Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
Man playing Roland TD716 electronic drum set in a studio
Electronic Drums Best electronic drum sets 2025: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers – plus video and audio demos
Hal Blaine
Drummers Read our classic interview with Wrecking Crew legend Hal Blaine
Electronic drum set pioneers: Neil Peart
Electronic Drums 11 trailblazing players who raised the bar for electronic and hybrid drumming
View from behind a drum kit on stage
Drummers 11 live mistakes every drummer makes
10 people drummers will encounter at gigs
Drummers The 10 people drummers will inevitably encounter when playing a gig
Drummers When British rock drumming ruled the world
Danny Carey
Drummers 6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
Simon Phillips
Artists “I got a hacksaw, chopped down the stand and put the hi-hats down there”: How Simon Phillips learned to play left-handed
Chad Smith watches a busker playing RHCP
Artists “Who wants to tell him?” Busking drummer unknowingly performs Chili Peppers song in front of Chad Smith
Drums The easy guide to recording drums: kit tips, mic placement and setting up your DAW
Paul Gilbert
Recording Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
Nicholas Petricca (WALK THE MOON) and Bryce Vine at Anti Social Camp NYC 2025
Artists PinkPantheress, Billy Bragg, Jamie Cullum and more to spill hitmaking secrets at Anti Social Camp
Drum Recording Techniques
Drums How the rules of drum recording were shaped over decades of trial and error
DarWin
Artists “Most pop music is rubbish now”: Legendary drummer Simon Phillips on producing supergroup DarWin
More
  • Charlie XCX + John Cale
  • Lily Allen's songwriting camp
  • Fleetwood Mac for Glasto?
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Simon Phillips
  1. Tutorials
  2. Drum Lessons & Tutorials

Session Drumming Month: Networking

News
By Rich Chamberlain published 13 April 2011

Steve Barney, Dean Butterworth and more on getting your name out there

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Or is it? How much importance do some of the session world’s top stars place on networking? As part of Session Month we sat them down and asked them.

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

“I’ve found word of mouth is the strongest way to get work … if you do a good job and you’re a cool to be around, people remember you and want you back. Never forget, when you’re employed by an artist, record company or manager you are your own representative. Keep all your email addresses and telephone numbers backed up. Use the power of the internet to promote yourself.”

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

"One tip for networking is to try not to be something your not, i.e be yourself. And also make sure you do make a conscious effort to talk to people and get yourself out there.”

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

“Always staying in touch with other players and producers is very important.Business is about building relationships. That how the dots connect and can take you to the next level.”

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

Networking is important. There’s also a margin where you don’t over do it. If you’re hassling people all the time, it’s not the way to do it. You need to be patient and the gigs will come to you if you do a good job and people like you. The whole session thing is about meeting the right people though so you have to have the interaction skills as well to meet different people and put yourself across in the best way possible.”

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Session Month: Networking

Session Month: Networking

"Networking should be very high on your agenda. Nobody is going to book you if they don't know you exist! Getting out to shows and meeting people is key. Become friends with other drummers as well. We do help each other out and it's nice to involve your musical friends in projects.”

For more session hints, tips and secrets pick up the latest issue of Rhythm and check out our online Session Month.

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
Rich Chamberlain
Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).

Read more
Hal Blaine
Read our classic interview with Wrecking Crew legend Hal Blaine
 
 
Electronic drum set pioneers: Neil Peart
11 trailblazing players who raised the bar for electronic and hybrid drumming
 
 
View from behind a drum kit on stage
11 live mistakes every drummer makes
 
 
10 people drummers will encounter at gigs
The 10 people drummers will inevitably encounter when playing a gig
 
 
When British rock drumming ruled the world
 
 
Danny Carey
6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
 
 
Latest in Drum Lessons & Tutorials
Overhead shot of electronic drum set plugged into a laptop running a VST
“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
 
 
Man in white t-shirt playing a Roland electronic drum set
10 common electronic drum set issues and how to troubleshoot them
 
 
Side profile of a person playing a drum kit
13 easy drum songs every beginner should learn
 
 
Millenium Drums Legendary Drumbook
“An extremely well-thought-out and all-encompassing piece of drum education”: Millenium Drums Legendary Drumbook review
 
 
Chad Smith
Chad Smith just destroyed the Wu-Tang Clan in his latest drum tuition video
 
 
Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater
“I’m sorry I ruined your song!”: Mike Portnoy hears Taylor Swift's Shake It Off for the first time and plays along... with surprising results
 
 
Latest in News
Alex Skolnick of Testament shows off his signature ESP singlecut as he performs at Belgium's Alcatraz Festival in 2024. On the right, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth photographed in the corridors backstage at Wembley Arena in 2015.
Alex Skolnick on the time he was on standby for Megadeth – and what to do when you can’t match a player lick for lick
 
 
An Alesis Strata Core electronic drum set on a yellow background
I’ve seen a lot of Black Friday sales, but this one’s next level - Sweetwater just dropped thousands of discounts of up to 80% off guitars, drums, keys, and more
 
 
David Bowie and Damon Albarn sing together
“I nearly made a record with Ray Davies and David Bowie”: Damon Albarn on the dream collab that never happened
 
 
Coldplay Music of the Spheres tour
Coldplay’s live engineers reveal the lengths they go to to record every show on the band’s Music of the Spheres tour
 
 
Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster: the new glitch/synth mini-pedal from the storied NYC pedal brand
EHX expands its Pico series with the Atomic Cluster Spectral Decomposer – a mini-pedal that sounds so wrong its right
 
 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Charli XCX attends the Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere of HBO Original Comedy Series "I Love LA" at Paramount Theatre on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for HBO)
"I sort of felt like I was squeezing blood from a stone”: Charli XCX reveals her post-Brat creative comedown
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...