He's the baddest drummer boy

Each finalist had five minutes. Five minutes to convince 10 judges from the drumming world's elite -- Peter Criss of Kiss, Jose Pasillas from Incubus, Tommy Clufetos of Ozzy Osbourne among them -- that he was the next great American drummer.

When his time was up, JP Bouvet was uncertain.

"After I played, I thought it could have gone to anyone," Bouvet said.

But it didn't. It was the 21-year-old Lakeville native who beat out nearly 4,500 other contestants in mid-January to win the 2011 Guitar Center Drum-Off Championship in Los Angeles.

"I was absolutely stoked," he said.

Bouvet's drum solo won him nearly $50,000 in prizes, including $25,000 cash, a custom drum kit, endorsement deals and a recording session at a New York studio.

Bouvet's victory was the result of a lifetime of musical education.

"My mom is a wonderful musician, a bass player and the musical director at church," JP Bouvet said. "She encouraged me to try everything. I found my passion in drumming at an early age."

Bouvet's passion soon turned to devotion. He performed his first drum solo in fifth grade at his school talent show. In high school at Lakeville South, he quit soccer to focus on drumming. And when he found out he had made the Drum-Off finals, he rehearsed tirelessly. Bouvet said in an e-mail that he "approached the solo like a composition. I wanted it to be smooth in terms of transitions, have an overall shape and flow that made sense, and, again, be as musical as possible."

"When he was home over Christmas break, all he did was practice," Iris Bouvet said. "That's all he did. He didn't go out with his friends."

JP Bouvet believes that hard work is what set him apart.

"In my mind, that win represented to me that preparation is the ultimate important thing," he said.

Bouvet's work continues. In two weeks, he will perform in Istanbul with his band, Helicopria. He has also started a website, www.jpbouvetmusic.com, to promote his drumming career. Maria Brown, manager of music and entertainment marketing at Guitar Center, praised Bouvet's "musicality" and "groove," or his ability to play with an ear towards the music and his sense of rhythm.

"He incorporates a lot of different elements into his skills behind the drums," Brown said. "He definitely feels like the type of winner that could take this somewhere. ... He has a strong resolve and drive, particularly for someone who is only 21."

The Drum-Off has transformed the careers of many musicians. Past winners have gone on to drum for the likes of Prince, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Bouvet, who now resides in Boston, hopes that winning the Drum-Off will jump-start his career, as well.

"The key to being a drumming icon is one, you've got to be good at drums, and two, people have to know you exist," Bouvet said. "The exposure is priceless."