"After my son's first class, I immediately asked about the other kids, the competition. Who did we have to beat in order to get a shot at being the best snare drummer in the land? He named off a few classmates as he was air drumming with his very new, beautiful drumsticks." 

Why does he have to be the best drummer?  Is he likely to ever choose this as a profession? Most kids just want to have fun. Don't turn it into an unnecessary competition.