what's your session rate?

what do you charge to do a recording session? union scale?
I'm a little confused on union rates. I got asked to do drums and percussion on a recording project locally. one day, in and out and be done. it's all super simple piece o' cake chick singer songwriter stuff. Nothing even remotely difficult.
I'm thinking 75 to 100 per hr, what do you think is a fair price? I think i can probably knock it out in 4 hours plus set up time, once i get soundchecked it will be set em up knock em down type stuff. If i made 5 bills I'd feel pretty good about it.

Hi Kenny,
If the artist is local,chances are they are not being funded by a label. Now I don't know if you seek to do sessions more in the future, but here's what I do-


Talk to the artist or producer of the project and see what kind of 'budget' they have. Most likely if it's a smaller project there's not going to be a whole lot of money to spend.

Work with them on a fair price. Chances are you're not going to get union rates here-(not sure exactly what they are)
but you cant work for free.

If you dig the music, it's worth it.

Now even if the situation is as you say 'Nothing even remotely difficult'', and you know that you're probably a better musician than who you're playing with, go into the session with an open mind and positivity- listen to what the writer wants, and be prepared to work things out and give them options a far as feels--cause that's what it's all about. Especially with singer songwriters. Not so much what you can play, but HOW you play it.

Even if your not thrilled about the music, having this attitude will get you hired again, either by the band, or the producer.

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm trying to give you lessons on sessions (haha) but this works for me.. and you never know what might happen on the session- sometimes you come out with recordings you would have never thought were going to be any good, and they turn out to be something your very proud of.

Oh and don't just bring one snare... 

I've done some session work. the engineer that has been working with her got me the gig and says she pays scale. i haven't even heard much of it. I'll get some demos before the date to listen to and take some notes on what i want to try on each tune, I just show up and offer percussion, hand drums or kit playing and any combinations of. I feel like I have alot to offer in these situations. I can play support and over dub from different musical styles and sometimes i'll come up with something that might sound refreshing. I'll keep a positive attitude. It's most always fun and I can learn alot about myself in the process. I can just be real creative and add to what's already there. Sometimes that means just playing straight and sometimes i can c0me at it all ethno afro brazilian or whatever or it can be nothing at all. usually they just kind of play themselves really. you hear the tune and you come up with the thing that supports it and works. tell you the truth i'm feeling like i could just as easily play strings; mandolin, banjo and fiddle on this Americana stuff as well as drums. Sometimes i'll do that too. maybe some washboard or congas, shakers scapers etc.... whatever i feel like i can make work I''ll just go for it. I'll just push the envelope and see what ends up in the final mix. who knows maybe get some electronic sounds too! why not? I'm gonna try to make this special for her. Give it an edge.

Sounds like you've got it covered Kenny8) 
Good luck with the session!

i did the session last weekend.  6 songs in 3 1/2 hrs including set up and tear down. I gave them plenty of materiAL TO WORK WITH AND CHOOSE FROM. OOPS HULK FINGERS, Make Hulk mad. Anyway some of it was alright and some of it was kind of not so much. I even passed on 1 tune at first like i don't know this one is so slow maybe drums don't fit. but i think i did something on it. I had a few moments of sheer brilliance though if I do say so myself!  it was because I approached so openly and unknowingly i cut loose aND DID SOME WEIRD stuff man this laptop bites
I think i got about 60 per hr, but it was easy set em up knock em down. she was real happy with it, I just played kit with brushes mostly those plastic bundles like a brush what are they called? well her music wasn't really my cup of tea but I did my work and she was quite ecstatic so I feel good about it,
had a weird gig tonight kinda polkas and blues and assorted tangos, old stuff. so this total hillbilly drunk shows up gettin all up in our faces yellin wooey a total yahoo with taTOOS and yellin at the cops and stuff; So he goes to me "i'll play those drums for you". So i gesture to him come on bring it hillbilly goofball! so he takes me seriously (like this goon would know what to do on this eccentric repetoire). So I'm like no i can't let you crash my gig it would be unprofessional, and it broke his heart. It was like I staBBED HIM IN THE CHEST! I totally played this chump, some people! Then the sound guy totally overkills with my bass drum next time I get off the drums until he turns it down. it was so incredibly uncalled for. he's sayin what about the people it sounds good out front. i had to play nonexistant bassdrum with my little toe. i tried to explain no dude the musician needs to be able to enjoy the gig first then the people will dig it. what a crazy night i can't sleep.why me lord?