Adam Dunn has seen his stepdaughter Nikki’s life change through the wonder of drums and he’s hoping his new business, Wonder Drums, will help other children and adults in much the same way.
“Hopefully it will help families out as far as using it to calm the person,” said Dunn, of Guilderland.
Dunn has been a drummer for 36 years, but he just recently started using drums to help special needs individuals. Enter, Wonder Drums.
“Every child or adult is a different situation. I’m not going to guarantee that it’ll help everybody; it’s a tough thing,” said Dunn.
The key to finding success with the method which has been shown to help some people with autism, Asperger’s, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and even Alzheimer’s patients is to give it a chance.
“A lot of people want to have one lesson and try it out and see what happens. From my experience, the first time, I didn’t notice anything different. It wasn’t until a couple times later,” said Dunn.
The act of drumming, from the rhythm to the sound to the basic act of hitting something constructively, can help soothe and relax people.
In Dunn’s case, his stepdaughter, 8, was a foster child before being adopted, so she suffers from attachment issues, aggression and moodiness. In a way, Nikki “discovered” the drumming technique herself, and he’s glad she did.
“My stepdaughter is a very aggressive child. She has a lot of energy and issues that go back to when she was a foster child,” said Dunn. “She came downstairs one day (while I was playing) and said ‘I want to see if I can play with you.’ She took her anger out. Each time she got better with it and the overall state of her later she wasn’t as aggressive.”
Dunn has given drumming lessons to friends but is looking to attract clients from the community. His website, www.wonderdrums.com, has information and photos.
“This whole concept is just starting out right now,” said Dunn.
You don’t have to have musical talent to benefit from or enjoy drumming, said Dunn. The physical and psychological effects will be the same.
“Despite the fact that some have it anyway, it requires no skill to be fun,” said Dunn, who said he has noticed Nikki does have a certain knack for the instrument.
Wonder Drums will teach students to read music, play along with the music style of their choice (jazz, rock, rap, metal) or just let them jam out, depending on the preference and situation. There are also benefits of improved hand-eye coordination, increased confidence and enhanced self-esteem, said Dunn.
For more information about Wonder Drums or to schedule a lesson, email Dunn at [email protected]. He gives private lessons at his own home or the student’s home.
