Highly acclaimed by drummers and drum dealers, the national drumming competition launched last year attracted over 200 entries, showcasing 50 of the UK’s most talented young drummers and treating six Grand Finalists to one-to-one mentorship sessions with a distinguished panel of judges, comprising world class Yamaha Drum Artists Troy Miller (Amy Winehouse, Laura Mvula), Steve White (Paul Weller, The Who, Ian Dury, Jon Lord) and Donavan Hepburn (Take That, Adele, E.L.O), who selected Brit School student Joseph Solomon as the overall winner.

Yamaha Drum Artists supporting #FUTUREBEAT ’17 include George Daniel, drummer for chart-topping rock band, The 1975 who describes the competition as, “a great platform for young drummers that provides a level playing field for showcasing new talent.”

Partnered by Yamaha Drum Dealers throughout the UK, #FUTUREBEAT ’17 takes a giant leap forward, with this year’s Regional Finals hosted on Sundays as part of DRUMFEST ’17, Yamaha’s new FREE 3-day weekend devoted entirely to drumming, that visits Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Glasgow and London from August to mid November.

With prizes including a Yamaha Drum Kit awarded to the #FUTUREBEAT ‘17 winner, a Yamaha Snare Drum for Regional Winners and professional development from Artist Mentoring Sessions for the Grand Finalists, this is a do-not-miss-opportunity for anyone under the age of 18 who plays drums.

Format for #FUTUREBEAT ’17 comprises:

•  Online entry details now open here. Submit a link to an Application Video of your drumming performance (on Acoustic or Electronic Drum Kit), plus Name, Date of Birth, Address and Contact Number.

• Choose your local or preferred location and email your Entry to the corresponding email address.

• Live Regional Finals for 10 finalists per location from 20th August to 29th October 

• Live Grand Final at Yamaha Headquarters in Milton Keynes on Saturday 18th November

“#FUTUREBEAT has demonstrated what great condition the future of British drumming is in and the value of Yamaha’s support and advice to help young drummers achieve their dreams.” Steve White

“#FUTUREBEAT is an opportunity see the huge potential of the next generation of drummers coming after us.” Donavan Hepburn

“#FUTUREBEAT allowed me to showcase my abilities to my fullest potential. It’s a great platform for any young musician looking to establish themselves in the music industry.” Joseph Solomon - #FUTUREBEAT ‘16 Winner

Yamaha Drums is delighted to invite entries for #FUTUREBEAT ’17 that offers a mouthwatering array of prizes, unique performance opportunities, and maximum exposure for drummers aged 18 years and under.

#FUTUREBEAT ‘17 Regional final locations and dates, including closing dates for entries are:

20th August - Manchester
Manchester Drum Centre
futurebeat@manchesterdrum.com
Closing date: 6th August, 11:59 pm Western European Time (UTC).

3rd September - Cardiff
Drum Depot, Cardiff
futurebeat@drumdepot.co.uk
Closing date: 20th August, 11:59 pm Western European Time (UTC).

17th September - Birmingham
PMT Birmingham
futurebeat.birmingham@pmtonline.co.uk
Closing date: 3rd September, 11:59 pm Western European Time (UTC).

22nd October - Glasgow
Drummers Only, Glasgow
futurebeat@drummersonly.co.uk
Closing date: 8th October, 11:59 pm Western European Time (UTC).

29th October - London
PMT, Romford, East London.
futurebeat.london@pmtonline.co.uk
Closing date: 15th October, 11:59 pm Western European Time (UTC). 

Judges will be looking for groove, timing, technique, versatility and expression. The video can be filmed as simply as on your smart phone. Judging will be made on your performance not the production of the video.

From the video submissions, 50 young drummers will be selected to perform live on a Yamaha Drum Kit at 5 Regional Finals that will each showcase 10 drummers. These drummers will play for up to a maximum of 10 minutes duration in front of audiences comprising family, friends and members of the general public.

For the Grand Final at Yamaha Headquarters in Milton Keynes, all 5 Finalists will each receive mentoring with some of the country’s leading professional drummers and have the chance to perform with a professional band, in front of an eminent judging panel who will decide the overall #FUTUREBEAT ’17 winner. 

#FUTUREBEAT ’17 represents Yamaha’s serious ongoing commitment to excellence in drum education and expands a progressive outreach approach by the company’s Pro Music Division to actively promote playing drums and provide meaningful support to drum teachers in the community, as well as over 20 Yamaha Music Point locations teaching Yamaha’s Drum Encounters course.

 Yamaha’s Drum Product Marketing Manager Gavin Thomas comments, “#Futurebeat 16 was one of the most rewarding event I have been involved in at Yamaha. The response was fantastic and we were impressed at the level of entries, it is rewarding to see everyone get out of their bedrooms and onto the stage. I think that #Futurebeat 17 will be even better now we have established such a good format to celebrate the next generation of UK Drummers.“ 

For full details including prizes, terms and conditions visit here.

ENDS