«DrumPower» – Annual Report 2025
As in previous years, various projects were carried out in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2025. Furthermore, based on an international supplementary qualification, new DrumPower projects with diverse target groups were offered in Sweden, Great Britain, and Ukraine. In addition, a supplementary qualification program was initiated in Japan, which will conclude in 2026 with various practical projects.
Applications
During the 2024/25 school year, DrumPower Munich was able to implement many different projects at primary, special needs, and secondary schools. There continues to be a significant need for psychosocial support in many classes. Teachers at the schools are very aware of this. In total, DrumPower Munich conducted two project weeks, eight half-year projects, and eleven shorter projects. Students in grades 1 through 6 participated in the DrumPower projects.
During the 2024/25 school year, DrumPower Munich was able to carry out a wide variety of projects at primary, special needs, and secondary schools.
Student feedback:
- I learned that something I'm not very good at and that doesn't usually interest me can actually be fun.
- I dared to try a lot of things because there was no way to go wrong.
- I always felt full of energy after the sessions.
- I've become braver.
- I learned a lot about community.
- I wanted to say thank you because before, we always argued with A., and now we're all on good terms with him. Thank you!
- I learned that saying "stop" is very important in life.
- I learned how to apologize properly.
- That I have new talents without even knowing it.
- I'm going to buy a drum now.
Teacher feedback:
- The children have become calmer. They are better at listening and concentrating for longer periods.
- The project has promoted cooperation and cohesion within the class.
- I observed a joy of learning and a sense of accomplishment.
- I noticed less physical violence during the project.
- I can observe greater mindfulness.
- Students' strengths were recognized.
- The project fostered a sense of community: paying attention to and listening to others, and viewing performance as a shared success.
Further DrumPower projects were conducted by various trainers with the support of the Barbara Weidinger Music Foundation, for example, at the Aitrachtal Middle School and the Grafinger Straße Elementary School in Munich.
In the Erlangen-Nuremberg area, as in previous years, various DrumPower projects took place in 2025 at the Emmy Noether Gymnasium in Erlangen and at the Middle School in Zirndorf. In Zirndorf, students in grades 5 and 6 performed at the school's music evening, while at the Emmy Noether Gymnasium, two classes gave an impressive final performance as part of the large summer festival.
The DrumPower projects within the framework of the broader artistic and creative school development concept at the Dr. Albert Liebemann School continued in 2025. According to feedback from school principal Katrin Schöffel, the overall project is developing very well.
International
In May 2025, Luisa Röbbelen conducted a training of trainers in Amman, Jordan, and Beirut, Lebanon. She is also preparing to resume and continue activities in the region from Germany.
In Sweden, DrumPower projects were carried out in Stockholm and Gothenburg in 2025. The pilot project with four classes of fourth and fifth graders at a school on the outskirts of Gothenburg was successfully completed. The feedback was very positive: The vast majority of the children stated that they enjoyed the projects and gained valuable experiences. The teachers also reported positive experiences and found the project enriching and, at times, inspiring for both children and staff. Many of the promised benefits of the model were perceived by the teachers as effective and valuable. Following the pilot project, further DrumPower projects were implemented at the same school. Two fourth-grade classes worked with the model for twelve weeks, until February 2026. Two classes that had already participated in the pilot project are looking forward to working with the DrumPower model again in 2026 as fifth graders. Further projects are planned for the coming school year. The pilot projects in Stockholm were also successfully completed, although one project with a smaller group of troubled and unmotivated students proved to be a significant challenge. The other projects with the entire classes were successfully implemented. The entire initiative is financially supported by Musikbojen, a foundation for promoting music therapy with children and young people in Sweden.
In Ukraine, modified DrumPower projects continued in 2025, working with children, veterans, and war-disabled individuals, as well as in the continuing education of psychologists, educators, and art therapists. As reported last year, the war has limited project implementation, necessitating modifications to project content and formats. Nonverbal music therapy is particularly important for strengthening personal and collective resilience, coping with trauma, and managing aggression. The response to working with elements of the DrumPower method has been very positive. In the summer of 2025, the DrumPower method was first taught at a summer academy.
In Japan, the DrumPower method was first taught to a group of Japanese music therapists in 2025. The basic seminar held on the outskirts of Tokyo revealed that many of the project method's fundamental assumptions are heavily influenced by the European context and must be understood, reviewed, and modified for application in Japan. Japanese mentor and interpreter Nami Kamata explains that in Japanese practice, particular importance is placed on the quality of interpersonal relationships within group processes, with boundary awareness, the establishment of a safe environment, and the sharing of inner experiences being considered central components. Against the backdrop of a cultural orientation towards harmony, learning to say "stop" or "no" is understood as a significant experience that strengthens the ability to set boundaries while simultaneously maintaining relationships. Specific projects include initiatives for children transitioning to school to promote emotional awareness and conflict resolution skills; school-based and extracurricular group work to strengthen trust, cooperation, and group cohesion through drum improvisation and role-playing; conceptual approaches to support children who have experienced violence and neglect; and programs for professionals in helping professions to promote self-awareness, emotional regulation, and professional boundary setting. These developments illustrate the potential of DrumPower in Japan to sustainably strengthen participants' relationship skills, social competence, and self-understanding.
Annual Meeting 2025
At the DrumPower annual meeting on October 12, 2025, there was great interest in exchanging information about the projects. Another focus was the discussion with Markus Sommerer from the Musikstiftung Barbara Weidinger regarding the implementation of DrumPower projects with the foundation's support. He emphasized that promoting DrumPower projects and making the application and funding process as simple and straightforward as possible is a central concern of the foundation.
Network Music Therapy in Prevention and Health Promotion
The network's main activities in 2025 included the preparation and execution of the conference at the Freies Musikzentrum München in March 2025 and the pre-conference "Music Therapy and Prevention" as part of the EMCT Congress in Hamburg in July 2025.
Advanced Education
In 2025, a German-language and an international advanced training program were successfully completed simultaneously at the Freies Musikzentrum. The participants conducted DrumPower projects at various schools and psychosocial institutions as part of the continuing education program.
Academic Discourse
At the music therapy conference of the Institute for Music Therapy at the Freies Musikzentrum Munich in 2025, themed "Music, Culture, and Health – Music Therapy Competencies for Society," music therapy approaches in the field of "Arts and Health" were presented, and the DrumPower project method was referenced in various lectures and discussions.
At the pre-conference "Music Therapy and Prevention" during the European EMTC Congress in Hamburg in July 2025, Andreas Wölfl also used the DrumPower project method as an example in a keynote address to discuss the potential of project work in prevention. In a workshop, Ingrid Geresch and Andrey Jesus Colmenarez Perniaz presented their work with the DrumPower method in schools in Vienna. Under the title "Pupils with a migration background and poor local language skills," they focused particularly on ways to reach students who speak little or no German and to open up new avenues for group integration. The pre-conference provided an excellent framework for nuanced discussions and methodological discourse.
Furthermore, Andreas Wölfl presented the project methodology in a lively and dynamic workshop during the EMTC conference.
Professional Support and Supervision
All DrumPower projects take place under professional support and supervision.
Funding
DrumPower projects with children, teenagers, and young adults can generally only be realized thanks to special support and funding. For this, we extend our sincere thanks in 2025 to the Munich Department of Cultural Affairs, the Musikstiftung Barbara Weidinger, and all other sponsors and supporters.