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Don't Bounce

B

bluewine

Inactive
Sep 4, 2008
10,296
27
WI
#1
In a way I am glad I have made some mistakes in my new search for that right band. I am glad I havn't really commited to he wrong band and end up bouncing out.

I am glad last year I had a vehicle like NWR to get back into it recapture and expand on my personal style.

A lot of us are good players but never get that chance. You can end up bouncing from on band to another, you don’t have the opportunity to cultivate a sound.

I am praying I land in the right place again at just the right time.

blue
 
#4
Well, I hope you find what you're looking for.

My approach has become very different.......I stay in the band now for the 20% of the time that its what I'm looking for. I guess I'm more of a "bloom where I'm planted" person.

Its a philosophical/spiritual thing I guess. There's the way you want it to be.........and the way it turns out to be. How you handle the difference determines the quality of your life.
 
#5
klokker said:
Well, I hope you find what you're looking for.

My approach has become very different.......I stay in the band now for the 20% of the time that its what I'm looking for. I guess I'm more of a "bloom where I'm planted" person.

Its a philosophical/spiritual thing I guess. There's the way you want it to be.........and the way it turns out to be. How you handle the difference determines the quality of your life.
Click to expand...

Unless I start my own thing which is basically impossible. I will not find what I am looking for and if I do and audition they won't bring me in.

I am in a situation again, where these jerks are afraid to say, you won't fit in cause your Black. Instead they keep telling me they have to check out more bass players.It's a start up and i auditioned 3 weeks ago.

I mean it's a start up with not much going on.I just can't imagine who these morons think their going to get.
 
#7
bluewine said:
I am in a situation again, where these jerks are afraid to say, you won't fit in cause your Black.
Click to expand...

Dude, you should come to Nebraska.

We've got a white guy with a limp playing keys, a Filippino lead guitar player, a huge Native American on drums with a bad wrist, and this scrawny white Irish/Norwegian mutt guy on bass..........but only one real gig between now and Christmas.

Seriously, as a white guy I know I can't fully get the race thing. But I hope it works out anyway.
 
#8
Rudreax said:
How do you know it's a race thing?
Click to expand...

I am not sure.Everytime I see the bass player these bands go with it's always some marginal playin White guy.

I saw one of them audition before me and he didn't even know the material and they hired him over me.And that band worked every weekend.

I ran into one of the vocalist a few weeks later at a club and she told me everybody in the band wanted me except the leader. He did the bookings so who knows what he was thinking. He's a loser so who cares.

blue
 
#9
klokker said:
Dude, you should come to Nebraska.

We've got a white guy with a limp playing keys, a Filippino lead guitar player, a huge Native American on drums with a bad wrist, and this scrawny white Irish/Norwegian mutt guy on bass..........but only one real gig between now and Christmas.

Seriously, as a white guy I know I can't fully get the race thing. But I hope it works out anyway.
Click to expand...

Sooner or later someone will recognize my playing ability, enthusiasm, willingness to work, my experience and hire me instead of waitin for some frat brother to show up.
 
#11
bluewine said:
I am not sure.Everytime I see the bass player these bands go with it's always some marginal playin White guy.

I saw one of them audition before me and he didn't even know the material and they hired him over me.And that band worked every weekend.

I ran into one of the vocalist a few weeks later at a club and she told me everybody in the band wanted me except the leader. He did the bookings so who knows what he was thinking. He's a loser so who cares.

blue
Click to expand...

Well if you don't care anymore I guess it doesn't matter. But I wouldn't be so quick to jump on that card unless you're totally sure of it.
 
#12
To be honest Blue i think you are reading into this way to much. Using race is a touchy subject. Age also is touchy but you never know maybe it was your playing? Maybe it was you and how you answered questions... conducted yourself? Think about it.
 
#13
bassbully said:
To be honest Blue i think you are reading into this way to much. Using race is a touchy subject. Age also is touchy but you never know maybe it was your playing? Maybe it was you and how you answered questions... conducted yourself? Think about it.
Click to expand...

Maybe it was because he lied to them about having another offer, giving them an ultimatum, and then badmouthing them on a message board?

I don't doubt racism exists out there, but saying you can't get a job as a bassist because you're Black is sorta like me saying I can't get a job as an engineer because I'm Asian.
 
#15
jive1 said:
Maybe it was because he lied to them about having another offer, giving them an ultimatum, and then badmouthing them on a message board?

I don't doubt racism exists out there, but saying you can't get a job as a bassist because you're Black is sorta like me saying I can't get a job as an engineer because I'm Asian.
Click to expand...

I agree, maybe it's not race maybe it's age. I know it's not my playing.
 
#16
Hey man, I'm in the same boat. Its such a gamble; Should I keep bouncing until I find the right one from the get go, or should I stay with a band? Should I help it cultivate and grow from mediocre to awesome? Or should I just find something awesome and stick with that? I feel like personally, I'd rather go with something I think is awesome from the get-go and know that its only going to grow and get better.
 
#18
Man, there's so much about the situations that you post...it's gotten to the point that I don't know where to start. I feel for you in your frustration, but I'm confused by a lot of what you post. I know that some of my confusion comes from looking at things from the limited perspective of my circumstance (doing this on the lower end of the cover band spectrum), but maybe you could clear up your circumstance.

I assume that you make a living in something aside from/unrelated to playing music, is that correct? If it is, then I really have trouble with much of your angst in that it seems so self-created.

It would seem to me that if you don't play music for a living, that's where this all starts and ends. Everything you're doing is about wants, not needs. Wanting after something that you know is unrealistic or impossible just doesn't make any sense. More than that, it's harmful to you. Find something that is realistic and friggin' DO THAT. Surely, some satisfaction will come from doing something rather than anguishing over some other unrealistic hope. As you're doing something rather than nothing, you can remain open to other opportunities, but not fully invest yourself in finding them.

As far as the matter of race goes, I believe you have every right, within yourself, to think what you will about the people you encounter. You could be right about them. You could be wrong. In most cases, you're never going to know.

Because of that, I don't think your right extends to posting those feelings here, especially posting them as though they are facts, as you initially did. That's just wrong. I also think it's particularly unhelpful to the tone and discussion on the forum generally. In addition to everything else that wrong about it, it gives other people license to post their potentially unfounded and/or wrong feelings as facts too. Even within the context of your search for a band, you're basically just putting your personal baggage (your crap) out there. It might as well not even have anything to do with playing music at that point.
 
#19
I don't think bluewine he has posted anything out of line. He didn't accuse anyone on TB of racism or not liking black people. He posted his reality, if you get reactive to it, that's you're problem not his.

I like his posts and the way he shares his story. I read a lot of internet crap and for some reason usually subscribe to his threads which is unusual. I don't know him in any way, but feel compelled to sort of follow along. Sometimes it seems he has a chip on his shoulder, but if someone calls him on it, he seems to recognize it at least.

We all have to decide where to compromise on what we want vs. reality. I mean, I've had learned to live with less in order to be an a band, but I can understand the desire to achieve your dreams. Heck, its an interesting story at least.
 

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