Drumming News :
By: Paul Rogne
A new pilot study conducted by Dr. Soo Ji Kim (Ewha Womans University Seoul, Republic of Korea) and researcher Min-ji Kim (Department of Brain Neurorehabilitation, National Rehabilitation Center Seoul, Republic of Korea) is exploring an unexpected rehabilitation tool for people living with Parkinson’s disease: the drum set.
I often feature studies on the health benefits of drumming because, years ago, I was developing a multi-part PBS/NOVA series exploring the remarkable ways rhythm can influence the brain and body. The topics we examined ranged from helping rebuild neural pathways after traumatic brain injury—whether caused by internal neurological damage or external trauma—to improving attention and timing in people with ADHD and those on the autism spectrum. We also looked at longstanding claims about rhythm’s therapeutic effects and the intriguing possibility that rhythm can support learning and the transmission of complex skills.
For decades, research into drumming and rhythm has often been overlooked or dismissed. Today, however, a growing number of neuroscientists, music therapists, and rehabilitation researchers are producing evidence that rhythm-based interventions deserve serious scientific attention. Researchers such as Dr. Soo Ji Kim and Min-ji Kim are among those advancing this field, building on decades of work that is only now beginning to gain broader recognition.
While this Korean pilot study included only three participants, its findings are consistent with a growing body of research from Scandinavia, Canada, and the United States suggesting that structured drumming interventions may improve motor function, coordination, and other aspects of neurological rehabilitation. As with any pilot study, the results should be interpreted cautiously, but they add another promising piece to an expanding body of evidence.
What follows is a brief overview of the study, along with a link to the original published paper for those who would like to explore the research in greater depth.
Researchers in South Korea developed the BEAT program (Bilateral Engagement through Active Drumming in Music Therapy), a structured music therapy approach that uses seated drum set playing to engage both the arms and legs simultaneously. Unlike many rhythm-based therapies that focus primarily on walking or simple hand percussion, BEAT challenges participants to coordinate all four limbs while responding to changing rhythms, tempos, and musical patterns.
The study included just three adults with Parkinson’s disease who completed ten 30-minute sessions over six weeks. While the sample size was very small, the results offer an intriguing glimpse into the potential of drumming as a rehabilitation tool.
What did the researchers find?
Across the three participants, the researchers observed improvements in several areas, including:
Balance and mobility
Hand dexterity and upper-limb coordination
Some measures of cognitive performance, such as attention and executive function
Participants also described feeling more motivated, confident, and engaged throughout the program. Several said they enjoyed learning a completely new skill, while others reported that playing familiar songs made the experience especially meaningful. Some even continued listening to music or watching drumming videos between sessions.
Interestingly, standard questionnaires measuring depression and overall quality of life produced mixed results. While participants consistently described positive emotional experiences during interviews, those benefits weren’t always reflected in the formal assessment scores—a reminder that personal experiences don’t always fit neatly into clinical measurement tools.
Why drumming?
Playing a drum set is surprisingly complex. It requires precise timing, coordinated movement between both arms and both legs, balance, posture, attention, and continuous motor planning. Those are many of the same functions affected by Parkinson’s disease.
Because drumming is also enjoyable and goal-oriented, it may encourage people to stay engaged with rehabilitation in ways that repetitive exercises sometimes do not.
A promising first step
It’s important to remember that this was a pilot case series involving only three participants, so the findings cannot show that drumming is an effective treatment. The study wasn’t designed to prove effectiveness—it was designed to determine whether this type of intervention was practical, safe, and worthy of further investigation.
Based on these early results, the answer appears to be yes.
The researchers conclude that structured drum set playing could become a valuable addition to Parkinson’s rehabilitation, but much larger randomized controlled trials are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
If you’re interested in music therapy, Parkinson’s rehabilitation, or innovative approaches to improving movement and quality of life, the full paper is well worth reading. Beyond the encouraging preliminary findings, it provides a detailed look at how the BEAT program was designed, why the researchers believe drumming engages multiple neurological systems at once, and where future research may be headed.
The original paper is HERE
