Day 12 - My Rhythm Section says "I do"

Before my last band rehearsals, I was very unmotivated to play. How I even ended up at rehearsals, was purely by faith, because with everything that's been going on, I had no idea how the session would turn out...

When rehearsal time came, there were only two vocalist, and one of them, luckily brought his friend who sings. I wasn't so bothered by the vocalists' absence because I was mentally prepared. However, when rehearsals started, we received news that the keyboard player and rhythm guitarist will not make it. Gasp! That's our whole harmony section! Imagine how awkward it would sound, vocalists singing to a bass and drum line, with occasional saxophone fill-ins. Again, our rehearsals happened purely by faith. Luckily one of the vocalists plays some guitar, so she was able to help out with the harmony where she could. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I have decided that during rehearsals and performance, my playing will be between God and my heart, and not influenced by anything else. So I did my lonesome basslines and did them well.

Here comes the best part of rehearsals.....I finally have chemistry with my drummer. Maybe it has something to do with the absence of important elements of our instrumental department, so we were able to focus on each other, but for the first time, I felt truly in touch with my drummer. There have been moments in our nine months of playing together where I have felt in sync with him, but other times I have felt like there was a wall between us, but yesterday was a different experience.

I have been reading articles and watching videos on top bassists and drummers, and their relationship in the band as the rhythm section. One particular article that stood out to me was by Joseph Patrick Moore, "How to Lock in with a Drummer". In this article, he likens the relationship of  the bassist and drummer to that of marriage, saying it should be a happy one, filled with trust and open communication, and ultimately connecting as "one heartbeat". After the last rehearsals, I feel like I have said "I do" to my drummer. Although all relationships are a work in progress, I feel like we have finally reached a point in our rhythm section relationship, where we are more or less one. When he rolls, I know how long he will roll for and respond as such, he knows my accented beats, we can almost accurately predict each other's moves and when one of us wants to vary the groove, a glance is all it takes. I am no longer a single rhythm-er!

Day 11 - My Muse is on Strike

As cliche as this sounds, my music (or lack of) is inspired by life events. I believe that I am, by nature, a very emotional and expressive person, and I guess this has influenced my music in a way. However, as I get older and navigate my way through life's rocky paths, I am learning that everything is not necessarily as simple as it appears. A combination of recent and past events have led me to become numb. I am no longer moved by things that used to move me. That friend who won't support me despite me having been there for them unconditionally? Whatever. That boy who told me he loved me but forgot to mention that he was thinking of someone else when he told me? Not bothered. I'm focused on growing with my band to pro level, but to others it's just a big hang-out? Been there, done that. Logically, I know that it's supposed to hurt, but I feel nothing emotionally. In the past, I would have called my cousin for an emergency junk food throw-down. But I didn't, because for once my world is still moving on despite circumstances.

This numbness is really working well for me, because otherwise I would be a big and depressed ball without motivation for life. However, this is dangerous for my music. My muse is on strike, I have had zero inspiration lately. Even when I do play, the difference is notable, so much that my church band director had to ask what was going on. The dilemma therefore is; to feel or not to feel?

I remember sometime back when I had my heart seriously broken, and I told my best friend that I wish I could be numb and never feel anything. She responded by saying, "You are an artist. Your emotions are what define you. If you let them go, you let yourself go." One point to team "feel".

My church band director, whose musicality and life outlook I really respect and look up to, said, "When you are playing, be in touch with the Spirit at the moment. Let the Spirit guide you and forget about everyone else." Another point to team "feel".

Today, I have band rehearsals but I have absolutely no motivation to attend the rehearsal. Lately, I have been feeling as though we are not on the same page when it comes to our long-term goals, and this is highly frustrating. Your band is like a romantic relationship, and this is that moment when you have a disagreement and you feel like you need some time apart from you significant other to figure things out. But, hey, the show must go on. So maybe at rehearsals I should just block my emotions? One point to team "no feel".

Verdict: My heart and feelings are essential in my playing, and it will be career suicide to lose touch with my feelings. However, life events do happen, and we must develop coping mechanisms in order to move on with life. If numbing is my way of coping, let it be, but because emotions are an important aspect of being alive and human, let them pour out when playing. At that moment, it is music, my heart, God and no one else. This is the mentality I will go into rehearsals and performances with. Aluta continua!

Day 10 - Band Things Pt.3

Band 525

I now feel complete in this new band and I am very optimistic about our future together. This is the set-up (the names and faces will come soon):

• Female Singer 1 - Was shy at first, but once she got comfortable....the voice! Amazingly big for quite a small-figured girl. She also has a nice low-register alto, which I may be biased in liking because I have a deep voice myself. She also has a marketable image.
• Female Singer 2 - The youngest and quite fun. She can also really sing and has some good taste in fashion. I have to appreciate because I was the only female in my previous band for quite some time. It's great to be among my people finally.
• Female Singer 3 - She is also quite good. She is new, so I've only heard her once. However, she has this warm motherly feeling. This is not to say she is old. Maybe big-sisterly should be the word.
• Male Singer 1 - I have known him since I was 2 years old, but we never thought we would be into music. We started a fun band when we were younger and he was the first singer I ever composed with. His voice has also gotten him quite a number of female fans. 
• Male Singer 2 / Rhythm Guitarist - This one makes me happy always. He is like a teddy bear and always looks either lost or sleepy. He has a very good ear and harmonizes quite well. He also acts in a popular local t.v. show, so he is quite serious about the entertainment industry. That might explain the sleepiness. 
• Keyboardist - Been playing since the age of 4 years. He has a great, classical-like touch on the keys that gives me nostalgia, and is also smart, musically and otherwise. He has a bit of a bad-boy vibe as well, so I foresee more female fans.
• Saxophonist - He's a quiet one, but quite a comical character. Everything he says is funny. He started off playing the recorder and of late seems to be lusting after my beloved bass. He is also very deep and smart, and a great improvisationist. I also appreciate him a lot because he pushes me to be the best I can be.
• Bassist - eeerm, just me.
• Drummer - I've played with him in other bands. He is also a special friend (I value him especially because he was one of the very few people who cared about my well-being when my grandma passed away). He has good leadership qualities, amazing talent and driven like me,but the usual (somewhat attractive) arrogance  drummers have. That and a performance handbag.   

Let's do this!

Day 9 - Band Things Pt.2

Finding a good band is like looking for "the one"; quite frustrating and almost impossible to find. I have been in my new band for about a month now, and so far so good. Actually, it's great. It's like that relationship I have always wanted (or maybe it's just the honeymoon phase). Before we started rehearsals, we chatted for some time and therefore have created a good bond, which I believe is essential when playing together. Playing music is like communicating your intimate feelings. This is not effective if you do not trust the person you are communicating with enough to be yourself. We even got arrested together for staying in Uhuru Park after 6 p.m. (yes, apparently it's illegal) and the City Council officer quoted for us Matthew 5:25,

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison." (NIV). 

Luckily we were released without issues. The band is therefore known as Band 525 (pronounced five-two-five). Last week we had our first show together, and I have to say, it was quite successful. Everything went well, we did not have major mishaps and best of all, the audience response was overwhelmingly great. I am usually quite critical of my performances, but for me to feel amazing after one, it must have gone really well. This took me back to my first major performance back in primary school, a 4-night musical, when I knew I wanted to be a performer. 

Despite this great start, I have had some personal challenges as the bassist for Band 525. My former band was an all-instrumental band, where we chose the song lists ourselves, bearing in mind the musicality, arrangement and key instrument in a particular song, focusing on Afro-jazz. However, in this new band, the vocalists pick the cover songs.The major challenge I've had is the genre of music. Our vocalists are pop, rock and R&B artistes. Although I started off as a rock guitarist, I find that these three genres are probably the least challenging instruments-wise, and therefore the most uninteresting of genres. This was a challenge because I did not have the motivation to practice because I was bored stiff.  However, out of bad things come good things. I remembered my favorite Kenyan lead guitarist, Jack of Sarabi Band, who shredded (hard-rock technique) while they were performing a Benga tune (traditional Luo music). I also recalled one of my favorite local bassists, Sam, (one unfaithful instrumentalist) who, like myself, enjoys playing funk. Sam can take a boring pop song and funk it up, giving it a whole new and improved sound. Playing these songs, I believe, is helping me grow because it has forced me to be creative with my basslines as well as develop my individuality, since it is either I play below par because of boredom, or explore the potential to express myself and enjoy it. 

Day 8 - Band Things

So, ladies and gentlemen, I have joined a new band. Well, technically it's not new, because I have some of my instrumentalists from my previous band, and we have members from another band, so we are somewhat familiar with each other on a musical level. Finding a band that is "the one" is like dating seriously to find your soul-mate and settle down. Aside from the fact that I am a little bit picky, here's why I think it's been especially difficult:

1. Kenyan musicians, especially instrumentalists, are very unfaithful characters. Myself included. More often than not, you find guitarist so-and-so "committed" to bands W, X, Y and Z, while accepting a few one-time gigs with other bands. It's like in a relationship: if you and your partner are both seeing other people on the side and having one-night stands, then there is no time to really build your relationship. I officially only belong to two bands (yes); the church one and my new one. I hereby also promise to fight, with all my might, the temptation to play for another band. Unless of course this one breaks my heart.
2. If you are Kenyan and your parents support your music career, you either have very modern and internationally exposed parents, or they don't love you enough to care about what you do with your life. Sadly, music as a career generally in Africa is not as respected as in the West. I once heard a Kenyan MP use "musician" as a simile to describe poverty. Of course this is not necessarily true for all countries. I grew up in Southern Africa, where the arts and extra curricular events were quite supported, as opposed to here where more emphasis is on academics. The Nigerian entertainment industry is also doing pretty well. Anyway, because of this lack of support, our beloved musicians usually have a "hobby" mentality towards music, therefore they do not put in the extra work and professionalism required to excel. This has been an issue for me because I am quite a driven and goal oriented person. 
3. Working in any group is never an easy task. This is more so true when you toss a bunch of different characters with different missions in life. Say, for example, in one band you have someone who wants to pay their bills through performances, another one who comes to unwind from other jobs, one who lives a fantasy life and likes the swag of being in the band and nothing else, the one hungry for fame, the inexperienced guitarist just trying to get girls and of course the arrogant, off-key singers who get offended when you correct them. This, my friend, is a recipe for disaster.

To be continued...