Ramon Sampson was named America's best undiscovered drummer during the finals of Guitar Center's Drum-Off 2009 in January 2010.



For Ramon, winning Guitar Center's Drum-Off was the result of his lifelong passion for music. Born in South Africa to a family of musicians, Ramon began drumming with his father at age two.



By the time he was 14, he was touring South Africa, playing with his own jazz group, and studying at South Africa's prestigious National School of the Arts.



In 2006, Ramon's family emigrated from South Africa to the United States and in 2007, he signed up for Drum-Off at his local Guitar Center. Ramon didn't make it past the preliminary rounds that year, but with much practice made it all the way to the Drum-Off Finals the following year.



In January 2010 Ramon beat out over 4,000 other drummers from around the country in five rounds of intense competition, becoming Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion. After winning the competition, Ramon is keeping his career options open, but is especially interested in educating other drummers about the craft.