About Us

Keep the Beat Incorporated is owned and operated by professional drum circle facilitators and music educators. Below are our bios:

Lisa Banos-Cruz, a Chicago native, is a Keep the Beat Incorporated drum circle facilitator. She teaches general music, chorus, and a first-place state-ranked choir at Central Junior High School in Evergreen Park. Lisa has a family filled with artists and musicians and is dedicated to the proliferations of the arts through education.

Lisa graduated from a St. Xavier University with honors and attended Lourdes High School in Chicago. She is board certified in music education, K–12. Lisa regularly uses drumming circles in her classroom, and is known in the area as a multi-cultural music expert, teaching her students about world music as a core fundamental in her curriculum.

Lisa has also served as Music Director for Maria High School and as music director and member of the board of directors for Flutes! Unlimited, a Chicago-based not-for-profit flute choir.

Rich Cruz is a drum circle facilitor with Keep the Beat Incorporated and is an independent marketing consultant.

During his career, he has worked across several different industries including: big box retail operations management, multi-national marketing for a major music education and church music publishing company, and serving on various non-profit boards and committees.

Rich received his MBA from Cappella University where he concentrated in marketing and management. He also received a BA in Visual Art and Design from The University of Chicago. Moreover, Rich is an alumnus of St. Rita High School in his home town of Chicago.

Rich performs as a semi-professional percussionist in the Chicago area. He also serves small Chicagoland businesses as a business consultant and business planner through his consulting firm, Connections Consulting Group. His hobbies are Tai Chi Chuan, keeping a tropical fish aquarium, and caring for the family dog, Kokopelli, and gecko, Yoda.

Lisa and Rich are married and they have 3 children.