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20 High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
January 8, 2016

Resiliency

Creating, diffusing emotions through music

Story and photo by Gustavo Bahena

Public Affairs Office

The drum.

One of the most basic musical instruments and probably the oldest. It can be

played by anyone; all that is needed is the bottom of a plastic bucket.

Some say the reverberations of drums can heal. In the hands of an accomplished

percussionist, they can at least sound great.

In late November personnel with Fort Irwin Army Substance Abuse Program

attended a presentation by musician Brent Lewis of Joshua Tree, Calif. Lewis

played a djembe drum (West Africa) and spoke about how the sounds related to

animal movements or behaviors. He slapped the drum skin with ease and asked

others to use a bucket and join him in a session.

James Paynes, operations manager with Solutions Recovery in Las Vegas,

grabbed a pail and fell in rhythm with the maestro.

Not too difficult. That was the point.

Perry Crawford, a substance abuse counselor with ASAP here, invited Lewis

to perform. Lewis has played drums professionally and internationally for many

years and demonstrated the simplicity of creating beats and a tempo.

Crawford stated the use of rhythms is natural, primitive, and a form of com-

munication. Rhythms can be used as part of therapy.

“When it comes to dealing with emotions you can create emotions with music,

so you can also diffuse emotions with music,” Crawford said.

Crawford said that thoughts and feelings culminate in behavior. Changing a

way of thinking or altering feelings is the goal. Using substances to do so only

makes problems worse. Creating rhythms with drums can be an alternative. Brent Lewis (right), professional drummer, plays a djembe drum (from West Africa) for personnel from the

“The behavior choice is the drumming,” Crawford said. “Take the thinking, take Fort Irwin Army Substance Abuse Program and Solutions Recovery of Las Vegas.

the feelings, put it in the rhythms – let it out, communicate it. Bing, bang, smack if agreed that music is beneficial.
you want or gentle, almost whispering. It’s a therapy. That’s what therapy is all about,

it’s communicating it out and not letting it culminate in behavior that brings consequences and pain.” “Music is the basic communications of the universe,” Lewis said. “It’s mathematically perfect.

Lewis, who is known for playing a melodic 20-drum set, said it’s easy to get involved with When people hear the correct music, it causes in the mind to think correctly, because you’re

music. It’s a matter of obtaining an instrument, playing, and “taking it one note at a time.” He hearing what is right. It makes you feel good, because it’s right.”

Your Health

Health Related Behaviors Survey launches worldwide

By TRICARE.mil staff

Active duty servicemembers will be randomly selected
to represent their service branch and complete an anony-
mous Health Related Behaviors Survey.

The survey, accessed online, takes about 40 minutes
to complete. The HRBS is used to measure health-related
behaviors and lifestyles of military personnel that have
the potential to impact readiness.

Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary and
can be completed using a government computer during
duty hours or a home computer with Internet access. To
protect privacy, the survey is anonymous; survey takers
will not be asked their names or other personal identifiers
and responses cannot be linked back to the survey taker.

“Through this survey and the servicemembers’
candid responses, our experts are able to uncover those
issues that may affect the health and well-being of our
servicemembers,” said Dr. Jonathon Woodson, assistant
secretary for Health Affairs and director, Defense Health
Agency.

To protect survey takers’ identities, the survey is
designed to be completed in one sitting, thus if there
is an interruption, the survey will have to be re-taken.

As in past years, a summary report with the survey
results will be posted to a Department of Defense Web
site in the summer or fall of 2016

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil