The Master’s Touch Drumline ‘Empowering the Next Generation Through the Gift of Percussion’

“The Master’s Touch” is felt all over Jackson through the drumbeat of Calvin Berry III’s drumline. 

Calvin Berry III is a former Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South’s percussion instructor. He is the founder and director of The Master’s Touch Drumline, and affectionately known as “The Drum Dr.” by all having been trained by him. A product of Destrehan High School in Louisiana, he became Percussion Captain while arranging, scoring, and teaching cadences to his classmates. 

Mr. Berry’s passion for percussion has taken him across the globe as a clinician in Japan, Italy, Nicaragua, and throughout the United States. He is often invited to judge competitions and lends his expertise to programs nationwide. Berry is known for his extraordinary ability to rehabilitate drumlines and individuals.

More than an instructor, Mr. Berry is a mentor, role model, and father figure, empowering countless students to achieve scholarships, degrees, and life-changing opportunities through the gift of percussion.

Berry makes drumming a lifestyle that embraces the mind, body, and soul of his drumline students which not only prepares them as performers but empowers them well into their adult life. Additionally, drumming has a divine component that ministers to students in all aspects of their lives.

The Master’s Touch Drumline began in 2003, working with elementary-age students in an after-school setting, but quickly expanded. In 2005, the All-Star Drumline was launched for ages 12 to high school advanced drummers, creating opportunities for public and private performances. Then, the Mini-Me Drumline began with 4-year-old students who quickly learned and excelled. Finally, the TMT Music Academy was launched offering private lessons in percussion, piano, and guitar. 

The TMT Music Academy grew into an elite, high-energy professional percussion organization with multiple locations and performances. Opportunities for performances included the New Orleans Pelicans Drumline and Mini-Me Drumline. In 2023, the TMT Music Academy sector expanded into Jackson, Mississippi, and surrounding areas that birthed the Legendary Drumline for ages 18 and up. Then, the TMT Northshore Sector launched in 2004 in Covington, Louisiana, serving students as an extension of the New Orleans and Jackson sectors. Additionally, the TMT Academy also offers in-person and Hybrid Virtual Programs to ensure accessibility to students nationwide.

To learn more about “The Master’s Touch” Academy of Music, visit www.themasterstouchdrumline.com and call 504-296-4630.