This study explores how community drumming fosters resilience in adult participants through experiences of belonging and coping with stress. Framed by Ungar’s social-ecological model of resilience (Ungar, 2011), the project situates collective music-making as a pathway to accessing personal and relational resources that sustain well-being. Participants were 14 adults in two community drumming ensembles in Montreal (n = 8; n = 6). Each ensemble met weekly across an eight-week program. A mixed-methods design was employed to address two interrelated aims: (1) to examine the development of resilience through participants’ experiences of community and social support in relation to drumming, and (2) to investigate how they coped with stress and adversity, including the extent to which they attributed their coping strategies to drumming. Quantitative measures included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Adult Resilience Measure - Revised, administered at sessions 1, 4, and 8. In addition, semi-structured interviews (n = 8) and systematic researcher observations were conducted to capture lived experiences and group processes. Preliminary quantitative findings show relative stability in total resilience and stress scores, though consistent upward trends were observed in personal resilience (self-efficacy, persistence) at both sites, with one site approaching significance. Relational resilience scores (perceptions of social support and belonging) remained largely unchanged, though qualitative accounts highlighted the value of shared vulnerability, subtle acts of encouragement, and the reassurance of struggling together. Stress trajectories differed by site: one group showed a gradual decline in baseline stress, while the other displayed a slight increase. Qualitative interview and observational data provide further insight into these patterns. Participants described drumming as a safe environment to face manageable challenges, reframing discomfort as growth. Flow, joy, and improvisation were consistently experienced as forms of stress relief, while facilitators structured opportunities for connection through playful interaction, collective improvisation, and affirmation of musical identity. Differences in facilitation style influenced outcomes: spontaneous, improvisatory approaches encouraged social connection and belonging, while structured, technique-based approaches prompted persistence, pride, and affirmation of competence. Taken together, these findings indicate that community drumming can foster resilience through both personal and social pathways, while also revealing the limits of short-term interventions. By demonstrating how music-making can interact with participants’ coping and sense of belonging, this study contributes to broader discussions of how participatory arts support well-being and points to future research exploring long-term, culturally diverse models of music and resilience.