Dancing Drum — DrumSafe

Bringing Interactive Drumming Programs Back to Schools

With schools shutting down access to teaching artists and performers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was essential to adapt interactive drumming programs to work with the new health guidelines and restrictions.

In May 2021, Dancing Drum launched the DrumSafe program model at over 15 schools throughout Alabama and Georgia. It was a huge success and gave students an opportunity to experience the thrill of drumming together again!

To heighten the cleanliness in their interactive drumming programs, Dancing Drum transitioned away from hand drums to only using stick drums. The program uses Dancing Drum’s djun-djun drums with plastic TubeStix, which can be easily sanitized in between uses.

During the drumming workshops, students receive their own pair of TubeStix to play on the drums and do not share them with other students. Their TubeStix are the only thing they hold in their hands as they rotate around to play different drums in the workshop. After each drumming session is over, students clean their TubeStix with a sanitizing wipe and drop them in a bucket.

Once inside the bucket, they are sanitized and ready for the next group of students to use in their drumming workshop.

For social distancing, workshops were offered in smaller groups and with shortened workshop times.

These adaptations helped Dancing Drum control the cleanliness and safety of the interactive program. Teachers and administrators were pleased at how the DrumSafe program model worked to maintain the health and safety of their students and school.

Dancing Drum is now booking in-person DrumSafe programs for the 2021-2022 school year as it begins to overcome the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more at: https://dancingdrum.com/pages/drum-safe.