Music Is Multicultural

Receiving your donations will enable us to continue demonstrating the importance of equity in the arts by allowing us to operate our program at full capacity, as we continue with our mission of Multiculturalism, Mentoring and Mental Well-being:

Multiculturalism:

The St. Louis metro-area is one of the most racially divided regions in the midwest. The Dragons membership consists of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and we perform at family-friendly venues, in a variety of communities, that feature cultural events that celebrate diversity, friendship and family.

Mentoring (Performing Arts):

During the summer break, skilled students (ages 18+) have the opportunity to perform with music educators and several professional musicians that perform in the local area. Youth performers get the opportunity to play along with these “professional mentors.” During their 2021 season, within the ranks of the Dragons were over a dozen active and retired music educators (certified in Missouri and Illinois). Learn more about our professional mentors here: https://www.dragondrumcorps.com/professional-mentors

Mental Well-being:

The Dragons offer skilled brass and percussion musicians an outlet to "never stop playing...ever. "Performing music is therapeutic, reduces stress, and provides many fond memories for those who performed in bands and drum corps during their youth. Veteran musicians are invited to return to those glory-days by joining the Dragons, every summer...forever. Our shows are stationary (stand-still/encore style) except for the colorguard section, which performs dance choreography with flags.

Funding is requested in order for 70 multi-racial personnel to join our 2023 program, which provides 100% FREE music education & dance instruction, instruments & equipment, uniforms &costumes, refreshments and performance stipends for all members. We place an emphasis on discovering the artistic and cultural commonalities of races and ethnicities through the performing arts. By utilizing equity, diversity, and inclusion, our staff will lead a racially and ethnically diverse group in order to present many exciting performances. The Dragons have enriched lives by providing quality entertainment, which enabled the success of important public events for several local communities. As a nonprofit organization, we are in high demand for communities challenged with financial constraints (only voluntary donations are accepted). The Dragons have supported the families of first responders by performing at “Backstop-palooza” in Chesterfield, MO. We have supported the celebration of our Hispanic and Latino community by performing at the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival (2019 and 2021). We have performed at the Tower Grove Community Day Festival, the Ferguson’s Unity Weekend Festival, Independence Day Festival (and manning cheer stations at the Ferguson Twilight Run). We have performed at the Dellwood Community Day Festival, the Moline Acres Community Festival, the Bellefontaine Neighbors Family Festival, the Pagesdale Community Festival, the Spanish Lake Family Festival, and countless other events since our formation in 2016.

The success of the Dragons could not have been accomplished without continued funding from supporters such as the SAIGH Foundation, the St. Louis Community Foundation’s Black Communities Investment Initiative, and the St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission (c/o the St. Louis Mental Health Board), Blueprint4SummerSTL, and many others.