By Lily Papendick
To kick off Susquehanna’s 2025-2026 Artist Series, Dion Parson & 21st Century Band are performing in Weber Auditorium on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Susquehanna’s roots are rich in artistic expression and performance, with the creative writing, arts, theatre, and music departments all being popular areas of study. The university’s annual artist series is the perfect addition to enrich campus life, striving to engage the community within diverse cultures and artforms. With their unique blend of musical genres, Dion Parson & 21st Century Band are a great start to this year’s series.
Originally from the Virgin Islands, Dion Parson is a Grammy award-winning drummer who founded 21st Century Band in 1998 alongside saxophonist Ron Blake. Describing their music as the “best of both worlds,” Parson and his band blend the vibrant rhythms of the Caribbean with the more harmonic themes of American jazz. “We call our sound jazz-ribea,” Parson explained in an interview. “The sound of 21st century band is where jazz meets the Caribbean.”
Before his endeavors as a drummer, Parson began his musical journey playing the trombone, a base that helped shape his views of rhythm and melody. “I always wanted to be a drummer,” he recalled, “but learning trombone first gave me a strong foundation. Parson recommends to all aspiring drummers that they learn a melodic instrument alongside the drums to enhance their musical proficiency.
Beyond his dedication to performance, Parson is also an educator and currently serves as the head of the music department at the University of the Virgin Islands, where he is deeply committed to passing on music’s history and tradition. “[Music education] is important because the next generation will be the cultural bearers of our art form…the true essence of what we do is not found in a textbook,” said Parson.
The members of 21st Century Band are all accomplished artists individually, making their collective collaboration in the band even more remarkable. There’s saxophonist Ron Blake, who plays in the band for Saturday Night Live and teaches at Julliard; Melvin Jones on trumpet, a professor at Morehouse College who has toured with Usher; Victor Provost on steel pan, a professor at George Mason University for many years, pianist Carlton Holmes, a member of the band for over thirty years and a piano and theory instructor at the University of the Virgin Islands, bassist Reuben Rogers, and percussionist Alioune Faye, recognized as one of the leading voices in African drumming in the U.S.
Together, the band has produced grammy-award winning records and each have a number of major accolades. As Parson put it, they are all “leaders in their own rights.”
When they take the stage at Susquehanna University, Parson hopes audiences experience more than just a concert—he hopes they feel the entire Caribbean experience and enjoy music from all sorts of cultures. “Our goal is to be the provider of the next generation of Caribbean jazz,” he said. “There’s no other band like us.”
Tickets for the concert can be obtained through the box office at the Degenstein Campus Center as well as online. They are free for SU students, and prices vary for non-SU guests. We hope to see you there!