Wyatt Azevedo wins full scholarship to Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp
Wyatt Azevedo earned a full Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp scholarship, opening a week of elite instruction, networking, and real-world drumming access worth more than $1,400.
Wyatt Azevedo earned the grand-prize BeatXBeat scholarship to the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp, a full package that covers tuition, room and board, Wi-Fi, and camp swag for the young drummer. The contest winners were announced May 10, with Declan Waugh, Levi Benjamin-Pietila, and Cosette Rogers named as finalists in a field limited to drummers ages 12 to 15.
The scholarship is bigger than a prize because it drops a developing player directly into a working educational environment. The 6th annual Mid Atlantic Drum Camp is scheduled for July 18 to 23 at St. Mary’s College in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, with Matt Garstka of Animals As Leaders, Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy, and host-educator Sheila Klotz set to lead the week. For a young drummer, that means hearing top-level playing up close, getting notes from players who make their living behind the kit, and learning how the basics of time, touch, and consistency hold up under pressure.
The judging panel gave Wyatt’s video an 80 percent score and praised the way he moved between grooves with power and authenticity. That panel brought together Ricardo Oso Cortez, Val Sepulveda, Brandon Khoo, Megan Spencer, Josh Baker-Dukes, and Pauline Roberts, a lineup that underscores how many different ears go into spotting a young player with upside. Applications for the scholarship ran from January 5 to April 15, and the award was first announced in November 2025 as a newly created opportunity worth more than $1,400.
For TRX Cymbal Co. LLC and SoMar Drummers, Inc., the scholarship fits a longer effort to build a pipeline rather than just hand out gear. TRX says the company was established in 2006 with a mission to support “Young Turks,” its phrase for strong, young newcomers, and SoMar has already promoted youth programming, including a 2021 overnight drumset camp for ages 12 to 18. That history helps explain why the Mid-Atlantic Drum Camp keeps drawing promising young drummers from around the country and why brands see this kind of scholarship as an investment in the next generation of players, not just a one-off promotion.
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