The Rocky Mountain Percussion Association is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit Colorado based youth organization, that was started in 1991 by a group of percussion instructors, judges and educators who were concerned about the level of percussion training and performance, primarily at the high school level. Steve Yates, Joe Bartko and Ralph Hardimon were the founders of the RMPA and along with Charles Craig formed what is now one of the nation’s premier percussion organizations of its kind. Our main focus is student motivation and educational training through the percussion activity.

The association is the governing body of the indoor percussion activity in the Rocky Mountain region and sponsors a series of indoor percussion events, educational clinics and competitions during the winter and spring months. Our educational clinics are in conjunction with the Percussive Arts Society.

These programs provide a motivational tool that can help turn non-percussionists and a typical drum section into a cohesive and entertaining percussion ensemble. The nation’s top percussion judges adjudicate all of our competitions.

Since the first event was held in 1993, the RMPA has provided competition and training for more than 7000 students, has become one of the premier percussion organizations of its kind in the country and serves as a national model by which other organizations are administered and managed.

download our By-Laws (Adobe PDF 77K) >>