Families Gather for Rhythm-Filled Learning at Akron Library Event

AKRON, Ohio — Families and children gathered Saturday, April 4, at the Akron-Summit County Public Library for a drum circle with Trust Drum Circles, an interactive program promoting creativity, cultural awareness, and community connection through hands-on drumming and movement....
This image illustrates the inclusive and community driven environments that drum circles invite.

Finding Voice Through Rhythm: Participants Reflect on the Power of Drum Circles

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to recognize the contributions, experiences, and voices of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Across the country, inclusive arts programs are increasingly recognized as powerful tools for fostering communication, confidence, and community participation for individuals of all abilities....

Healing the Winter Blues Through Rhythm and Movement

Percussion instruments echoed through Stewart’s Caring Place on Family Fun Night, February 17, as participants gathered in a circle, hands poised and ready. Led by Maseh of Trust Drum Circles, the session began in familiar fashion with steady rhythms and shared laughter. But this time, a new energy joined the...

Corporate Retreats that Provide Real Connection

Corporate retreats and functions are designed with the best of intentions: to strengthen employee relationships, improve communication, develop skills, and restore morale, yet many fall short with packed schedules and activities that leave little room for genuine human connection or rejuvenation. At a recent staff retreat for the Girl Scouts...

Community Events & Festivals:  Collective Rhythm, Shared Energy

At festivals and community events, the most memorable moments are often the ones that invite people out of the audience and into the experience. That’s where Trust Drum Circles comes in. Rather than presenting a traditional performance to watch from afar, Trust Drum Circles transforms open spaces into interactive gatherings...

From Apprenticeship to Applause: COMECH Students Take the Stage in Mombasa

A group of teens and young adults from the Child of Mercy Children’s Home (COMECH) took the stage for the first time on December 13 in Mombasa, Kenya, marking a key milestone for a vocational pilot launched earlier this year by Trust Drum Circles. The program introduced students to traditional...

Where Rhythm Meets Growth: Trust Drum Circles’ Work with Youth and Schools in 2025

In 2025, Trust Drum Circles expanded its youth programming across Northeast Ohio, partnering with schools and youth organizations to deliver hands-on, culturally rooted drumming workshops that reached hundreds of children. Supported by community partnerships and growing interest in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), TDC saw significant increases in both demand...

Rhythm Without Barriers: Trust Drum Circles’ Growing Impact Across Disability Communities

In 2025, grant funding allowed Trust Drum Circles (TDC) to increase their disability-service footprint, delivering adaptive, inclusive music programming to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)....

Healing at Hope United – Tyler’s Redemption Place

Tyler’s Redemption Place in Akron, Ohio pulsed with energy and rhythm on November 15, as participants came together for a drum circle workshop. The team (a collaboration between Trust Drum Circles founder Maseh Nchang, The Summit FM’s Music and Wellness Coordinator Sarah Swirsky, and renowned guitarist and recovery advocate Marc...

Glory Mafor

Board Member

Glory Mafor, Glory Mafor is a writer, editor, media, and communications professional with interests in literary arts, global communication, and how they intersect with culture and social development. She is the former chief editor of Self-ish, a literary publication that platforms over 25 young black writers across Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond.  Glory is also a spoken word poet, a worship leader, and a voiceover artist. Through her work and art, she is intentional about curating and amplifying stories that inspire individuals to own their story, be unique, and live authentically.