On April 3rd, 2026, the steady pulse of the drums, the crisp jingle of tambourines, and the soft rush of shakers echoed through the chapel of Rikers’ OBCC, one of its men’s facilities, washing away the usual weight of the facilities for a moment. Seated in a circle, the students experimented with various percussion instruments brought in for the drum workshop this afternoon. 

As part of Justice-in-Education’s Music Humanities course, this drum workshop was led by Amanda Morrill, a drummer and former course facilitator for the class. On the drive to Rikers, she spoke with excitement about returning. She recalled what it had been like to come in every week, learn the students’ names, watch them grow more comfortable, and build connections over time. Now, stepping back into Rikers with a new cohort, she was eager to see what kind of rhythm will emerge among these young men. 

When Amanda finished setting up, students filed in. As they found their seat around the circle, they commented on the instruments with curiosity, discussing the ones they had never seen before. After a brief introduction, Amanda invited them to choose an instrument that interested them and get acquainted. She encouraged students to tap or shake the instrument they chose, listening to the sound that it makes. Then, she opened with the iconic stomp-stomp-clap of Queen’s“We Will Rock You,” instructing the group to recreate the beat. At first, the room was hesitant. Some students held their instruments loosely, watching Amanda’s movements with an occasional tentative shake or tap. But the beat has a way of pulling people in. One by one, the rhythm spread across the circle.  

Midway through the workshop, I noticed a student who had been sitting to the side and more interested in watching his classmates play than joining in, became increasingly engaged and interested as Amanda guided the group through each exercise. A classmate sitting beside him shared my observation, handing him a shaker. He took it, gave it a shake, then another, immersing himself in music. This moment is a beautiful acknowledgement of the power of music that doesn’t just pull people in, it pulls them toward one another.

The workshop ended with Amanda answering questions from the students. One student wanted to know if she could play a song he loved on the drums, another asked about her experience playing for a band. This afternoon, which had begun with some hesitation, slowly opened into conversation made possible through music. By the end, it had become exactly what Amanda described on the drive to Rikers: a space shaped by trust and openness. For a brief afternoon, the tapping, shaking, and beating of percussion left everyone in the room feeling a little closer to each other and to music than when they first walked in.

Written by Norah Cen, student of Barnard College (’29), JIE Volunteer, and teaching assistant for JIE’s Music Humanities