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Drummunity Helps Daycroft Montessori School’s Students Get in the Groove

Lori Fithian of Drummunity leads all of Daycroft's Elementary Campus (K-6) students in the drum circle.

Ann Arbor, MI (November 5, 2010) – It was a far cry from the ragged “Wipe-Out” drum solos that many Baby Boomers habitually tapped out on their school desktops in the Sixties and early Seventies.

This time it was drumming with a purpose.

In a day dedicated to helping students practice their skills in listening, following directions, and working in groups, Lori Fithian brought her unique, interactive Drummunity program (www.drummunity.com) to Daycroft Montessori School of Ann Arbor – and the children there will likely never look at percussion instruments in quite the same way again.

The learning and fun happened on Thursday, October 21, while parents and teachers engaged in conferences. Throughout the day, Daycroft students at both the Elementary Campus on Zeeb Road and the Preprimary Campus on Oakbrook Drive participated in listening, direction-taking, and team-building activities. They enjoyed a treasure hunt, a nature walk, and a paper-and-pencil exercise, plus art, games, and more.

From left, Daycroft students Kai Ruwende, Allyson Franklin, and Finn Feldeisen

Drummunity was, by all accounts, the day’s highlight. Fithian brought an extensive collection of instruments from all over the world, including some of her own originals made from recyclables. There were hand drums, mallet drums, tambourines, shakers, scrapers, wood blocks... and even cowbells. (Yes, “More cowbell!”)

“Listen Carefully – a Great Learning Experience”

Let Lori Fithian herself describe how the Drummunity event unfolded:

“At about 7:00 am, I dropped off some equipment and instruments with Diane Mukkala, Daycroft’s head of school, at the Zeeb Road campus. Since it had rained the night before, and the ground was still wet, Diane and I at first thought it would be best to hold the activity indoors. Then I scooted over to Daycroft’s Oakbrook Drive campus and drummed with the kindergarten class there from 8:30 to 9:00 am.

“When we were done playing at Oakbrook, the children helped me pack up the instruments. Some hugged their drums and carried them upstairs to the front door. I must admit that, in all of the excitement, we were a bit loud in the hallways, and this may have been disruptive to some parent-teacher conferences. Sorry about that, folks!

“By the time I got back to Zeeb, it had become sunny, and the grass had dried, so Diane and I changed our minds and decided to have the program outside.

“I met the 5th and 6th graders who were to help set up for the program. They carried 130 chairs to the soccer field, and began arranging them in concentric circles, as we usually do for a Drummunity program. Some of the students, trying to be helpful, jumped ahead and assumed incorrectly about my plan for the activity. They tried to place the instruments before they had directions. I reminded them how important it is to always listen carefully – a great learning experience.”

“Passing the Sound Around”

Fithian continued: “After a snack, the 5th and 6th graders came back to the circle for their program. It included a lot of listening and cooperating. The students did ‘calls and echoes.’ They also had fun ‘passing the sound around’ by taking turns making sounds to create a very fast wave of sound around the circle. They even ‘tuned’ their instruments – including their voices – and they practiced working together to create a solid, steady beat.

From left, Daycroft students Ben Vargo, Micaela Thomas, and Adam Wood

“The 1st and 2nd graders followed, then the Zeeb kindergarten class, and finally the 3rd and 4th graders – all participated in turn. Each session changed slightly from one to the next, depending on what the students brought to the circle: their age, their excitement, their ability to play the games with each other – even the weather!

“By the last class, it had begun to cloud over and get colder, and we felt a few drops of rain. The kids were concerned about the drums getting wet, so we made an emergency plan to carry the drums to a spot under the school building’s overhang. As good luck would have it, the rain mainly stayed away.

“All of the students returned to the drum circles for a grand finale filled with spirit. We called out for each grade to answer, then each instrument. We did more calls and echoes, some vocal exercises, and some starting and stopping games.

“Finally, we put the kids to perhaps their toughest test of the day – they had to listen, take directions, and work as a team to clean up and put away the instruments and chairs!”

“Everyone Belongs in the Circle”

Diane Mukkala summed up the Drummunity program at Daycroft in a single word: “Phenomenal!”

Per Mukkala, “Lori Fithian did a fantastic job. Her program not only develops attention, focus, and listening skills, it also creates feelings of cooperation and connection. It fits right into Daycroft’s philosophy of appreciating children’s differences and diversity while we work together toward the community’s success.”

And, Mukkala added, “Drummunity is just plain fun!”

Fithian, for her part, turned the praise right back at Daycroft. “The students here are wonderful,” she said. “They listen and focus and have fun while they work and learn. They’re truly ‘in the groove.’”

Fithian went on: “”I hope the Daycroft kids learned this lesson from Drummunity: It takes all kinds of instruments (and people) to make our music (and our lives) so interesting and exciting. Everyone belongs in the circle – from the biggest, tallest, widest, loudest drums to the smallest, tiniest, quietest shakers and scrapers, and everything in between. We need all of you to make it sound so great.”

More information about Drummunity programs and events is available by contacting Lori Fithian at (734) 426-7818 or lorifithian@mac.com. Or visit her website at www.drummunity.com.

About Daycroft Montessori School

Daycroft Montessori School blends the distinctive student-centered teaching methods of Maria Montessori with traditional and progressive teaching methods. Daycroft thus accomplishes its educational mission: to provide a personalized learning environment that appreciates individual differences, nurtures the whole child, and enables students to develop at their own pace and achieve to their full potential.

Daycroft is one of Washtenaw County's leading independent schools. It began as a preschool program in 1968. Daycroft has since grown to include a full-day kindergarten program, an elementary school program through 6th grade, before-school and after-school care, summer camp programs, and enrichment classes.

Daycroft has earned accreditation from the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS; www.isacs.org). It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS; www.nais.org) and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS; www.amshq.org).

Daycroft Preprimary School (preschool and kindergarten) is at 100 E. Oakbrook Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Phone: (734) 930-0333.

Daycroft Elementary School (grades K through 6) and Daycroft's administrative offices are at 1095 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Phone: (734) 662-3335.

Media Contact:
Chris Kochmanski
DesignHub, Inc.
(734) 944-8705
chris@design-hub.com

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