YPC is a YSU sponsored non-profit student organization whose mission is to advance the percussive arts through performance, composition, commissions, educational outreach, research, and fundraising. Membership is open to YSU students, alumni, and faculty.
Glenn Schaft serves as the YPC faculty advisor. YPC collaborates with the percussion faculty and select YSU alumni as an ensemble in-residence at YSU. YPC also offers a multi-cultural educational outreach program, World Percussion Program, for K-12 school assemblies and residencies.
Monthly meetings occur during the academic year. Active student dues are $5 per semester. Passive (alumni and faculty members) dues are $15 and are due by the third meeting each semester.
In 2005-06, YPC raised thousands of dollars through YSU student government, donations, advertisements, and sponsorships, in order to host the 2006 Percussive Arts Society Ohio Chapter Day of Percussion, which attracted hundreds of attendees. This event included a percussion retail expo, clinics, performances by university and high school percussion ensembles, and guest artists such as Michael Burritt, John Riley, Michael Rosen, Ruben Alvarez, Tom Freer, and Mike McIntosh.
In 2007 YPC commissioned a new work for five percussion and four saxophones by percussionist/composer John Hollenbeck, entitled Ziggurat(exterior). YPC performed the world premiere at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in October 2007, the Youngstown premiere at the DeYor Center for the Performing Arts in October 2007, and their recording of the work was released on the fall 2008 John Hollenbeck disc, Rainbow Jimmies.
YPC performed at the 2003 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky where they collaborated with Cleveland area percussionists and the Dance Theater Collective of Cleveland to present the percussion and dance music of Lou Harrison.