Posts by hlag

Hit Like A Girl and 9Beats are pleased to announce the completion of another highly successful year for the female drumming contest in China. This year, the 25 top drummers in China were chosen from nearly 700 entries representing 90 cities and generating 20,000 votes and 1.2 million video views. In addition to selecting a Campion and 1^st and 2^nd Runners-Up, awards for “Best Potential”, Best Charm” and “Best Performance” were given in all four age groups. The 4 Chinese Champions move on to the final round of the international competition.

Judging panels for the finals featured a combination of leading drummers from China and the West, including Thomas Lang, Dom Famularo, Ryan Stevenson, Frank Perry, Jason Coffey, Lindsay Artkop, Li Peiying and Qi Wei. The event was sponsored by 9Beats, Queens Guard, Sabian, D’Addario, Haiping, MES, RedSheild, Oniix and Cherub.

The 2021 Hit Like A Girl China Champions and Winners are:

Group 1 (<8)

• Champion No. 876 王奕霏 (Wang Yifei)
• 1st Runner-Up No. 476 余思蒙 (Yu Simeng)
• 2nd Runner-Up No. 641 陈欣雨 (Chen Xinyu)
• Best Potential No. 855 白圣果 (Bái shèng guǒ)
• Best Charm No. 514 蔡彤鑫 (Cai Tongxin) 
• Best Performance No. 279 唐艺霏 (Tang Yifei)

Group 2 (8-12)

• Champion No. 941 谢筱橦 (Xie Xiaoluan)  
• 1st Runner-Up (tie) No.727 范璋汶欣 (Fan Zhang Wenxin)
• 1st Runner-Up (tie) No. 725 王青禾 (Wang Qinghe)           
• 2nd Runner-Up No. 578 李欣悦 (Li Xinyue)
• Best Potential No. 750 孙玺涵 (Sun Xihan)  
• Best Charm No. 709 王思之 (Wang Sizhi)   
• Best Performance No. 955 李怡辰 (Li Yichen)        

Group 3 (13-17)

• Champion No. 763 缪雨恬 (Miao Yutian)
• 1st Runner-Up No. 804 包海乐 (Bao Haile) 
• 2nd Runner-Up No. 772 卫璇菲 (Wei Xuanfei)
• Best Potential No. 809 边正橦 (Bian Zhengluan)
• Best Charm No. 831 王晶钰 (Wang Jingyu)
• Best Performance No. 690 隋欣言 (Sui Xinyan)

Group 4 (18+)

• Champion No. 635 陈珊珊 (Chen Shanshan)
• 1st Runner-Up No. 899 苏醒岚 (Su Xinglan)           
• 2nd Runner-Up No. 172 袁荃 (Yuan Quan) 
• Best Potential No. 923 王锴铮 (Wang Kaizheng)    
• Best Charm No No.张幼莹 ( Zhang Youying)         
• Best Performance No. 949 韦晓明 (Wei Xiaoming)

In addition to its international and regional contests, Hit Like A Girl 2021 will feature a Weekly Contest and several new Mini-Contests— increasing the opportunities for female and gender-expansive drummers to enter the 10^th annual competition and win prizes and recognition.

• Modern Drummer Weekly Contests
One “Weekly Winner” in each age division of the drumset category will be chosen by a team of judges representing Modern Drummer magazine during each week of the upcoming Hit Like A Girl contest. The panel will include David Frangioni (Publisher/CEO), Mike Dawson (Managing Editor), Jessica Burdeaux (JBurd) and Nic Kubes (Director Of Special Projects). Winners will have their entry videos displayed on the Hit Like A Girl website and automatically go on to the final round.

• Hudson Music/Modern Drummer Mini-Contest
Contestants who use one of seven free Hudson playalong tracks as the backing track for their HLAG-X entry will have their video displayed on the Mini-Contest webpage and reviewed by special judges, including drummers Dena Tauriello and Joe Bergamini plus Rob Wallis (Hudson founder) and Billy Amendola (Modern Drummer Editor At Large). The drumless tracks are available as downloads on the HLAG website. Prizes for the contest are online lessons from artist/educator/author Joe Bergamini and a bundle of digital books and videos from the Hudson catalog along with Modern Drummer digital subscriptions and downloads of the Neil Peart and Alex Van Halen “Legends” books.

• LP/Rhythm Magazine Mini-Contest
Drummers that incorporate one or more drumset percussion instrument (cowbell, tambourine, blocks, etc.) in their video will have their entry displayed on the Mini-Contest webpage and reviewed by special judges, including Stephen Perkins, Mona Tavakoli, Daru Jones, Dani Markham, Emily Moon and Kaz Rodriguez. Winners will receive drumset percussion from LP as well as online lessons, magazine subscriptions and merch from Rhythm.

• Tom Tom Magazine/Paiste Mini-Contest
Hit Like A Girl contestants who post a clip of their entry video on their Facebook, Instagram or TikTok feed and then tag and follow Hit Like A Girl, Tom Tom Magazine and Paiste will have their entry video displayed on the Mini-Contest webpage and be eligible for a random drawing. 1^st place winners in the under and over 18 age groups will receive a Paiste cymbal. 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners in each age group will receive digital back-issues and merch from Tom Tom.

• Beatmaking Mini-Contests
Mini-Contests for the Beatmaking category will be announced soon. Check the Hit Like A Girl website frequently for details.

Participation in one or more of the Hit Like A Girl mini-contests does not affect a contestant’s participation or eligibility in the main, weekly, regional or public contests. For complete details on HLAG-X mini-contest, general rules, sponsors, judges, prizes and more, visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Hit Like A Girl and SoundGirls.org, leading organizations in the effort to grow the girl, woman and non-binary music communities, have announced a new collaboration that will add impact to Hit Like A Girl X, the 10^th annual edition of the groundbreaking contest for female drummers and beat makers. In addition to sharing SoundGirls’ educational content about tuning, miking and recording acoustic and electronic drums on the HLAG-X website, SoundGirls members have been added to the judging panels for HLAG-X drumset and beatmaking categories. The group is also contributing lessons and seminars from SoundGirls mentors as contest prizes and awards.

“It is so important to be multi-versed in music production and we are excited to provide tools for drummers to learn how to record and produce their own music,” says SoundGirls co-founder Karrie Keyes. “With current events forcing many players and programmers to become sound engineers, we are happy to take advantage of the opportunity to work with Hit Like A Girl.”

Adds Hit Like A Girl Executive Director, David Levine, “Our organizations share a common goal to encourage a higher level of participation as well as a higher level of contribution to music by women. Providing the Hit Like A Girl community with additional knowledge and support from such a reliable source will only accelerate the process.”

SoundGirls was established in 2013 to provide a support network for women and non-binary people working in the professional audio industry and to assist those with a drive to be successful in audio. The organization supports girls, women and marginalized groups working in professional audio and music production by:

• Highlighting their success and providing a place for them to connect, network and share advice and experiences.
• Providing support, career development and tools to help those working in the field advance in their career.
• Working to inspire and empower young women and girls to enter the world of professional audio and music production.
• Seeking to expand opportunities for girls and women in these fields and to share resources and knowledge through cooperation, collaboration and diversity.

To learn more, visit www.soundgirls.org.

In addition to showing how they are making an impact with their drumming and beatmaking, participants of this year’s Hit Like A Girl contest are also showing how they are making an impact on the social issues they care about. Organizers of the annual, worldwide event recently added a new component called “IMPACT” to the contest so that drummers can share the stories of their efforts to improve the planet along with their drumming videos. These stories, as well as the activities of many of the world’s leading professional players, will be featured during the contest and in a variety of media throughout the year.

Many Hit Like A Girl artists and participants support a wide range of human rights, equality and environmental causes. HLAG-X spokespersons Emily Moon and Chmba are examples of players who share a passion for drumming and social change. Emily and her band, Starbenders, buy much of their clothing at second-hand stores and use refillable canteens instead of plastic water bottles on tour. Malawi-based beatmaker and 2020 HLAG Champion Chmba founded Tiwale, an organization that mentors, empowers and protects young African girls through education, skill training and job creation.

 “Everyone on earth is a drummer in one way or another and, no matter how big or how small, we can all have a positive impact on people and the planet,” says HLAG Executive Director David Levine.

For complete details on IMPACT and HLAG-X, visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Hit Like A Girl— the global contest for girls, women and gender expansive drummers and beatmakers— has announced new dates and developments for the 2021 Hit Like A Girl Contest. Designated as HLAG-X (since 2021 is the 10^th Anniversary of the groundbreaking, online program), this year’s event will include the 10^th edition of the contest, ten of today’s most influential drummers as spokespeople and ten regional contests plus many other celebrations of female drumming and beatmaking throughout the year.

Dates for HLAG-X:

• March 1 – April 11, 2021: Contest Entry
• April 12 – April 25, 2021: Public Voting
• April 26 – May 6, 2021: Celebrity Judging
• May 14, 2021: Champions & Winners Announced

While the list of this year’s celebrity spokespeople has yet to be announced, regional Hit Like A Girl contests have already been confirmed in China, France, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South America, Southeast Asia, Turkey and the UK. These events run in tandem with the main Hit Like A Girl contest and are organized by local volunteers who collaborate with media, sponsors, judges and educators in each geographic region.

In addition to the contest and other planned celebrations, Hit Like A Girl has contacted many past champions, winners and judges to get updates on their recent drumming activities. The videos of these inspiring and informative stories will be presented on the Hit Like A Girl website and social pages throughout the course of the year.

For complete details on HLAG-X rules, sponsors, judges, prizes and more, visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Hit Like A Girl welcomes music industry veterans Sarah Hagan and Danielle Thwaites to its Board Of Directors.

Danielle Thwaites (aka Daiza) is a musician, educator, composer, music producer and Ableton certified music technology specialist. She is also a board member and communications and program director with Beats By Girlz, an organization that empowers girls, women and gender expansive people to engage with music technology. Danielle continues to serve as the liaison between Beats By Girlz and Hit Like A Girl and is responsible for organizing the Beatmaking category of the Hit Like A Girl contest.

Sarah Hagan started drumming at 10 years old and has been a music industry professional for nearly 2 decades— rising to the level of Director of Artist Relations for Zildjian and Vic Firth. She currently holds the position of First Vice President/Treasurer for the Percussive Arts Society and recently founded Sarah Hagan Media and Consulting, a marketing and artist relations firm supporting top music industry brands. In addition to general supervision of HLAG activities, Sarah manages the Hit Like A Girl Jr. Ambassador program.

Sarah and Danielle join David Levine (Full Circle Management), Mindy Abovitz (Tom Tom Magazine), Louise King (Rhythm Magazine) and Diane Downs (Louisville Leopard Percusionists) as the current members of the Hit Like A Girl board. Learn more at www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Hit Like A Girl congratulates the Champions and Winners of the 2020 Hit Like A Girl Marching Percussion contest.

• <18     
• Katie McCarty (Champion)
• Jovanna Mullin (2nd Place)
• Jasmine Bowens (3rd Place)
• Destiny Boyd (Honorable Mention)

• 18+     
• Eliana Yamouni (Champion)
• Paige Durr (2nd Place)
• Aly “Chopz” Mendey (3rd Place)
• Rachelle Jovane (Honorable Mention)

These outstanding drummers will receive prizes the world’s top drum companies, including Ludwig, Pearl, Vic Firth, Vater, Innovative Percussion and Remo as well as scholarships, educational material and other special awards from Girls March and GridBook Percussion.

The HLAG 2020 Marching Percussion contest judges panel featured leading artists/ educators Sandi Rennick, Emmanuelle Caplette, Raychel Taylor, James Riles III and Mark Perrett, Nicole Casino plus former Hit Like A Girl Champion Jamese Moses. Special thanks to GridBook Percussion for developing Hit Like A Girl’s exclusive, online scoring matrix.

View the entries, winning videos and more at www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Photo caption (shown clockwise from upper left):
Katie McCarty, Jovanna Mullin, Jasmine Bowens, Eliana Yamouni, Paige Durr and Aly “Chopz” Mendey.

Snare drums from Ludwig and Pearl, drumsticks from Innovative Percussion, Vater and Vic Firth, drumheads from Remo and cymbals from Zildjian, as well as scholarships and performance opportunities from Grid Book Percussion, Girls March and Hit Like A Girl, will be awarded to the Champions and Winners of this year’s Hit Like A Girl Marching Percussion Contest.

Expanding its activities to support the growth of the female marching percussion community, Hit Like A Girl moved the 2020 edition of its Marching Contest to the Fall to better showcase today’s outstanding female marching percussionists and increase participation in the contest. The 10^th annual HLAG contest for Drumset and Beatmaking, “HLAG-X”, is being planned for Spring 2021.

Entry in the <18 and 18+ age divisions of the Hit Like A Girl Marching Percussion contest opens October 1, 2020. For rules, schedule, sponsors, prizes and more, please visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Hit Like A Girl has announced an exceptional line-up of judges for its 2020 Marching Percussion contest. The all-star panel features leading artists and educators from a variety of marching disciplines, including DCI, WinterGuard, BOA and HBCU drumlines, as well as an internationally-renowned drumset artist with strong Drum & Bugle Corps roots.

The 2020 HLAG MPC judges are:

• Sandi Rennick – Arranger for the 7-time DCI Champion Santa Vanguard.
• James Riles III – Founder of The Atlanta Drum Academy and featured performer in the “Drumline” movies.
• Emmanuelle Caplette – Award-winning marching drummer and world-famous drummer, teacher and clinician.
• Raychel Taylor – Founder of Girls March, past performer with Mandarins, Phantom Regiment and Vanguard.
• Mark Perrett – Gold medal winner with DCI’s Division III Teal drumline and co-founder/author of the popular and influential series of “GridBook” drum method books and social media.
• Jamese Moses – HLAG Marching Percussion Champion of 2019, HBCU marching advocate and a featured performer with “Find Your Rhythm” (FYR).
• Nicole Casino – The first female “center snare” drummer for the 19-time DCI Champion Blue Devils, Berklee College graduate and, currently, featured performer for the Disneyland Resort.

Contest entry in the <18 and 18+ age divisions opens October 1, 2020. For rules, schedule, sponsors, prizes and more, please visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com.

Photo caption (clockwise from top left):Sandi Rennick, Emmanuelle Caplette, Mark Perrett, Nicole Casino, Raychel Taylor, Jamese Moses, James Riles III.

Encouraging players to get off the sidelines and “Get Back In The Game”, Hit Like A Girl has announced that its revamped and rescheduled Marching Percussion contest will open for entries on October 1, 2020. The HLAG Marching contest follows the highly successful international and regional drumset and beatmaking contests that were held earlier this year and has been shifted to the Fall to increase its prestige and participation. The contest is open to female snare drummers in the Under 18 and 18-Plus age divisions with solo and cover videos accepted through October 19.

HLAG 2020 Marching Percussion contest judges feature leading artists and educators such as Sandi Rennick, Julie Davila, Raychel Taylor and Mark Perrett plus former Hit Like A Girl Champions AJ Kostromina and Jamese Moses. Among this year’s prizes are marching snare drums from Ludwig and Pearl along with Firth, Vater and Innovative Percussion drumsticks and Remo drumheads. Scholarships and educational material from Girls March and GridBook as well as exclusive performance opportunities will also be awarded to the Champions and Winners when they are named in November.

To learn more and enter, please visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com

Hit Like A Girl is proud to announce the winners of the drumset category for this year’s regional contests. These outstanding drummers will receive special awards from the HLAG sponsors. Thanks to the international judges and ambassadors and especially everyone who entered.

France
<18      Marie François 
18+      Clara Oulieu                                              

India
<18      Rinay                                     
18+      Sonikblasts                             

Mexico                      
<18      Zoe Larios   
18+      Angie Salinas                              

Japan
<18      Yuuka AOKI                         
18+      Mika Watanabe                      

Southeast Asia
<18      Kayla Zahra Fahira Permaa   
18+      Shani Samtani                       

The Champions and Runners-Up of the 2020 International Hit Like A Girl Contest will be announced on Friday, May 29 and will appear on a special episode of Hit Like A Girl LIVE on Tuesday, June 2 at 1:00PM EDT/10:00AM PDT @hitlikeagirlcontest on Instagram.

As we head into the final round, Hit Like A Girl congratulates our Popular winners (clockwise from upper left): Evelyn Moreno (<13), Juanita Pelaez (Beatmaking 18+), Alyssa Tomassi (13-17), Kallee Bernish-Good (Beatmaking <18), Mihaela Naydenova (18-39) and Jennifer Towns (40+). Winners of the popular voting will receive a prize package from HLAG 2020 sponsors and automatically qualify for the final round where they will be judged by many of the world’s top drummers. You can view all the truly amazing entries we received this year at www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com. Stand by for the 2020 HLAG finalists to be announced soon!

Featuring many of today’s top professional beatmakers along with the Champions and Winners from previous contests, this year’s judging panels have been announced for the under and over 18 age groups in the Beatmaking category of Hit Like A Girl/Beats By Girlz contest. Three “pro-am” teams will judge the semi-finals while BBG’s founders, executives and directors will judge the final round.

Semi-Final Team 1 includes Christine Hoberg, Tara Bordeaux, Cas Bur, Muzikal Dunk (B DUNK), Marcella Fruehan and Aletta Verwoerd.

Semi-Final Team 2 includes Claire Lim (dolltr!ck), Joanne Corrigall, Tuna Pase (FORTUNA), Georgia Winter, Ellie Johnson (Basil) and Jessica Muñiz-Collado (NIZCO).

Semi-Final Team 3 includes Ángela Cortés, Jen Mitlas, Annelise Witek, Katrine Villadsen, Raylinne Garcia, Jamie Billings and Sophea Sim (11THIRT33N).

Judges for the final round include Erin Barra (MOMMA BARRA), Danielle Thwaites (DAIZA), Krithi, Christin Light and Cassie Plunkett (PLUNKI).

HLAG Beatmaking contestants compete for a selection of prizes— including hardware, software and international exposure— from sponsors like Novation, Native Instruments, Roland, Presonus and Melodics. Results will be announced on the www.hitlikeagirlcontest website on May 29.

shown in photo (clockwise from upper left): Cassie Plunkett, Christin Light, Danielle Thwaites, Krithi and Erin Barra.

Hit Like A Girl began in 2012 with a mission to highlight female drumming and encourage more girls and women to become drummers. With its new “Stick Together” program, the organization has expanded their mission to help girls and women become better drummers. And, since the COVID-19 pandemic has given drummers another reason to keep playing and support each other, “Stick Together” allows players to strengthen the drumming community at the same time they strengthen their hands.

Here are the highlights of the project:  

• Dozens of today’s top female drummers have been invited to record short videos demonstrating their favorite rudiment, warm-up or stick control exercise. The short hand-technique exercises can be played with just a practice pad and a pair of sticks.

• The exercise videos and transcriptions are viewable on the @hitlikeagirlcontest Instagram page.

• Players can collect a downloadable “Stick Together” certificate and access “Rewards” that are special discounts on educational supplies by visiting www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com/stick-together-rewards. Participating sponsors include Sheet Music Plus, Hudson Music, Tom Tom Magazine and more.

The first group of posts feature exercises from drummers Sam Landa, Camille Bigeault, Jessica Goodwin and Victoria Gridzhan. Visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com for further details.