Joshua Simonds has been named as the new executive director of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS). Simonds was a drum major in his high school marching band and is an alumnus of the Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Corps.
“My hobby is my career, and I’m very lucky to have that,” Simonds says. “I really want it to be known that PAS is very supportive of the marching arts, and I am personally. One thing I would like to do is be a resource to band directors that aren’t percussionists. There’s something for everyone here, and there’s a way that the marching community can benefit from PAS.”
Simonds also hopes to increase PAS outreach to percussionists in grades 6 to 12, expand the reach of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention with a focus on the still-living pioneers of the percussive arts, and welcome all types of percussionists to the organization.
Most recently, Simonds served as executive director of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. He earned his Master of Arts in Arts Management from American University in Washington, D.C., and Bachelor of Arts in Percussion from California State University, Long Beach.
