SPC alumnus reaches final round of 2026 Guitar Center Drum-Off

Jake Ward, a 2023 graduate of South Plains College’s commercial music program, will compete in the final round of the 2026 Guitar Center Drum-Off on Aug. 20 at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. Ward will compete against five other finalists from across the nation.

“If it had not been for my wife, Corinne, I would not have attempted the competition,” Ward said. “She really pushed me a week before submissions closed to record and submit a video. I felt very fortunate that a lot of my family members and friends stood by my side, which helped me reach the next round.”

Ward, now an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, competed against thousands of drummers across three rounds to reach this point. The first round required a video submission, the second round was a district performance in Denver and the third round was a regional competition in Hollywood.

In addition to the support from his family and friends, Ward credits SPC and its faculty for shaping him into the performer he is today.

“The fundamentals of who I am as a musician come from me being at South Point College,” he said. “They taught me how to be a professional and how to really thrive in music.”

Growing up, Ward’s music journey was influenced by his dad, who played drums in a military band in the U.S. Navy, and his mom, who has a love of ‘80s music.

After graduating from high school, Ward served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah for a few years. He then moved to Lubbock with his parents, where he met SPC Creative Arts faculty members Brent and Emily Wheeler at church. From there, he learned about the creative and professional pathways SPC offers.

“They are just so influential to me in developing my musicianship and teaching me a lot of important lessons, and they mentored me very well,” Ward said, regarding the Creative Arts faculty at SPC.

SPC’s commercial music program helped Ward improve his drumming and learn lessons about navigating the music industry. He said the College transformed him into a true music professional.

“Professionalism was taught well at South Plains College,” he said. “I developed it in a way I never had before attending SPC.”

After the Guitar Center Drum-Off, Ward plans to obtain his bachelor’s degree in commercial music from BYU, attend graduate school and improve his craft in a professional music setting.

“I would not have been able to get here without SPC, without my family, without my wife,” he said. “I also would not be able to do this without God.”

Students wanting more information about SPC’s percussion program can contact Phillip Smith, director of percussion in commercial music, at 806-716-2290 or psmith@southplainscollege.edu.

(Photo courtesy of Jake Ward)