Int'l Percussioner became Percussion. I have all the issues and the cassettes that came with them. They had that cool R. Humphrey thing, Vinnie's article on Metric Mod, Garibaldi stuff and plenty of other technique articles. Which is probably why it folded after so few issues! Creative Drummer was another Magazine that had a lot of technical articles in it that folded too. It's just too narrow a market, I think.
Brad
I'm also an ex-reader of MD.
I agree with a lot of what being said, and I would welcome the HOD gear review (Yamaha vs. Gretch/ Tama Starclassic vs. DW etc.) -especially on the Yamaha not having a suspension system, to get all out of their very good drums.
You know, i have a memory like a steel-trap, and i have never really heard anyone get in depth about 'making it' in the session biz. MD has really missed it on this one. I mean, nothing ever in depth... nothing that one could really sink their teeth into. I guess if you cut & pasted this and that from one interview and another, you would have it; but something so basic, i don't think, has been convered properly. I would LOVE if they would really make it a point to have a round table of session players, or even just one, and dedicate a whole interview to that subject. I mean, how many times can you ask the same questions to different people... Who are your influences? What was it like to record? You hit really hard. Sounds like you are trying to go in a new direction... yada, yada.
It sure would serve drummers well if they would cut the f*cking fluff and cut to the chase and really dedicate something that is more than a couple questions, or a "first person" one page article (i.e. the Russ McKinnon thing he did a couple years back).
They need to sit down and just go down the line.
Like, you wanna be a session player? Ok then, here is what you have cut out for you:
A)
B)
C)
D)...
... you get the point.
I think it deserves more attention than it gets, i mean, to me that IS the #1 questiont that SHOULD be addressed.
You shouldn't have to read between the lines for something like that.
Hass talks about that on his site Matricks in various posts and monthly columns.
To get someone like Vinnie to talk about defeats the purpose because guys like that came into the studio when it was thriving. Even a generation before Steve Hass, like for example Abe Jr, Russ Miller or a little earlier Shawn Pelton and Matt Chamberlain, even those guys came into it and made a name while it was still somewhat existant.
Now, the Carlock and Hass generation of session players have it much different.
Households names of today became that way back when sessions were plentiful. And they still pick up the leftovers.
I wanna read about how this younger generation does it. When you go to Steve's site, he's always recording when he's not touring. ALWAYS. There's new CD releases, T.V and movie soundtracks every month on his site. That topic would make for a good read.
Here's a good interview with Russ Miller about studio drumming.
Russ Miller Studio Drumming Interview
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">'You got that right,' Brad. Too pervasive an American Midol, eMpTyV, & gangsta-thug-pimp mentality at large. [What I mean by the Amer Midol thing - i mean, it's an Ok show, but lately when you watch & you see all these folks crying like their whole world has eneded when they don't get picked... [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img] Seems they're perpetuating an already existing / created monster...and plenty of other technique articles. Which is probably why it folded after so few issues! Creative Drummer was another Magazine that had a lot of technical articles in it that folded too. It's just too narrow a market, I think
matricks - I have seen some 'decent' articles on this, but LONG ago...1 was in an MD...such as "Sessioner's Roundtable [discussion]" & the like...but you're not going to see a lot of this...it's for those in the know who are "in" to know, & everyone else to find out [on their own]. They're not going to give out any [real & actual, in-depth-] freebies to the populace at large. It's an insider friendly but close-knit society. You have to go the rounds & basically try to make it in / contacts on your own.
It helps when your life-long best friends or relatives are already in there...oh, & moving to one of the major hubs [duh]...& of course, $ doesn't hurt either [img]wink.gif[/img]
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 04, 2005 06:44 PM: Message edited by: fuseU1 ]</font>
Again, Daniel, it doesn't really matter what Russ Miller's experiences are. He started in the scene in the late 80s/Early 90s. It was a different time and there was more of a session scene. His experience, although it may be a great story, does not apply to today. The scene is dead now. Yet some of todays younger player are still on lot's of recording. I want to know how THEY do it.
The scene is dead because of home studios and and drum loop CD's. Also producers have become awfully good at programming drums and it's much cheaper. So instead of running from session to session, big time players only record a few times a month. That's why they're always on the road. Used to be you can stay in LA or NY and make an amazing living.
I know my question is not the most important, but I was wondering how the younger players break into an already sewn up session scene. HASS moved to NYC in 98 and is playing on tons of recordings. Yet there are other great musicians struggling. There's another guy Doug Yowell with Suzanne Vega who also does a lot sessions in NY.
As far as LA the last influx was Miller and Abe Jr. I haven't heard of anyone breaking in since.
2 years ago maybe, I was at Vinnie's old cartage company and they had the session calendar for the next 2 months up on the wall.
Vinnie had maybe 4-5 sessions for that period. There were no other drummers/sessions listed.
I think Brooks Wackerman broke in since but I don't know if he's working to the degree these other guys are. (he might be; I just don't know)
I thought Russ' article was pretty on point even by today's standards. You've got to know people who are doing lots of recording to get on lots of records. Hass gigs a ton and has done some decent profile stuff in addition to being very flexible and I would imagine, easy to work with.
I suspect there aren't many articles because there is no secret. It's the same as why there aren't articles on getting signed and becoming rich and famous with your band. If there was a trick, it would have leaked by now I guarantee you. No one is keeping anything from anyone and there are guys like Hass who are very open anyway. I'm sure he'll reply in his forum if you ask him.
Do your best, meet and play with the best people you can and that's all you can do. Fate will do the rest and take you where you need to go.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, my post was more in reference to Matricks' post. I just figured some people here might find it interesting to read. I certainly did and I think that it has some relevance to todays scene.Originally posted by SDK:
Again, Daniel, it doesn't really matter what Russ Miller's experiences are. He started in the scene in the late 80s/Early 90s. It was a different time and there was more of a session scene. His experience, although it may be a great story, does not apply to today. The scene is dead now. Yet some of todays younger player are still on lot's of recording. I want to know how THEY do it.
How is the scene dead if people are still playing on and recording albums? Are there fewer albums being made today than in the 80's and 90's?
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