{"id":11547,"date":"2021-09-11T11:45:17","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T18:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11547"},"modified":"2021-09-11T15:01:40","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T22:01:40","slug":"the-drum-circle-beat-goes-on-at-vista-del-monte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11547","title":{"rendered":"The (Drum Circle) Beat Goes On at Vista Del Monte"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>People of all ages benefit from\u00a0music therapy, with especially positive\u00a0changes for people with autism;\u00a0visual, motor, emotional, hearing,\u00a0or cognitive disabilities; or high stress levels.\u00a0With these benefits in mind, the residents\u00a0and staff at Summer House \u2014which is the\u00a0memory-care unit at Vista del Monte retirement\u00a0care community (vistadelmonte.org<\/a>)
\n\u2014 regularly participate in drum circles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sound waves and the sound of the\u00a0drums and the feel of the drums are very
\npowerful for those who have cognitive\u00a0issues,\u201d said Helene Hellstern, the life
\nenrichment director for Vista del Monte,\u00a0where residents gather in a common\u00a0area called The Alcove every Tuesday\u00a0and Thursday. \u201cWhen we tell people\u00a0we are doing a drum circle, they are\u00a0very willing to come to that activity,\u00a0and we typically have at least a dozen
\npeople if not more.\u201d<\/p>\n

First are exercises to warm up their\u00a0hands and get energized. Then Hellstern\u00a0uses a 70-inch computer screen\u00a0to broadcast images of nature or from a\u00a0particular country or culture that\u2019s especially\u00a0stimulating. \u201cThen we start the\u00a0drumming,\u201d she said, explaining that\u00a0groups are typically led by Karen Rojas.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll just do different rhythms, and\u00a0we\u2019ll have the residents repeat those.\u00a0And we always incorporate having the\u00a0residents do their own little rhythm,\u00a0and so it\u2019s just one person doing their\u00a0rhythm, and we all repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The music, the exposure to community,\u00a0and the physical activity are all\u00a0beneficial. \u201cA lot of our residents have\u00a0mobility issues or are non-ambulatory,\u00a0so we tend to just use hand movements \u2014\u00a0although if people want to tap their feet, that\u2019s\u00a0definitely encouraged,\u201d said Hellstern. \u201cThe\u00a0movement of the arms or the drumming itself\u00a0is a really good movement. It energizes the\u00a0whole body and the sound waves, because\u00a0the drum is on their body\u2014they really feel it\u00a0as well as hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s science as to how this helps\u00a0people with memory issues. \u201cThey have
\ndetermined that music in particular sets\u00a0off most areas of the brain,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd\u00a0not just drumming, but other music\u00a0often triggers their long-term memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The drums have become a therapy\u00a0tool beyond the circles as well. \u201cSometimes,\u00a0we will just get the drums out if\u00a0whatever we have planned isn\u2019t quite\u00a0working \u2014 everyone responds really well\u00a0to that,\u201d she said. \u201cA truly holistic healing\u00a0approach, group drumming breaks\u00a0down social barriers, promotes freedom\u00a0of expression, nonverbal communication,
\nunity, and cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n

See vistadelmonte.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Originally published in The Santa Barbara Independent<\/a> on August 12, 2021. Cover photo by Erick Madrid. To read this special section as it originally appeared in print, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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