September 13, 2024 I Award
PlayDrums.com Names Winners of 2024 International Drum Month Giveaway
Ray Fransen, the owner of Fransen’s Drum Center in Kenner, Louisiana, (right) presents the winner of the 2024 “Lesson with a Pro” Lane McCormick (left) with a $200 gift card courtesy of PlayDrums.com.
PlayDrums.com, the online hub of the Percussion Marketing Council (PMC), hosted its annual “Drum Lesson with a Pro” giveaway during International Drum Month in May. Four winners received online lessons with internationally recognized drummers. This year’s participating artists were Jason Gianni, Todd Sucherman, Mike Mangini and Sherrie Maricle.
During the month-long celebration, master drummers helped attract participants by engaging with drummers and followers through their social media channels as a way to engage and encourage percussionists to improve their skills. Local music retailers and drum shops also participated in promoting International Drum Month as a means to increase store traffic, foster positive relationships with customers, and expand their lesson programs.
The winners of the 2024 “Lesson with a Pro” were Miller Brownrigg (14 years old from Ottawa, Ontario), Victor Rosa (16 years old from Philadelphia), Sophia Baula (17 years old from San Francisco) and Lane McCormick (39 years old from Westwego, Louisiana).
In addition to the virtual Zoom lesson with a master drummer, PlayDrums.com awarded each winner $200 to spend on new gear or drum lessons at their local music store. Music retailers included Fransen’s Drum Center in Louisiana, Guitar Center in California, Pocket Percussion in Pennsylvania and Long & McQuade in Ontario, Canada.
“International Drum Month is effective, and the Play Drums promotion is exceptional. This year’s contest winner, Lane McCormick, was already a customer of ours, but since he won the contest, he has become almost an evangelist for the store,” said Ray Fransen, owner of Fransen’s Drum Center. “A further effect was gained that he opted for a virtual lesson with Todd Sucherman and then applied the $200 gift card towards attending a masterclass with Todd that we are sponsoring in September. All in all, this has worked out extremely well for us on many levels.”
“Our members understand how important it is to provide music retailers with tools to promote the giveaway,” said Antoinette Follett, PlayDrums.com executive director of PlayDrums.com. “By awarding winners gift cards, we’re offering an additional incentive to attract customers to their stores.”
The International Drum Month “Lesson with a Pro” promotion runs annually in May and is open to anyone 14 years of age and older who has been playing drums for more than a year. The initiative is supported by the members of the Percussion Marketing Council and by a grant from the NAMM Foundation.
