Percussive Arts Society names 2026 Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund recipients

A free drumline class for kids as young as 4, a weekly drum circle for older adults, and a family session built around tuned flower pots and mallets are exactly the kind of access plays the Percussive Arts Society wanted when it named its 2026 Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund recipients. The grants are aimed at community percussion projects in places that often go without instruments, instruction, or ensemble time, and PAS says the funded work will be offered free of charge in schools, community centers, parks, senior living facilities and libraries.

Among the strongest examples is Rhythm & Divine Community Youth Drumline in Jackson, Mississippi, which will provide structured percussion and drumline instruction for youth ages 4 to 17, with an emphasis on underserved and neurodiverse students. In Chicago, the Senior Rhythm Event will run weekly accessible drum circle sessions for older adults, using drumming, movement and guided reflection to support wellness, reduce isolation and build community. In Cottonwood, Arizona, Community Music will bring families into music-making with tuned flower pots and mallets, a low-barrier setup that still teaches rhythm, listening and ensemble skills.

The recipient list also reaches beyond those marquee projects. PAS named Chelsea Young, Eric Swanson, Maria Flurry, Jean Raabe, Andrew Gibson and Jen Martinez-Bre among the 2026 recipients, alongside programs in Michigan and Missouri that involve mini-steelpans, senior steelpan classes and emerging percussionists. Another initiative in Kendall, Florida will deliver a free percussion concert for adults with developmental disabilities. The breadth matters here, because it shows percussion outreach working across age, ability and setting instead of staying locked in the usual school-band lane.

PAS said the 2026 application window opened February 2 and closed March 2, and only current PAS members could apply. Awards were based on artistic and educational quality, the content of the presentation and the presenter’s ability to carry out the proposal as submitted. Multiple proposals were selected, with grants ranging from $250 to $500.

The fund itself has deeper roots. The Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund was established in 2001, originally supporting percussion-based presentations for underserved youth from pre-school through high school with awards from $500 to $3,000. PAS relaunched it in March 2024 with a broader push toward community-based percussion programs in underrepresented neighborhoods, and the organization says the 2027 application timeline will be posted in early 2027.

That is what makes this more than a routine grant announcement. For working drummers and educators, it is a map of where percussion is reaching people who might never get a cymbal, a drumstick or a seat in an ensemble unless someone funds the doorway.