Thank You from Alamo Heights Band

My students really enjoyed your presentation on Friday.  I wanted a once in a lifetime experience for them and you delivered.  Thank you for your energy and enthusiasm, but mostly thank you for the way you incorporated everything that we discussed into the presentation.  I was totally amazed.  You are truly a master teacher.  My hat is off to you.

Cindy Mikel - AHISD

From the moment the kids sat down with their drums, the transformation began.

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to thank the Drum Cafe for another exciting experience with their performance and direction in opening up a whole new dimension in the meaning of school assemblies (or any human gathering for that matter). After my first experience with the Drum Cafe at the CADA Convention in San Diego (3/09), I knew we had to have them bring this unique energy to our middle school campus. From my first initial contact with their website at www.drumcafewest.com the process was easy.  It also helped in getting administrative approval with the wonderful videos from the website.  After my initial email inquiring the process and all the logistics of putting on an assembly, I was treated with enthusiasm and excitement for my interest in planning such an event for Las Colinas. Not only was a proposal developed in a timely manner, I especially liked the detailed Program Consultation questionnaire I was asked to fill out.  Once I had answered the questions, Nina, my primary contact and facilitator discussed these questions so that she had a clear idea of what we hoped our students would walk away from the experience with.

On Assembly day, the drums went out to the students in an amazingly short amount of time with the help of the wonderful Drum Cafe support people and our own volunteers. From the moment the kids sat down with their drums, the transformation began.  At first there is just a noise and not long there after the beginnings of a rhythm, and in the end there was a common voice in the music that resonated among everyone in the room.  Students and staff were swept up into the beating of the drums and they continue to talk about how great the experience was long after the day of the assembly.  Experience!  You can’t get away from that word because it is a shared Experience.  Something you become a part of and that is the best message I can share with anyone who is considering having the Drum Cafe on your school campus.  For our kids this also became a stress relief just before our state testing.  Staff and students alike were refreshed and energized from the experience. My other hope is that it will have an impact on our students that will carry through into the hallways of our campus in other ways. I am even considering starting up a Djembe club to keep the beat going on campus. The Drum Cafe is nothing short of amazing.

Rebecca Kaspar - Family & Consumer Science - ASB/Leadership Advisor - Las Colinas Middle School  Home of the Mustangs!

Thanks, Nina!! We had such a blast, and loved getting to hang out with you guys!! The feedback that we're hearing from teachers and students today has been great! The general consensus is that we would love to do this again!!  We were definitely satisfied, the professionalism of your staff, quality of musicianship, and sheer fun that our students had really exceeded our expectations.

Other teachers have just thanked us for the fun experience and that their students really enjoyed it.

Thanks so much, Nina!! Look forward to seeing you soon!!

Rebecca L. Juarez, M. M. - -Kodaly Music Specialist, Choir Director  -  Steubing Ranch Elementary







Today, you and the rest of your team/group came and preformed for the students at Polytechnic High School encouraging us to do well on the TAKS test that we take on Tuesday. I'm sure that if they could thank you personally, they would. I just want to let you know that your performance today was truly awesome and I've never seen anything like it before! The words you spoke really gave me more motivation than I already had so I'm sure it gave motivation to the ones without. The energy that radiated from you shot threw the crowd and straight to my heart. Your performance really touched me and once again, I thank you so much. People like you encourages me to be a better person.

-Queniqua Luckey, a proud Poly student.      10th grade.
                    
P.S. Michelle's a wonderful and talented dancer. I hope you guys can come back after we have passed the TAKS!







Whew, I'm worn out but still have a tough week ahead. Drum Cafe was a major succes - totally changed the tone and atmosphere of our final program meeting.  Kenya was a master at weaving our themes into the drumming - like he's part of our program team.  I'm guessing that you're going to get a number of inquiries from principals in our program.  I believe that many of them thought it was transformational and would be a perfect thing for their campuses.  Thank you for helping to coordinate this and keep me on schedule.  Overall, this was definitely the best program meeting we have had to date.

Greg Higgins - Project Manager for the Texas Principals Excellence Program txpep.org 

They absolutely LOVED IT!!!!  :) When we got back to our rooms the beat of the drums was still with them....they were either tapping their feet of their knuckles to the beat on their desks.

they loved it...good stress reliever!

Julie D'Amico, 8th Grade Reading Teacher, Luna Middle School

Kids loved it!  Lots of fun

Melissa D. Garza, 8th Grade Mathematics Teacher, Luna Middle School