School of Rock is partnering with Hit Like A Girl to promote their annual drumming contest beginning March 1, 2023. The Hit Like A Girl contest is an opportunity for young drummers around the world to be critiqued by celebrity judges, win scholarships, make new friends, and network in the music industry. School of Rock students are encouraged to enter the drumming contest by submitting an entry video to their website. Many School of Rock students have entered the Hit Like A Girl contest in the past and several have been selected as winners and even Champions! Here are a few tips to get you started.
Hit Like A Girl
- Play what you love! Every genre and type of music has value.
- Keep it classy and be respectful. Avoid explicit language curse words and inappropriate graphics or content.
- Play what you are best at. You don’t get extra points for difficulty. Better to crush a simple groove than struggle with something out of your comfort zone.
- Have fun!
General Tips
- Read the audition/contest rules carefully and make sure you follow them.
- Make sure your video shows your best effort. Give yourself plenty of time to rehearse and do multiple takes until you are satisfied with your performance.
- Dress for the stage.
- Tidy up the room and move clutter out of frame.
- No need for professional video or audio production but spend some time making sure your video looks and sounds the best it can.
- An audition is a performance, show some enthusiasm!
- No need to be clever/overly produced; let your performance speak for itself.
- Pick material that you can master, and that shows a blend of chops and groove.
- Avoid obscure tunes that the judges aren’t familiar with. Choose your songs/backing tracks carefully to showcase your strengths. Avoid tracks that may be obscure or unfamiliar to the judges or overly.
- If performing multiple songs, pick songs that showcase different facets of your playing.
- No need to produce a multi-framed or multi-camera production or show yourself playing all the multiple instruments. This will not increase your chance of success. Concentrate on your primary instrument.
- Be confident, engaging, and inspiring!
Video Tips
- Film your content in Landscape horizontal format for most presentations but in Portrait vertical format for social media.
- For the best quality, film in 4K and at 30 fps (30 frames per second). Go to: Settings > Camera > Record Video > choose the desired settings.
- Film in a well-lit area using natural light or video/photo lights. Make sure there is plenty of light on you.
- Optimize your audio quality. It’s fine to record using the microphone on your phone but make sure that the sound of your drums and cymbals isn’t distorting.
- Try to maintain a balance between Groove and Chops! Chops are cool but Groove is what makes hit records and pays the bills.
- Stay professional when filming but don’t be afraid to show your personality. This is your chance to show the world who you are.
Drums
- Experiment with mic placement until you get a good, clear sound. If you are using a single mic, try moving it different distances from the kit until you have a good balance between all the drums and cymbals.
- Play dynamically, don’t play too hard (especially cymbals). Make sure the sound of the drums and cymbals isn’t distorted.
- Tune and muffle your kit to reduce any unwanted ringing.
- Find a camera angle that shows your limbs and your face.
If you're new to the drums, we've got you covered! Learn more about drum lessons at School of Rock or schedule a visit at your local school below to get started!
