Drumbeats teaches youth life skills, good values
By DANIELLE REID
Patriot Publishing
Modern research indicates that rhythmic drumming can boost children’s cognitive functions such as IQ, memory and language skills. Drumming can also enhance problem solving abilities, concentration and motor skills.
One of the opportunities local youths have to experience the benefits of drumming can be found in the Rev. Dr. Elston McLain’s community youth group, DrumBeats.
When Rev. Dr. McLain was serving with the Methodist Church in Chattanooga, TN he started a community outreach program called DrumBeats. Later, when he moved to Knoxville, he started another DrumBeats program. In 2020, during the heart of COVID, he moved to Pulaski where he became the Pastor of Randolph Avenue Methodist Church; and again, started the DrumBeats program.
“DrumBeats is a community outreach program where we teach and empower the youth from ages five to junior high school with life skills and good values. We do a weekly devotional and serve a meal before moving onto learning drumming skills. They learn values and skills they can use throughout life,” he explained.
The DrumBeats group meets weekly at Randolph Avenue Methodist Church or the First United Methodist Church in Pulaski, where the Rev. Dr. Josh Kilbourne plays in the group. It is open to all area youth, and children from numerous churches participate.
During their group meetings, Rev. McLain and Rev. Kilbourne teach four principles for life: Listen, Follow Instructions, Focus, and be the Best you can be.
DrumBeats has 35 drums, consisting of Congo drums and dJembe drums. The unique djembe drum is a rope-tuned, goblet-shaped hand drum from West Africa, traditionally carved from a single piece of hardwood with a goatskin head, used for centuries to unite people through rhythm for celebrations, rituals, and storytelling. It produces deep bass, mid-range tones, and sharp slaps with bare hands. Its name means “everyone gather together in peace.”
“Every drum has its own personality, much like human beings. When put together, it is a unique sound,” explained Rev. McLain – “much like in the Bible – many members, one body, one sound.”
The current group has been playing together for about two years. They are frequently invited to perform in churches, several nursing homes, Newbern Festival and Wilderness Road Museum Festival, Wytheville Training Center and Calfee Training Center. They will be playing at NRCC on February 22nd during Black History Month.
As a youth, Rev. Kilbourne had attended Resurrection Youth Conferences at Holston Conference in Pigeon Forge in 1993.
“Resurrection is an annual youth conference started in Pigeon Forge by the United Methodist Church, but includes all denominations. Everyone is welcome but the conference is hosted by the Methodist Church. It was fun and there was always something to look forward to. They had keynote speakers, Christian bands and up to 10,000 would attend,” Rev. Kilbourne recalled.
“One of the things they do is include youth talent from all over Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee to perform. They send in videos of their talent, so we decided to submit an audition tape for DrumBeats. We were accepted and asked to play on Saturday, January 24th. Most of the kids are excited to play at the event, and it is a big deal for our kids. We’ve had to talk through it to help some of them have the courage to go for it; but now they are excited,” stated Rev. Kilbourne.
“We discussed how being on stage was an opportunity the Lord was providing to help them grow in confidence and share their God-given gift with others. The attitudes changed when they understood and stepped out in faith,” he added.
Rev. Kilbourne commented about how many professional musicians started in church.
“Churches have an opportunity to help the youth build up their spiritual strength, say ‘yes’ to Jesus and follow His call and His plan for their lives. Groups like DrumBeats offer youth an alternative to the world’s lifestyle and standards. And a church’s youth group can be an anchor in young people’s lives when they are challenged by their other friends to go another way.“
The song DrumBeats performs at the end of every concert is the heartbeat of it all: Funga Alafia, from the West African culture. It is a call-and-response joyful song and dance meaning “Welcome. We come in peace.”