Drumming For Your Life Institute

Specialties

Drumming for Your Life is a Non-​Profit Organization that incorporates the power of rhythm into education and therapy.

Our programs include:

Reading & Rhythm Program: a powerful rhythm based multi-​sensory literacy program that addresses the needs of struggling readers. Our Instructors play a rhythmic beat as students take turns reading aloud from grade-​level literature. Students will be taught to use rhythmic sound to help them move fluidly through unfamiliar words, and work up to passages of increasing length, at gradually increased speeds. The program provides methods that improve fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics word recognition, techniques for vocabulary and spelling, and a non-​linear approach to comprehension that develops students’ understanding of text.

Life Skills Drumming Program: Participant’s play the drums during the program which allows for emotional expression in a productive and non-​violent manner. The program uses the power of rhythm along with visualization techniques to help participants cope with problems they face on a daily basis, at home or on the streets. Participants develop decision making and problem solving skills that lead them to make safer and better choices.

History

Established in 2002.

Drumming for Your Life was founded in 2002 by Steven Angel. Mr. Angel, a child prodigy started playing the drums at age 3. He performed with the legendary Buddy Rich’s band at age 6, opened for Herman’s Hermits at age 12, and recorded with Jimi Hendrix at age 16. 25 years later Mr. Angel started to focus his life on helping others in using drumming as a tool for healing and improving people’s lives. He began volunteering at juvenile halls and detention camps, leading drumming programs designed to help teenagers learn to curb impulsive behavior, and express troubling emotions in positive and constructive ways. While implementing the drumming program at the camps, he witnessed how focused and attentive the participants were when performing the rhythmic exercises, and thought about incorporating rhythm into the classroom. Steven Angel spent four months in an elementary school classroom where he created the Reading & Rhythm program which uses rhythm-​making/​rhythm listening and educational