Forty or fifty years passing and having three daughters does change one's perspective, sometimes for the better and sometimes not.
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How Flexible Are You?
- Thread starter bluewine
- Start date
Yeah age has even gotten to me, the world's oldest teenager.
I hear about all this 420 stuff and smoking " jazz cigarettes " at rehearsals.
Some can try and justify and rationalize it all they want.
For me, that kind of protocol in a band is strictly High School level mentality.
Blue
Here's a related question: how much does being a band member vs. a hired gun or a bandleader change your flexibility?
As a bandleader, I probably wouldn't start a band in a genre that was outside my regular interests. But I am still flexible, in terms of age and gender, as long as we all mesh. And I'd try to find a way of doing things that makes everyone happy, most of the time.
If I were joining a pre-existing band as a member, I am still flexible in terms of age and gender and will try anything, as long as I get along with the band.
As a founding member, the same as above, but I expect to have more say than I might in a pre-existing band.
As a hired gun, I'll try anything, if I feel I can. Outside of that there isn't much flexibility. I'll do whatever I am hired to do, for whoever hires me, no more, no less.
If I were joining a pre-existing band as a member, I am still flexible in terms of age and gender and will try anything, as long as I get along with the band.
As a founding member, the same as above, but I expect to have more say than I might in a pre-existing band.
As a hired gun, I'll try anything, if I feel I can. Outside of that there isn't much flexibility. I'll do whatever I am hired to do, for whoever hires me, no more, no less.
band member- i wanna have fun paying music. fun people, fun tunes. i've experienced that in several genres, so my expectations are fairly high, requirements fairly low.
band leader- i wanna play music that will give me a good return for the time/money invested. i also want my band members to feel satisfied, which takes some flexibility too i think.
hired gun- haven't done it in a while but here's my take: in some ways requires the least amount of flexibility, because you only have to decide that's the market you want to be in (hired gun market). i also think it may be the toughest job of the 3.
I like the challenge/variety of the "hired gun" role. I was a hired gun for my last recording session. Played with people I've never played with before. Keeps me on my toes, too.
I like playing in a set band, too. Different strokes.
I like playing in a set band, too. Different strokes.
I can see where hired is simpler and harder at the same time.
On the one hand, you don't have to worry about much other than coming in and being able to fulfill the role to someone's satisfaction. Don't have to worry too much about any other decisions. Just satisfy the people who hire you.
On the other, depending on the market, and how many genres you are willing to work with, you may need more up front skills in different genres at your fingertips, at all times, rather than just one or two. If you're willing to work for whoever calls, you may be switching genres often.
On the one hand, you don't have to worry about much other than coming in and being able to fulfill the role to someone's satisfaction. Don't have to worry too much about any other decisions. Just satisfy the people who hire you.
On the other, depending on the market, and how many genres you are willing to work with, you may need more up front skills in different genres at your fingertips, at all times, rather than just one or two. If you're willing to work for whoever calls, you may be switching genres often.
I don't have any of the OP's listed restrictions, with the possible exception of #6 which isn't a hard and fast rule for me, but one that I lean towards as much as possible.
I've never really been a hired gun before, always in bands, but I pay attention to all these topics I participate in and learn from them, so that's kind of how I see it.
Playing bass again really opened me up more than guitar ever did, so in re-learning, I am taking in everything. First getting the basic skills back(role of the bass,scales,chord tones, basic theory, etc..). Then all the common rock/blues/country style lines that can be adapted to or used as a starting point for improv for just about any song in those styles. Now, being comfortable there, I started playing with Bossa Nova and Reggae today. Love it!
So I am aiming for flexibility in how much I can do, if ever called upon in that way.
I'm more flexible as a hired gun, than I would be as a band member. I can put up with just about anything for the duration of a gig. Refer to Maki's rule about quantity over quality.
And I don't even have to know how much time, effort, and money, it took for the band to get itself from the basement to the bandstand.In all honesty, I just want to play. If I enjoy the people I'm playing with I'd be fine with playing pop music.
Well, I think it would be fair to say that if your band is your excuse to leave the house, it's not really "being in the business". At that point, it's more of a hobby. That's okay as long you know what it is and it works for you.
I am learning all about "the business" with the band I'm in now and lots of times it just isn't pretty. It's a lot of hard work and not all of it is fun all of the time.
I gotta say, in the least sexist way possible, I think I would rather have a band with all guys (including me), as opposed to mixed gender. Adding in both sexes can add more drama sometimes. People tend to start caring more about their ego and apperance to the rest of the members if there are both genders involved. And, at least in the genre I like most, girls kinda ruin the whole feeling that it's just a buncha guys gettin together and having a good time. Obviously I would never choose not to play in a band because it had girls in it, but it is an issue to consider. Please don't bash me with hate rants, I am really just viewing this from an analytical perspective. 
Cool, man... Different strokes. I'm in it to have fun and as a creative release from throes of daily life. I write and play music knowing full well that it's not going to be widely popular. If it ever becomes so I'll be as surprised as you.
There's nothing "cool" about showing up with gear to audition and then begging off, however politely. If you did your homework first you would have checked out their music first to see if you would jive with them. I've done auditions for groups I hadn't heard before but it was on recommendations from others I trust and before the social media explosion. Nowadays you should be able to find some audio and even video on just about anyone who claims to be a musician. A FB page will tell you even more about how compatible you may be with that person/band musically AND socially.
So Blue shows up at these poor guys rehearsal. Maybe they are not serious and just doing it for a little bro time away from the fam. These guys are stoked that they have a bass to jam with that night, whether or not it becomes pemanent. Blue is there with amp and bass but all the sudden begs off leaving them to wallow in their own inadequacies. Why not just play a few tunes with them since you are there. You never know, one or more of them could be an ex-pro musician with amazing chops on the verge of a divorce and lifestyle change that could lead to future collaboration.
I'm more flexible about the type of music I play than I am about how it fits in the schedule for the rest of my life. My family is my priority, and I have limited times when I am available for rehearsal. If the band needs someone who can drop everything else at a moment's notice to rehearse of play a gig, I'm not the guy for it. If the band wants to gig weekly (or more) at random places in the LA metro area, or go on a tour for a couple weeks, I'm not the guy for it. Rehearsing once a week and gigging once a month is about the right pace for my life. Music is a hobby for me. I take it seriously, but if it stops being fun, I'm out. Thankfully, I'm with a group of guys who are in the same boat, or are accepting of the limitations the rest of us have. For all of us, rehearsal is not just about fine-tuning our performace and working on new material, but also about stepping away from the every day grind for a couple hours to hang out and have some fun.
