"Over the years my main focus has been jazz so bringing that style and rhythm up to the stage, they found really interesting. Ellis thinks his jazz background made him stand out among his fellow contestants, attributing his success to the distinctive musical perspective he brought to the competition."
"I'm a very firm believer that music will bring out a lot of good virtue in a person. You learn courage, you learn discipline, resilience. Ellis's mother Grace emphasizes how musical training develops essential character qualities and personal virtues in young people."
Ellis Gates, a 16-year-old drummer from Morden in south London, won the 2026 Zildjian Young Drummer of the Year competition at the Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset. The prize included the professional drum kit he performed on during the contest. The competition consisted of three parts: a two-minute solo, playing along to a pre-learned backing track, and accompanying a bassist and guitarist to a piece heard only three times that day. Ellis credits his jazz background with helping him stand out among competitors. His parents, both musical, encouraged his development, with his father introducing him to jazz and his mother emphasizing music's role in building character traits like courage, discipline, and resilience. Ellis had competed the previous year without winning, which motivated his improvement.
Read at www.bbc.com
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