Some people have to work for years in order to develop skills on musical instruments. For others, however, talent for music comes naturally and is something that they are born with.

As a music teacher at Wilmeth Elementary School in McKinney, Texas, Stacy Caldwell has seen all different levels of musical ability. Recently, she came upon a student that had so much natural talent that she knew she had to do whatever she could to help him shine.

It all started when Stacy introduced her students to “bucket drumming” as an introduction to playing the drums. As soon as she placed the drumsticks in a student named Alijah’s hands, she saw right away that he was able to complete complicated rhythms despite the fact that he had no training.

When Stacy asked him how he learned to do that, Alijah told her that though he had never had a drum lesson, he had spent years playing on a drum kit at home. Sadly, this drum kit was destroyed a few years ago in a house fire, and his family did not have enough money to replace it.

Saddened by Alijah’s story, Stacy shared a video of him playing bucket drums on Facebook.

“We started bucket drumming today & after reviewing simple, four beat rhythm patterns this new friend to Wilmeth asked if he could play something,” she wrote alongside the video. “Says he’s never had drum lessons & lost his drum set in a house fire two years ago. I’m on a mission to find this boy a drum set! Please let me know if you have one you want to get rid of! Looks like I need to raise my game! #raiseourgame #wilmeth #mymisd.”

The post immediately went viral, with members of the community volunteering to donate their drum sets to Alijah. Less than a week later, Stacy had Alijah stay after school so that she could give him a special surprise.

“Last week in music class we played bucket drums, and I asked you to play something, and you really surprised me, and I realized that you have a great talent,” Stacy told Alijah. “One thing I’ve noticed about you, not just that you’re very talented, but also, you’re very kind. Every time I see you in the hall you’ve got a smile on your face. You’re very humble, and I was very impressed by that, as much as your talent.”

Alijah’s face lit up as he heard her encouraging words, and he hadn’t even seen the surprise yet!

Stacy then pulled away the tarp to reveal Alijah’s new drum kit. He could not believe his eyes when he saw it! On top of that, she told him that he will be getting an electronic drum set, music books, and other drum-related items donated by his community.

“We all believe in you and want you to have the tools you need to be successful,” Stacy said.

We applaud Stacy for going above and beyond to nurture this young student’s talent. Watch Alijah’s reaction to the surprise in the video below!