Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Drumming traditions, Travis Barker, and Settling the Ringo Debate with Richard Enion
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Drumming traditions, Travis Barker, and Settling the Ringo Debate with Richard Enion
To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:
TikTok
YouTube
If you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email [email protected]
Artist bio
Richard Enion is a Midlands-based drummer and entrepreneur who blends live percussion with facilitation and business. Raised in a small village near Burton on Trent, he started drumming after being inspired by a school assembly performance and later trained formally for several years in Derby. Alongside playing drum kit in bands, Richard built a career delivering large-scale drumming workshops for companies, using rhythm as a tool for connection, stress relief, and shared achievement. He appeared on Dragon’s Den, accepted an on-air offer, and later chose not to take the deal, while still benefiting from the experience and exposure.
Episode summary
In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with drummer and entrepreneur Richard Enion about how rhythm became both a musical path and a business. Richard shares his early life near Burton on Trent, his first drum kit at 12, and the school assembly moment that sparked everything. He explains how he moved from playing in bands to running corporate drumming workshops, building sessions that take groups from zero to a full performance and helping people feel safe, energised, and present. Richard also tells the story of travelling in the Caribbean, trusting a gut instinct that landed him a drumming gig, and how that period led directly to buying djembe drums and launching the team-building side of his work. The conversation covers why drumming can feel meditative and communal, what happens when participants are hesitant or have been drinking, and why arts access in schools matters. Richard then talks through his Dragon’s Den journey, including pushing back after being told there was no slot, the eventual pitch, the offer, and the decision not to sign. The episode ends with Richard teaching Adam basic stick rudiments and sharing advice for young musicians on starting with whatever you have, then doing the practice that builds real skill.
00:00 Intro and Richard’s background near Burton on Trent
00:02 First drum kit and the school assembly inspiration
00:04 Lessons, rudiments, and learning the fundamentals
00:08 Caribbean drumming detour and trusting the instinct to ask
00:10 From bands to djembe workshops and the start of team building
00:11 What a corporate drumming session looks like and why it works
00:14 Handling reluctant participants and the alcohol factor
00:15 Drumming as focus, stress relief, and shared “medicine”
00:21 Arts in schools and inspiring young people through music
00:21 Dragon’s Den, the offer, and why Richard walked away
00:27 Adam learns stick basics: singles, doubles, and paradiddles
00:33 Human energy vs electronic tools and AI concerns
00:36 Advice for young drummers: start anywhere, then practice hard
View all episodes
By Adam SternbergTo stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:
TikTok
YouTube
If you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email [email protected]
Artist bio
Richard Enion is a Midlands-based drummer and entrepreneur who blends live percussion with facilitation and business. Raised in a small village near Burton on Trent, he started drumming after being inspired by a school assembly performance and later trained formally for several years in Derby. Alongside playing drum kit in bands, Richard built a career delivering large-scale drumming workshops for companies, using rhythm as a tool for connection, stress relief, and shared achievement. He appeared on Dragon’s Den, accepted an on-air offer, and later chose not to take the deal, while still benefiting from the experience and exposure.
Episode summary
In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with drummer and entrepreneur Richard Enion about how rhythm became both a musical path and a business. Richard shares his early life near Burton on Trent, his first drum kit at 12, and the school assembly moment that sparked everything. He explains how he moved from playing in bands to running corporate drumming workshops, building sessions that take groups from zero to a full performance and helping people feel safe, energised, and present. Richard also tells the story of travelling in the Caribbean, trusting a gut instinct that landed him a drumming gig, and how that period led directly to buying djembe drums and launching the team-building side of his work. The conversation covers why drumming can feel meditative and communal, what happens when participants are hesitant or have been drinking, and why arts access in schools matters. Richard then talks through his Dragon’s Den journey, including pushing back after being told there was no slot, the eventual pitch, the offer, and the decision not to sign. The episode ends with Richard teaching Adam basic stick rudiments and sharing advice for young musicians on starting with whatever you have, then doing the practice that builds real skill.
00:00 Intro and Richard’s background near Burton on Trent
00:02 First drum kit and the school assembly inspiration
00:04 Lessons, rudiments, and learning the fundamentals
00:08 Caribbean drumming detour and trusting the instinct to ask
00:10 From bands to djembe workshops and the start of team building
00:11 What a corporate drumming session looks like and why it works
00:14 Handling reluctant participants and the alcohol factor
00:15 Drumming as focus, stress relief, and shared “medicine”
00:21 Arts in schools and inspiring young people through music
00:21 Dragon’s Den, the offer, and why Richard walked away
00:27 Adam learns stick basics: singles, doubles, and paradiddles
00:33 Human energy vs electronic tools and AI concerns
00:36 Advice for young drummers: start anywhere, then practice hard