Blondie drummer Clem Burke undergoes Drumming Project experiment

The recent Rhythmfest drum course kicked off with a very special event - the presentation of an honorary doctotorate to Blondie drummer Clem Burke at the University of Gloucestershire.

Clem was honoured by the University for his work with the Clem Burke Drumming Project, launched in 2008 in collaboration with the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester. The Project is based on the pursuit of knowledge using scientific methods to investigate the physical health implications of drumming. You may remember reading that research revealed that professional drummers had a heart rate profile similar to professional footballers and expended a significant amount of energy per performance.

Following the presentation Clem got behind a kit and proceeded to demonstrate the project, performing for 10 minutes whilst hooked up to a variety of apparatus, the data from which was beamed onto a large screen that highlighted the physical changes taking place during Clem's performance.