The international finals for the Roland V-Drums World Championship 2, Roland's annual competition that showcases the talents of electronic percussionists from around the globe, is taking place Thursday, April 11, 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany. Hosted by the prestigious Südbahnhof music club and broadcast live on the V-Drums contest website, this year's championship event features 16 international V-Drums finalists, behind the scenes interviews, expert judges and a performance by the German rock band The Intersphere. Here's more details directly from Roland...

Roland's yearly V-Drums contest gives drummers a premier opportunity to explore their musical passion, flexibility and the creative options of electronic percussion instruments like the Roland TD-30KV, TD-15KV and TD-11KV drum kits and the OCTAPAD SPD-30. Nearly 5,000 participants competed worldwide during the preliminaries last year -- all tasked with showcasing their own playing skills while also exploring the technical capabilities of Roland V-Drums.

Previously a semi-finalist in the 2011 U.S. nationals, Patrick Kennedy has been training extensively and will be representing the United States in the world finals this year. "It was an honor to participate in the V-Drums national competition," Patrick said. "I had an amazing time getting to hang out and talk with Thomas Lang and Johnny Rabb, as well as all of the other contestants." Kennedy won a TD-30KV V-Drums set with a set of REMO custom shell wraps, a complete set of DW hardware, dozens of Pat Kennedy signature sticks from Vic Firth, and a year's subscription to DRUM! magazine.

An elite roster of musician and music journalist judges will determine this year's Roland V-Drums world champion. Dirk Brand, Craig Blundell, Tommy Snyder, and Florian Alexandru-Zorn, Mark Van Schaik, Rich Chamberlain, Axel Mikolajczak are all experts in the field of electronic drums and will crown the V-Drums king based on playing technique, musicality, groove, creativity, entertainment value, playing tricks and precision.

Roland's Percussion Group Strategy Manager Drew Armentrout said, "It has been amazing seeing so many talented drummers taking their talent to the next level with electronic percussion. The way these drummers perform is truly inspiring, and I can't wait to watch the finals."

Visit the international V-Drums contest page for more details and follow the conversation on Twitter via  #vdrumscontest.


Contestants:
Nicolai Weißert (Germany), Haruka Matsumoto (Japan), Patrick Kennedy (USA), Zoltan Csanyi (Hungary), Boris Massot (Switzerland), Zhi Long Chen (China), Issah Contractor (Canada), Dogac Titiz (Turkey), Diego José de Medeiros (Brasil) , Lars Nijman (The Netherlands), Paul Kholodyansky (Ukraine), Geoff Fry (Great Britain), Fredrik Olsson (Sweden), Jesús Gancedo García (Spain), Jaime Edwin de la Rosa (Mexico), Michele Villetti (Italy)


Judges:

• Dirk Brand - Musician, V-Drums Specialist (event host as well)
• Craig Blundell - UK Songwriter, Producer, Journalist, V-Drums Clinician
• Tommy Snyder - Drummer, Singer
• Florian Alexandru-Zorn - Drummer, Lecturer, Journalist
• Mark Van Schaik - Journalist
• Rich Chamberlain - Journalist
• Axel Mikolajczak - Journalist

Location and Pricing:

Südbahnhof, Hedderichstraße 51, 60594 Frankfurt / Main.
Doors will open at 6.30 p.m. Admission is free.


More information:

• Roland

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