Percussive Arts Society

Percussive Arts Society
Todd Fowler · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Percussive Arts Society
Abbreviation	PAS
Formation	1961
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Indianapolis, Indiana
Region served	International
Focus	Percussion, Drums, Mallet Instruments

Percussive Arts Society is an international nonprofit association dedicated to percussion performance, research, and education. Founded in 1961, the organization connects drummers, percussionists, educators, composers, instrument makers, and scholars with resources, publications, and events. It serves as a hub linking professional performers, academic institutions, conservatories, and manufacturers across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond.

History

The organization was founded in 1961 by a group of percussionists including key figures associated with Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University Bloomington, and practitioners from ensembles such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Early leaders drew inspiration from developments at institutions like Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, and Curtis Institute of Music, while collaborations involved educators from Eastman School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Through the 1970s and 1980s the society expanded in parallel with the growth of percussion programs at University of Miami School of Music, University of North Texas, and University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and engaged composers linked to New Music USA, Electronic Music Foundation, and festivals such as Tanglewood Music Center. The organization established archives influenced by collections at the Library of Congress and partnerships with museums including the Smithsonian Institution and regional conservatories in London, Paris Conservatoire, and Tokyo University of the Arts.

Mission and Activities

The society's mission focuses on advancing percussion performance, scholarship, and instrument design through initiatives that parallel work by entities such as the American Composers Forum, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Musical Instrument Museums Association. Activities encompass commissioning projects that have involved composers associated with Ives Prize, Pulitzer Prize for Music, and ensembles like Bang on a Can, while supporting research comparable to output from Music Teachers National Association and the International Society for Music Education. The organization fosters connections with instrument makers tied to companies such as Zildjian, Vic Firth, Yamaha Corporation, Pearl Corporation, and Meinl Percussion.

Membership and Organization

Membership includes professional performers from orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra; jazz artists linked to Blue Note Records, Verve Records, and ECM Records; and educators from universities including University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Yale School of Music, and Royal College of Music. Governance has included board members with affiliations to Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, and conservatory networks like the Conservatoire de Paris. Committees coordinate with international bodies such as World Percussion Society affiliates, regional chapters in California, Ontario, and London, and industry partners exemplified by Gibraltar Hardware and Remo, Inc..

Education and Publications

The society publishes a journal comparable in influence to publications from Oxford University Press and Routledge, while producing educational materials used in curricula at institutions like Eastman School of Music and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Content includes research articles, interviews with artists associated with Art Blakey, Max Roach, Tony Williams (drummer), and Joe Morello, and pedagogical pieces linked to methods by Seymour Duncan and Rudolf Fischer. The organization’s library and museum resources are curated alongside collections resembling those at Berklee College of Music and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it has collaborated on publications tied to programs at New England Conservatory and festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival.

Events and Conferences

The society hosts an annual international conference drawing participants from orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic, jazz artists with ties to Blue Note Records and Impulse! Records, and educators from Royal Northern College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The conference features masterclasses by soloists connected to London Symphony Orchestra, ensemble residencies, instrument manufacturer showcases like Sabian, Paiste, and clinics with artists represented by labels such as ECM Records. Regional symposiums and workshops align with programs at institutions including Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and collaborations with festivals like Spoleto Festival USA.

Awards and Recognition

The society administers awards that recognize performers, educators, and scholars, comparable in prestige to honors from the Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, and institutional prizes at Yale University and The Juilliard School. Recipients have included artists affiliated with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Buddy Rich, and contemporary figures linked to Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The organization’s lifetime achievement and service awards are announced at conferences and accompanied by citations from partners such as the National Association for Music Education and prominent conservatories including Mannes School of Music.

Category:Percussion