The Drum Safari interactive program invites children of all ages to join a musical "safari" where they meet different animals from around the world, each set to rhythm. After meeting these rhythmic ambassadors, each child receives a percussion instrument, and the jungle jam begins—as the rhythms of the animals lock together, an exciting sense of community develops that reflects the greater music education community's spirit of innovation and collaboration.

The program's beginnings took root in 2005 at Vista Grande Community Center in Sandia Park, New Mexico, where the Drapers worked with East Mountain High School after school programs and first tested their vision of creating inclusive musical experiences that honor both cultural preservation and rhythmic innovation.

Their transformative approach earned them recognition as Kennedy Center Teaching Artists in 2014, validating their methodology and expanding their platform for impact. Today, while based in Kansas City, their summer tours for Library Summer Reading programs and festivals take them across New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, reaching approximately 42,000 children and families annually through roughly 175 performances per year.