Everyone is invited to help us celebrate our Grand Opening on Saturday, November 21.  Read the press release below for details!

RHYTHM! DISCOVERY CENTER TO BRING A NEW BEAT TO INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis’ Newest Downtown Attraction Celebrates Community Grand Opening with Free Admission, Music Performances, Community Drum Circle, Drum Making Activities and Death Cab for Cutie Drummer Jason McGerr

Rhythm! Discovery Center, a creative vision of the Percussive Arts Society, invites the community to celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday, November 21. Free admission will be offered for all guests from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Door prizes, drum making activities, live music performances, a community drum circle and an appearance by Death Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr are included in this community celebration.

Located in the heart of downtown, Indianapolis’ newest attraction offers a creative and engaging experience to visitors by interpreting the role of rhythm and percussion in music and culture through dynamic educational experiences. Interactive exhibits, participatory opportunities, and a hands-on area illustrate rhythm, its role in society, and its connections to daily life. Free admission and tours will be offered to all guests.

Live music performances by local artists are scheduled throughout the day at Rhythm! Discovery Center and the Indianapolis Artsgarden. Performing ensembles include the interactive storytelling Griot Drum Ensemble and the Indiana School for the Deaf’s Vibrations Visual Performing Arts Troupe. A community drum circle will be facilitated by Bongo Boy Music School.

Death Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr is scheduled to appear to welcome visitors, sign autographs and will be teaching ten minute one-on-one drum set lessons that will be raffled off throughout the day. McGerr is heard drumming on Death Cab for Cutie’s “Meet Me on the Equinox”, the first released single on the new soundtrack for the popular movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” that will be released in the USA on November 20.

Rhythm! Discovery Center is a 15,000 square-foot facility that houses three feature galleries, a hands-on area that allows visitors to play a variety of drums and percussion instruments, and a retail store. Rhythm! explores the expansive history and cultural connections of rhythm and percussion, demonstrates how musical acoustics work through science, and showcases rare percussion instruments and artifacts from around the world. Grand opening gallery themes include Journey of a Rhythm, an exploration into the history and development of the clave rhythm; Percussion from Stage to Screen, and a retrospective look at the instruments and life of innovative percussionist Clair Omar Musser.

Rhythm! Discovery Center is an exciting new extension of the Percussive Arts Society that evolved from the Percussive Arts Museum that was previously located in Lawton, Oklahoma. Now with more exhibit space and convenient pedestrian access, Rhythm! Discovery Center will build on the many successes the museum experienced and will maintain the most extensive and unique display of rare percussion instruments and artifacts from around the world.

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About Rhythm! Discovery Center^SM

Rhythm! Discovery Center^SM, a creative vision of the Percussive Arts Society, interprets the role of rhythm and percussion in music and culture through dynamic and engaging educational experiences. Interactive exhibits and participatory opportunities illustrate rhythm, its role in society, and its connections to daily life. The 15,000 square-foot facility houses three galleries and a hands-on area that allows visitors to play a variety of drums and percussion instruments. Rhythm! opens in downtown Indianapolis, IN on November 21, 2009. Admission prices and hours are available online. For more information and construction updates, call 317.974.4488 or visit www.RhythmDiscoveryCenter.org.