The Drum Circle Project: A Qualitative Study with At-Risk Youth in a School setting/Projet De Cercle De Tambours : éTude Qualitative Auprès De Jeunes À Risque En Milieu Scolaire

INTRODUCTIONYouth are 'at-risk' for many things in today's culture, and the term 'at-risk youth' is a common one. Educators define the term as referring to those young people who are at-risk for dropping out of school (Druian & Butler, 1987]. Mental Health professionals focus on depression, suicide and drug addiction as the areas that many youth face as serious risks (Dr. Lois M. Colle, Lecture, 2004, McGiIl University]. Often, dropping out of school is linked to an increase in risk for health issues, and vice versa, thus compounding the number of areas for which these youth are at-risk (Frudenberg & Ruglis, 2007).Effective Schooling PracticesFor over 20 years, educators have identified experiential learning as successful with at-risk youth. Wehlage (1983) found that alienation from the school, daily reinforced by teachers and administrators, is one of the most important threats to the retention of at-risk youth. He also found that the most important curricular characteristic of effective programs for at-risk students is the experiential curriculum. "We believe there is sufficient evidence about the effects of experiential education to argue for it as an essential component of and program for marginal students" (p. 38).Wehlage (1983) outlined the criteria for experiential education:* Should offer "optimal challenge with manageable conflict"* Should provide a young person an opportunity to exercise initiative and responsibility* Should provide the young person with a task that has integrity (i.e., is not "make-work") and thus reinforces the person's sense of dignity* Should provide the young person with a "sense of competence and success"* Must engage the student in reflection about his/her experiences (p. 40)The Drum Circle model implemented in this study addresses each of these criteria. It is a model of hands-on learning-by-doing that immediately and easily engages students in a group learning process that is expressive musically, that teaches basic drumming skills, that encourages initiativetaking and leadership skills, and that provides successful experiences for every group member that are acknowledged and encouraged. Students are challenged to learn and to grow as individuals within a supportive environment. Reflection upon their experiences is an important part of the process.The Drum Circle ModelMusic therapists have been working with group drumming and percussion since the inception of music therapy. Generally speaking, music therapists are good facilitators of rhythm-based interventions, and understand their therapeutic benefits. Music Therapists are trained in how to integrate rhythm and drumming into approaches that generally combine the use of other instruments, such as piano, guitar, xylophones and other melody and percussive instruments. Singing is often done accompanied by percussion instruments and rhythm. While these approaches can utilize a great deal of rhythmic expression, they are quite distinct from the drum circle model.This model had its inception in a movement that began to sweep North America in the early 1990s. The 'drum circle' movement has its roots in indigenous cultures such as West Africa, in which drumming in community with others has been widely and pervasively practiced for millennia. The drum circle movement is a cultural and social phenomenon whose inception in North America can be traced to a West African drummer named Olatunji (J. Rudell, personal communication, October 20, 2005). Olatunji came to the U.S. in the 1960s, and began in the 1980s to inspire large groups of people to drum together. Most typically, a drum circle consists of a group of people who are all playing either a drum or a smaller percussion instrument. The most common drum used is a West African djembe drum. These drums are preferred because they are easy to play, carrying a large drumhead, and make a big, resonant sound. …