Third-graders at H.H. Garnet Elementary School enjoy a new set of drums purchased with a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. From left are Jayden Wilmore, Noah Miller, Briana Gross, Sianah Harris, Tiara Frazier and Makaya Rush.
CHESTERTOWN — The beat is the building block of music and a new set of drums is helping students build their own musical foundations.
Thanks to a fine arts grant from the Maryland State Department of Education, Kent County Public Schools elementary music teacher Jodi Bortz received the new drums last month for students.
Bortz received a large 12-inch tubano drum, 12-inch and 8-inch djembe drums, a set of small hand drums and another full set of bass boomwhackers.
The drums will be shared by all three elementary schools. The school system's drum collection is large enough now for everyone in a class as a group.
"Learning to play a steady beat is a basic building block of music learning," Bortz said. "Combined with what we already had, we now have enough drums for everyone to play together."
Bortz has been quick to incorporate the new drums into her music lessons, and students love them.
As part of one recent lesson unit, students first learned the vocal parts to a song and then began to incorporate keeping a steady beat with their singing.
"Throughout the year, the drums are also used to improvise rhythms to other songs, play along with songs, to learn about world music and practice musical concepts," Bortz said. "The students think the new drums are great."