Concert pedagogy aims to enrich school music education through live musical experiences, complementing curricular content with direct and interactive encounters. In Hungary, classroom music education is often theory-oriented, with limited opportunities for children to engage with instruments or live performance. Rhythm, as one of the most immediate elements of music, provides a natural entry point for experiential learning, while the diversity of percussion instruments creates opportunities for intellectual, emotional, and physical engagement.The program presented here has a dual focus: to provide children with experiential encounters that enhance curricular music education, and to offer teacher education students practical opportunities to gain pedagogical experience in real classroom-like settings. The emphasis is on live performance, interactive participation, and the creation of shared musical experiences.Percussion-based concert pedagogy sessions were organized for primary school pupils. University students acted as performers, moderators, and facilitators. Sessions included collective rhythm games, simple instrument trials, and discussions to involve children actively. As a reflective element, pupils created drawings after the concerts to illustrate what impressed them most, integrating another art form into the learning process.The sessions proved to be memorable and engaging. Direct encounters with percussion instruments, shared rhythm experiences, and interactive elements encouraged children to become active participants rather than passive listeners. These encounters not only conveyed musical knowledge but also offered emotional and communal value, effectively complementing curricular instruction. The children’s drawings highlighted instrumental sounds, collective play, and the celebratory atmosphere of the concerts, showing how the experience resonated across artistic domains.The program demonstrates that live musical encounters can significantly enrich school music education, while simultaneously supporting the professional development of teacher education students. Concert pedagogy, with its emphasis on rhythm, interaction, and experiential learning, contributes both to children’s holistic musical growth and to the preparation of future teachers.