About the film

Floyd Kennedy changed my life when I was eight years old, though we wouldn’t meet for years.

I started taking drum lessons from Stefon DuBose, one of Floyd’s former students featured in the film. Beyond improving my playing, those lessons taught me to listen, to learn, and to carry myself with discipline and intention.

Years later, I studied with Mr. Kennedy himself. Student after student told me of the same experience: Floyd changed the course of their lives through a fatherly love and a sense of belonging that helped them grow into leaders in their own communities. It was then that I began to reflect on my childhood drum lessons and the butterfly effect a compassionate adult mentor can have.

When I learned of the pressures surrounding his retirement, I realized how easily a legacy like his can disappear. As the son of two former California public school teachers and a drum teacher myself, I’ve seen the weight educators and advocates are asked to carry. Their legacy lives on through their students, but there’s rarely an opportunity for those outside their classroom to learn from their impact.

Rhythm is my way of making that work more visible and helping ensure Floyd’s story can benefit more people beyond his classroom.