All press inquiries please contact Kris Manning at kris@themusicbattery.com
North Charleston nonprofit The Music Battery offers homework help, music instruction to at-risk youth
By Gregory Yee gyee@postandcourier.com
Post and Courier. December 13, 2016.
DeAndre Lee cast a commanding presence inside North Charleston's Ferndale Community Center.
The burly 25-year-old's voice reverberated inside the gymnasium as he counted down from 10. A group of students fumbled with their gear — bass, tenor and snare drums — in a race against the clock. Lee took a moment after reaching "one," letting silence, save for the clatter of a marching harness hitting the floor, envelop the room.
"You should be at attention," he said. "I didn't call it because half of you aren't strapped up. That's two laps after practice."
Scenes like this play out every school night for the duration of the academic year. The students are members of The Music Battery, a North Charleston nonprofit that works with at-risk youth by providing homework help, meals and musical instruction in a drumline. Lee is their head instructor.
Kayla Dorsey, a seventh-grader at Morningside Middle School, has been a part of The Music Battery for the past six months. She plays the tenor drums and is a captain.
“Personally, (my) favorite part is being the captain. You just help everybody," Dorsey said. "If you have musical experience or just like music at all, come down and join.”
Ryan Lee, a seventh-grader at Morningside Middle School who plays the snare drum, said being a part of the group helps him set goals and is a fun way to spend time after school.
The fledgling organization has grown tremendously in the three years since it was founded, said Kris Manning, one of its co-founders. Now they're looking to take the next steps.
The mission, Manning says, is simple: Give at-risk kids a safe place to get their homework done, provide healthy meals and make sure they're occupied and off the streets during the hours when it's most dangerous, 4-7 p.m.
“We want to expose them to as many cool opportunities as possible,” she said. “When you see them play, you can see their pride.”
The Music Battery has played numerous gigs around the Charleston area — parades, Piccolo Spoleto, corporate events, a ceremony for former Mayor Joe Riley and Mayor John Tecklenburg’s inauguration.
Manning started The Music Battery with her business partner Braeden Kershner. The two own Black Tie Music Academy, a for-profit school, and were workshopping ideas for a nonprofit and hit on creating a program that would reach at-risk youth.
Expenses are minimal, Manning said. Lee is paid a salary for his work. The only other expenses are transportation, equipment and food for the students.
Each day, the students come to Ferndale Community Center and finish their homework before they go to the gymnasium to warm up. They practice drumming and marching routines and are provided one meal, courtesy of the Lowcountry Food Bank.
But in order to reach more students, funding needs to increase, she said.
Manning hopes businesses can provide corporate sponsorships that will allow her group to take in more students, get better equipment and hire more instructors.
The more kids they reach, the more positive effects will ripple out, Manning said. Participating in The Music Battery is free and no prior musical experience is required.
The 24 students currently enrolled in the program are mostly from Morningside Middle School, but word, it seems, is spreading.
"It's in North Charleston schools," Lee said. "It's in Dorchester County schools, Berkeley County schools. ... After school there (was) nothing to do but to get in trouble and now after school there’s nothing to do but to come here. It’s just wonderful. I’m just blessed to be here with them."
And Music Battery members are beginning to see rewards.
All 24 students are passing their classes and a dinner is in the works to recognize those who are getting As and Bs, Manning said.
For Lee, who grew up in the Ferndale community and who had Kershner as a drumline instructor while at Stall High School, giving back to children and providing a stable environment for them is a major motivator.
“The biggest thing was the education," he said. "Some of them weren’t disciplined enough to follow directions and now that they have someone that’s going to help them in a different way ... I’ve seen the character grow. I’ve seen the grades grow. I’ve seen them grow, and not just them. I’ve seen myself grow.”
Donald Taylor, a ninth-grader at Garrett Academy of Technology, has no doubt that The Music Battery has been a force for good.
“It has helped me learn more about drums and teamwork," Taylor said. "It made me be more energetic."
Taylor, who plays the bass drum, is one of the group's captains. He encourages any students who are interested in music, or who want a good after school program, to attend.
“It’s going to be hard but throughout the time that you’re here, you get the meet new people and you get some leadership status things too," he said. "It’s very hard at the beginning but if you come to me, I’ll help you.”
DeAndre Lee cast a commanding presence inside North Charleston's Ferndale Community Center.
The burly 25-year-old's voice reverberated inside the gymnasium as he counted down from 10. A group of students fumbled with their gear — bass, tenor and snare drums — in a race against the clock. Lee took a moment after reaching "one," letting silence, save for the clatter of a marching harness hitting the floor, envelop the room.
"You should be at attention," he said. "I didn't call it because half of you aren't strapped up. That's two laps after practice."
Scenes like this play out every school night for the duration of the academic year. The students are members of The Music Battery, a North Charleston nonprofit that works with at-risk youth by providing homework help, meals and musical instruction in a drumline. Lee is their head instructor.
Kayla Dorsey, a seventh-grader at Morningside Middle School, has been a part of The Music Battery for the past six months. She plays the tenor drums and is a captain.
“Personally, (my) favorite part is being the captain. You just help everybody," Dorsey said. "If you have musical experience or just like music at all, come down and join.”
Ryan Lee, a seventh-grader at Morningside Middle School who plays the snare drum, said being a part of the group helps him set goals and is a fun way to spend time after school.
The fledgling organization has grown tremendously in the three years since it was founded, said Kris Manning, one of its co-founders. Now they're looking to take the next steps.
The mission, Manning says, is simple: Give at-risk kids a safe place to get their homework done, provide healthy meals and make sure they're occupied and off the streets during the hours when it's most dangerous, 4-7 p.m.
“We want to expose them to as many cool opportunities as possible,” she said. “When you see them play, you can see their pride.”
The Music Battery has played numerous gigs around the Charleston area — parades, Piccolo Spoleto, corporate events, a ceremony for former Mayor Joe Riley and Mayor John Tecklenburg’s inauguration.
Manning started The Music Battery with her business partner Braeden Kershner. The two own Black Tie Music Academy, a for-profit school, and were workshopping ideas for a nonprofit and hit on creating a program that would reach at-risk youth.
Expenses are minimal, Manning said. Lee is paid a salary for his work. The only other expenses are transportation, equipment and food for the students.
Each day, the students come to Ferndale Community Center and finish their homework before they go to the gymnasium to warm up. They practice drumming and marching routines and are provided one meal, courtesy of the Lowcountry Food Bank.
But in order to reach more students, funding needs to increase, she said.
Manning hopes businesses can provide corporate sponsorships that will allow her group to take in more students, get better equipment and hire more instructors.
The more kids they reach, the more positive effects will ripple out, Manning said. Participating in The Music Battery is free and no prior musical experience is required.
The 24 students currently enrolled in the program are mostly from Morningside Middle School, but word, it seems, is spreading.
"It's in North Charleston schools," Lee said. "It's in Dorchester County schools, Berkeley County schools. ... After school there (was) nothing to do but to get in trouble and now after school there’s nothing to do but to come here. It’s just wonderful. I’m just blessed to be here with them."
And Music Battery members are beginning to see rewards.
All 24 students are passing their classes and a dinner is in the works to recognize those who are getting As and Bs, Manning said.
For Lee, who grew up in the Ferndale community and who had Kershner as a drumline instructor while at Stall High School, giving back to children and providing a stable environment for them is a major motivator.
“The biggest thing was the education," he said. "Some of them weren’t disciplined enough to follow directions and now that they have someone that’s going to help them in a different way ... I’ve seen the character grow. I’ve seen the grades grow. I’ve seen them grow, and not just them. I’ve seen myself grow.”
Donald Taylor, a ninth-grader at Garrett Academy of Technology, has no doubt that The Music Battery has been a force for good.
“It has helped me learn more about drums and teamwork," Taylor said. "It made me be more energetic."
Taylor, who plays the bass drum, is one of the group's captains. He encourages any students who are interested in music, or who want a good after school program, to attend.
“It’s going to be hard but throughout the time that you’re here, you get the meet new people and you get some leadership status things too," he said. "It’s very hard at the beginning but if you come to me, I’ll help you.”
Post and Courier, October 26, 2015. Joe Riley has spent 40 years supporting the city of Charleston, so it seemed only fitting that so many people turned out Sunday to support him.
“I’m just so proud,” he said at the free event, “Thanks Joe!” “It’s very heartwarming and this is certainly something I won’t forget.”
Organizers said thousands were at Brittlebank Park and later The Joe to celebrate the mayor’s historic tenure and partake in family festivities that included entertainment from the Blue Dogs and Friends, the Emanuel AME Church choir and Edwin McCain. Even Bill Murray showed up to support the longtime mayor.
Riley immediately appeared in his element, shaking hands and talking one-on-one to people as they walked up to say hello and thank him for his years of service. He was dressed down in a teal polo and khakis but was rarely seen without a smile.
He thanked the residents of Charleston, noting that he felt a personal connection to them all, and said they were what made his job the best in America.
“My heart is filled with memories,” Riley said, adding that leaving in January would be bittersweet.
Julianne Poulnot is a Charleston native and said Riley has been a great inspiration for the city. She waited in line Sunday to greet the mayor even though she’s known him her whole life and recently saw him at an event at a synagogue.
“He’s an amazing man,” she said. “And he’s still wearing many hats and probably will until his last day.”
Poulnot said Riley really came through for the city during the Emanuel AME massacre in June, when nine people were shot to death and three survived during a Bible study at the downtown church.
“He just stepped up,” she said, adding that he was “the core that was needed” to bring together all agencies involved.
Cathy Meyerson Kleiman is also a native and spoke of Riley’s reaction to the Emanuel tragedy, along with other events the city had to endure this year.
“It’s hard for me that he had to end with the floods, the shootings and what not, but it also just reaffirmed his leadership,” she said.
She said she was sad to see Riley go and would miss having a mayor who was a genuine Charlestonian and understood the city, where it started and where it’s headed.
“I love the mayor,” Meyerson Kleiman said. “I think he’s been a visionary and a hero and a star.”
Thanks Joe! event spokesman Daniel Brock said everything went very well and turnout was even better. The event was spearheaded by David Rawle, founder of the Rawle Murdy public relations firm, Rebecca Gosnell of Gosnell & Company and Charleston lawyer Capers Barr, who are longtime friends of Riley.
Brock said everyone just wanted to show their gratitude for Riley’s dedication to public service.
“He’s touched every part of this city and I think that’s reflected in the faces of the people here today,” he said.
Stewart Weinberg has lived in Charleston for four years, but said even he knows Riley’s shoes will be big ones to fill.
“He really personifies the characteristics of what a leader is,” he said. “He really cares and that’s so important.”
As for what’s next for Riley, he said he’ll be teaching at The Citadel and The College of Charleston, maybe doing some consulting and wants to write a memoir about his time spent as mayor.
“I know the title. I know how to start and how to end,” he said of the book. “But there’s a lot between here and there.”
He wouldn’t reveal the title though, saying folks would have to wait and see what’s to com
“I’m just so proud,” he said at the free event, “Thanks Joe!” “It’s very heartwarming and this is certainly something I won’t forget.”
Organizers said thousands were at Brittlebank Park and later The Joe to celebrate the mayor’s historic tenure and partake in family festivities that included entertainment from the Blue Dogs and Friends, the Emanuel AME Church choir and Edwin McCain. Even Bill Murray showed up to support the longtime mayor.
Riley immediately appeared in his element, shaking hands and talking one-on-one to people as they walked up to say hello and thank him for his years of service. He was dressed down in a teal polo and khakis but was rarely seen without a smile.
He thanked the residents of Charleston, noting that he felt a personal connection to them all, and said they were what made his job the best in America.
“My heart is filled with memories,” Riley said, adding that leaving in January would be bittersweet.
Julianne Poulnot is a Charleston native and said Riley has been a great inspiration for the city. She waited in line Sunday to greet the mayor even though she’s known him her whole life and recently saw him at an event at a synagogue.
“He’s an amazing man,” she said. “And he’s still wearing many hats and probably will until his last day.”
Poulnot said Riley really came through for the city during the Emanuel AME massacre in June, when nine people were shot to death and three survived during a Bible study at the downtown church.
“He just stepped up,” she said, adding that he was “the core that was needed” to bring together all agencies involved.
Cathy Meyerson Kleiman is also a native and spoke of Riley’s reaction to the Emanuel tragedy, along with other events the city had to endure this year.
“It’s hard for me that he had to end with the floods, the shootings and what not, but it also just reaffirmed his leadership,” she said.
She said she was sad to see Riley go and would miss having a mayor who was a genuine Charlestonian and understood the city, where it started and where it’s headed.
“I love the mayor,” Meyerson Kleiman said. “I think he’s been a visionary and a hero and a star.”
Thanks Joe! event spokesman Daniel Brock said everything went very well and turnout was even better. The event was spearheaded by David Rawle, founder of the Rawle Murdy public relations firm, Rebecca Gosnell of Gosnell & Company and Charleston lawyer Capers Barr, who are longtime friends of Riley.
Brock said everyone just wanted to show their gratitude for Riley’s dedication to public service.
“He’s touched every part of this city and I think that’s reflected in the faces of the people here today,” he said.
Stewart Weinberg has lived in Charleston for four years, but said even he knows Riley’s shoes will be big ones to fill.
“He really personifies the characteristics of what a leader is,” he said. “He really cares and that’s so important.”
As for what’s next for Riley, he said he’ll be teaching at The Citadel and The College of Charleston, maybe doing some consulting and wants to write a memoir about his time spent as mayor.
“I know the title. I know how to start and how to end,” he said of the book. “But there’s a lot between here and there.”
He wouldn’t reveal the title though, saying folks would have to wait and see what’s to com
The Music Battery performs at the July 4th Celebration on Daniel Island
Daniel Island, July 3, 2015.
The fun all started at 10 a.m. sharp at Etiwan Park (across from Bishop England High School on Seven Farms Drive) where the event was kicked off with a host of great performers that included the Music Battery. We joined the parade precession and made our way to the Children's Park and performaed a show on the stage to celebrate!
The Music Battery Raises the Curtain for Piccolo Spoleto 2015 in Charleston
Fri., May 22, 2015 at 8:00pm
Sunset Serenade
Join us at the US Custom House for Piccolo Spoleto’s annual curtain raiser. This free, outdoor concert presents the Charleston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of CSO Music Director Ken Lam. The US Custom House provides a brilliant backdrop for the CSO as an exuberant evening of music fills the streets and launches this year’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival with a flourish. Maestro Lam’s program for the evening includes works by Rossini, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, and Gershwin.
Arrive early and enjoy the festive atmosphere! A memorable prelude of precision and percussion by The Music Battery drumline will greet attendees on the East Bay side of the US Custom House at 6:00pm.
Venue US Custom House
Address Concord & East Bay Sts.
Admission Free
Sunset Serenade
Join us at the US Custom House for Piccolo Spoleto’s annual curtain raiser. This free, outdoor concert presents the Charleston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of CSO Music Director Ken Lam. The US Custom House provides a brilliant backdrop for the CSO as an exuberant evening of music fills the streets and launches this year’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival with a flourish. Maestro Lam’s program for the evening includes works by Rossini, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, and Gershwin.
Arrive early and enjoy the festive atmosphere! A memorable prelude of precision and percussion by The Music Battery drumline will greet attendees on the East Bay side of the US Custom House at 6:00pm.
Venue US Custom House
Address Concord & East Bay Sts.
Admission Free
Charleston Magazine is featuring our first concert on their events calendar page!
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The Music Battery Drum Line Concert Date & TimeFriday, November 14, 2014 - 6:30pm Event Details: The young participants in North Charleston after-school program The Music Battery have been working hard to create their own marching drum line, gospel choir, and dance unit. Now cheer them on as they perform their first community concert. The show is free, but donations are accepted for the nonprofit, which every weekday offers the kids homework help before their music and dance training begins. The Ferndale Community Center, 1925 Iron St., North Charleston. Friday, 6:30 p.m. Donations accepted. (860) 305-7975, themusicbattery.com |
September 10, 2014, The Charleston City Paper
Right now the Music Battery's students are learning cadence, a technique necessary to keep the beat while marching
The Music Battery teaches kids responsibility through drumming
They've Got the Beat
By Kirsten Schofield, Jonathan Boncek
Drums are, without a doubt, the coolest instrument you can play in a middle school band. At an age when kids want to make as much noise as possible and bang on whatever makes their mom craziest,drums fit the bill. Kris Manning and Braeden Kershner want to harness that urge and use it for good, not evil. A former marketer and Marine Corps drummer, respectively, the duo takes music's power to transform lives seriously, which is why they founded The Music Battery, a charity offering school tutoring and music programing for middle school students.
At 4 p.m. every day, Manning and Kershner go over to North Charleston's Morningside Middle School and march 40 students, ages eight to 14, to the Ferndale Community Center. Once they arrive, they get straight down to business for the next three hours. The goal is to keep the kids focused on self-improvement and out of trouble.
"We start with doing homework. We sit down with them and figure out what they need to do," Manning says. "Then we do calisthenics, get everyone jumping around. Only then do we start to play music. We want to educate their mind, body, and spirit."
Kershner agrees. "School comes first, no exceptions," he says. When we visited, the kids had just put away their textbooks and were doing wind sprints and pushups before getting into neat lines and starting to show off their musical know-how.
So far, the kids have just been tapping out beats on paint buckets, but The Music Battery is offering more than just percussion lessons. They're also getting instruction in singing and dancing, with end-of-day gospel sing-alongs and weekly dance classes by Peace, Love, and Hip-Hop. "Right now, they are learning about drum cadences," explains Manning. "A cadence or a street beat is played by the drumline to keep the beat while marching. Each drum part (cymbals, snares, bass drums and quad drums) will have a different part and they all fit together to create the beat. They're learning specific rudiments, different drumming techniques, to play their parts."
But Manning is quick to point out that group activities like this have another benefit: "Drumlines are unique in the way they teach kids to be disciplined and work as a team," she says.
The duo's efforts have already begun to take hold in the way the kids see themselves — they're confident in their abilities and responsible to one another. "I'm a musician now," says Deontre Steward, who is getting his first formal instruction in drumming through The Music Battery. "I can't wait to have my own drum and be a leader," he adds, before running off to practice fat crushes and dry crushes on his makeshift snare.
The road that led to The Music Battery was an unusual one. When Manning moved to Charleston three years ago from Connecticut, she started teaching classes at Kershner's Black Tie Music Academy on Daniel Island.
"We were hanging out one day, and we were talking about how we could help kids. We knew we wanted it to be musical," recalls Manning. "Braeden was the band director at Stall High School, and he had started a drumline there. This drumline turned out to be phenomenal and was featured on the Today show. It kept kids in an activity, out of trouble. We realized we can do this for kids as young as eight and up to college, so we got started from there."
Kershner's Today experience not only gave his students the spotlight, but showcased the teacher's dogged determination. When he was 18, Kershner learned every job in the orchestra and worked 11 jobs to raise enough money to bid on a chance to conduct the Boston Symphony. The Goose Creek native credits the effort to persistence, something he passes along to all his students.
Current Music Battery instructor DeAndre Lee is one of Kershner's early success stories; he was in the Stall High School drumline. Today, he works as both a security guard at the Francis Marion Hotel and as a head instructor with The Music Battery. "Since high school, the drumline changed my life mentally and physically by [making me] understand that when it's all said and done, no matter what, we need each other," he says.
A lot of the students from the original Stall drumline are involved in some form or fashion with the new program, and they hope that some of their current kids will want to emulate Lee and help out with newer students to teach them in the years to come.
These days, Kershner has earned a bit of a reputation as a miracle worker. "I heard that being in Mr. Kershner's drumline will help you be successful, and I want to be successful," says 11-year-old section leader Maliyeh-Day Sanders. She points to the emphasis on discipline and focus, but also musical skills like rhythm, timing, and movement she's picking up. "One day I want to be a professional dancer, so I'm learning a lot from him," she adds.
What Manning and Kershner are hoping to impart on their young corp is a sense of community, fun, discipline, and above all, a love of music. "These kids come in, and they have no expectations — they just want to do something fun," says Kershner. "I started drumming in seventh grade. They tried to hand me a flute, and I said, 'No. I want to play the drums.' From there, I joined any kind of music group I could. That's what I want to give to them."
The Music Battery will perform a free concert on Nov. 14 at the Ferndale Community Center (1925 Iron St., N. Charleston) at 6:30 p.m.
They've Got the Beat
By Kirsten Schofield, Jonathan Boncek
Drums are, without a doubt, the coolest instrument you can play in a middle school band. At an age when kids want to make as much noise as possible and bang on whatever makes their mom craziest,drums fit the bill. Kris Manning and Braeden Kershner want to harness that urge and use it for good, not evil. A former marketer and Marine Corps drummer, respectively, the duo takes music's power to transform lives seriously, which is why they founded The Music Battery, a charity offering school tutoring and music programing for middle school students.
At 4 p.m. every day, Manning and Kershner go over to North Charleston's Morningside Middle School and march 40 students, ages eight to 14, to the Ferndale Community Center. Once they arrive, they get straight down to business for the next three hours. The goal is to keep the kids focused on self-improvement and out of trouble.
"We start with doing homework. We sit down with them and figure out what they need to do," Manning says. "Then we do calisthenics, get everyone jumping around. Only then do we start to play music. We want to educate their mind, body, and spirit."
Kershner agrees. "School comes first, no exceptions," he says. When we visited, the kids had just put away their textbooks and were doing wind sprints and pushups before getting into neat lines and starting to show off their musical know-how.
So far, the kids have just been tapping out beats on paint buckets, but The Music Battery is offering more than just percussion lessons. They're also getting instruction in singing and dancing, with end-of-day gospel sing-alongs and weekly dance classes by Peace, Love, and Hip-Hop. "Right now, they are learning about drum cadences," explains Manning. "A cadence or a street beat is played by the drumline to keep the beat while marching. Each drum part (cymbals, snares, bass drums and quad drums) will have a different part and they all fit together to create the beat. They're learning specific rudiments, different drumming techniques, to play their parts."
But Manning is quick to point out that group activities like this have another benefit: "Drumlines are unique in the way they teach kids to be disciplined and work as a team," she says.
The duo's efforts have already begun to take hold in the way the kids see themselves — they're confident in their abilities and responsible to one another. "I'm a musician now," says Deontre Steward, who is getting his first formal instruction in drumming through The Music Battery. "I can't wait to have my own drum and be a leader," he adds, before running off to practice fat crushes and dry crushes on his makeshift snare.
The road that led to The Music Battery was an unusual one. When Manning moved to Charleston three years ago from Connecticut, she started teaching classes at Kershner's Black Tie Music Academy on Daniel Island.
"We were hanging out one day, and we were talking about how we could help kids. We knew we wanted it to be musical," recalls Manning. "Braeden was the band director at Stall High School, and he had started a drumline there. This drumline turned out to be phenomenal and was featured on the Today show. It kept kids in an activity, out of trouble. We realized we can do this for kids as young as eight and up to college, so we got started from there."
Kershner's Today experience not only gave his students the spotlight, but showcased the teacher's dogged determination. When he was 18, Kershner learned every job in the orchestra and worked 11 jobs to raise enough money to bid on a chance to conduct the Boston Symphony. The Goose Creek native credits the effort to persistence, something he passes along to all his students.
Current Music Battery instructor DeAndre Lee is one of Kershner's early success stories; he was in the Stall High School drumline. Today, he works as both a security guard at the Francis Marion Hotel and as a head instructor with The Music Battery. "Since high school, the drumline changed my life mentally and physically by [making me] understand that when it's all said and done, no matter what, we need each other," he says.
A lot of the students from the original Stall drumline are involved in some form or fashion with the new program, and they hope that some of their current kids will want to emulate Lee and help out with newer students to teach them in the years to come.
These days, Kershner has earned a bit of a reputation as a miracle worker. "I heard that being in Mr. Kershner's drumline will help you be successful, and I want to be successful," says 11-year-old section leader Maliyeh-Day Sanders. She points to the emphasis on discipline and focus, but also musical skills like rhythm, timing, and movement she's picking up. "One day I want to be a professional dancer, so I'm learning a lot from him," she adds.
What Manning and Kershner are hoping to impart on their young corp is a sense of community, fun, discipline, and above all, a love of music. "These kids come in, and they have no expectations — they just want to do something fun," says Kershner. "I started drumming in seventh grade. They tried to hand me a flute, and I said, 'No. I want to play the drums.' From there, I joined any kind of music group I could. That's what I want to give to them."
The Music Battery will perform a free concert on Nov. 14 at the Ferndale Community Center (1925 Iron St., N. Charleston) at 6:30 p.m.
August 21, 2014, ABC News Channel 4
After-school drum line takes kids off the street and into the beat
Posted: Aug 21, 2014 7:32 AM EDTUpdated: Aug 21, 2014 5:43 PM EDT
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Getting kids off the street and into the beat is the goal of a new after-school drum line program in North Charleston.
Founded by local musicians Kris Manning and Braeden Kershner, the program teaches kids the power of music and aims to set them on a path to a positive future.
"There was a need for programs for students after-school, especially middle school students, in the area so we thought this was a fantastic way to do it," said Manning. "We know drums, we know marching, we know what this kind of program can do as far as your self-esteem , discipline how great it is to work with other people and be something bigger than just yourself."
The Music Battery is a 501c nonprofit and is held at the Ferndale Community Center in North Charleston from 4-7 p.m. after school gets out. This is the first year of the program and resources are still limited.
"The goal for the first year is to find the funding to help us fund the staff right now. Braeden and I are working two jobs so we can fund the staff and have snacks for the kids."
Students finish their homework and all school work before playing. The after-school program is in its first year. There isn't enough money to buy instruments for all the kids yet, so the students are learning drum line techniques on paint buckets. The lack of instruments is not slowing the dream down.
"I am shocked an amazed at how fast kids can pick something up and they've grasped the concept and you can truly see some true leaders popping out of the group," Manning said.
"It is interesting how drumming exercises your soul it is joyful and joyful noise and you put it all together with a whole bunch of kids in a unit and I can't even describe the feeling that it gives you."
Instructor DeAndre Lee was once in the drum line at Fort Dorchester High School and now spends his time passing on the craft to the next generation.
"It's a privilege to learn the discipline of being in a drumline and being together on one accord and seeing where it takes us," Lee said."Now that we got their attention we are going to lead them in a positive direction."
To donate to The Music Battery and find out more click here.
Posted: Aug 21, 2014 7:32 AM EDTUpdated: Aug 21, 2014 5:43 PM EDT
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Getting kids off the street and into the beat is the goal of a new after-school drum line program in North Charleston.
Founded by local musicians Kris Manning and Braeden Kershner, the program teaches kids the power of music and aims to set them on a path to a positive future.
"There was a need for programs for students after-school, especially middle school students, in the area so we thought this was a fantastic way to do it," said Manning. "We know drums, we know marching, we know what this kind of program can do as far as your self-esteem , discipline how great it is to work with other people and be something bigger than just yourself."
The Music Battery is a 501c nonprofit and is held at the Ferndale Community Center in North Charleston from 4-7 p.m. after school gets out. This is the first year of the program and resources are still limited.
"The goal for the first year is to find the funding to help us fund the staff right now. Braeden and I are working two jobs so we can fund the staff and have snacks for the kids."
Students finish their homework and all school work before playing. The after-school program is in its first year. There isn't enough money to buy instruments for all the kids yet, so the students are learning drum line techniques on paint buckets. The lack of instruments is not slowing the dream down.
"I am shocked an amazed at how fast kids can pick something up and they've grasped the concept and you can truly see some true leaders popping out of the group," Manning said.
"It is interesting how drumming exercises your soul it is joyful and joyful noise and you put it all together with a whole bunch of kids in a unit and I can't even describe the feeling that it gives you."
Instructor DeAndre Lee was once in the drum line at Fort Dorchester High School and now spends his time passing on the craft to the next generation.
"It's a privilege to learn the discipline of being in a drumline and being together on one accord and seeing where it takes us," Lee said."Now that we got their attention we are going to lead them in a positive direction."
To donate to The Music Battery and find out more click here.
August 17, 2014: Charleston City Paper Article - The Music Battery hosts new after-school drum and tutoring program
Keeping kids in drum line
Posted by Michaela Michienzi on Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 3:54 PM
The pa-rum-pa-pum-pums of some little drummer boys and girls will soon echo through the halls of Ferndale Community Center. Starting August 18, the North Charleston-based center will be home to a new after-school program run by The Music Battery, which was recently founded by Daniel Island-based music educators Braeden Kerschner and Kris Manning. The non-profit corporation provides eight to 14-year-old children with free after school music and homework instruction, with a particular emphasis on drum line skills.
“Music matters,” says Kerschner, who also instructs at and owns Black Tie Music Academy. “Drumming, in particular, is unique in its ability to encourage discipline and self-confidence.” Through the program, students will learn marching, maneuvering, and how to play their drum, while also learning instrument care and teamwork.
Drumming won’t be the only focus though. Since Kerschner is the music director of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and the former director of the Citadel Gospel Choir, he decided to make sure there’s an appeal for kids who don’t play instruments by adding a gospel choir to the mix. “We want to offer something for every kid so they can be part of something bigger than themselves,” says Kerschner. He will direct the choir and play piano while Manning plays the drums. “The kids lit up when we sang ... Joyful noise and hearts filled the room!” Manning says of the response to the choir at tryouts.
The Music Battery isn’t just about music, though. “Music is where education meets entertainment,” according to Kerschner. So making sure school is the students’ priority will come first. The program will begin the afternoon with a tutoring session. Only upon completion of all schoolwork are students permitted to head to the practice rooms to play instruments. Although Kerschner and Manning will lead the tutoring themselves, retired and active teacher-volunteers will be on hand as well.
Auditions for the group ran from Aug. 11-15 and, according to Manning, had a great turn out. They’re just working to get more donations for school supplies, snacks, drums, and uniforms. “I’m going to say it. Money is the biggest need we have right now,” Manning admits. “Right now the kids are playing on paint buckets.”
“The Music Battery is a cultural draw for the general public to connect with, hear, and see their youth perform. We’re thrilled each and every day and can’t wait to see the program flourish,” says Manning. They already have a concert scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on November 14 at the Ferndale Community Center featuring the choir, drum line, and dance group. “This will be our big fundraising event to raise money to purchase drums,” according to Manning.
The Music Battery program begins Aug. 18 and run Monday through Friday, 4-7 p.m. You can donate to the program on its website here.
May 14. 2014: Daniel Island News Article - Non-profit hits the beats - and the books - with kids needing safe after-school outlet
Upcoming fundraisers will help bring The Music Battery to life
It’s not arbitrary, this linking of middle school kids to drums and homework. Just ask Braeden Kershner, owner of and instructor at Black Tie Music Academy on Daniel Island, and he’ll tell you with great gusto: “Drumming is unique in its ability to encourage discipline and self-confidence. A drum line creates a bond with other members of a drum unit through rhythm, movement, and teamwork. Music is where education meets entertainment!”
Kershner and fellow Black Tie Music teacher Kris Manning have started a new non-profit with this notion in mind. The Music Battery, a combination tutoring/drum line extra-curricular, will kick off at the start of the 2014-15 school year with approximately 75 middle school students in closest proximity to the Ferndale Community Center. Kershner and Manning intend to open registration to high school students beginning with the spring 2015 semester, and expect to serve hundreds of kids in the second year of the program. Students will be identified for the program through teacher referrals.
Kershner and Manning will serve as The Music Battery’s lead instructors, with additional staff support from Black Tie Music Academy. To cover the homework sessions, several local teachers have come forward to pledge their time as volunteers. The tutoring and drum line program will run Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm, and will follow the school system holiday schedule. They are in need of a bus to help transport kids, and would ideally love to have a vehicle donated.
During his public school educator days with Charleston County Schools, Kershner ran a successful after-school drum program at Stall High School from 2007-2010. For her part, Manning has aimed for some time to launch a program to support the talent, and promote the business skills, of musicians in the Charleston area. “Individually we had been noodling about how we could make an impact before we had even met,” Manning recalls. “The two of us were sharing dreams while painting a mural at Black Tie Music Academy and BOOM! We had one of those magical epiphany moments when you realize you've reached that place where you can really make an immediate difference in the community!”
Manning is certain not only that their symbiotic objective was a lucky match, but the harmony of their contributions was kismet, too. Braeden brings experience in music education and instruction, music performance, the military, and small business ownership. Manning’s background includes marketing and business, music education, performance and instruction, and visual art. “The two skill sets complement each other,” she attests, “and you'll be hard-pressed to find two people more passionate about kids and the positive effect music can have on their lives.”
The Music Battery will be relying on contributions from the community to get the program really rolling. “Donations small or large, 100% goes directly to funding the program to benefit the kids,” states Manning. The program also hopes to raise funds through two upcoming fundraiser events.
The first is a “Drumstick Dinner,” to be held on Friday, July 25 at the Felix C. Davis Community Center in North Charleston’s Park Circle. Amid a presentation from past drum line participants, a guest appearances from City of North Charleston officials and local celebrities, and a silent auction. Guests will be treated to a chicken dinner with all of the favorite fixins. Tables seating seven will be available for reservation for $1,000, and proceeds will go toward buying drums and gear for The Music Battery.
The second fundraiser will be an exclusive private house concert at a home in Daniel Island Park this fall (date TBD). Performing at the event will be local Charleston singer/songwriter Chris Boone, as well as Besides Daniel, an eclectic folk band from Atlanta that was recently featured on National Public Radio. 100 tickets will be available for purchase at $20 each, and admission includes light hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine, and a silent auction.
“An up-close-and-personal opportunity to hear and talk to musicians like this are very rare,” maintains Manning. “These guys are on the fast track to being the next big concerts at the FCC.” Proceeds from this event will provide The Music Battery with t-shirt uniforms, as well as snacks and water, for its young participants.
Kershner and Manning say that both North Charleston’s Mayor Keith Summey and Parks and Recreation Director Ed Barfield have thrown tremendous support behind the program, including the donation of space at the Ferndale Community Center. And in thanks for their backing, the first scheduled performance went to one of North Charleston’s biggest annual events. “We've promised Mayor Summey a marching battery for the December 6th Holiday Parade in Park Circle,” shares Manning. “We can't wait to deliver it and more!”
The Music Battery’s founders have also discussed adding a children's Gospel Choir on Friday afternoons, and will be adding additional performance opportunities for what will surely be some pretty pumped percussionists.
To learn more or donate to The Music Battery, visit www.themusicbattery.com. Ticket and sponsorship inquiries for either fundraiser event should be directed to Kris at kris@themusicbattery.com.
HOW WILL YOUR DONATION HELP THE MUSIC BATTERY?
$50 will buy school supplies
$100 will buy snacks and water
$200 will buy mallets for the bass drums and quad drums
$500 will buy t-shirts (uniforms) for the kids
$1000 will buy drum harnesses, slings, hardware, and drum heads
$20,000 will buy the drums: snare drums, bass drums, tenor drums, quad drums, and cymbals
And the donation of the bus will provide a cool ride!
Upcoming fundraisers will help bring The Music Battery to life
It’s not arbitrary, this linking of middle school kids to drums and homework. Just ask Braeden Kershner, owner of and instructor at Black Tie Music Academy on Daniel Island, and he’ll tell you with great gusto: “Drumming is unique in its ability to encourage discipline and self-confidence. A drum line creates a bond with other members of a drum unit through rhythm, movement, and teamwork. Music is where education meets entertainment!”
Kershner and fellow Black Tie Music teacher Kris Manning have started a new non-profit with this notion in mind. The Music Battery, a combination tutoring/drum line extra-curricular, will kick off at the start of the 2014-15 school year with approximately 75 middle school students in closest proximity to the Ferndale Community Center. Kershner and Manning intend to open registration to high school students beginning with the spring 2015 semester, and expect to serve hundreds of kids in the second year of the program. Students will be identified for the program through teacher referrals.
Kershner and Manning will serve as The Music Battery’s lead instructors, with additional staff support from Black Tie Music Academy. To cover the homework sessions, several local teachers have come forward to pledge their time as volunteers. The tutoring and drum line program will run Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm, and will follow the school system holiday schedule. They are in need of a bus to help transport kids, and would ideally love to have a vehicle donated.
During his public school educator days with Charleston County Schools, Kershner ran a successful after-school drum program at Stall High School from 2007-2010. For her part, Manning has aimed for some time to launch a program to support the talent, and promote the business skills, of musicians in the Charleston area. “Individually we had been noodling about how we could make an impact before we had even met,” Manning recalls. “The two of us were sharing dreams while painting a mural at Black Tie Music Academy and BOOM! We had one of those magical epiphany moments when you realize you've reached that place where you can really make an immediate difference in the community!”
Manning is certain not only that their symbiotic objective was a lucky match, but the harmony of their contributions was kismet, too. Braeden brings experience in music education and instruction, music performance, the military, and small business ownership. Manning’s background includes marketing and business, music education, performance and instruction, and visual art. “The two skill sets complement each other,” she attests, “and you'll be hard-pressed to find two people more passionate about kids and the positive effect music can have on their lives.”
The Music Battery will be relying on contributions from the community to get the program really rolling. “Donations small or large, 100% goes directly to funding the program to benefit the kids,” states Manning. The program also hopes to raise funds through two upcoming fundraiser events.
The first is a “Drumstick Dinner,” to be held on Friday, July 25 at the Felix C. Davis Community Center in North Charleston’s Park Circle. Amid a presentation from past drum line participants, a guest appearances from City of North Charleston officials and local celebrities, and a silent auction. Guests will be treated to a chicken dinner with all of the favorite fixins. Tables seating seven will be available for reservation for $1,000, and proceeds will go toward buying drums and gear for The Music Battery.
The second fundraiser will be an exclusive private house concert at a home in Daniel Island Park this fall (date TBD). Performing at the event will be local Charleston singer/songwriter Chris Boone, as well as Besides Daniel, an eclectic folk band from Atlanta that was recently featured on National Public Radio. 100 tickets will be available for purchase at $20 each, and admission includes light hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine, and a silent auction.
“An up-close-and-personal opportunity to hear and talk to musicians like this are very rare,” maintains Manning. “These guys are on the fast track to being the next big concerts at the FCC.” Proceeds from this event will provide The Music Battery with t-shirt uniforms, as well as snacks and water, for its young participants.
Kershner and Manning say that both North Charleston’s Mayor Keith Summey and Parks and Recreation Director Ed Barfield have thrown tremendous support behind the program, including the donation of space at the Ferndale Community Center. And in thanks for their backing, the first scheduled performance went to one of North Charleston’s biggest annual events. “We've promised Mayor Summey a marching battery for the December 6th Holiday Parade in Park Circle,” shares Manning. “We can't wait to deliver it and more!”
The Music Battery’s founders have also discussed adding a children's Gospel Choir on Friday afternoons, and will be adding additional performance opportunities for what will surely be some pretty pumped percussionists.
To learn more or donate to The Music Battery, visit www.themusicbattery.com. Ticket and sponsorship inquiries for either fundraiser event should be directed to Kris at kris@themusicbattery.com.
HOW WILL YOUR DONATION HELP THE MUSIC BATTERY?
$50 will buy school supplies
$100 will buy snacks and water
$200 will buy mallets for the bass drums and quad drums
$500 will buy t-shirts (uniforms) for the kids
$1000 will buy drum harnesses, slings, hardware, and drum heads
$20,000 will buy the drums: snare drums, bass drums, tenor drums, quad drums, and cymbals
And the donation of the bus will provide a cool ride!
