text: BY ANDY DOERSCHUK
  Hit Like A Girl recently announced that world-renowned drummer Kimberly Thompson has been selected as the spokesperson for the 2017 international drumming contest. In this role, Thompson will be a representative, role model, and advocate for the worldwide community of female drummers and percussionists. Previous HLAG spokespersons have included Didi Negron, Anika Nilles, and Hannah Welton.
  “I’m honored to be chosen as this year’s Hit Like A Girl spokesperson,” Kimberly says. “It’s so great — especially for young girls to know that they’re not alone and that the drumming community supports them. I wish the program had been around when I was getting started.”
  “We’re so gratified to have Kim represent the contest,” says HLAG co-founder Phil Hood. “She is a rare talent with a great musical pedigree, experience with top rock and jazz artists, and an infectious enthusiasm for drumming that will benefit us all greatly.”
  An incredibly gifted performer and composer, Thompson was born in Los Angles and raised in St. Louis. She began drumming in her school band at the age of 10 and went on to graduate from the Manhattan School of Music in 2003. In addition to recording and touring with Beyoncé Knowles, and being featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Kim founded KTMUSICPRODUCTIONS and has released several albums on the label, including Like Clockwork and her most recent, Treasures Abound. Her upcoming projects include playing and composing the drum parts for upcoming Broadway productions The Donna Summers Project and Romy & Michelle.
  As a student of jazz history, Thompson has taught about the historical development of drum styles and rhythms at numerous masterclasses and drum festivals around the world. Her latest album, 2016’s Treasures Abound, is a tour de force on which she leads her band through originals and jazz classics such as “Blue Monk” and “Take Five” (the first woman-led band to record the Brubeck tune).