EDUCATION CENTER
A PROGRAM OF ELIOT CHURCH
At the Eliot Educational Center, our summer Music & Drumming Program invites children into music the way it's meant to be learned by doing. Each summer, students build a steady pulse, learn real hand-drumming technique, and grow the confidence that comes from playing in an ensemble. Rooted in Eliot Church's commitment to belonging, it meets every child where they are, and every session ends the way it begins: with joy.
100+
CHILDREN SERVED SINCE 2023
30
STUDENTS EACH SUMMER
3
COHORTS PER SEASON
K-12
ALL AGES WELCOME
What Students Gain
Five things every child takes home
A Steady Beat
A strong internal pulse, the foundation every musician builds on.
Real Technique
Proper hand-drumming form: bass, tone, and slap, plus an introduction to set drumming.
Reading Rhythm
Basic notation and counting, so written music becomes something they can play.
Playing Together
Ensemble skills, listening, and the confidence to perform as part of a group.
Creative Voice
Room for expression, improvisation, and the plain joy of making music.
Program Outcomes & Impact
By the end of the program cycle, participating students demonstrate measurable growth across musicianship, collaboration, and confidence.
Rhythmic competency
Students maintain a steady beat in 4/4 and 3/4 time and perform quarter- and eighth-note patterns from written notation.
Confidence & expression
Every participant performs in a final showcase, demonstrating dynamics, expression, and beginning improvisation.
Technical skill
Students produce and distinguish the three core hand-drumming tones and play them accurately on cue within an ensemble.
Access & participation
Serves up to 30 children each summer across three cohorts, more than 100 Roxbury-area youth reached since 2023.
Ensemble & collaboration
Students hold an independent part within an interlocking group groove, listening and playing simultaneously.
Continued engagement
Assessed through participation, effort, and skills checklists, recognizing growth in every student, not just the most advanced.
GRADES
K - 12
SEASON
July 1 – late August
CAPACITY
30 students · 3 cohorts
MATERIALS
Drums provided if available / shared
FACULTY
Kavayah Wright & teaching artists
LOCATION
120 Walnut Ave, Roxbury, MA 02119
TUITION
$100 · pay what you can
DISCOUNTS
For siblings / households