Professionals: What was your "in"?

I'm wondering how those of you actively making a living in the music industry found your way in.

I've been professional as a drummer for just over a year. I make a steady income from teaching, with semi-regular gigs and session/dep work. I have one or two big opportunities in the wings, but otherwise, at may age (25) and relative inexperience in the scene, I'm currently orbitting the industry, rather than actively engaged in it.

So what about you? I'm generally referring to the freelancers rather than bands. I understand how regular bands and residencies work, but what about those of you who work as drummers? The so called Sidemen.

I'd be interested in your thoughts.

I can tell you from my own personal experience that I really don't remember an "in" per se.....but was sort of always just around

when I was about 12 or 13 I started playing in a lot of metal and hardcore bands around the NY / NJ area.
I was advanced for my age a bit and started playing with a lot of the older bands......and became sort of a novelty ...."hey check out the kid on drums"
I continued to play through my teens and in my 20s was still playing mostly raunchy rock , metal, and NY hardcore.....but everyone was getting older and started to branch out into pop, blues, some jam band kind of stuff and even some jazzy stuff......so I just adjusted and kept playing with anyone and everyone.....sort ot "whoring" myself out

I knew pretty much everyone around so the live gig thing was never a problem being that I sort of became a coveted player in the area ......I still do live gigs with a lot of those guys and also people I have met through all the people in the old scene

the record dates were something I stumbled upon accidentally.
I was doing some demo sessions with a guy named Bob Suede in Hackensack NJ and he was booming at the time and luckily loved how I played drums.....he would rave about me to other studios and producers.....which gave me a rep that preceded me which I didn't enjoy having to live up to most of the time
he would call me for just about every session whether the band had a drummer or not.
needless to say that made for some uncomfortable situations doing ghost tracks while the actual drummer sat and watched ......but I was down for anything .

I ended up doing a few ghost sessions for some labels for bands like Agents Of Man , and Bedlight For Blueeyes, and some others .....and met some other studio musicians whom I still get calls from today

in recent days the session living has slowed a bit.........but it still provides some income.

I used to do a lot more tours than I do now....I turn down most and pass them off to friends.....just would rather not be on the road much these days
but I did get to do a few Warped tours and some Taste of Chaos tours and other things that were fun....just not me anymore

so the "in" thing I really have no advice for .....I never planned anything ...I just kept playing with anyone and everyone

which I kinda still so....

only today instead of raunchy rock n roll, hardcore, and metal,,,,,its more jazz , some blues, some indy or pop gigs and some rock

I really enjoy the jazz gigs these days .....a really free setting....and to get to jam with guys like Ron Carter , and Ravi Coltrane....(which only happened once by the way)....sort of makes up for the low pay of the gigs sometimes ....it's more for the love....like when I was a kid .....feels great

I should be getting out more than I am these days .....but with a baby on the way I have been recently relying a bit more on teaching to stay close to the family

Same here there was never really an "in" after playing in late 80's bands, the scene changed I was asked about tech work and I fell into that as a pro.
I was never a virtuoso player but part of a rhythm section so moving into drum tech was not a big deal and as time moved on moving up in the industry just happened.

First just a drum tech after a while chief backliner & in the end I was (am) the tech for David Gilmours drummers and Stage Manager for Him & Pink Floyd.

I still play ( hulk city.com) and also play in a session band as percussionist.
I think if you want to be involved and earn money in the music industry these days it pays to have more than 1 skill.

Simon