Research into the effectiveness of Drumpower

Between 2008 and 2012, three music therapy projects entitled “Drumpower” were carried out in two Bavarian secondary modern schools and middle schools respectively. The scientific studies took place in the first two project years. The method of intervention was developed on behalf of the Freies Musikzentrum by the Director of the Institute for Music Therapy. Music therapist Dr Andreas Wölfl, together with colleagues working in education and therapy was in charge of educating trainers as well as the overall direction of both projects.

The design of the intervention aimed to support students in the following areas of competency: ‘constructive handling of aggression’, ‘affect regulation’, ‘sense of community, communication and cooperation,’ as well as ‘confidence in vocal expression and in dialogue’. Both projects were evaluated in co-operation with the Institute for Psychosocial Intervention and Communication Research at the University of Innsbruck, School of Educational Sciences under the direction of Assistant Professor Dr. Arthur Drexler.

Results showed:

• Decrease in the frequency of aggression and readiness
  for aggression in the treatment group
• More empathy especially amongst the male students in the treatment group
• Pro-sociality increases in the treatment group, in particular
  amongst students with a migration background
• Improvement in confidence and learning behaviour in particular with regard to perseverance and concentration
• Solidarity and positive contact in class have been considerably improved
• Increase in self-confidence and appropriate self-assertion
• Increased co-operation in the treatment group
• Increase in adequate self-assertion
• Increase in self-awareness (in particular amongst the girls)
• Increase in positive social contacts
• Decrease in pressure to perform
• Increase in the ability to empathise as well as readiness
  to help others (in particular amongst the girls)
• Decline in perceived control by teachers
• Improvement in social behaviour