Guitar Center to launch Drum-Off competition

Guitar Center is pleased to announce the return of Guitar Center’s Drum-Off, the world’s largest drum competition. Starting August 1st, drummers can sign up for their chance to win over $40,000 in cash and prizes, joining over 5,000 drummers from across the country to compete for the title of Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Champion.

Now in its 21st year, Guitar Center’s Drum-Off has been a launching pad for numerous professional drummers, including Cora "CC" Dunham (Prince), Eric Moore II (Suicidal Tendencies), Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z) and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta). Last year’s Drum Off ’08 Champion, 22-year-old Jerome Flood II, made his television debut when he was invited to perform on Last Call with Carson Daly following his dramatic win.

The longest-standing program in a growing talent competition series, Drum-Off is part of Guitar Center’s ongoing mission to provide emerging artists and musicians with career-altering opportunities and vehicles to achieve success. Last month Guitar Center also launched King of the Blues, a nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. In 2008 Guitar Center also debuted On-Stage, a search for America’s next great rock band, with close to 8,000 bands vying for an opening slot on Motley Crue’s 30+ city North American arena tour, along with a record deal with Eleven Seven Music and a management contract with Tenth Street Entertainment (Motley’s management company).

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 ’09 will feature competitions in over 200 Guitar Center locations across the country, culminating with the Grand Finals in Los Angeles in January 2010.

The Drum-Off ‘09 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 09.

How It Works:

Sign-ups for the preliminary rounds of the Drum-Off competition begin August 1, 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 24 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 24, October 1, and October 8.

STORE FINALS: October 15

DISTRICT FINALS: November 5

REGIONAL FINALS: December 3

GRAND FINALS: January 2010

Following the regional finals on December 3, five finalists will head for Los Angeles in January, where they will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges. The will also share the stage with some of today’s most legendary drummers. Drum-Off ’08 featured performances by Papa Roach, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall, and a special collaborative performance by Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta) and Thomas Lang.


About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the world’s largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 214 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.
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