Australia’s Best Female Drummer Competition
By Nat Grant. Originally published in Drumscene Magazine in 2018
Cherie Bridgman Mia Rowland
Australia’s Best Female Drummer Competition is returning to the Australian Ultimate Drummers Weekend (AUDW) in 2018. This year five finalists will be selected to perform live at AUDW on the 25th and 26th of August. Prizes include endorsements from DW, Meinl, Evans, and Promark. Closing date for all entries is 16th July 2018. For all competition details, rules, requirements, and to download the official entry form visit the website www.DRUMtek.com.au.
A little history of the competition from DRUMtek founder, Frank Corniola:
The inaugural ‘Australia’s Best Up & Coming Drummer Competition’ was part of the Ultimate Drummers Day in 1993 staged at Dallas Brooks Hall. The original competition started as an ‘All Ages’ open category. The drumming community embraced the competition and it’s been an overwhelming success ever since! After a few years we acknowledged there were so many young drummers entering, however we soon learnt it was so difficult for them to perform the criteria set for the ‘All Ages’ comp. This was an obvious and natural progression to introduce the Junior and Intermediate categories.
Fast-forward a few years: although there were many female drummers who entered the three categories, we continued to receive requests to include a new category featuring only female drummers. After many positive discussions with leading professional female drummers, in 2016 we launched ‘Australia’s Best Female Drummer’ live at AUDW. This new and exciting competition is based on the same set criteria as the ‘All Ages’ competition: young female drummers who may not be at this level are still welcome to enter the Junior or Intermediate competitions.
2017 Winner and Finalists
2017 winner, Lozz Benson, and finalists Libby Scott, Jess De Vries, Mia Rowland, and Cherie Bridgman were four of the Best Female Drummer finalists in 2017. Here, they share some thoughts on their experience of being involved in the competition.
Lozz Benson
Sydney based drummer Lozz Benson won the competition in 2017, and currently plays with John Butler and in her own rockabilly/blues project ‘That Red Head’. Lozz teaches drums and piano, and performs regularly in Sydney and overseas. She’s previously played in various bands and musicals in Sydney, Circus Shows (Scotch & Soda), the 17-piece Sirens Big Band, DrummerQueens, she has toured with Urthboy and Rackett, and recorded material with Paul Kelly, Jim Moginie, and Steve Smyth to name a few.
Lozz on the Best Female Drummer competition:
I entered because I literally thought, ‘why not?’ I like challenges, and for me, entering this competition presented me with just that. The challenge of learning new material and performing it well, as well as having the self-control and persistence to practise at times as well. To start with, I wasn’t going to enter at all; I was too shy and thought ‘what was the point?’ But the competition is a good incentive because there is a reward for your efforts, and that was the biggest driver for me. I really wanted new equipment and that’s what drove me to do my best. Also being able to perform in front of the world’s best drummers is really a unique opportunity, and one you don’t get often.
On the day of the comp I really enjoyed meeting the other girls that had entered. I think the AUDW is such a great way to be inspired, learn and network with other people who are on the same journey as you, whether you’re playing for fun or professionally, or whether you’re an educator or innovator. Everyone is very supportive of new talent, and also very respectful to the people that have been working in the music industry their whole lives.
What I got out of it? I learnt that hard work pays off, and that you should always do your best. Also got some great tips from the other drummers, and learnt that your career is really whatever you make it. It also served as a reminder that people like Frank Corniola really believe in young people starting out, and this was one of the stepping-stones that gave me more self-belief and confidence, and made me strive to be a better musician.
Lozz will perform at the AUDW this year.
Libby Scott
Libby Scott hails from Brisbane where she completed a Bachelor of Music majoring in jazz drums in 2017. She plays in original bands Pink Matter, Jabberwocky Down, and with Phoebe Sinclair, has created dual drum cover videos for YouTube with two other female drummers, Dee Bradbery and Lucy Nielson. Libby teaches piano and drums on the side and also works in a music store, “which has huge benefits,” she says, “and is a really cool environment, especially when all the guys come in to buy their drum gear and are directed to the girl in the Zildjian t-shirt.”
Libby on the Best Female Drummer competition:
Firstly, I heard about the competition from my mentor, Grant Collins, and I started preparing the audition pieces. But it wasn’t until I went to submit the application where I found the female comp was separate, so I thought, ‘why not?’ I was just eager to find other girl drummers in Australia.
What was the experience like? Well I got a call from Mr Corniola himself coming out of uni one day, saying I had made the finals, and I had to get down to Melbourne to play drums. So I practised my butt off and ended up performing second last alongside Mia, Jess, Cherie and Lauren. It was super-inspirational seeing these girls play from different parts of Australia in front of absolute legends, Chris Coleman, John Riley and Gregg Bissonette.
Not to sound dramatic, but that weekend in Melbourne changed my view on drumming. I was able to chat to local legends and be literally in the heart of Australia’s drum scene. It was definitely the most nerve-wracking performance experience I’ve had to date, but I’m going to give it another shot and hopefully be down there again this year! If you are a female drummer or know any, spread the word and encourage them to enter.
Libby’s advice to younger drummers? “Don’t be afraid to hit harder, and PRACTISE!”
Jess De Vries
Jess De Vries is a freelance drummer and teacher from Ballarat, formerly a member of the band The Second Sex. She works across three different schools as an instrumental drum teacher: within this work she also directs some ensembles and looks after a contemporary band. “I’m so grateful I get to work with music every single day and constantly learn more,” she says.
Jess on the Best Female Drummer competition:
I first entered the Intermediate category of ‘Australia’s Best Up & Coming Drummer Competition’ in 2008 when I was 14, with encouragement from my parents and support from my Drum teacher. Watching the finals take place as part of the Australia’s Ultimate Drummer Weekend (AUDW) the year prior and gaining inspiration from players from a variety of ages and geographical locations within Australia, we noticed one common theme between the finalists, there were no girls / females competing in the finals.
It became my goal to try my luck in the competition, which included learning the set pieces from the listed categories and creating an improv piece to film for my entry. My first entry provided me with the fundamental experience and insight, however it wasn’t until the following year where things began to take off. In 2009 I was fortunate to make it through as a finalist and be awarded 4th place in the intermediate category and competing again to receive 3rd place as a finalist the following year, both times qualifying as the first female yet to be selected as a finalist from all categories.
2016 was the launch of the inaugural first ever female category within the Best Up & Coming Drummer Competitions and I was grateful to be selected as a finalist again, wanting to be a part of the new opportunity and platform DRUMtek were providing to create more of a gender balance within the AUDW community, achieving 3rd place this time after entering.
I have found entering the competitions to be a great motivation and benchmark to work towards in my own personal playing. Having the opportunity to perform in front of an expert panel of judges as a finalist is a rare and incredibly rewarding experience, as well as the sensation of feeling like a very small part in such a professional and highly organised drumming & percussion specialised weekend. Meeting the other finalists - who you discover are just as like-minded and fanatical as you are - and networking with all of the brand representatives and general Drum enthusiasts is also inspiring. Of course succeeding in becoming a finalist also means you’re in the running for a grand prize, which is a huge incentive. I encourage anyone to work towards entering the competitions, especially with the addition of the female category: there has never been a greater time for more gender balance to have a stronger presence at AUDW than ever before!
Mia Rowland
17-year-old Mia Rowland:
My first teacher was Jeremy Woolhouse who began teaching me piano from the age of 7. He had an organic approach to learning music that involved improvisation and composition. We played lots of jazz standards and I loved learning Joplin and Chopin.
My drumming journey started off when I was 11 years old and has been a big part of my life ever since. At the time I was frustrated with school. My dad suggested that I take up the drums to let out my frustration.
I progressed from playing on baskets and cushions in the living room to getting my own PDP Mainstream kit soon after. I was motivated to learn as much as I could.
My first drum teacher was Jack Bennett. One the first day we ran through a page of Rock Beats 101, and ditched that to move through a range of Latin grooves. He encouraged me to enter the AUDW Juniors competition. I made the finals after 9 months of playing. After a few years I started learning from Damian Corniola and we learnt a lot of fusion drumming. Soon after, I made the finals of the intermediate AUDW competition.
Playing in the female drumming competition was a really enlightening experience for me. I had previously only been in the competition with boys. But this time I had a lot of fun getting to know the other women, some of whom I am still in contact with. It was a really supportive environment even though we were in competition, and it was awesome to meet Chris Coleman. The words he spoke at the awards ceremony were very supportive and encouraged women drummers to take on the industry. But while it was a great experience, I hope to only compete in open competition from now on, because I believe that women have as much to offer music.
I am now learning from Darryn Farrugia. I am currently finishing my year 12 VCE and am hoping to get into the jazz and improvisation programme at either VCA or Monash.
Cherie Bridgman
17-year old Cherie Bridgman:
I am heavily involved in the music program at school and recently travelled to the Generations in Jazz festival in Mount Gambier, South Australia, with a jazz improvisation group. I have been playing the drums since 2008 and have been having drumming lessons with Darryn Farrugia at DRUMtek in Melbourne for the past two years, and with Jordan Kiely at school since 2017.
I decided to enter the Open Female competition in 2016, having previously entered in 2013 in the 12-Years and Under section, becoming a finalist, and I was particularly excited about the new female competition.
My experience in the competition was really great - I loved the opportunity to perform, to listen to some fantastic female drummers and to receive feedback from renowned drummers. The experience of performing in front of elite drummers really developed me as a performer, as I had to overcome my nerves and just become comfortable with performing on stage. Seeing the other competitors perform so well also gave me something to aim for and work towards, while also making some new friends in the process. I also really enjoyed listening to the guest speakers at the competition - I learnt a lot from them and found it to be hugely valuable. I am grateful for the whole experience and look forward to entering again in upcoming years.
FOR MORE COMPETITION DETAILS VISIT: www.DRUMtek.com.au
