PRESS RELEASE

World’s Largest Drum Competition Celebrates 20th Anniversary Offering Grand Prize Worth Over $45,000

For 20 years, Guitar Center has been committed to providing drummers across the country the opportunity to pursue their musical aspirations and achieve their dreams by way of the world’s largest drum competition: Guitar Center Drum-Off.

Starting August 1st, drummers can sign up for their chance to win over $45,000 in cash and prizes, joining over 5,000 drummers from across the US to compete for the title of Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Champion ‘08.

Like all Guitar Center music programs, Drum-Off is designed to provide developing artists with support-based opportunities that vastly improve the potential for their success as professional musicians. Drum-Off inspires up-and-coming drummers to further their musical aspirations, while at the same time encouraging the local music community and providing a platform for local musicians to network and be discovered.

Guitar Center’s Drum-Off ‘08 champion will win an impressive package of prizes, including $25,000 cash, a Roland TD-20 kit, and a custom designed drum kit by DW, Pearl, Gretsch, Tama, or Orange Country Drums as well as a drum, stick, cymbal, and drum head endorsement deals, be featured in Modern Drummer magazine, and in a Guitar Center ad campaign, along with a VIP appearance @ NAMM 2009 and shopping sprees with Levi’s, Converse and Guitar Center. A Monster Energy Drink endorsement deal is also part of the prize package, making the total prize package worth over $45,000. In addition, Sabian, Zildjian, Remo, Pro-Mark, Vic Firth, Evans and Rhythm Tech are all proud sponsors of Drum-Off 08.

Several winning alumni from Guitar Center’s previous Drum-Off competitions have gone on to have incredible drumming careers, including Cora “CC” Dunham (Prince; Drum-Off ‘02 Champ), Eric Moore (Bobby Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Infectious Grooves; Drum-Off ‘03 Champ), Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z; Drum-Off ‘95 Champ) and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta), who became the Guitar Center Drum-Off champion in 1993 when he was just 9 years old!

How It Works:
Sign-ups for the preliminary rounds of the Drum-Off competition begin August 1, 2008 and run on a “first-come, first-serve” basis, with a maximum of 30 registrants per store. Contestants must sign up with a Guitar Center drum department associate at their local store — no phone or Internet sign-ups are available.

Local competitions start September 23rd, 2008 in all 214 Guitar Center locations from nationwide. One winner from each store will be chosen to move up to district competitions (24 locations), followed by regionally hosted semi-finals (6 locations) and culminating in the final championship Drum-Off in Los Angeles in January of 2009 (exact date and venue TBD).

COMPETITION DATES:
STORE PRELIMS: September 23rd, September 30th, and October 7th, 2008
STORE FINALS: October 14th
DISTRICT FINALS: November 4th
REGIONAL FINALS: December 2nd
GRAND FINALS: January 2009

Following the regional finals on December 6, 2008 finalists will be headed for Los Angeles in January, where they will perform before a panel of celebrity judges (past judges include, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Travis Barker, ?uestlove (The Roots), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Josh Freese (NIN), Kenny Aronoff, Joey Castillio (Queens of the Stoneage) Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath), Steve Smith (Journey) and Alan White (Yes) in the final Guitar Center Drum-Off competition to see who will become Drum-Off ‘08 CHAMPION.

Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Site