For percussionists, marching season is inevitably accompanied by back pain. But now, with the development of the Drumbelt, drummers may finally be able to march without the accompanying strain.
The Drumbelt is designed to alleviate the stress placed upon percussionists’ backs by shifting the drums’ weight from the shoulders and spine to the hips and core. It is compatible with the vast majority of existing carriers.
Dr. Ande Sumner, who had participated in the Auburn University Marching Band, developed the Drumbelt while pursuing her doctorate degree in exercise science and biomechanics.
The product’s design process is its most important attribute, according to Dr. Russell Gavin, who licensed the product. “This is not something created by drummers; this is not something created by the music industry; it was created by a biomechanics lab,” he says.
Percussionists of all shapes and sizes may benefit from using the Drumbelt. “Regardless of the size of the person, the human spine is not meant to carry weight in the manner we ask it to,” says Gavin, who is also an Auburn band alumnus and now a music educator at Baylor University and director of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps.
To order, visit drumbelt.com.
