Testimonials

When Faraz, now 12 years old, first joined the Samba Kidz program in 2007, he was shy, awkward and unsure of himself. Recently immigrated from Pakistan with his family, his fear of rejection and failure manifested in withdrawal both socially and academically. At Samba Kidz, Faraz very quickly discovered a love for the surdo (the bass drum) and displayed great commitment to mastering its playing. Today, Faraz leads the surdo section of the band and has blossomed as an individual. His mother Fouzia explains: “Playing with the Samba Kidz makes Faraz feel like a star! He has gained enormous confidence, optimal development and positive self esteem towards himself. Through this incredible program, he has an opportunity to show his creativity by participating and engaging himself in healthy activities such as dancing, drumming and group events. It has helped him become more independent, with his own personality and interests.” This newfound confidence has paid off in other areas of his life as well: since joining Samba Kidz, Faraz’s school grades have improved and he has shown increased interest  in engaging in extracurricular activities such as the school band and rugby. In fact, in 2009 Faraz brought home a report card full of As when only 2 years ago he was earning very low grades.

Ayden is a passionate 11 year old with a keen mind. He is also prone to extreme frustration and long periods of disengaging from his surroundings. Diagnosed with dyslexia plus phonetic decoding and auditory processing deficits, it is extremely hard for Ayden to sit still, focus on activities or communicate with others, especially adults. Desperate to find some activity that would engage her son both mentally and physically, his mother Annie brought Ayden to Drum Artz in the summer of 2009. “I thought music would help him find a way to communicate other than reading and writing. But we couldn’t find a program we could afford until we found Samba Kidz.” Ayden joined the Samba Kidz summer program and transformed over the course of five weeks. For the first time – ever – he slept through the night without nightmares, he started focussing on activities longer and began to be a little more comfortable around adults. Annie gets tearful when she speaks of the gifts drumming has given her son: “he’s been given a tool he can use on this own, independent of me, and a way to express anger that’s socially acceptable. Plus he’s being exposed to ideas and cultures he’d never experience anywhere else.“ Ayden is excited about his future at Drum Artz. Inspired by the youth leaders who work with the younger kidz, he enthuses: “I can’t wait until I’m 14, because then I can be a leader”.