Special to the Chronicle

Students at B-L Elementary School are combining exercise with music.

It’s part of a new program at the school called Drums Alive, taught in Kristen Pugh’s music class.

The district purchased it as part of an $18,000 Raising the Arts Academic Standard grant that the school received from the South Carolina Department of Education in the Fall.

Drums Alive is a program that combines the movements of aerobic dance with the rhythms of the drum. Students move and dance along to a special video, all while drumming to the beat on items such as yoga balls and buckets.

According to the Drums Alive website, the program “utilizes “whole brain – whole body” thinking by developing sensory motor reflexes and kinesthetic awareness.

Drumming has also been found to improve and increase the neurological connection between the two brain hemispheres, stimulating Alpha brain wave activity which can lead to higher levels of concentration, sensory/ motor improvement, and an overall sense of well being.”

All grade levels are able to enjoy the Drums Alive program.