Experiencing drum circles with my students, and learning about music therapy, made me think about how so many more students would benefit from drum circles - if they had access to drum circles.
And so, I started RhythmRise.org.
A simple mission, with simple, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
We help make drum circles accessible. We support under-resourced public schools whose students may face socio-economic adversity and related trauma.
We provide the tools so teachers can establish & maintain their own drum circles. This includes authoring a curriculum supplement, donating homemade drums, and making onsite visits to lead drum circles.
Please check out our website by clicking on the link!

We started by partnering with Newark Public Schools, the largest school district in my home state of NJ, and where 70% of students are economically disadvantaged.
A year in, our drums are in use by approximately 6,000 students across 9 states & DC!
We are currently extending into MA, VA, and London.