I played at my first musical

[FunkSlap89]

I'm 16 years old. My high school band director gets a call from the band director from a nearby school looking for someone to play bass for the school's rendition of Grease ( ). He asks my band director if he plays bass, and he says no, but he knows a kid who can. So, I get the part. The other band director was nervous having a kid sit in, but I think i impressed him.

I went to a dress rehersal wednesday and tonight was the first of two performances. I gotta say, playing with professional musicians is totally different than playing with peers. It was just so tight. Plus, the music was great. I had a blast and realized that I would love doing this for a living. So now i'm thinking about going to school for music and becoming a session bassist. I dunno if it will work out, but its a thought.

Anyway, the show went great and the band director told me that I was as good as any professional who's ever sat in with him.

Oh yeah, I'm getting paid $100 for the three nights. not too bad!

[anonymous278347457]

dude your pretty lucky, at my school its all "do it for charity"

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by FunkSlap89

I'm 16 years old. My high school band director gets a call from the band director from a nearby school looking for someone to play bass for the school's rendition of Grease ( ). He asks my band director if he plays bass, and he says no, but he knows a kid who can. So, I get the part. The other band director was nervous having a kid sit in, but I think i impressed him.

I went to a dress rehersal wednesday and tonight was the first of two performances. I gotta say, playing with professional musicians is totally different than playing with peers. It was just so tight. Plus, the music was great. I had a blast and realized that I would love doing this for a living. So now i'm thinking about going to school for music and becoming a session bassist. I dunno if it will work out, but its a thought.

Anyway, the show went great and the band director told me that I was as good as any professional who's ever sat in with him.

Oh yeah, I'm getting paid $100 for the three nights. not too bad!

Oh hon, that is AWESOME!!! What a great experience for you! Session bassist is a great idea. I feel like this production has opened some doors for you. Congratulations!

Cherie :-)

[markjazzbassist]

dude the funniest thing is that im doing the exact same thing, this weekend, and were doing grease too. The local high school needed a band for the pit so i got a call to play sax. It's my first gig doing this kind of stuff (sight reading, haven't done it since high school) but i kinda like it.

Good luck man

[FunkSlap89]

thanks for the replies!

btw, here's a clip from Greased Lightning:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...=638127060&n=2

you can hear me in the background. The fake car was hilarious!

oh yeah i forgot to say that both nights went really well (except for the fact that the conductor forgot to tell me about a key change in All Choked Up. Oh well, it was fine...)

[daofktr]

i just finished my second high school musical (joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat) last night. funner'n monkeys.
it's good for my reading, which i don't much do anymore.
it's also good for my wallet, since the school here pays pretty good.
it was also bittersweet that it was my stepson's last high school musical, as he's a senior...the other kids asked if i would still do musicals now that he's graduating...of course i will! it's too much fun not to.

sidenote...the drummer whut was hired for the pit is really good, but he didn't know there was a matinee (for the h.s.) on friday. we called up a certain student from the audience to fill in until the drummer showed up, and he did it spectacularly!
(it don't suck that he's the grandnephew of lonnie mack, either. the genes weren't wasted on this one.)

[Minger]

Meh, my school doesn't pay, but I may do it next year. This year, it was Cats, which from what I've heard basically exhausted the funds, so they're going to wimp out next year, possibly doing something easy...

its just that it interferes with track, so iduno whats more fun - pplaying bass or pole vaulting...

[Sagaris]

Wow, you're so lucky to have had that oppurtunity, I'm jealous!

That reminds me, I should really just go to the school Jazz Band's Practices and be the next Bassist when the other one leaves at the end of this academic year.

[FunkSlap89]

Originally Posted by Sagaris

Wow, you're so lucky to have had that oppurtunity, I'm jealous!

That reminds me, I should really just go to the school Jazz Band's Practices and be the next Bassist when the other one leaves at the end of this academic year.

yeah, if you impress the band director, he gives you connections. Like in my case!

[CamMcIntyre]

Originally Posted by FunkSlap89

I went to a dress rehersal wednesday and tonight was the first of two performances. I gotta say, playing with professional musicians is totally different than playing with peers. It was just so tight. Plus, the music was great. I had a blast and realized that I would love doing this for a living. So now i'm thinking about going to school for music and becoming a session bassist. I dunno if it will work out, but its a thought.

Ok-this is kind of long, but i was in the same boat as you. I'm now 3-4 years older and into the process.

Congrats man. I was bit by the same bug. I started playing for my high school show choirs & musicals freshman year, and i got hooked. Now i'm a jazz studies major in Chicago. I'm not sure if you can get ahold of these guys, and i have no clue how close you are to Manhattan, but-if you could pop the $$ for at least a few lessons w/some of the NYC musical cats-i think it'd be very beneficial. If i would have had the chance a few years ago, i'd like to think i'd take it.

A few guys that i *think* are still in NYC that are actively doing musicals: Konrad Adderly [did Wild Party & Wicked], Steve Mack [Rent & i *think* Aida].

I'm studying with Tom Mendel here in Chicago. He plays for our cast of Wicked along with having been a session player for a very long time in addition to doing other musicals, he knows Steve & Konrad. The experience of studying with players/teachers of this calliber is astounding. I leave every lesson thinking "holy ****......that was awesome".

I'm also studying jazz bass w/Scott Mason. If you aren't taking lessons on electric and upright, i'd advise you to start ASAP.

So what i'm trying to tell you as a guy who is going for the same thing, is to take lessons, practice a lot, and learn as much as you can. Being able to play more than just electric bass is a good move too. If you check out the gear that the bass players are using in the pits, or even on the bass parts-you'll see that many parts are written for people who play both electric bass and upright.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me via AIM, Email, or on here. I'm more than willing to share my experiences and thoughts.

[FunkSlap89]

Originally Posted by CamMcIntyre

Ok-this is kind of long, but i was in the same boat as you. I'm now 3-4 years older and into the process.

Congrats man. I was bit by the same bug. I started playing for my high school show choirs & musicals freshman year, and i got hooked. Now i'm a jazz studies major in Chicago. I'm not sure if you can get ahold of these guys, and i have no clue how close you are to Manhattan, but-if you could pop the $$ for at least a few lessons w/some of the NYC musical cats-i think it'd be very beneficial. If i would have had the chance a few years ago, i'd like to think i'd take it.

A few guys that i *think* are still in NYC that are actively doing musicals: Konrad Adderly [did Wild Party & Wicked], Steve Mack [Rent & i *think* Aida].

I'm studying with Tom Mendel here in Chicago. He plays for our cast of Wicked along with having been a session player for a very long time in addition to doing other musicals, he knows Steve & Konrad. The experience of studying with players/teachers of this calliber is astounding. I leave every lesson thinking "holy ****......that was awesome".

I'm also studying jazz bass w/Scott Mason. If you aren't taking lessons on electric and upright, i'd advise you to start ASAP.

So what i'm trying to tell you as a guy who is going for the same thing, is to take lessons, practice a lot, and learn as much as you can. Being able to play more than just electric bass is a good move too. If you check out the gear that the bass players are using in the pits, or even on the bass parts-you'll see that many parts are written for people who play both electric bass and upright.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me via AIM, Email, or on here. I'm more than willing to share my experiences and thoughts.

Wow, thaks for the tips. I'll be sure to look into it.


Oh yeah, I've also met a girl through all this and am in the process of getting to know her better.

(see thread entitled "Dang..." in OT)

[CamMcIntyre]

Originally Posted by FunkSlap89

Wow, thaks for the tips. I'll be sure to look into it.


Oh yeah, I've also met a girl through all this and am in the process of getting to know her better.

(see thread entitled "Dang..." in OT)

Nice Man. I met my most recent girlfriend at the last school musical i played. Yeah-my senior year, we did Grease, and by the end of the production we were dating. Longest relationship i've had so far-was on again/off again for 8 months. Musical was in October [i think] we didn't break up until the last week of school.

Good luck on both fronts though man.

[RiseOfTheWooten]

Nice to hear inspirational moments that lead to life-changing of life-defining events.