Unlock Your Child's Musical Potential
The BKSteppers Saturday Drum Workshop is designed for students aged 6-18, providing an exciting introduction to HBCU-style marching percussion. Through weekly sessions, students will build essential drumming skills, all while developing self-confidence, discipline, and teamwork. Whether they’re beginners or experienced drummers, our program offers a space for growth, creativity, and fun – and the best part is, it’s offered free of charge!
About The BKSteppers
The BKSteppers have been enriching young lives through music for over 30 years. Based in Brooklyn, our mission is to inspire and empower students by teaching them the art of precision marching and percussion. With a focus on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band experience, we give students the opportunity to perform at community events and learn invaluable life skills such as discipline, teamwork, and leadership.
Why Join the Saturday Drum Workshop
Learn HBCU-style marching percussion from expert instructors.
Participate in exciting community events and performances twice a year.
Develop musical talent while building self-confidence and discipline.
Support your child’s academic growth through focus and commitment.
Create lifelong memories and friendships with fellow drummers.
Support The BKSteppers
While the program is free, we welcome and appreciate donations to support our organization and help us continue offering this valuable experience to students. If you’d like to contribute, you can make a gift here:
Schedule & Location
When:
October: 26
November: 2, 23
December 7, 14, 21
(10:30am - 11:45 am)
Where:
Public School 139
330 Rugby Road
Brooklyn, NY 11226
How to Register:
Ready to get started? Click below to register your child for the BKSteppers Saturday Drum Workshop! Limited spots are available, so sign up today.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (646) 480-1114
An advanced youth marching percussion ensemble in Westchester County.
The X-Factor Drumline is the BK Steppers advanced youth ensemble based in Mount Vernon. Committed young performers, real repertoire, real stages — the same 37-year cultural tradition that started in Brooklyn and now extends to Westchester County.
An advanced youth ensemble. Not a beginner class.
X-Factor Drumline is BK Steppers’ advanced youth marching percussion ensemble, based in Mount Vernon and serving young people across Westchester County. Students who join X-Factor commit to serious ensemble work — regular rehearsals, real repertoire, and public performance.
Where the BK Steppers Drumline Academy in Brooklyn is designed as an entry point for students of every level, X-Factor is designed for students who are ready to perform. The ensemble draws from the same HBCU show-style and drum corps traditions that BK Steppers has stewarded since 1989.
Students without prior experience aren’t excluded — but they should expect the ensemble to move at a performance pace.
Performance-caliber musicianship.
X-Factor rehearsals build the specific skills a performing ensemble needs — not just individual technique, but the ability to play as a unified drumline in front of audiences.
Rehearsals in Mount Vernon.
X-Factor rehearses weekly in Mount Vernon during the program season. Specific rehearsal days, times, and venue details are shared with registered families.
Westchester County. Accessible by Metro-North (Harlem Line to Mount Vernon East or Fleetwood) and Bee-Line bus service.
Enroll your child in X-Factor.
Registration is free and takes just a few minutes. Once you submit, we’ll follow up within two business days with next steps, including rehearsal schedule confirmation and any onboarding logistics.
Registering multiple children? Submit one form per child so we can match each with the right ensemble role.
Serious ensemble work with real outcomes.
X-Factor is more than a rehearsal program. Members perform publicly throughout the year at community events, civic celebrations, cultural showcases, and institutional galas across Westchester County and the surrounding region.
The ensemble’s presence at public events is the visible outcome — but the deeper outcomes happen inside the rehearsal room: young people building the discipline, technical fluency, and cultural fluency that comes from sustained ensemble work with high-caliber peers.
Students who commit to X-Factor become part of a documented pathway that BK Steppers has been building since 1989 — a pathway whose alumni include performers with STOMP, HBCU marching band leadership, and professional orchestral musicians.
Skills that last beyond the ensemble.
The measurable outcomes of X-Factor extend past marching percussion technique. Structured youth ensemble work develops habits and capabilities young people carry into every other domain of their lives.
Taught by working professionals.
X-Factor students learn from BK Steppers teaching artists whose credentials include national touring productions, HBCU marching band programs, and drum corps ensembles at the highest competitive level.
The X-Factor instructional team includes practitioners with active professional careers in marching percussion, drum corps, and HBCU show-style traditions. Percussion instruction is delivered by leadership with world-championship-level competitive drum corps credentials.
All BK Steppers teaching artists complete background checks and fingerprinting before working with students. BK Steppers maintains a Youth Protection Policy and Safe Space Policy governing conduct expectations across every program.
Institutional partnerships that make it possible.
X-Factor Drumline operates in partnership with a range of Westchester County institutional stakeholders and is supported by federal, state, and private funders who believe every young person deserves access to serious youth arts programming. Program design and outcomes reporting are structured to meet institutional partner standards.
Came through X-Factor? We want to hear from you.
X-Factor alumni are part of a growing Mount Vernon and Westchester County tradition. Whether you’re still performing or have moved on to other pursuits, reconnect with us — the network keeps building.
Reconnect as an X-Factor alum →Questions parents ask.
Yes. There is no tuition or program fee to enroll in X-Factor Drumline. The program is offered free of charge to make advanced youth ensemble work accessible to Westchester County families.
The program is supported by institutional funders and program partners — which is what allows it to remain free for families.
X-Factor primarily serves middle school and high school-age youth. The specific age range for the current season is confirmed at registration.
X-Factor is an advanced ensemble, so students should be at a developmental stage where they can commit to weekly rehearsals and perform publicly. Younger students in the BK Steppers pathway typically start with the Brooklyn-based Drumline Academy.
Prior experience is helpful but not strictly required. X-Factor is an advanced ensemble, so students without prior experience should expect to work hard to catch up to ensemble tempo.
If your child is a total beginner, we’ll help you assess whether X-Factor is the right fit or whether starting with foundational instruction first would set them up for more success.
No. Ensemble instruments and marching equipment are provided at rehearsals. Students may benefit from having a practice pad and sticks at home for individual practice — we can advise on affordable options.
Yes. Public performance is central to X-Factor. Members perform at community events, civic celebrations, cultural showcases, and institutional galas throughout the season. The performance schedule is shared with enrolled families.
The BK Steppers Drumline Academy in Brooklyn meets on Saturdays and serves as the entry point for students of every level, ages 6 through 24. Any student can walk in, regardless of experience.
X-Factor Drumline in Mount Vernon is different. It’s an advanced ensemble focused on public performance. Both are part of the same BK Steppers pathway, but they serve different stages of a student’s development.
Yes. All BK Steppers teaching artists complete background checks and fingerprinting per standard youth-serving organization requirements before working with students. BK Steppers maintains a Youth Protection Policy and Safe Space Policy governing conduct expectations across every program.
Yes. Public performance dates are shared through the BK Steppers social channels and communicated to families in the enrollment inquiry process. Reach out to [email protected] and we’ll let you know when X-Factor is performing publicly next.