-wirings in the

brain. Dyslexic children see letters out of order while they're

trying to read, and dyspraxic children have trouble with co-

ordination because one side of the brain doesn't properly communicate

with the other side.

" I've seen kids with these conditions be helped by learning to drum.

I'm not saying it's a magic solution, that it fixes everything, but

the rhythm and the co-ordination they have to learn to drum does seem

to help, " Mr Cook says.

He's holding drum lessons for interested children at Palmerston

North's Hokowhitu School when the Manawatu Standard drops in to watch.

" Here's the beat . . . one and two and three and four . . . slow, go

slow! "

He takes the children up to the whiteboard, shows them what the notes

look like on a music score. They do it, they see it, they learn it.

The next step is practise.

" What are the 3Ps? " Mr Cook asks the children.

" Practise, practise, practise, " they chorus.

" And what's timing? " he asks.

" Everything! " the children shout.

He's got another theory: drummers are natural mathematicians.

" You build up a complicated rhythm, your hands and feet are all doing

something different, you've got to develop a brain like a calculator.

You start doing syncopation . . . " He demonstrates a catchy, bouncing

beat. " Everything connects, and you count the whole time to stay in

rhythm. "

He also teaches at Mt Biggs and West End schools, and takes adult

students as well.

" You have a hard day at work, you go home and beat up those drums for

a bit, well, that's your instant de-stress. "

He started drumming at 14, and taught himself music.

He had what's best described as a thoroughly good time drumming

professionally overseas in clubs and pubs in Australia.

" The '60s, yeah, . . . I had waist-length Black Doris plum-coloured

hair. It was a mop.

" It would stream down in front of my face, and the sticks and my

hands would come out through it. "

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4703924a6003.html

=====

[Guest guest]

We do the Rock Band drumming and Mark just loves it! It really helps him when

he needs a stress reliever from studying and is great for his neural wiring. He

has begged me for a real drum kit but he'll have to be satisfied with the

'gaming' version!

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM][ ] article : Kids learn beat of the drums

(to help dyspraxia!)

Do I smell drum sets for holiday gifts?!!! Hello drums and goodbye

quiet!

Kids learn beat of the drums

By LEE MATTHEWS - Manawatu Standard | Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Paddy Cook beats it up for kids every week, and they love it.

He's a drummer, teaching drum to anyone interested.

He's got a theory that learning drums can help children with dyslexia

and dyspraxia - both most easily described as cross-wirings in the

brain. Dyslexic children see letters out of order while they're

trying to read, and dyspraxic children have trouble with co-

ordination because one side of the brain doesn't properly communicate

with the other side.

" I've seen kids with these conditions be helped by learning to drum.

I'm not saying it's a magic solution, that it fixes everything, but

the rhythm and the co-ordination they have to learn to drum does seem

to help, " Mr Cook says.

He's holding drum lessons for interested children at Palmerston

North's Hokowhitu School when the Manawatu Standard drops in to watch.

" Here's the beat . . . one and two and three and four . . . slow, go

slow! "

He takes the children up to the whiteboard, shows them what the notes

look like on a music score. They do it, they see it, they learn it.

The next step is practise.

" What are the 3Ps? " Mr Cook asks the children.

" Practise, practise, practise, " they chorus.

" And what's timing? " he asks.

" Everything! " the children shout.

He's got another theory: drummers are natural mathematicians.

" You build up a complicated rhythm, your hands and feet are all doing

something different, you've got to develop a brain like a calculator.

You start doing syncopation . . . " He demonstrates a catchy, bouncing

beat. " Everything connects, and you count the whole time to stay in

rhythm. "

He also teaches at Mt Biggs and West End schools, and takes adult

students as well.

" You have a hard day at work, you go home and beat up those drums for

a bit, well, that's your instant de-stress. "

He started drumming at 14, and taught himself music.

He had what's best described as a thoroughly good time drumming

professionally overseas in clubs and pubs in Australia.

" The '60s, yeah, . . . I had waist-length Black Doris plum-coloured

hair. It was a mop.

" It would stream down in front of my face, and the sticks and my

hands would come out through it. "

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4703924a6003.html

=====