Who Could Be So Unkind?

I mentioned in my previous post that I got fired from one band days before the gig. There’s a long story behind it, but I will spare you. I think a big lesson if not the biggest lesson I came away with was that if the band leader tells you there is a part or parts that are important to him, get those down as soon as possible. Even if they aren’t perfect, do what you can and improve them over time.

I did the opposite. I focused on learning all the songs in general (there were about twenty of them, I think). While I had figured out and sort of learned the one part in the midst of learning all the songs, I didn’t really start to try to get it down until the very end. By that point it was too late. I had already lost them, even though I had many of the other songs sounding good.

Another reason to get the part done early is that it lets you find out what the band leader really wants. Even though you know you don’t have the part done perfectly, the band leader may think it’s good enough. Then you can either focus on the other material or continue to improve it on your own.

Posted 2011 06 24 at 12:21 PM

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