The Beat Goes On: A Vermont Drummer Is Donating Refurbished Drum Sets to Schools One Kit at a Time

Walter Hausermann is a 72-year-old drummer from Richmond, Vermont, who spends his days rescuing beat-up drum sets and giving them a second life in local schools. Along with his wife, Natalie Miller, Walter runs a project called The Beat Goes On, a charity group inspired by his belief that “music is king.”

Walter scours the Internet for affordable or neglected drum kits, brings them into his garage, and refurbishes them until they sound like they just came off the showroom floor.

For Walter, this mission is about more than just a hobby — it’s actually a vital part of his health. Dealing with kidney failure and regular dialysis, he found that the physical motion of drumming was the perfect therapy to keep his body moving.

And instead of keeping that joy to himself, he and Natalie have donated 22 full drum sets to area churches and schools with tight music budgets — and they’re already working on number-23.

For Walter, who’s been playing the drums since the 1960s, repairing the drums is an extension of who he is. He says, “It’s awesome, it’s a beautiful sight in my mind.”