Last month, the Percussive Arts Society welcomed thousands to Indianapolis for a unique international music convention.  

Joshua Simonds is the PAS Executive Director. He says the event was open to the public, and everyone from musicians and students to hobbyists and enthusiasts was in attendance. The four-day event was the 49th annual convention, and more than 6,300 participants participated.  

Indianapolis has regularly hosted the Percussive Arts Society International Convention since 2016. Still, Simonds says a recent agreement with the city of Indianapolis has ensured Indy as the regular host of the event through 2028. “Who knows, maybe even longer.” 

PAS is the professional organization for drummers and percussionists worldwide, and the convention is their biggest event of the year. Simonds says some treat the convention as a music festival, while others attend to network with other musicians or find new equipment to use in the studio. He says the variety of musicians and instruments gives the event a real “community feeling.”

Simonds says music is a common language and brings people together from across the globe. With more than 35 countries represented at the recent convention, Simonds says, “That’s real community.”