Creekside School’s steel drum band performs at Lilac Festival

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – If golf’s not your thing, the other big event happening is Rochester’s Lilac Festival. You can catch free entertainment every day from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 at night!

Tuesday some students from Creekside School took the stage. The school is a special education program of Monroe One BOCES, and they showcased their steel drum band.

“Music is like my therapy, I’ve always wanted to do music since I was little,” student Yamir Strong said.

The band itself was started about seven years ago by music therapist Sarah Wendl.

“I was meeting all these students who had so much musical ability, so I went to my principal and I said, ‘Hey I have an idea, lets do this,’ Wendl said.

Wendl has been teaching this group of students for two years.

“It’s amazing. The self-esteem that has come out of this band program has just been mind blowing. It’s awesome, the kids are so proud of themselves when they perform and I love it,” Wendl said.

“Music is everything to me now,” Strong said.

Wendl says the drums have had such an impact on some students, they want to continue playing even after graduation.

“This is like one of my biggest goals that I actually want to achieve, so it’s a motivation for me,” Strong said.