Karl Dustman of Local 4 (Cleveland, OH) assists a young drummer at a workshop held at the Rainey Institute.

You could hear the thunder throughout the building and see the wall-to-wall smiles on students and faculty attending the three-part Percussion Residency educational program at Cleveland’s Rainey Institute. This was the third consecutive year that Local 4 (Cleveland, OH) collaborated with the Percussion Marketing Council (PMC) to provide an educational percussion program to Rainey students and teachers.

This year’s first session featured the exciting Caribbean sounds and music of pan drums, performed by Local 4 member Jeff Cavallo, aka “Island Jeff.” The program started with an introduction to the origins and sound production of steel drums and pan drums from Trinidad. Local 4 Board Member Cindy Wulff complimented the instructional team, assisting students in performance, grasping the rhythms, skills, and enjoyment of the percussion program.

PMC Co-Executive Director, percussionist, and Local 4 member Karl Dustman provided a huge assortment of instruments for each student to experience. “With a student audience ranging from second grade through high school, the challenge was connecting with and getting participation in an educational experience from everyone in attendance. By educating the students in the music making basics—essentials of melody, harmony, and rhythm—all ages and abilities could hear, see, and appreciate the percussion connection that these instruments provide,” says Dustman. “Many students would never have this educational experience without the collaboration of Local 4, Rainey Institute, and the PMC’s Percussion in the Schools program.”

Every student received a complimentary drumstick keychain as a thank you from the PMC, along with a take-home “Why Learn Music” brochure, provided by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). Older students also received a How to Play Drums instruction booklet with DVD.