For 30 years, Ed “Nardie” White has dedicated his life to uplifting and empowering African-American youth through the River City Drum Corps, teaching kids about their African roots and culture through music. Filmmakers Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté spent years in Louisville, KY, filming the charismatic founder and the many children he inspired. As he prepares to pass the torch to his successor and former student Albert, Nardie also reflects on the triumphs and bittersweet losses of the past three decades. River City Drumbeat is an inspirational story of music, love, and legacy set in the American South.