This project was based on the book Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle. This story was inspired by the true story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s taboo against female drummers and went on to become a world renown musician, even playing for President Roosevelt in New York.

We drew our drum dream girls or boys with black crayon, painted with tempera, and added shading with chalk pastels. The final step was collage, which was my favorite step. Collage really makes kids think and gives them an opportunity to add their own personality and flair.

The final pieces feel very calm and peaceful. Each one shows the personality of its creator. These were done by students from preschool through 5th grade.