Founder & President: Tom has enjoyed a professional career as a drummer with a wide variety of tour, recording and studio experience with the like of Evelyn "Champagne" King and Grammy recipient "Speech" of Arrested Development. He studied at Shepherd College, Berklee College of Music, NYC famed Drummer's Collective and with African drum Masters Moussa Traore, Sori Diabate from Mali along with Famadou Konate, Mamady Kieta and Wadaba from Guinea. Versed in all musical styles, Tom teaches and plays in the New England area. Before starting Rhythm Kids, Tom was the Director of Marketing & Sales for a publishing company and several start-ups in NYC. Building a business around his passion for music and drumming is a dream finally realized. Click here for Tom's bio.

Chris (aka: Super Cool) Belden grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and started his musical journey on the saxophone at nine years old. He studied at Berklee College of Music with renowned instrumentalists like Dino Govoni, Ricordo Monzon and David Fiucczyski. Chris plays saxophone, flute, and percussion for a wide variety of groups and organizations including; the Emerson College music theatre department, the Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Program for children with Down Syndrome and he performs locally with All of the Animals, the Gary Backstrom Band, the Grass Gypsys, and the Excited People.

Zach Nazar is a graduate of Berklee College of Music specializing in West African, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Middle-Eastern percussion instruments and rhythms. Zach is a key member of the eclectic acoustic ensemble All of the Animals. He is the lead drummer in the Boston based Brazilian percussion ensemble BLOCO/Afro-Brazil. Zach is on a faculty at Emerson College, Boston Conservatory and Boston Ballet as a dance class accompanist. He has recently accepted a personal endorsement from Vic Firth as well as an invitation to join their education team.

Dan Foote started playing drums at the age of four and has been rocking ever since! He toured throughout the US and abroad in a variety of genres and is one of the most sought after percussion instructors in the New England area as his students regularly make all-state, regional and district band. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts award and a three time Boston Music Awards winner. Dan is featured in our workshops and school programs and brings lots of energy to every show. As far as the nickname "Amaye," you'll have to see the show to find out what it means!

Guest Artist: Moussa Traore was born and raised in Mali, West Africa. He has been playing the djembe for the past thirty years, and in 1984, after completing a twelve-year apprenticeship, he was deemed a "master" by his teacher, Sega Cisse. Among musicians in Bamako, Moussa is considered to be one of the top djembe playes in the country. He has given drum workshops in cities throughout the U.S. Currently, he is teaching at schools, teaching weekly community classes, leading drum ensembles for West African dance classes and performing with his troupe Timinandi and other Malian artists. Moussa is a world-class player and everyone who hears him has to pick their jaw up off the floor--he is that good!