Crawford Prep’s ‘drumbelievable’ young talent
The youngster recently performed 18 songs with an adult band during a school production.
DRUMMING ‘prodigy,’ Obed Ephraim (11) was crowned the Junior Drumkit Player of the Year when he competed in the KZN Drumkit Contest recently. Father, Roderick Ephraim said drummers of all ages competed.
“He also entered the open category and blew the audience away, coming third. He was recently awarded Most Promising Drummer at Crawford Prep Music Festival for the third year,” he added.
In addition to this, Ephraim placed first in the grade four drum category and won a diamond award at the eThekwini Eistedfodd as well as an incentive award from St Mary’s DSG for Excellent Performance. The youngster, who is a Crawford Prep Grade 5 learner, recently performed 18 songs with an adult band during a school production.
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“It was easy. I just listened to the songs and then I could play them,” said the young drummer.
Ephraim has been drumming since he was just three years old, said his mother, Seema Ephraim.
“It is amazing, the gift he has. It’s not just that he is a good drummer, it comes naturally to him. He can just hear a song and then pick it up. His father used to put him on his shoulders at church, and Obed would be drumming on his dad’s shoulders to the beat of the drummer,” she said.
“At weddings, he would go up and drum on the band’s drum kit and then come back for his bottle,” she added.
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With lessons, he has flourished said Roderick.
“We are very grateful to his drum teacher, Gareth Gale. Obed had the raw talent, but his teacher helped to develop it even further,” he said.
While he is a master of percussion, Ephraim said he is also an avid sport’s player.
“I like drumming, but I also like sport. I play soccer, cricket, hockey and I do swimming,” he said.
While sport is his main passion now, the youngster has his eye set on a career in music one day.
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