My son had his first 'gig' as a bassist last night

51m0n · #1 04-02-2008, 10:21 AM

He has been involved in music since he was about 5, in local music education system. Currently he is in the first violins for the local Junior Orchestra.

4 years ago I got him a Squire Bronco since he was badgering me about playing bass. He never really got into it, just picked it up every now and then. He made some friends at secondary school and a year ago they start jamming together occasionally, my boy starts to play his bass more, asking me for some help very occasionally.

2 months ago his conductor tells the orchestra they are going to do a medley of Phantom of the Opera. Now my son is no fool and realises straight away that there is bass on the recording they heard, so he pipes up and says 'Would you like me to play the bass part?'. Being so young there are no double basses in the orchestra, the conductor is no fool either and doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

In the last 2 months my son has got his bass clef reading down to the required level to make this performance happen. He has gone out of his own accord and spent all his savings on a new Ibanez BTB470 (OK so I did go with him to make sure no one took advantage, got it for a great deal too). He has worked his butt off and last night made me the proudest dad there when he aced the performance. Only problem was he was a tad loud (not a lot of the violins could be heard in the bits he was supposed to play forte - the horns cut through just fine though). But I loved it, and so did the conductor.

He got a huge thumbs up from his conductor, who came up to me before hand to say how impressed he was with my sons progress.

I've never seem him so jacked by a gig either, and he's played/sung and danced in front of thousands on some pretty big stages before. He was made up.

Sorry, had to share the proud dad moment

Infernal Affair · #2 04-02-2008, 10:24 AM

That's great. And at such a young age, too. You have every reason to be proud of your son, and you are a good father for encouraging him without "butting in."

Bass Boy · #3 04-02-2008, 10:28 AM

Awesome!

Step · #4 04-02-2008, 10:28 AM

awesome!

51m0n · #5 04-02-2008, 10:34 AM

Well he is 13 now, but that's still pretty young to be sight reading bass in an orchestra I think?

As for not butting in, we have had to 'encourage' him a lot with the violin, due to the local music service kind of dropping the ball. He now is getting private lessons from his original teacher from the service, just without their red tape, and as a result he is enjoying it loads more, and hence improving way quicker.

WRT his bass playing, I very soon learned that he wasn't ready to ask for lessons from his old man; and having only started when I was twenty I figured he had plenty of time to get the bug. And if he didn't, what the heck, that Bronco does a superb impression of a beat up old P-Bass, and I for one am not afraid of playing a short scale that sounds that good

The nice thing, for me, is that he's now asking me up to see this or that that he's come up with, and asking all sorts of cool questions about technique and theory from a bassists point of view.

If he carries on like he is now he'll be invited into the Big Band in a year or so, and they play loads of jazz funk stuff, which will be a blast!

ThumbyAche · #6 04-02-2008, 10:48 AM

I remember when my son had his first gig...15 yrs old sporting a Modulus VJ and Genz Benz GBE600 with Neox 212T cab.....spoiled.....yah probably.. but it sounded KILLER and he played very well...sang too. Now he thinks he is a singer/songwriter/guitarist. Oh well, as long as he still likes music and gives his best at it.
Keep your son playing man, no matter what it is (even if it's EMO....oh man...)

txbasschik · #7 04-02-2008, 11:17 AM

SUPER-SHINY-AWESOME!!! Oh, you must be just bursting with pride for him!!!

Very, very cool...

Cherie

51m0n · #8 04-02-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txbasschik

SUPER-SHINY-AWESOME!!! Oh, you must be just bursting with pride for him!!!

Very, very cool...

Cherie

Ohhhhh yeah

Got it on video too, so his mum could see. She was stuck with the little one (he's three) at home, unfortunately. He wasnt feeling so great and fell asleep which stopped mum in her tracks, I was ordered to go get a video for her).

The coolest thing I think is the oldest has no concept of stage fright or nerves at all as a result of having performed plenty of times, he just loves it.

LowDown Hal · #9 04-02-2008, 11:22 AM

Congrats to both of you!!!

51m0n · #10 04-02-2008, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThumbyAche

I remember when my son had his first gig...15 yrs old sporting a Modulus VJ and Genz Benz GBE600 with Neox 212T cab.....spoiled.....yah probably.. but it sounded KILLER and he played very well...sang too. Now he thinks he is a singer/songwriter/guitarist. Oh well, as long as he still likes music and gives his best at it.
Keep your son playing man, no matter what it is (even if it's EMO....oh man...)

Not spoiled if he treats it right and uses it well IMO. Lucky, yes, spoiled, no.

pedroims · #11 04-02-2008, 11:32 AM

Congratulations to both of you, I can understand how you feel, my son is only two but I dream that I will watching him playing on a stage some day

ThumbyAche · #12 04-02-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 51m0n

Not spoiled if he treats it right and uses it well IMO. Lucky, yes, spoiled, no.

pedro · #13 04-02-2008, 11:38 AM

Congrats to both of you. FWIW, my son started bass in the 5th grade and is now in his 3rd year of music school so I know well the pride you felt. He did orchestra and jazz band all the way thru his school and was gigging pretty regularly by age 14 or so. I made sure he got the best instruction I could get him (on double bass and electric) and made sure he learned to read music. His high school jazz teacher gave him theory lessons and I took him to see as many great musicians as I possibly could.

Sounds like your boy is off to a great start.

pointbass · #14 04-02-2008, 12:02 PM

It's a great feeling when your kids begin to show signs of accomplishment, isn't it? One of the best moments in my life was during a night when my son (who was a percussionist) and I were playing and he turned to me a said, "No, Pop, that's not the right groove, it goes more like this ..." and he proceeded to teach ME how to cop the right feel

You know you've succeeded when your son starts showing you stuff ....

Congrats to you and your son, keep up the good work

pedro · #15 04-02-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

It's a great feeling when your kids begin to show signs of accomplishment, isn't it? One of the best moments in my life was during a night when my son (who was a percussionist) and I were playing and he turned to me a said, "No, Pop, that's not the right groove, it goes more like this ..." and he proceeded to teach ME how to cop the right feel

You know you've succeeded when your son starts showing you stuff ....

Congrats to you and your son, keep up the good work

Yep I've been corrected on many occassions. Its a great feeling to know I'm not even the best bass player in the family.

51m0n · #16 04-03-2008, 10:36 AM

Well I'll be happy however far he takes this, as long as he's enjoying it.

He has by far the most eclectic taste of all his friends at school and orchestra (at his 9th birthday he insisted that the music was Stockhausen's Helicopter Quartet, I will never ever forget the looks on the other kids faces - priceless!). That ability to love and appreciate music alone is enough, the fact that he is really starting to get off on playing an instrument is just icing for me.

I'd love it if he took it further, and I can see no reason for him not too, but if he loses interest at some point thats ok too.

Having said that the gaggle of girls around him at the soundcheck certainly seemed to spur him on

, and this summer the orchestra is touring, (just over to the Isle of Wight, but a tour is a tour). He's really look forward to that.

pedro · #17 04-03-2008, 10:49 AM

Enjoying it and having fun with it are the most important thing but if you sense that he's more serious than I would seriously consider formal instruction.

Irrespective of how far he decides to go with it I highly recommend father and son concert going. My son and I went to a lot of shows together and spent some great time together. Gave him a chance to ask about the 60-70's, bands I had seen back in the day and a lot of other stuff.

VisualShock · #18 04-03-2008, 10:52 AM

high five him for me!

Valerus · #19 04-03-2008, 10:54 AM

Dang dude! You are LUCKY!! Tell him congrats.

agedhorse · #20 04-03-2008, 11:03 AM

Very, very cool!!!