James Hester

James Hester is a drummer, producer, filmmaker and educator with more than twenty years of professional experience. His musical background stretches across a wide range of genres, from 80s pop and the Bristol sound through to post-hardcore. He has toured internationally, including appearances at Sonisphere and Download, and has worked with artists across the commercial and independent scenes. He has a particular interest in metric modulation, polyrhythms and cross-rhythms, and is the author of Mind Over Meter, a book exploring advanced rhythmic concepts.

James has run his own studio for two decades, progressing from early four-track setups to long-term work in Pro Tools. He has a deep interest in production and audio engineering and is known for his collection of high-end and specialist microphones and preamps.

His film and content creation work is rooted in his time with the BBC, where he contributed to Foley for the Natural History Unit, as well as dubbing, editing and camera work. He has produced drum videos for Drummer Magazine with many of the world's leading players, and now focuses on visual storytelling for YouTube. He has uploaded new weekly content since May 2018.

James has written for more than 100 issues of Drummer Magazine, contributing features, interviews, product reviews and technical tuition, and previously served as Technical Editor for the magazine’s tuition section.

His teaching covers a broad span of creative and professional skills, including Academic Support, Artist Development, Content Creation, Drums, Filmmaking, Journalism, Music PR, Music Teaching, Personal Development, Photography, Photoshop, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Psychology, Session Musicianship, Studio Engineering, Touring, Videography and Cinematography, as well as Premiere Pro and video editing and colouring.