How to Use percussionist in a Sentence

percussionist

noun
  • Kraft was the right percussionist at the right time in the right place.
    — Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2022
  • So when someone writes a strong new piece, percussionists are liable to talk.
    — Bill Meyer, Chicago Reader, 23 May 2018
  • The 13-year-old percussionist grabbed a big drum and got ready to throw it at the shooter.
    — Nouran Salahieh, Michelle Krupa and Nicole Chavez, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024
  • Flanking him, a cornet player and a percussionist bounced to the rhythm.
    — Ben Miller Laetitia Vançon, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • Among his colleagues in the band was percussionist James Mtume.
    — Jon Caramanica, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2018
  • Artists quickly took to social media to share tributes and mourn the loss of the beloved percussionist.
    — Katrina Nattress, SPIN, 26 Mar. 2022
  • The percussionist At 2 years old, Jones could hold a rhythm with just a coat hanger and a spoon.
    — Matti Gellman, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The dancers are backed by a group of first-class DJs, percussionists and musicians.
    — Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 8 May 2024
  • Taylor gave Burns the guitar slot, and Larkins joined as a percussionist.
    — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 25 Apr. 2018
  • But the percussionist and singer, who is considered one of the best female drummers alive, has nothing to wear.
    — Michelle Washington, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2019
  • The first half of the performance featured three guitarists, horns and up to four percussionists playing at once.
    — Jeremy Hallock, Dallas News, 1 Mar. 2020
  • His dad was a percussionist for salsa bands on the island, and his mom came from a family of musicians.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2022
  • At that time, he was preceded onstage by a group of Hawaiian dancers and percussionists.
    — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024
  • His father was a percussionist.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Mickey Hart, the band’s percussionist, had taken a break amid a struggle with heroin.
    — Erin Osmon, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
  • He was accompanied by his cousin and best friend, Paul Biel, a percussionist.
    — Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2020
  • Ayers is a waiter at a local pizza restaurant and the lead singer and percussionist for the Turnipseeds, a rock band.
    — Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 23 Apr. 2018
  • Akins heard about the open space from Jeff Woods, his percussionist bandmate in Beastie Goys.
    — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 23 July 2023
  • Blackwell, a master percussionist who performed with Prince for 15 years, was known for his unique style of drumming.
    — Staff and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 4 July 2017
  • Thompson is a percussionist in the high school band and plays in a jazz group outside of school called the Green Carpet Express.
    — oregonlive, 21 June 2023
  • The harpists, cellists, percussionists, and more — playing in harmony as the piece hits its crescendo — wear Empire waists and satin gloves.
    — Vulture, 8 May 2023
  • He was accompanied by a ballerina and two percussionists/dancers, who added a sense of dramatic flair.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2026
  • People of Goodwill percussionist Hassan Ali spoke to the impact of the lack of live music these past few months.
    — Brad Horrigan, courant.com, 18 Sep. 2020
  • The singer and percussionist team up for an album of cosmic experimentalism and amorphous funk.
    — Marcus J. Moore, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There are five horns and four backup singers and a percussionist — all of which Springsteen uses smartly to bring early ‘70s jazzy jams to life.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Playing drums for the new band of the decade’s best drummer, former Nirvana percussionist Dave Grohl, wasn’t a gig for the meek.
    — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 27 June 2022
  • Then Burnett and percussionist Jay Bellerose grab you with a stairstep’s pulse as menacing as Krauss’ threat.
    — A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 19 Nov. 2021
  • This past Thursday, as Libman walked through the front door of his home, he was greeted by the boom of percussionists in his high school alma mater’s marching band.
    — Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2017
  • One of them was Louis Cole, who is precisely as skilled a drummer as the anonymous clown-percussionist in Clown Core.
    — Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2021
  • Renowned trumpeter, composer and percussionist Etienne Charles is also on the closing night bill.
    — Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'percussionist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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