The Yin and Yang of 24 Season Drums for Physical and Musical Literacy among Medical Students: A Narrative Review

Physical literacy can be defined as having an individual’s mind and body in a state of harmony. Previous studies introduced circus arts and actor training as a way to encourage physical literacy. Musical literacy is the “perception of music as a whole”, where it requires the interpretation of its meaning, the aesthetic values and the ideas that the musician wanted to convey. Correspondingly, the yin-yang was a representation of two polar forces coming together and harmonising together as one in Eastern tradition. This study aimed to introduce new ways and possibilities in endorsing physical and musical literacy, through the extensive use of 24 Season Drums. This study would further explore how 24 Season Drums, a musical performance originated from Malaysia, can enhance one’s development in terms of their musical (the yin) and physical (the yang) embodiment. This is followed by a comprehensive explanation of why drumming training is relevant in developing a holistic and well-rounded medical student. The literature search was performed using databases from PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Google search engine using specific keywords, ranging from May 2000 to September 2020. We hope that this article could pave the way for more future studies on the effects of 24 Season Drums training in terms of an individual’s physical and musical literacy.