You Belong Here

Moments of rhythm, courage, and connection at Calabash Charter Academy

“Wow… I really AM perfect!”

The words landed like a drumbeat in the heart — clear, brave, and unforgettable. Jackson had just finished leading his affirmation rhythm, tapping out the phrase “I am perfect” on his drum with wide eyes and growing confidence. Moments earlier, he’d hesitated, unsure. But the circle held him. And when it was time to leave, he lingered.

“I don’t usually stay after school,” he said, “but I’m going to ask if I can stay on Mondays… so I can drum.”

The circle’s facilitator, Ani, paused to speak to her students — letting them know that sometimes saying what we love about ourselves out loud can feel deeply personal and vulnerable. But we all carry something beautiful. We all have something to be proud of.

This is what happens in the circle.

At Calabash Charter Academy — a small, diverse elementary school nestled in the San Fernando Valley — joy and transformation have been emerging through the drum circles since spring. With every beat, students have discovered something new about themselves and one another. Sometimes that something is as bold as leadership. Other times, it’s simply feeling what it’s like to be seen.

In one session, two new exchange students from Russia sat quietly, unsure of what to expect. They didn’t speak English, and no translator was available. But the language of the drum needed no translation.

Ani used nonverbal rhythms and invited them to lead a call and response. At first their faces were frozen with fear. But when the circle echoed their rhythms — beat for beat — their faces lit up with joy. 

What followed was a spontaneous conversation about empathy.

“Because if you see someone is hurting, you have the power to help them,” one student said. Another chimed in: “Empathy is important because we need to have each other’s back.”

These moments of transformation unfolded again and again, in rhythm and in conversation.

A jam session with 1st and 2nd graders surprised everyone with its precision. A boy named Weston was invited to drum his love for soccer and smiled as the rhythm left his hands. A trio of students stepped up as rhythm leaders and left feeling “proud, excited, and happy.” And in an all-boys circle, the empathy continued — as students cheered one another on and built one another up.

One student admitted, “I was scared to be in the middle because I didn’t want anyone to judge me.” By the end of the session, her posture had lifted — expressing comfort and self-belief.

When Ani invited conversation around teamwork and acceptance — using a missed soccer goal as a metaphor — one boy stated that he’d quit if he let his team down. Gently, Ani asked why. After some coaxing, the boy finally shared: “Because everyone on my team would be mad at me.”

The circle felt still. Then came the responses — soft, strong, steady.

“Everyone makes mistakes.”
“It’s just a game.”
“We can try again.”

It was a small moment. And yet, it meant everything.

DrumBus is about rhythm, yes. But even more so, it’s about what rhythm reveals. Leadership. Empathy. Expression. Courage. Belonging. It’s about what happens when students are given the space to be heard — even without words.

Ani put it best: “In every circle, there were so many moments when my heart soared — and my jaw was on the floor.”

And so we begin In the Circle.

This is the first of many stories from Calabash Charter Academy — and from schools and community centers across California and Utah — where the power of rhythm is changing lives, one beat at a time.