ABOUT

DANCING DRUM

Dancing Drum's mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire people of all ages through interactive percussion programs. Since the beginning in 2002, Dancing Drum's standards-based performances, publications, workshops, drum circles, and residencies have reached many thousands of people nationwide and internationally.

Steve Campbell and Lindsay Rust are the co-founders and directors of Dancing Drum. Their extensive travels around the world and years of work in education have provided them with a culturally diverse foundation in the art of drumming and led them to develop a highly accessible approach to successfully integrate drumming programs into K-12 music classrooms. Steve and Lindsay have brought their interactive drumming performances, artist-in-residencies, teacher trainings and curriculum publications to hundreds of schools across the country.

Much of the content presented in Dancing Drum programs has been gathered during extensive research travels in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and throughout the USA. One of our goals is to "bring the world home" and we work hard to keep our information authentic and engaging.

Dancing Drum's K-12 School Programs set a national standard for innovative, cross-curricular arts education. All of our school programs are standards-based and prioritize hands-on opportunities for students to experience the excitement, magic, and creativity of the arts. We believe that rhythm is fundamental to all music-making. In addition to improving our students' musical literacy, we work to build stronger self-confidence, better cooperative social skills, and a greater awareness of the world.

Steve Campbell & Lindsay Rust


Student Performance at Percussion Fest


Djembe drumming in Bamako, Mali


Drum circle in Bangkok, Thailand


Residency Program in New Orleans


Interactive Performance in Georgia

Dancing Drum offers multiple resources for schools, including curriculum publications, professional development for teachers, and drum packages designed specifically for the needs of educators.

Since drumming is for all ages, Dancing Drum also offers a range of Community Programs for adults, families, and kids. Specializing in Community Drum Ensemble and team-building Drum Circles & Workshops, we create an energizing, celebratory, and memorable experience for your group or special event.

Dancing Drum's signature drum circle event in Southern California is "Santa Barbara Drum Day", which is held once or twice yearly with an attendance of 300-400 people. For a YouTube video about Drum Day 2009, click <here>. To download a Santa Barbara News Press article about SB Drum Day 2010 click <here>. This event has been sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, the Children's Creative Project, the REMO Drum Company, and Dancing Drum.

Dancing Drum has presented highly successful clinic sessions at the Percussive Arts Society's International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis and Austin, the Music China Expo in Shanghai, universities in Thailand and California, regional Orff Association trainings, and State Music Educator Conferences in Georgia, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Colorado, and Mississippi.

Dancing Drum is a member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and the Children's Creative Project of the Santa Barbara County Office of Education.