$20 per session for non-members

Our Youth Percussion Ensemble program provides students the opportunity to set and to work toward achieving long-term goals. Through step-by-step training in a wide variety of percussion instruments, students are empowered to express themselves freely in an encouraging environment. Students reap the benefits of improved hand-eye coordination and dexterity. The physical benefits of drumming also include improved motor skills and posture. It provides a creative outlet, growth in soft skills by working with others in a musical ensemble, and a boost to self-confidence and self-esteem. Participation in the program often results in increased focus and discipline.

Our Youth Percussion Ensemble has tremendous potential for students with ADHD and others who face challenges with impulse control and traditional classroom behavioral standards. Research suggests that learning to play percussion instruments correlates with enhancements in personal agency, positive social interaction, and emotional regulation. Drums are one of the few instruments that access the entire brain, stimulating all of its main sectors. The active engagement of physically playing rhythms aids in syncing the left and right hemispheres, leaving drummers feeling more connected to themselves. Research in music education points to the potential of drumming to enhance emotional and social functioning. Musical activities can enhance awareness of healthy self-expression and promote positive forms of interaction such as collaboration and mutual exchange. Drumming in groups, in particular, offers a therapeutic component. Psychosocial therapeutic benefits include enhanced communication, emotional processing, tension reduction, group cohesion, and positive connection to community.