Word Count: 2163 (Excluding Bibliography)
This research portfolio is on the profession of a Session Drummer.
Qualifications and Experience
There is no guaranteed pathway to enter the profession of a Session Drummer through having a degree or some specific amount of experience. This job is a constant progression with no definitive end point. To get started, someone already in the profession has to give you a chance and hire you for the first time. From there, it is all about making and maintaining connections, networking, practicing and proving you can do your job well.
Academically, a degree in Popular Music at a Conservatoire, for example, shows that you have spent time in a creative and nurturing environment where you have been improving instrumentally and gaining so much experience about many aspects of the music industry. A degree of this nature will help employers have some insight into who you are before they contact you. To have got onto a Popular Music course and to have graduated immediately shows a level of skill and desirability to possible employers. However, it must be recognized that just by having a music degree, you are not guaranteed a job. As well as this, in The Institute of Contemporary Music Performers’ interview with Ben Thompson (2021), he mentions how a musician’s career starts on the first day of their degree, not on the last. He also discusses how crucial relationships with your tutors and peers are. As these people are the ‘’eyes and ears for introducing you to the next stage of your career’’ (Thompson, 2021). Here Thompson is pointing out that a degree in music can be an extremely useful way into the music industry. However, if approached wrong it may not be any use at all.
In a YouTube interview with American Songwriter (2023), Session Drummer Jonathan Ulman discusses his process for breaking into the session scene. He mentions that a huge help was just letting his connections and peers in the industry know that he was available for work. It is important to get your name into people’s heads to show them you are an option for hiring. As well as this, he states that he made it clear that he was available for both paid and unpaid work. As a Session Drummer starting out, it is important to not to be demanding towards employers or have high expectations of the work you are offered. Take every opportunity you are offered. You will be seen as a desirable team player if you are respectful and grateful regarding any and all work and your name will be passed around the industry with positive associations. When you get to be more in demand, you can start to have more choice about what work you take.
In a Modern Drummer Magazine article (1982) Vinnie Colaiuta highlighted some of his top qualities for being a session drummer. These include timekeeping, reading ability, and getting a good drum sound. He also mentions how a Session Drummer should be able to play many styles of music. Having good experience playing lots of styles will improve your employability. This is because you will not be limited by what projects you can be employed for. Being experienced with a wide variety of music is a huge part of what makes a great Session Drummer.
Knowledge, Skills and Personal Qualities
Alongside musicality and the practical elements of the profession, it is crucial for a Session Drummer to be likeable and easy to work with. Simply being polite and professional makes a huge difference to your chances of being hired. Good communication skills are crucial for musical discussions and logistics such as dates, locations and equipment for a session. Reputation is important as word of mouth is so key to your chances of being offered work. Employers have to want to work with you and know that they could be in a room with you for long periods while getting on with you. No matter what your personal feelings are about a project or colleague, always be respectful.
Being consistently good at your instrument and easy to work with are two of the most crucial skills/qualities a Session Drummer can have. Time is money and employers will want whoever they employ to be efficient and easy to work with. Being a Session Drummer in the modern world means you may be working and recording from home, if you are lucky enough to have the facilities to do so. This means you would need to have skills in recording, mixing, arranging, transcribing et cetera. All these things are very important to a Session Drummer as you may be sent a very limited brief, without charts or much musical direction. Meaning, the drum part and the recording of it is left down to you, and you would need to have the skills to know what to do in that situation. Again, the aim is to maximize employability and having the option to record from home is very appealing to employers. It means they will not have to pay for studio time as well as paying you. Ash Soan in a YouTube video with Audient (2017) talks about how he has recorded drums for Grammy nominated and number one selling records from his home studio. This is an extreme example, but it shows how valuable a home set up can be.
Another personal attribute that is very important is to not be offended or take criticism personally if the producer or artist doesn’t like what you are contributing. Your job is to serve the session, and it can be difficult to realize that it is not about you. To not see criticism as a hurtful thing is very difficult, yet essential to being employed as a session musician. This idea is covered in an article on being a session drummer by the Drum Centre of Portsmouth (2019). They make the point that the role of a Session Drummer is to make somebody else’s idea into a reality, and that you are an employee. Therefore, however difficult, you must remain level-headed and do the job that the artist/producer is paying you to do. Music is such an emotional medium and it is easy to become attached to ideas. However, you will be successful if you can separate your emotions from your work yet still give every project everything you have.
Responsibilities and the day-to-day
As a Session Drummer, there is no set schedule to rely on. Work may not be constant, and every day will look different. With the nature of this profession, the amount of work you have can vary. This means each ‘non-working’ day should be used to practise your instrument, network, promote or be productive in a way that will benefit your business (yourself).
Having a career as a Session Drummer may sometimes look more like a portfolio career. I have discussed ways in which a Session Drummer can use their downtime effectively. However, to combat the unpredictable nature of being a session musician, you may have to take up other jobs to sustain the lifestyle. Such as teaching or lecturing, writing, or even a non-music related job. The goal is of course to be a full-time musician, however in reality that will take time and hard work to become sustainable.
Potential financial and legal issues
The main financial issues could be, as I have highlighted above, not always having work. Therefore, as a Session Drummer you must be willing to take other jobs to fund your living and career. Combining the cost of living and the need for expensive gear to have a good variety of sounds available to you for sessions, and as I mentioned previously, having the equipment to possibly record from home, can be very costly. These business expenses are a huge investment in your career and are necessary.
Legally, there may be issues with the rights and royalties of works you have been a part of. You need to be a member of associations like PRS, PPL and MCPS to understand and claim your rights and royalties. Before starting a project, you should always have a written agreement that clearly states what work will be done, what you will be paid and whether or not you will receive royalties. If you will be receiving royalties, it should be clear as to what percentage you are entitled to. You and your employer both need to sign this agreement and honour it, or legal action can be taken. This is to protect what both parties are owed.
Working out how much you charge for your work is a tricky task that all session musicians must undertake. Use Union rates as a guide. However, this number will change over time. Having an hourly rate or a rate per project that you can send out to employers is a good way of showing professionalism. However, be prepared to be flexible over what you charge. The currency of favors can also be beneficial to get you started and moving forward in your career.
As well as issues with money, it is important that you protect yourself from other legal complications too. The Musicians Union recommends you insure all your equipment and, on their page, titled ‘Public Liability Insurance for Musicians’ (2024) they state that more and more places of employment will require written evidence that you have Public Liability Insurance (PLI). PLI protects you from the financial consequences of claims against you because of injuries or damages while performing and teaching. It is essential to protect yourself with PLI.
Potential Marketing and Promotion
The modern Session Drummer must use the internet and social media as a promotional tool. Having an online portfolio is crucial for employers to find, research and contact you. Promoting yourself and keeping up to date with your online presence should be a part of your daily work. This may include posting updates on current projects, videos of performances and practice sessions, anything that shows your skills and shows that you are active in the industry. This may also include interacting with other musicians’ content as a way of networking, being part of the community.
Letting people know that you are available for work can be useful. In an Instagram post by Session Drummer Alex Rudinger (2024), he stated that he is actively looking for a new touring project. Showing how useful social media is to all levels of session musician. This kind of announcement can be a great way of inviting new opportunities for work. However, you shouldn’t do it too often as it may seem like you never have work, which does not appeal to employers.
In person networking is also one of the best ways to promote yourself. Go to local gigs, meet people and be a part of your local scene. This puts your name into people’s heads. Talking and getting on well with other musicians is one of the best ways to market yourself positively.
Intellectual and Personal Challenges
Being a session musician brings with it a degree of uncertainty. You might not know when you will work next and there may be times when it is hard to stay motivated to carry on. As mentioned, it is so important to use your non-working time wisely. It may be worrying when you are unsure what work you have lined up. So, it is important to stay levelheaded and focused on getting work and progressing in your career. When getting started, having another job alongside your session career might make the stress of making a living a little less daunting.
Another challenge you may face is dispute and disagreements among you and your colleagues. It is difficult to put your own feelings aside with such a creative and emotional thing as music. However, it is so important that you overcome this challenge.
Career-Progression/Development Opportunities
The progression of a Session Drummer is to reach a point where you are working on your own terms. Robert Moutry interviewed by Leeds Conservatoire (2020) says he hopes to one day make drumming alone what he relies on to pay his bills, but it is not common that a Session Drummer can do this. Even with achieving that goal, Moutry acknowledges that it is not easy on your personal life to be a full time Session Drummer, highlighting a lot of time away from home and how difficult that can be. When your career develops, you will have more choice over what work you take. Also, you may wish to focus more on a specific area of drumming such as live or studio work. Platforms like Fiverr have added a new dimension to remote session work which may be a preferable option.
Development as a Session Drummer is a combination of your own motivation and hard work, and others giving you opportunities. Set long term goals and break down how to achieve them on a day-by-day basis. Create your own career by networking with other musicians and industry professionals.
Bibliography
American Songwriter (2023) Session Drumming 101: Making It As A Session Drummer [Video]. Available online: https://youtu.be/sGJq36cJ0ig?si=lt-QCTd-RdxSbAvK [Accessed 18/11/24].
Audient (2017) Ash Soan’s Drum Studio Setup – In The Studio With Ash Soan Pt.2 [Video]. Available online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhmMzwUxu58&t=261s [Accessed: 03/01/25].
Drum Centre of Portsmouth Admin (2019) What You Need to Know About Being a Session Drummer. Available online https://drumcenternh.com/blogs/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-being-a-session-drummer?srsltid=AfmBOoos9fYgmgyGpelaIGF4mTmfvDDUyMsvXEBKwC7RgRrie4gFD_5M [Accessed: 22/12/24].
Flans, R (1982) Vinnie Colaiuta. Available online: https://www.vinniecolaiuta.com/Interviews/ModernDrummer1982 [Accessed: 29/11/24].
IMCP Staff Writer (2021) Ben Thompson | How to Be a Session Drummer. Available online: https://www.icmp.ac.uk/blog/ben-thompson-how-be-a-session-drummer [Accessed: 18/11/24].
Moutry, R (2020) The life of… a Session Drummer. Available online: https://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk/about-us/progression-portal/musicians-survival-guide-articles/the-life-of-a-session-drummer/ [Accessed: 03/01/25].
Musicians’ Union (2024) Public Liability Insurance for Musicians. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/membership-benefits/public-liability-insurance-for-musicians [Accessed: 02/01/25].
Rudinger, A (2024) Quick lil’ thing! [Instagram] 02/05. Available online: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6eRxbgrMEU/?hl=en&img_index=1 [Accessed: 02/01/25].
