BYU Commercial Music Student Jacob Ward Competes With Renowned Drummers and for Iconic Artists from The Beach Boys, Metallica, Van Halen, and No Doubt.
Jacob Ward was teaching drum lessons when he got the email — a message announcing his progression to the 2026 Guitar Center Drum-Off National Finals. Ward won virtual, district and regional competitions, qualifying as one of six finalists out of 2,600 applicants. Ward’s success did not unfold overnight, but he spent years honing his skill and listening to the Spirit, allowing God to guide him toward the path he was meant to follow.
Growing up, Ward admired his father, who served in the U.S. military and played drums in a band. Wanting to impress his father, Jacob would bang on kitchen pots and pans, turning everyday items into his own makeshift drums.
“I got into it because my dad was a drummer for the United States Navy, so I was always around it,” Ward said. “I think I had a knack for it since I was little, bringing out pots and pans and banging on them with my dad’s drumsticks.”
Ward continued to practice the drums throughout grade school, inspired by his dad's influence. In middle school, he began taking his music more seriously, joining a band and learning from his father.
“I joined the middle school band because I wanted to impress my dad,” Ward said. “I was not very good at the time, so he taught me some things.”
Ward developed his passion independently in early high school, when his family moved to Italy for two and a half years. This separation from his drumset helped him realize he missed having the instrument as part of his everyday life.
“We moved overseas, and I couldn’t play the drums for three months,” Ward said. “I wanted to play really badly, and I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone.”
After high school, Ward stayed close to his family in Lubbock, Texas, and earned an associate’s degree in commercial music from South Plains College. Wanting to develop his talents further, he began searching for the right bachelor's program, choosing BYU for the university's affordability, excellent programs and emphasis on faith.
“I wanted to continue commercial music with a bachelor’s degree. When I looked, there were only four or five programs in the nation, and BYU was one of them,” Ward said. “I also loved the emphasis on the gospel here and the focus on Christ-centered learning.”
While visiting a Guitar Center store in Orem, Utah, Ward noticed an advertisement for the company's 2026 Drum-Off competition. He hesitated to enter the first round, but his wife encouraged him to try.
“I didn't think I was going to do it because the first round was all digital, and I didn't think I was going to get enough votes to make it to round two,” Ward said. “But my wife really prompted me to. She said, ‘Hey, go and try. You never know what could happen.’”
For the first round, Ward submitted a three-minute video that was posted on the Guitar Center website for a public vote. He didn’t think he had a large enough social media following to get votes, but kept his fingers crossed. Out of over 2,600 applicants, he was one of the 480 selected for the district rounds.
“I submitted it and got an email about a week later saying, ‘You're moving on to the next round, and you need to be in Denver for it.’”
Then, Ward won his district and advanced to the third round — regionals in Hollywood.
“Regionals were across the U.S. in Hollywood, Nashville and New York City,” Ward said. “Eight drummers competed at each location, and from each they only took two for finals.”
Ward was going about a normal day teaching drum lessons when he received an email announcing that the judges had selected him for the final round. On Aug. 20, he competed as one of six finalists in the 2026 Guitar Center Drum-Off National Finals.
Once again in Hollywood, Ward was awestruck by his talented competitors and a panel of judges composed of iconic musicians. Judges included actor John Stamos, who has made guest appearances with The Beach Boys live touring group since the 1980s, and Adrian Young from No Doubt. The drummers for Metallica, Van Halen and Bon Jovi also performed during the night, bringing stellar energy to the show.
When it came time for Ward to step on stage, he included the audience in his performance, encouraging them to clap along to the beat. Ward said he lost the crowd for a moment, but brought them back when he started freestyling.
“That was an impactful moment when I started to open up a little bit and just stopped thinking,” Ward said.
According to Michael Molenda, editor and writer for Guitar Center, “Ward’s solo was heavy on groove and cascading rhythm figures — it was almost like he was playing beats to songs running in his head at times — and he broke things down to sparse beats more than any of the other finalists.”
Though Jacob didn’t win, he is grateful for the opportunity he had to refine his skills and learn from top drummers.
“Preparing for each section and trying to think thematically about solo and form definitely stretched me, and it pushed me musically to do something different,” Ward said. “My hand speed and technique got better and faster because the guys I was competing against had some incredible hands and drumming ability.”
He also admired the faith of the other contestants, and how the champion, Jonathan Fortson, humbly praised God for his win.
“Something that I noticed about most of the contestants is that they cite God for their success,” Ward said. “I asked Jonathan Fortson for his thoughts, and he told me, ‘Give it up to God, man, and then everything will work in your favor.’ It is because of Jesus Christ that I was able to move forward after the loss, feel happy with my efforts, and recognize the areas I want to improve in.”
The experience helped Ward progress in both his spiritual and professional life; he noted that the video of the final competition already has over half a million views online.
“I was reading the comments and some people were saying Jake Ward had the best groove, and I’ve already had a huge boost in my social media following.”
Ward gained clarity about how he wants to progress his talent and career moving forward.
“It reinforced my current plan, which is to go to graduate school so I can teach at some point. I want to teach students how to do what I did, and how to succeed at the highest levels,” Ward said.
Ward attributes his success as a drummer to God and striving to follow the commandments.
“I love playing the drums. But as I have made Jesus Christ my focus and let God prevail in my life, He has given me opportunities to advance in this career and play with some brilliant artists.”
No matter what a student chooses to pursue, Ward advises them to let Christ set their tempo.
“Whatever you're doing, work hard at that,” Ward said. “But make sure that the Savior is at the center of it.”