Congratulations to Fifth Year Ellis who finished in the top 10 of the national Young Drummer of the Year (YDOTY) 2025 competition. Despite not winning the top prize this year, executives from Zildjian (sponsors and judges of the competition) highly commended his performance and have since sponsored him through top-of-the-range kit provision and he has attended a workshop with Matty Brown, Stormzy’s Music Director, another competition judge.
Ellis comes from a very talented musical family and started learning the piano when he was just five years old and drums when he was seven. At Trinity, he plays drums in Big Band 1, piano in Jazz Collective, and percussion for both Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Orchestra. He says, “I love all the ensembles, both classical and jazz, as I get to spend time making music with my peers.”
It was at school that he first heard about the YDOTY competition. Ellis says: “I saw a poster promoting it in the Music Department and Mr Nall (Visiting Drum Kit Teacher) strongly encouraged me to enter! The initial step was to submit a YouTube link of a 2-minute drum solo. I was overjoyed to find out that I got through to the top 40 and subsequently made it to the final 10.”
The YDOTY Final
“The final was held at The Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset and in addition to performing a 2-minute solo on the big stage, we all had to work out the drum part to a pre-recorded track sent to us a month before the competition by Mike Dolbear, the competition founder and a veteran drummer.
I loved this part as it allowed me to be creative, applying my vocabulary and style. It was fascinating that although we all drummed to the same track, each of us gave it a different spin. We also had to learn a brand-new piece on the day, by listening to it only three times, then performing it with a guitarist and bassist as the final component of the competition. It was daunting, but very fun at the same time.
Meeting all the other drummers was really cool as we instantly understood each other. Since we weren’t allowed to listen to each other’s performances during the competition, we had to stay in a soundproof green room together. We chatted for hours; there was never a dull moment.
Meeting all the music professionals was incredible. They were all very supportive and friendly. I really appreciated the feedback they gave me post-competition. The vibe was so relaxed, and Mike made sure that we were all well looked after from start to finish.
As we did not hear any of the other finalists perform, it was quite daunting when the result was announced as we genuinely had no clue. Jack Manders won the competition, and it was well-deserved. Initially, I was very happy for him, but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated with myself afterwards as I knew I could have done better. But the next day, I woke up feeling very positive as I recognised the areas I need to improve and explore more in my drumming. It is a steep but great learning curve for me. I feel very grateful to have had such an amazing experience.”
What has happened since?
“A few weeks after the competition, my parents received an email from John Stephans, the CEO of Zildjian, who sponsored the YDOTY event. I was in awe to find out that John and the rest of the Zildjian team highly commended my competition performance and offered me the opportunity to choose four cymbals from the Zildjian selection and a brick of drumsticks for free to support my musical journey. What a dream!
Soon after that, I was also invited to attend a drum workshop with Matty Brown, Stormzy’s Music Director, and one of the judges in the competition, which was held at the World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens. It’s an amazing music venue for young people by the Battersea Power Station development and I gathered valuable insights on how the current music industry works and some do’s and dont’s for being a successful drummer. I also got the chance to play on his rather sparkly and massive drum kit.”
What’s the dream?
“I grew up in a musical family, with my mum and dad both studying music at university. Listening to all sorts of music has been my daily routine since I was born. My mum introduced me to Robert Fordjour to learn drums when I was 7 and I haven’t looked back. As Courtney Pine’s drummer, Robert welcomed me into his incredible circle of jazz musicians. Age 12, I began training with Julian Joseph at his Jazz Academy on Saturdays. Through Julian and Sahana Gero, the founder and artistic director of World Heart Beat Music Academy, they have created many gigging opportunities and workshops hosted by top musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis and Mark Mondesir.
I really want to have a music career in the future. I am working towards becoming the best drummer that I can be. I am also inspired to become a composer and a music director in the future, so I guess being an all-round musician is my goal. In terms of my musical training, I gained my LTCL diploma last October, and I hope to complete my FTCL diploma before I finish my studies at Trinity. I would love to study Jazz at prestigious conservatoires in the US, such as Juilliard or Berklee (if I am accepted and can receive financial support) or in the UK, such as the Royal Academy of Music or Trinity Laban. For my short-term goal, I would like to enter YDOTY in 2026, and hopefully, with the experience I gained this year, I can do a better job and enjoy the stage even more!”
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