Band History

I have always enjoyed performing with other musicians. There is something special and unique about the communication that happens between musicians while performing. I've never experienced this level of communication outside of performing with excellent musicians that have dedicated countless hours to practicing together. I am looking forward to experiencing this again...soon.

It has been approximately three weeks since I have worked with a band. All total, I have worked with three bands. I realize that this is a very low number compared to many artists. Band drama (drugs, personality differences, etc), work ethic and artistic differences seem to be the reigning issues for most bandmates. In my experience, common goals and work ethic have been the big issues. I know that my "type A" personality contributes to the problem. I have too much drive and work like a crazy person. I take pride in doing things well and I don't like to take my time in getting there. The bottom line with me is that I want an excellent band of drug free individuals that enjoy pushing themselves and each other. Work ethic is HUGE with me. However, I can't seem to locate an entire band of people that actually share the same desire that I have. This has been incredibly disappointing.

My first band was pretty typical. It was a group of my friends and I loved the experience. We played covers and wrote when we were inspired. The best part was that we were all trained musicians, so we really weren't lacking in terms of skill. The problem was that we all had jobs that took up the majority of our lives and varying levels of desire to see the band progress. We couldn't seem to meet up enough to keep things going and it fizzled out. However, this band is what motivated me to really take my vocal skills to another level. They also get the credit for helping me to adjust to singing with a band. I miss this group and would work with them again if that opportunity ever came up.

The second band grew out of the first. I had asked the guitar player if he would be willing to work with me on some of the music I had written. He agreed and really did a nice job of contributing to the style. We  had a varying group of musicians that would work with us, but it was difficult to find consistent, dedicated musicians. In the end, differing goals and band drama won the battle. We split on poor terms and I was initially devastated. It is difficult to end a band when you become friends. We did end up apologizing later and ending things on a good note...or so I had thought. Apparently, I was wrong in assuming this, but people are people. I have learned a lot from this band and would prefer to remember them in a positive light. My songwriting skills improved from listening to the capabilities of the other musicians, I learned to feel more at ease in recording situations and I also expanded my knowledge of other styles/influences.

The third and final band to date, was an established band in a larger city that needed a singer. Initially, I hesitated to audition since I was concerned that I wouldn't get to work on my music or that I would feel like the "odd man out." I decided to give it a try. They were great people to be around and I appreciated their humor! We were able to relate on the loss of my previous band and the loss of their singer, but musically, we had differences that seemed to be a huge wall for me. I was quite frustrated and felt like I couldn't be myself. I finally understood why craigslist ads for musicians would specify professional musicians or untrained musicians. My way of doing things was opposite of theirs. We discussed our methods and goals...attempted to adjust, but I didn't feel that this experience was going to help me or the band. I wanted the best for all of us, so I decided to leave. This was such a difficult thing for me to do, as I had really started to feel comfortable with them and friendships were beginning. Being in a band is very much like being in a serious relationship. You don't just walk out the door and feel nothing. It hurts. So here it was...my third "break-up." I promptly went to Starbucks and comforted my post band depression with my usual macchiato and thought "now what do I do?"