Alexey Poblete is a nine-year-old powerhouse-drumming machine. She has gained popularity being featured in countless videos on YouTube, perfectly executing each drum cover. Alexey exudes pure excitement and passion playing the drums, whether it’s a pop song or classic rock ballad. Her talent, precision and love for playing is something that should not go unnoticed and be an inspiration for other young and old musicians.
Full Name: Alexey Poblete
Age: 9
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Lives in: Las Vegas
Current Bands: AC Generation
Day Job: Being a 9-year-old genius
Kit Set up: Pearl drums and Soultone Cymbals: 8″, 10″, and 12″ rack toms,14″ and 16″ floor toms, 14″ snare,
18″ bass, 8″, 12″, and 14″ china,
12″ FSO,
18″ ride,
14″ and 16″ crash,
13″ hi hat.
Watching a nine-year-old flawlessly execute the drums on a cover of “Nightmare” by the California heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, it’s hard not to be a little skeptical. How could this kid be so good? At the time, Alexey Poblete had only been playing for a year and a half. A scan of comments on one of her many YouTube videos, some with tens of thousands of views, reveals an ongoing debate about the authenticity of her drumming, with fans quick to defend her talent.
“I don’t really deal with it,” says the nine-year-old, who speaks with the confidence of someone who knows her abilities. A hefty schedule of school, practice and performing keeps Alexey way too busy to respond to naysayers. Since beginning lessons with instructor David White in 2009, Poblete has competed and won a number of national drumming competitions. Alexey’s first win was after she had only been taking lessons for six months. Her love of performing for an audience has led her to play with legendary musicians Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder.
With supportive and marketing-savvy parents on her side, Poblete has been the subject of online videos for more than two years, some sponsored by Soultone Cymbals, covering songs by such bands as Rush, Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath. Her affinity for classic rock covers is balanced by a healthy dose of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears pop hits. Alexey effortlessly crushes some of the most complicated drum lines. Her list of inspirational drummers is a little more diverse and includes Cindy Blackman, Emmanuelle Caplette, Sheila E, Neal Peart, Eric Singer and a slew of YouTube drummers.
She decided she wanted to play drums after watching Nickelodeon’s, The Naked Boy Band. Alexey’s band, AC Generation, which also features her brother, Cidney, on bass and keyboards, covers polished Nickelodeon-worthy jams. They even have their own music video. It’s clear that Poblete loves what she does and sees drumming as a lifelong career. “I want to play on stage mostly everyday in front of people,” she said when asked about her goals. “I really like to give performances, it makes me feel good.”
Poblete is a truly talented and promising drummer that has the potential to reach prolific status. She pushes the boundaries of what we expect a kid can do and broadens our understanding. Accomplishing her dream of being one of the greatest drummers in the world will take a lifetime to determine, but we definitely look forward to witnessing the journey.
By Colleen Siviter
Photos courtesy of artist