Thoughts on being a Musician/Being in Bands

Bands are weird. When I was a teenager, I just thought that bands were a combination of talented musicians who rocked - and that it came naturally to them ("that" being kind of an unknown to me - I didn't start thinking about the songwriting process until I was actually in school. Even when writing songs as a teenager, I didn't see it as a process - it just happened.)

Nevermind the concept of ego and personality. Or drug abuse. Or not doing a damn thing for the band. All this stuff didn't exist - people in bands were just better at playing their instrument or singing or something then I was. At least when I was a teenager.

Howevah, as ah gawt oldah, more experienced, more perceptive, ah started realizin that a band is a family. N like any family, thar are always issues. Sometimes thar minor, sometimes thar nawt, but tha big thang is you have no control over them.

You don't - who knows where yer drummer is coming from? Who knows what the lead singers 2nd grade gym coach said to them? Who knows what yer gawna hafta deal with next? N is it even manageable?

From these kinds of points, ah started to piece togetha that a successful band is nawt just a combination of a few great musicians. It is also tha example of a great fit (or lack thereof) of personalities and vision. The bassist might be the best damn funk bassist on the planet but if he's stuck playing rap-metal, it's likely tha band won't make it above tha local scene. Or even last, especially if tha drummer keeps going through shit w. his girlfriend and/or methamphetamines. It's a total crapshoot!

This ties intae somethang ah also noticed in musick skool - that many of tha cats ah met were intae individuals, nawt bands. Ah've always liked bands - ah think ah responded ta meldin of tha minds, tha group effort, n tha combination of them all bein great playahs who in some instances had been rawkin out togetha fer decades.

Individuals have a great chance in many ways - once they've been established as someone worth working with. Also bein hot n makin money on tha tour circuit doesn't hurt.

It's as all these pieces were startin ta come togetha that ah started double-thinkin my initial plans as a musick student. Originally, ahd wanted ta be a professional musician. Howeveah ah was beginnin ta realize this meant one of two thangs: 1)Find a band that works and stick with it (meanin, git a shite job ta pay fer it) er 2)Find someone with connections n gae on tour/in tha studio w. them (which means givin up a lawt of control ovah tha type of musick as makin).

Neitha of these were thangs ah COULDN'T dae, but ah realized (ratha quickly) that ah DIDN'T WANT TO! Apparently ah would ratha have a standard, borin job of some sort that did nawt feed me emotionally, musickally, spiritually, etc., so that ah could keep my musick as personal n somethang ah cared about.

This is all pretty idealistic in my opinion now - especially cuz ah've realized ahm STILL playin intae one of those two paradigms. Findin musicians ta werk with is NAWT EASY. At least good ones that ah like hangin out with AND enjoy tha musick we're creatin. N even in my best case scenarios, ahm still comprimisin.

Ah play in two pop-ish bands rite now - n ah like em. Ah like it a fair amount actually - but a part of that is that as people, we mesh. Logistically, it is doable fer me (ah git rides n borrow amps n git cheaper rent - it's sorta ridiculous tha measures they gae thru fer me), and ah dae like tha musick. Howevah, ah think tha people almost outweigh that in many places fer me (while nawt entirely). Ahm currently searchin fer my own backup band - n ahve already started comprimising. It's a big pain in tha ass, this makin musick w. otha people. But ah like tha alternative less - makin musick by myself. Borin n hard.

Thars nawt a point ta this blogpost - ah haven't figured it out. Ah just have a lawt of thoughts n especially perspective on musick/bands/band dynamics/tha musick biz n every once in a while need ta express them apparently. Thas why ah have a blog. Git yer own!

Reflections on my Bike Ride to Work (#6)

Sean Paul on a cloudy day really brightens my mood apparently.

Also, my new softshell jacket ah daresay is almost exactly what ah was lookin fer - warm, cozy, water-resistant and wind-proof. Ah git ta werk less sweaty then ah used ta as well!

Ch-ch-ch-Ch-ch-ch-Changes

Just a few general updates:

1)Ahve found myself playing in a pop/rock band (What's w. all tha pop these days Severe?) and it's not too bad of a time. Thars a long complicated history behind this band that ah won't gae intae now), but ah was originally asked to fill in on a festival gig they landed, which ahm pretty sure isn't happenin now (tha festival that is). Tha main singah/songwriter is a cat ah know from Berklee, n tha otha two dudes are really good players, so it's holdin my interest fer now. We apparently need ta have 8 songs togetha by next Friday fer a show out in Fairfax. We have 4 that are decent, 2 we've heard, n thars supposed ta be two more. Tah only time ahm practicin w. them between now n then is Monday nite. Ahll let ya know how it gaes....

2)Ahm fazin out my beard - tha plan is every week er so ta slightly cut away at it, gaein thru various stages of different facial hair. Tha only one ahll definitely be avoidin is tha "ironic moustache" as thars too many fawkin hipstahs sportin that in this city. Here's a pic of step 1:


3)Ahm gittin tha gawdamm motivation ta werk my backyard intae somethang passable! Ah spent 3 very VERY productive hours back thar fixin up some of tha worse spots. Tha thang that bothas me is how similar it looks to tha pic of it 10 months ago when ah moved in. Ah fergawt ta git a "before" photo, but rest assured thar was a TON of growth since last June that gawt chopped down!


It's time fer a fawkin showah now!