GCMS student hopes to ‘drum’ up TV spot

Grant County Middle School seventh grader Jason Eilers knew he wanted to be a drummer when he was 4 years old.
“When I was 4 my parents got a movie called ‘That Thing You Do’ and I was interested in the drums,” he said. “My drums were laundry baskets and a little toy plastic snare.”      
Now, equipped with a real drum set, the 13-year-old from Dry Ridge is seeking to be a contestant on the eighth season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

Grant County Middle School seventh grader Jason Eilers won second place in the 2011 talent show. Now, he hopes his drumming skills will be showcased on the reality show “America’s Got Talent.” File photo

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The son of Robert and Susan Eilers, Jason recently made an audition tape of himself playing drums to a song called “Will to Live.”
If selected for the popular summer reality show, Jason would perform in front of judges like shock jock Howard Stern and millions of TV viewers.
“I want to try and make it big and travel everywhere,” he said. “Plus, I am in a band called Rough Attitude and if I get famous people will know my band.”
When Jason was about 7 or 8 he received his first drum set, present he loved.

He entered into the 2009 Crittenden-Mt. Zion Elementary talent show, but came home empty handed.
However, his fortune changed in October 2011, when Jason got a new Eclipse drum set, which he played in the GCMS Talent Show for a second place finish.
He tasted success again by placing first in the Grant County Fair Talent Show.

In December, Jason got a new drum set that he will perform on in hopes of making it on “America’s Got Talent.”
Going up against thousands of other talented people across the country, Jason said he knows his chances of being chosen for the show will be difficult.
He estimates his chances are “one in 5,000,” but he said his parents are confident in his first attempt to get on TV.
If he is able to be on the show, Jason said it would mean everything to him.
“I will be just smiley faces and everything,” he said. “My life will be awesome and I will feel great.”