Wow! The talent in this contest is inspiring. YDoTY is a fantastic experience for everyone, giving young drummers a great opportunity to be heard and get valuable feedback on their playing from professionals, while having fun. The standard of musicianship is so high, we are assured of a great future for drumming in the UK.“

Having been asked to judge the Young Drummer of The Year, I was really pleased to see, not only some very fine young musicians, but a great variety of different musical influences being employed by the players. Incredibly satisfying,when you consider the 1 dimensional music our youngsters are forced to listen to by our national radio and TV stations. God bless the kids for keeping open minds,because without their ability to see all the musical possibilities,good live music,(that we all enjoy),will stagnate and die. “

The first, best and only national drum competition you’ll ever need to know about“

The level of ability of these young players is awe inspiring. Thank God they weren’t around forty years ago, I’d have to have become a bass player….”

The Young Drummer Of The Year is without doubt one of the drum calendar highlights for me. The standard of the all the guys and girls seems to get higher every year which is tribute to our community and all who work in it. The organization is second to none and I would highly recommend all drummers young and old to show their support for the event and all involved by going to watch the final. Its a great day out and a chance to the wealth of talent this country is producing.”

I can only admire and respect all the young drummers in the competition. It’s fantastic to see various players come back year after year growing musically and mentally. I always have a great time when I judge and always come away feeling proud to have been involved and lucky to have witnessed the start of some great drummers in the making. Good luck to all of them this year”

A great event to see some of our brightest future musical talent……!”

These kids are raising the bar every year and still clearing it. Can’t wait to see next year’s entries…"

I wish “Young Drummer of the Year” was happening when I was in my teens. It is a fantastic event that gives young drummers a great reason to practice and be the best they can be. The standard is getting better each year and can only be a good thing for up and coming young drummers. Performing solo in front of professional drummers judge panel would make me nervous now so god knows how these lads must feel. Good on Mike for making this happen. Good luck to 2011’s contestants….."

All in all the day was a hugely gratifying, the students all impressed me, and its great to see this kind of thing exist; to get young drummers interested in music and to be apart of a wonderful it was amazing to see what these kids were capable of doing at such a young age. They really inspired me and i would be honored to be asked back again.”

When I attended the Young Drummer Of The Year event I couldn’t help but be totally blown away buy the standard of playing. It’s really exciting to see young people so dedicated to learning the instrument. I’m looking forward to seeing more inspiring performances from the 2011 finalists”

Young drummer of the encapsulates all that MikeDolbear.com stands for. The enlightenment and motivating force for drummers young and old, allowing chance for the world to see standards that are expected and witnessing boundaries being pushed and pushed. For me young drummer of the year is less of a competition more of a celebration, in fact it should be looked on as pure entertainment… “

A great incentive for young drummers to think outside their bedroom”

A fantastically well organised event, celebrating all that is good about the drumming community and showcasing the best young up and coming players within it. It’s not about the winning it’s all about the groove.”

Its always so great to see the young talent and next generation of drummers coming through in this amazing competition, it always shows how healthy the UK drumming community is when hundreds of people support this great event, long may it continue."