FREE Players Drum Corps

Want to see a group that is blasting away stereotypes? Check out the FREE Players Drum Corps!

FREE (Family Residences and Essential Enterprises) is an organization based in New York that serves 4,000 people with disabilities through various supports. They provide day programs, housing, behavioral health services, traumatic brain injury services, employment services and many other opportunities. You can check out their website here to learn more.

I first heard about this group when I saw a video of their drumline made up exclusively of adults with developmental disabilities. How in the world does that work? Well, watch this video to see how well each member of the team contributes his or her gift to the overall performance.

I am blown away to think about the hours of practice that it must have taken to bring this large group to work so well together. But, it happened! And now thousands of people around the world are seeing adults with disabilities creating great music and demonstrating the amazing depths of their talents. Isn’t it exciting?!

A crucial belief within ConnectAbility is that every life has value. In believing that statement, we commend FREE and the FREE Players Drum Corps for providing such a concrete example of the value of each life! Each individual in that percussion & performance group was specially selected to carry out each role. From the drum major to the man playing the yellow maraca – every person has a job fit to their gifts and they all work together to make a great show.

I look forward to the day that our communities in Northeast Georgia work together to include ALL people in their operations – people of all abilities working in roles that fit their gifts and talents. Only then will we truly realize the gifts that each person has to offer the world.