V-Drums World Championship

Roland tells us that the competition was intense, and a talented team of celebrity judges including Thomas Lang, Chad Wackerman, Michael Schack, Craig Blundell and Johnny Rabb were there to crown a winner. America's Got Talent finalists Recycled Percussion were also on-hand to wow the audience while the judges tallied their final votes. Finalists were selected from hundreds of local and regional competitions worldwide during 2011. Winners were selected based on musicianship, stage presence, and the creative use of technology.

As part of his first place prize, Baard Kolstad won the most technologically advanced and expressive electronic drum kit offered by Roland, the new TD-30KV V-Pro Series, pictured above and launched at NAMM 2012.

Tim Root, Roland Corporation U.S. Drum and Percussion Product Manager commented, "This first ever V-Drums World Championship was a historical night. By using V-Drums, the SPD-SX sampling pad, and the SPD-30 OCTAPAD, all 16 finalists showed that this is the future of drumming. By combining technique and showmanship with an incredible array of sounds and rhythms from all over the world, each contestant was a true champion. To see and hear the different styles and sounds from every part of the globe was truly inspiring. V-Drums and electronic percussion instruments open up a whole new world of possibilities for today's drummers. I can't wait to see what they will come up with next!"

More information:

• V-Drums World Championship

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