All-abilities drumline proves music is for everybody
A Farmingdale drumline is letting performers of all abilities share the stage and the spotlight.
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The rhythms are loud, but the message is simple: music is for everybody.
That's the idea behind the Calhoun Drum Academy, an all-abilities drumline in Farmingdale where performers with and without disabilities share the stage — and the spotlight.
The academy was founded by Brian Calhoun, a professional drummer and percussion educator with a professional certificate from Berklee College of Music. Calhoun has spent nearly 20 years developing what he calls an "adaptive curriculum" — taking everything he knows about drumming and adapting it to any student's learning style and ability. He started the academy in 2020, and the all-abilities drumline made its debut in December 2024 at St. Kilian School in Farmingdale, where the group still rehearses twice a month.
Since then, the group's performances have exploded online. Videos of the drumline's rehearsals and performances have racked up more than 200 million views across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, according to the academy's website, with more than 20 videos topping a million views each.
The group has been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, and last year performed alongside the 300-member Farmingdale High School marching band for "Marching For All," an inclusive event that is now the subject of an upcoming documentary film.
The Calhoun Drum Academy performs next as an exhibition group at the Pursuit of Pride marching band competition at Malverne High School on Saturday.
