Drummer Mamas

Send us Fan Mail 2025 has been a big year for Martina Barakoska both personally and professionally; she’s moved to a different country, learned a new language, filmed a phenomenal commercial for Thomann, hosted a masterclass at the UK Drum Show, and is busy with new music. And those are just a couple of highlights. Martina tells us what inspired her to leave her hometown of Skopje in North Macedon...

Send us Fan Mail Having enjoyed huge success with Paul Weller and the Style Council from the latter part of his teenage years, Steve White went on to tour all over the world and become a hugely respected drum clinician, author and educator. As a dad to four children, and husband to a successful actress and producer, how has he fitted his music career together with family life? Steve tells us how h...

Send us Fan Mail Gemma and Ciara have been up to new things… Ciara is about to launch ‘Begin’, an online beginner drum course that people can do at their own pace, and Gemma has set up Swiftiedrums on social media, where people can learn the real drum parts to Taylor Swift songs with notation and drum charts to download. Talking about learning new skills, adapting, asking other people for help (ev...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Hagan worked as the Director of Artist Relations at Zildjian for several years, is on the Board of Advisors for the Percussive Arts Society, and now runs her own consulting company, so if anyone knows about the topic of diversity and inclusion, it’s her! We asked her what changes she has seen in the drum industry and what she hopes for the future of it. How can we ensure fai...

Send us Fan Mail ‘Leave the room better than when you entered it and make everyone feel awesome along the way’ is the mantra that Stan Bicknell lives by, and it seems to work because he landed himself a huge tour with Natasha Bedingfield this year! He is seeing success with his Mastermind Drummer platform…but he’s had to make a lot of tough choices with his family to get where he is… Enjoy finding...

Send us Fan Mail We met up in Liverpool for the UK Drum Show! What were our favourite moments from the weekend? What would we do differently next time? From the Main Stage to the Education Room and everything in between, this is our rundown of the biggest drum event of the year. Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas instagram.com/Ciaradrums instagram.com/gemmadrums Instagram.com/swiftiedrums...

Send us Fan Mail Ollie Winiberg is the sunny personality who is best known for interviewing drummers and hosting the UK and Europe Drum Shows. Ollie frankly shares his journey to where he is today with us, including his start in BBC radio, losing his dad at a young age, and the impact his grief has had on his life and parenting, as well as growing up with Jeff Beck’s unwavering support as a teenag...

Send us Fan Mail Our episode last week was recorded with Will Daly as he and his wife were days or hours before becoming first-time parents. This time, we speak to Will a few weeks after the birth of this son. How did it all go?! What has been the reality for Will and his new family as he goes back to work as a self-employed musician and drum teacher? And has becoming a dad changed his outlook on...

Send us Fan Mail At any moment now, Will Daly and his wife are about to become first-time parents! What will being a dad mean for Will and his drum teaching school? As a self- employed musician, are there any plans or practical steps that he’s taken to cover his job in the weeks after the birth? Drummer Mamas have an unusual take on parenthood with this before-birth episode; next week we catch up...

Send us Fan Mail What an opener to the new season! Mike Johnston is joining us to kick off our autumn 2025 episodes, and we take the chance to ask him about the family he has supporting him behind the scenes. What keeps him ticking when he’s not at a drum kit? And what will we see at his Education Room at this year’s UK Drum Show in Liverpool? This episode gives a different slant on the well-known...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder how you could get better results from your practice time? Or have you had to take a break from drums and feel overwhelmed at the idea of how to get back into practising again? We speak to Christin Neddens, author of ‘Creative Flow – the ultimate drum practice workout’ to find out her tips for enjoyable, effective practice, and what inspires her own practice rout...

Send us Fan Mail Ciara started her UK drum camps for women three years ago, and in that time her ideas and business have grown far beyond what she had originally imagined. Answering questions from Gemma, Ciara describes how the drum camps started, what they involve, what participants can expect from them, plus some ideas she has for the future! Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas Instagram....

Send us Fan Mail We’ve wanted to cover this topic for a while now, so we’re pleased to speak to James Sharp about mental health, ranging from anxiety and depression to performance anxiety within music. James is a Drumsense Master Tutor with his own drum school in Devon and he has written two drum books in his ‘Freedom within structure’ series. Having dealt with anxiety and depression personally, J...

Send us Fan Mail Debbie Knox-Hewson has spent the last decade touring with acts such as Charli XCX, Honey Blood and James. This festival season is a bit different for Debbie as she shares some VERY exciting news with us! We take this unique opportunity to ask Debbie questions about how she’s doing from day-to-day while being busy touring and planning for the future, plus her journey to motherhood...

Send us Fan Mail Gemma answers Ciara’s questions on another side of the drum industry: drum books, publishing and music magazines. Gemma lifts the lid on her experiences as editor of Drummer Magazine, and how that has led to editing, proofreading and translating drum books by some of the most popular and influential drummers around today. Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas instagram.com/Ci...

Send us Fan Mail Jo began her music career as a freelance violinist and soon branched off into other areas of the industry, setting up her own laser string show and entertainment agency, which allowed her the freedom to work around her two young children. Jo has developed her career further by training as a transformational career and life coach and she specialises in helping creative mums decide...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Dolbear is at the heart of the UK drum scene as a teacher, as founder of the Young Drummer of the Year event (which he started more than 20 years ago), and with his masterclass room at the UK and European Drum Shows. As mentor to some of the biggest names in the music industry, Mike shares his wisdom on communicating with his students, the importance of highlighting mental he...

Send us Fan Mail Dorothea Taylor started drumming in school—and never stopped. From playing while pregnant to going viral online in her 70s, she’s become an unexpected internet sensation and a role model for drummers of all ages. In this episode Dorothea shares practical advice on staying consistent with practice, handling trolls with grace, and using her platform to uplift and educate the drummin...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is purely based upon your questions to us, which covered a wide range of topics that include: maintaining creativitiy after becoming a mum, planning or managing finances during pregnancy as a freelance musician, diversifying your income after becoming a parent, dealing with trolls online, and much more. Thanks to those who messaged in with your fantastic questions!  I...

Send us Fan Mail Cami Loops has a huge online following, a constant flow of creative ideas, drum chops to die for, and she homeschools her 6-year-old son. How does she fit it all in? Cami tells us what her day-to-day routine looks like and shares her outlook on attracting the life that you want for yourself. Cami's album "I Choose Love" can be found here: Spotify https://open.spotif...

Send us Fan Mail While Ciara is and always has been a self-help book fan, Gemma has a habit of buying parenting advice books and hoping their wisdom will reach her through osmosis without actually reading them. The Drummer Mamas discuss the parenting books that they have (and haven’t) read, what books provided the best advice during pregnancy, and whether we really need them or if we should just l...

Send us Fan Mail Derrick McKenzie joined Jamiroquai when his eldest child was a year old, meaning that he has a lot of experience and wisdom in dealing with band life and fatherhood. Luckily for us, he shares it with us in this episode! From keeping weekends for family to making phone calls with loose change from public telephones on tour, Derrick gives us an insight into how he juggled playing in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk about being a drummer, being a mum, being...you. This week, we chat about how identity shifts through life, what being a 'female drummer' means to us, and why taking a break from drumming doesn't mean losing who you are. Follow us here: Instagram.com/drummermamas instagram.com/Ciaradrums instagram.com/gemmadrums  Follow us here:  Instagram.co...

Send us Fan Mail We’re very pleased to welcome Jamie Wollam to the podcast – Jamie has been playing drums for Tears For Fears for the last 15 years, which is a time that has seen a lot of change for him, both personally and as a parent. Jamie gives us a very frank and honest insight into dealing with alcohol addiction and the result that this has had on the relationships with his two children. He...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Jodi Anne Roberts—drummer, mum, and former student—who shares her journey of picking up the sticks in her 20's and finding joy in the challenge. Jodi talks about juggling multiple roles, from family life to performing in local bands, and how drumming has become her space for growth, creativity, and courage. With no grand ambitions for fame, J...