Museum and Library

The Percussive Arts Museum and Library collects and preserves instruments, artifacts, scores, recorded music and reference materials reflecting the cultural, historical and modern use of drums and percussion around the world.

Museum
The Percussive Arts Museum is fast becoming one of the most extensive and important collections of percussion instruments in the world today. The collection highlights the important role that drums and percussion have played from primitive to modern times – from communication and religious ceremonies to celebration and entertainment to practical uses. To learn more about the collection, take the Online Museum Tour.

The museum’s popular hands-on section offers fun for all ages. Here visitors can try dozens of percussion instruments and experiment with infinite musical sounds.

Library
The Percussive Arts Library is an important research facility for percussion scholars and educators. The library collection contains thousands of scores and manuscripts, recordings, books and videos, and a large collection of percussion periodicals. The facility includes reading, viewing and listening areas.

The library’s collection of literature composed for percussion continues to grow as contemporary and historical works are continually added. Items in the collection include solo and ensemble literature, as well as method books for all musical styles and percussion instruments.