June 20, 2025

Drumming Up Fun and Healing at Amanda the Panda

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA  --  How do you express your feelings when you can’t put them into words?  How do you vent negative feelings without being destructive?  As it turns out, all you need is a bucket and some tape.

More than a dozen youth learned lessons in coping with their feelings through the art of drumming at a recent Amanda the Panda day camp in West Des Moines.  The event, Groovin’ Through Grief, was led by nationally recognized youth teaching artist Josh Robinson from Philadelphia.  Robinson shared with the kids the power of drumming and walked them through a workshop to build their own drums.

“We first heard about Josh Robinson through his connection with the National Alliance for Children's Grief. He reached out to ATP to share more about his services, and the timing aligned perfectly,” says Rachel Dolan, ATP’s Program Manager, “Josh’s approach stood out as a meaningful way to support grieving youth in expressing themselves and connecting with others through rhythm and music.”

The day-long camp started with Robinson working with small groups to learn about the connections between musical rhythm and the rhythm in their lives and the grieving process.

“His use of rhythm to build community and create space for emotional expression—without needing words—was incredibly impactful,” says Dolan.  “He helped ease any hesitation and invited everyone to embrace rhythm as a tool for healing.”

In the afternoon, the real fun began.  Campers built drums of their own using everyday items purchased at a hardware store: a five-gallon bucket and a few hundred feet of packing tape and duct tape.  With the help of EveryStep volunteers, the kids stretched packing tape to create a taut playing surface and then re-enforced and designed them with multi-colored duct tape.

“My favorite part was seeing even the more reserved campers open up and participate fully,” Dolan says, “Josh has a unique way of building trust quickly and helping everyone feel comfortable.”  

Dolan says the response from the campers was overwhelmingly positive.  “Kids said it was one of their favorite parts of the day—they loved having the chance to make noise, move their bodies, and express themselves in a new way.”

When the drums were finished, it was time to take the ‘Drum Warrior Pledge.’

Drum Warriors, Josh explained to the group, have learned about the magical healing drums can provide.  “Get out some mad when they need to get out some mad, drum up some joy when they need to drum up some joy,” Robinson told them before the followed him in reciting the pledge:

“I am a drum warrior.  I promise to use my beats for good.  I will be productive, not destructive.  I will beat drums not people.  I am a drum warrior!”

“In both sessions, participants reflected on how the music helped them connect with memories of their person,” says Dolan, “Music often links us to significant moments in life, and it was deeply meaningful to see both kids and adults experience that connection.”

The camp was possible thanks to a generous donation made to the Amanda the Panda program in the spring.  ATP is hopeful to welcome Robinson back again in the future or discover new opportunities to teach kids about grieving and healing in new and fun ways.

“His sessions brought both depth and joy to the day, and we’d welcome the opportunity to work with him again in the future,” Dolan says, “It’s rare to find a program that’s equally therapeutic and fun—this was exactly that.”