The members of the Lyndhurst Adult Workshop have many interests. Some like arts and crafts, others like playing pool and others don’t mind heading to the bowling alley once in awhile to throw a couple strikes. What they all have in common now, however, is a growing love for music; music that’s being used once a week to serve them with an innovative therapeutic tool.

From front to back: Lyndhurst Adult Workshop participants Alfred Hamer, Joe Konieczko and Johnny Ruszkowski go wild on the drums during a therapy lesson taught by Drums Against Disabilities founder Pat Gesualdo.

Alfred Hamer’s hands have gotten quicker since he has began the program, hitting most beats on cue. Started four years ago by former studio drummer Pat Gesualdo, the Drums Against Disabilities philosophy is to have people with disabilities conquer them through sharpening their physical movements and cognitive skills by following drum patterns. At the Lyndhurst Adult Workshop, things have already progressed among the participants after only four sessions of the program.

"This is helping kids with autism, dyslexia, OCD and a wide range of other disabilities develop expanded physical and cognitive retention," said Gesualdo. "Drumming actually helped me overcome my disability."

Gesualdo had in fact lived with a severe case of dyslexia when he was growing up. There wasn’t much known at that time about dyslexia or many of the disabilities that are known today. "I was diagnosed when I was nine years old, it was severe, they first thought I had cerebral palsy," he said. "I was called stupid, called dumb, lazy."

Gesualdo took up drumming, not for any particular reason, just that he knew that’s what he wanted to do. By high school, he was mainstreamed. He graduated college and launched a successful career as a studio drummer, working both for motion picture production companies and music companies. He credits his success and ability to overcome the chronic disorder he was diagnosed with as a child to the hours he spent drumming each day of his life. Four years ago, he wanted it to work for others. That’s when he launched DAD.

The program, which kicked off in New York City schools and communities under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration is heavily relied upon by donations and in the case of Lyndhurst, the program was funded by one of the community’s own businesses, Frank’s GMC Pontiac. Evelyn Pezzola of Frank’s sits as chair of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee, a group that looks to bring innovative programs like DAD into the schools and communities.

In a session last week, Gesualdo stood in front of a table at the Lyndhurst Youth Center in front of six of the adult workshop participants anxious to start pounding the pad. "The first beat, watch me, one-two, one-two-three," said Gesualdo as he beat his pad with his left hand, then right hand.

Down the line of drummers, it’s a little slow. When it passes Alfred Hamer and Joe Konieczko, it gets to Johnny Ruszkowski, a man in his 50s that suffers from Down’s syndrome. Johnny is slow at first, counting to only two and using both hands. Gesualdo gets in front of him, pounds the pad louder and finally, it comes to Johnny. He gets the beat.

By the end of the session, after Gesualdo even lets the participants pick their own beats, improvement is visibly apparent. Daniel Escalante, who is wheelchair bound and has limited use of his arm and hand movements, can’t use a stick; he pounds the pad with the outside of his hand. Reluctant at the beginning of the course to use alternating hands on differing beats, he was pounding away with right and left by the end, his feet thrusting up and down as quickly and in repetition with his hands.

"I’ve seen them make great progress in the time they’ve been doing it," said Beverly Brachocki, director of the workshop. "I think the intention is when Pat leaves, we can somehow keep it going."

Gesualdo said he has already seen significant strides in the Lyndhurst participants, but there’s one experience at the South Bergen Jointure Commission, which he recently infiltrated to teach the program, that personifies his mission of rehabilitation. He said a student, afflicted with autism among other handicaps, had never used one of his hands. After four or five weeks, he got all the students together and said, "Okay, let’s see where we’re at." The student picked two drumsticks up and began pounding with both hands.

"Sure enough, he started alternating the left and right hand, they were very surprised, the physical and occupational therapists," he said. "There’s a lot of tears in the program."