A noisy arena surrounds senior Kevin James. Students ready for the Duncanville vs. Cedar Hill football pep rally are getting excited for the evening’s proceedings. But sitting on a small stool on the basketball court, behind a drum set, gripping drumsticks in both of his hands, James is ready to perform.

“Kevin had talked down about his skill level and he said he needed to work on some stuff. But when I first heard him play, he could just flat out drum,” Guitar Club sponsor John Tahaney said.

James recently won radio station 92.5 KZPS’s contest for an opportunity to play in concert with Jason Bonham, the son of Led Zeplins drummer John Bonham. He will now be able to not only attend a special concert in Dallas with the drummer, but will also receive a private lesson with him as well. James is excited for his private lesson and is looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience.

“I don’t really get nervous about many things,” James said. “I think that first time nervousness went away the first time I hit my beginner bell kit in 6th grade. I’m just really excited to be playing with Jason Bonham in concert .”

James plays the drums for his church’s contemporary worship service. He enjoys worshiping through drumming.

“I usually play by what I feel. I just let it go and what comes out, comes out,” James said.

James drums for the guitar club and also is a member of the golf team. Although both of these hobbies may seem different, he has found similarities between them.

“I sat down and thought about how I golf and how I drum, and I realized the only thing in common is the feeling, ” James said. “When you hit a golf ball just right your whole body feels it. It just feels great. When I hit a drum just right it feels the same, just great.”

James has his own style of drumming, but plays a lot of different genres of music. His favorite, however, is music by Led Zepplin and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“He’s willing to play anything,” sophomore and fellow drummer Jayden Fitzpatrick said. “He’s up for anything anyone wants to play.”

This contest brings new experiences to James. Although James is accomplished in his drumming, he has never been trained by a professional.

“I’ve never had a lesson. This will be my first lesson,” James said. “You could call it self-taught, but I consider my talent a gift from God, a blessing, and all glory goes to Him. I’m using my talent for fun and to worship Him. So it’s great.”