Illustration by Aron Rook
All drummers have a shorthand. Time signatures. Tempos. Attack. Groove. “On the one.”
Walk into a room filled with anyone who can carry a beat, and you’ll hear those words float through the air with ease. It’s a fraternity that substitutes the chaos of “Rush Week” with the prowess of a paradiddle.
That’s why, when losing one of its own, the drumming community is affected in ways that expand beyond a set of sticks.
Enter Ben Smith, a local drummer who suddenly passed away in March 2025 at the young age of 39. His passing sent shockwaves through the local drumming community—not only was he a revered drummer by his peers, but he was also an inspiring human being.
“After he passed away, we all got together and decided we wanted to do something for him,” his friend and fellow drummer, Steve Kurtz, said. “And we decided, ‘What better way to honor him than to encourage people to drum and share a love of music?’”
Almost instantly, the Downbeat Foundation was born. To honor Smith, Kurtz led the charge to create a nonprofit that provides drum lessons and instruments to children who couldn’t otherwise afford them throughout the Harrisburg area. Students in grades four through 12 are eligible for the program, and those interested can apply on the foundation’s website.
Partnering with Kurtz, who serves as the chair of the board of directors, and his crew is Dale’s Drum Shop, which provides the lessons for the children enrolled in the program. Downbeat funds drum lessons, drum kits for those who need one to practice at home, and transportation to and from the lessons, should transportation be needed.
“All we want to do is reduce the monetary burden on families for kids who want to play drums,” Kurtz noted. “If there’s a barrier for students, we want to take care of it. We feel we are in a ripe area for students who are underserved, but music can be such a great creative outlet. We’re glad to have a substantial impact on families in such a short amount of time.”
The goal for the first year of the foundation is to raise $100,000. So far, after only four months in existence, the nonprofit has raised about $50,000 for its cause. Five students are currently enrolled in the program, which speaks to the greatest unforeseen hurdle that Kurtz has encountered thus far: exposure.
“When we said, ‘OK, let’s do this,’ I thought one of the biggest issues would be raising funds,” Kurtz explained. “But the thing I underestimated the most is outreach. Spreading awareness has been more of a challenge than any of us thought it would be. I thought it’d be easy from a student standpoint and hard when it came to business infrastructure, but it’s been the opposite.”
Downbeat’s financial security can be thanked, in part, by its most famous fundraiser, May Jam. Set for May 16 at Royal Winery outside of Harrisburg, the music festival will be headlined by Emily’s Toybox and also will feature the Syn D’Cats, which includes Ben’s uncle, Matt, who is a former member of Poison, on guitar.
The festival dates back decades to when, in the early 2000s, Ben was part of a group that organized the original incarnation of the event. It only felt proper to bring it back in Ben’s name, Kurtz said, while also using it as a vehicle to spread the word about the foundation.
Still, even as the nonprofit continues to grow, its success has been somewhat bittersweet, considering how losing Ben was at the center of its formation. Even so, Kurtz was quick to point out that he can’t help but think of how thrilled Ben would be to know how the legacy of his life continues to help bring more music into people’s lives.
“Ben was one of the most humble people you can meet,” Kurtz reflected. “He’d give anybody the shirt off his back, and I think he’d just be overwhelmed at the fact that we’re even doing this. He was always incredibly happy, giving back to others.”
“I can see him smiling,” Kurtz added, without missing a beat. “Everything about this just screams, ‘Ben.’”
For more information on the Downbeat Foundation, visit www.thedownbeatfoundation.org.
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