Music for brains that
work a little differently.
Some brains feel more, think faster, get overwhelmed more easily. That is not a deficiency.
But with music it can create friction. This course gives you the knowledge and tools to make music work — for this brain, in this way.
It is not about talent or discipline.
Many people who end up here have been looking for an explanation for a while. They can see something is going on, but are not sure exactly what. Or they know, but not how to deal with it.
Your child enjoys music but doesn't want to practise at home. The same discussion every time.
You have students where nothing seems to stick — not because they don't want to, but because the standard approach doesn't fit.
You've been playing for years but keep getting stuck at the same point. Concentration, motivation, the feeling that your head works harder than your hands.
Music sometimes feels like the only place where there is calm — but also the place where frustration is greatest.
You want to understand what is underneath the behaviour, so you can better connect — with your child, your student, or yourself.
These are not signs that someone is unsuited to music. They are signs that the approach can be better.
This applies to every instrument. Not just drums.
One course. Three paths.
The core is the same for everyone — but each path has its own reflections, assignments and examples tailored to your situation.
For parents
Your child takes music lessons and it goes well there. But at home it's a different story. Practising becomes a battle. Your child doesn't want to, or wants to but gets stuck. You're not doing anything wrong. But you probably lack some understanding of how this brain works and what your role can be. That's what this course gives you.
For teachers
You notice some students need something different. The standard approach doesn't work, but you're not sure what does. This path gives you a concrete framework to recognise more quickly what's going on — and respond with more confidence. Not as theory, but as something you can apply in tomorrow's lesson.
For musicians
You yourself have a brain that works a little differently. Maybe you have a diagnosis, maybe not — but you recognise it. This path helps you understand how to use music as an anchor rather than as an additional source of pressure.
CBM — Consciousness, Body, Mind.
Everything in this course builds on one approach I have developed over twenty years. Three layers together determine how you feel when you make music.
Attention
Where is your attention? Are you here, now — or is your head elsewhere? Directing your attention is a skill, not willpower. It's something you can learn.
Body
How are you breathing? Where is the tension? How are you sitting? Your body never lies about how you feel. It's the fastest route to more calm — if you know how to read it.
Mind
What's going on in your head? What motivates you, what frustrates you? Understanding your own mind — or someone else's — changes how you respond.
When one of the three is out of balance, you feel it immediately — in your playing, in your lessons, in your contact with your child.
Five modules. At your own pace.
The course is built as a journey — from understanding to applying. Each module contains videos, worksheets and downloadable tools.
Understanding what is going on
What happens in the brain under pressure, chaos or blockage? Why doesn't 'just calm down' work? You learn to recognise patterns you encounter every day — not through neuroscience you'll forget, but through things you immediately recognise from your own experience.
Tools for focus and calm
Beyond 'sit still' and 'take it easy'. Concrete techniques to build more calm — for yourself, your child, your student. Breathing, short check-ins, rhythm as an anchor. Things you can apply in two minutes.
Structure that helps, not stifles
For brains that work differently, structure is essential — but the wrong structure backfires. You learn lesson formats that work for sensitive brains, and how to create routines that feel like safety rather than obligation.
Dealing with resistance and emotions
What do you do when someone blocks? How do you stay present without wanting to solve what doesn't need solving? The way you respond to resistance determines whether someone feels safe enough to continue.
Communication that connects
Small choices in tone, pace and word choice make a big difference for someone with a sensitive brain. You learn how to speak, how to listen, and how to feel what someone really needs in that moment.
What you get
Stefan van de Brug
Drummer, teacher, coach and body-oriented therapist. Over twenty years of teaching children and adults — many of them with a brain that works a little differently.
I have ADD myself. I know from the inside what it feels like when your head is full of ideas and your surroundings don't always understand you. As a young person, music was both my outlet and my structure. I went through all the phases: from frustration to self-confidence, from teachers who didn't get me to the one who gave me space.
Today I run one of the largest drum schools in The Hague — over 125 students per week. Many of them have a brain that works a little differently. That's not an exception in my school. It's simply part of how we teach.
This course is what I have seen work in practice. No complicated theory. Practical insights that genuinely help.
"I don't believe you need to change someone. I believe you can learn to see what is already there, and thereby connect better."
Frequently asked questions
One-off. Lifetime access.
You pay once and have the course forever. No subscription, no hidden costs.
Music for brains that work a little differently
one-off · lifetime access · all three paths
14-day money-back guarantee · Secure payment via Mollie · iDEAL, credit card, Bancontact
You don't have to do it perfectly.
You just have to learn to see what is going on — with your child, your student, or yourself.
The rest follows by itself.
Music for brains that work a little differently is a course about music and neurodiverse brains — developed by Stefan van de Brug from over twenty years of experience in music education and coaching. Suitable for parents of children with ADD, ADHD or autism in music lessons, music teachers working with neurodiverse students, and musicians who themselves struggle with concentration, overstimulation or motivation. The CBM method combines body-oriented therapy, consciousness principles and practical teaching tools — for every instrument and every age.