Latin Music Artist News 2014: Chilean Drummer Val Sepulveda Talks Career, Rise to Top of Male-Dominated Music Scene (Exclusive)

By Melissa Castellanos Nov 22 2014, 11:43 AM EST

"I have always felt a special connection with the drums. Even as a little girl I would pick out the drum lines in popular music and keep the beat with my fingers until they would go numb. There is something mesmerizing about the beat, the rhythm, the thread that brings all other music together." - Chilean drummer Val Sepulveda and "Hit Like a Girl Contest" 2013 Champion

When Val Sepulveda was young, the phrase "you hit like a girl" might have been discouraging to an impressionable little girl, but now the award-winning drummer is having the last laugh, saying joke's on you, silly boys! It turns out that hitting like a girl is one of the Chilean drummer's best attributes, gaining her international recognition in the evolving world of drumming, where more females are participating.

Sepulveda, who began playing drums at age 15 (prior to studying piano for seven years), is the Grand Prize winner of the 2013 "Hit Like a Girl Contest" -- the only international competition for female drummers organized by Drum! Magazine, Tom Tom Magazine and TRX cymbals, where she competed against thousands of entrants from 35 different countries. She also won the televised battle of the bands show in Chile with her all-girl band "Moskita Muerta" in 2008, among many other accomplishments.

Inspired by the fierceness of Lenny Kravitz's former drummer Cindy Blackman, who rocked his "Are You Gonna Go My Way" music video, showing off her killer duds, dark shades, signature Afro and crazy-impressive talent, Sepulveda was empowered and wanted to jam out like that. (In full disclosure, this writer was also wowed by Blackman's drumming, but only rocked out to the song with a pair of pretend air drumsticks!)

Sepulveda, who recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams, recalls a drummers' clinic held by the talented Blackman.

"I was like wow, she's amazing. I can't believe it," Sepulveda told Latin Post.

Recently, Sepulveda was a part of the judging panel for the 2014 "Hit Like a Girl Contest," along with renown female drummers, including Blackman, Sheila E., Hannah Ford and Jess Bowen, among others.

"Oh, course Shelia E. was the mother of all female drummers. I also watched her videos when I was getting into drums," she said.

Sepulveda was thrilled to meet the legendary Shelia E., who recently released her memoir, "The Beat of My Own Drum" at the "She Rocks Awards" last year.

While trailblazers, like Sheila E., might have paved the way, the drummer's landscape is changing.

"Now it's getting more common you can see a lot of female drummer playing," Sepulveda said. "I realize that with this contest ('Hit Like a Girl Contest') that there are so many talented female drummers around the world. I really admire, and I have learned so much from them. I had the opportunities to become one of the judges for the 'Hit Like a Girl Contest' this year. So I got to watch the video entries and I was amazed at so much talent. "

Since her "Hit Like a Girl Contest" win, Sepulveda has had some talented collaborations, including one with fellow female drummer, Fernanda Fuentes.

"She a really good drummer too. I was in the States when I met her through social media. ... It's been fun working with another girl. I used to work with guitar players and bass players," she said.

Now inspiring others, how did the talented Latina become interested in the drums in the first place?

"It was not until my junior year of high school that my true love affair with the instrument began. One afternoon, I snuck into a drum class at my school and began to goof around," according to her bio. "I had not registered for the class, but when the professor saw my interest and passion for the drums, he decided to let me stay. He taught me a basic rock beat, and as much to my surprise as anyone, it came very naturally. I thought to myself, 'This is it. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.'"

Her family embraced her dream of becoming a professional drummer.

"My parents have always supported me in my dreams and when I told them that I wanted to be a professional drummer. They did everything possible to help me get my first set of drums," she said. "I started playing with bands in my high school, entering contests, and playing in music festivals around my hometown. "

After her 2008 win for a televised battle of the bands show in Chile with her all-girl band Moskita Muerta, "the band was propelled into national attention," which led to touring with Chile's most popular artists, including Sergio Lagos, Nicole, Jorge Gonzalez of Los Prisioneros and Javiera Parra y Los Imposibles. The band appeared on major TV shows, and its music hit the airwaves on popular radio channels.

Despite all of the musical success, education was still a priority. In 2011, Sepulveda graduated from the University of Valparaiso with a bachelor's degree in music with emphasis in drum performance. In 2012, Sepulveda later received a scholarship to attend a Juilliard Jazz workshop and toured the West Coast in the Spring of 2013 with The Vibrant Sound band, opening for violinist YouTube sensation Lindsey Stirling.

In 2013, came her "Hit Like a Girl Contest" win. Also last year, Sepulveda presented a workshop for the Women's Music Summit at Musician's Institute in Hollywood along with distinguished artists, such as Jennifer Batten, Holly Knight, Starr Parodi and Leanne Summers.

"It was a very interesting clinic. Of course Latin music is a whole world of different rhythms, like in every country there are so many different styles that you can find. I tried to make the connection," she said.

"The girls weren't really familiar with Latin music, so I showed them how I incorporate it in my music ... like more of bossa nova feeling," she said. "It's cool that if you can add that element to it. It can completely change he groove of the song. It's very interesting that you can change the whole sound if you just add that Latin flavor to it."

Sepulveda is now currently recording series of drum lessons for Drum Channel and also teaching live lessons for its international well-known website, DrumChannel.com. She is currently working as a TA (teacher's assistant) at Musicians Institute, Hollywood California.

Check out Sepulveda's 2013 entry for the "Hit Like a Girl" contest. The improvised track that she performed is called "Groove Essential #97" "Advanced Odd Meter" by Tommy Igoe.