Romanced: Normal is Boring

"It is the addition of strangeness to beauty that constitutes the romantic character in art." - Walter Pater

The best part about working with artists, is that artists are, umm, quite expressive. You either get really irritated or extremely entertained. Fortunately, I am entertained most of the time. Introducing, a couple of el band peeps:

This one plays everything together. He also has a unique sense of style. Anyone who can walk down the street in a striped jumpsuit deserves the respect. *moment to observe respect*.  I admire him also because he is ever smiling, even when someone is being offensive. I get offended for him.

This is one of the singers. She is a really amazing vocalist and says the craziest things. Also my main motivation for showing up to places that need to be showed up to. Also the reason older white men have to smile (must be the hair...or youthfulness) And has a boyfriend with a cool name. Oh yeah, she also approves of my taste in guys. We all need that one friend who will agree that yes, indeed, your man is very attractive *happy tear*

Monsieur Ninja Drummer.  He doesn't seem to care about whether his band is playing in different keys or someone is playing the wrong thing, he just does his part well. This chap also seems to be the only non-horny of the guys and seems unmoved by events. Clap for him. He puts his all on his drumset, so much that his sticks ninja out of his hands and into the next room. Clap for him again. Also doesn't complain if you run away with his popcorn. Give a hearty round of applause.

This one has quite a temper on him. He gets angry so fast that you don't realize he is mad until 15 minutes later, mainly because he goes and positions himself in a corner and starts sweating.

As a soft-spoken person, I get lots of reactions to my personality. One particular one, is that people either think I'm a genius and ask me to solve physics equations, or they think I'm soft-spoken because I have nothing between my ears. This guy falls in the latter.  He sings to us what to play and gives unwarranted advice. Asked what key the song is in, he says "RnB". I understand that just as I lack in certain areas, so do others. But others who lack in the most basic and yet have the decency to talk down to you? Nuh uh! *sways neck Shaniqua style*. Other than that, he is a great person to have as a friend. He'll go out of his way to help you and protect you, and is also very open.

This is how one director looks like. On the right is him on the inside. Just give him a tot..or lots of sugar, and he will come out. He reminds me of a teddy bear. I just want to hug him all the time.

Bass dude. Reggae dude. Chops dude. He is my bass mentor.  Also has a song that preaches solidarity and likes only two chords: A major and B minor. Therefore, he writes a song consisting of only A major and B minor. I guess this has its perks because it gives the bass room to go crazy. Arise, ye, forgotten instrument!

Music Without Words *insert horrorified expression*

As an instrumentalist, I have met quite a  number of people that I would like to throw a chair, no, maybe a house, at their faces, because of some of the things they say. The beauty of symphonies, sonatas and concertos is because they are purely instrumental. To this day, I can sit down for hours just listening to instrumental music, and I have found that most of my fellow instrumentalists enjoy instrumental music as much as I do. 

People's reactions when they find out you like instrumental music can be rather, um, interesting. I Once had someone look me dead in the eye, with quite a substantial amount of grief on his face, and exclaim, "how can you listen to music without words?!"

I also had a few others imply that music cannot be music if there is no singer. Non-musicians are not the only ones that appear, err, uninformed. 

I was once in a band that had quite some potential. When the leader approached me to further grow the band, he was of the idea that before we get singers on board, we should work on chemistry as instrumentalists, which was a splendid idea. The band consisted of some quite gifted instrumentalists, and I thought, "hey, this could be different". Since there are quite a number of conventional band set-ups, I figured this could be our selling point. Also, I find that instrumental bands have better paying and more frequent opportunities, as there is a certain class of people that enjoy such. But alas, music "cannot" be music without words.

Recently at band rehearsals, a deadly confrontation was about to happen. Of all the artists we play for, one of them happens to be one of my favorites. This is because he has a very good ear, is a percussionist as well, and has a high level of musicianship (he just needs to go to a special school on how to court women). Rehearsal time is divided between the artists, where each has their turn to do a set of songs and to agree with the instrumentalists how it should be done. When it was his turn, he had a wonderful idea for an instrumental arrangement. Literally a minute into the arrangements, other artists, particularly one rather obnoxious hip-hopper, thought that the instrumentalists are just fooling around. They started complaining and saying that the next artist should go on because "time was passing". Slaps forehead.

Since every artist in the program has equal opportunity, I have decided to come up with my own 15 minute instrumental, and I dare anyone to try and interrupt me.

Pooh! 

Dream a New Dream

"Never regret your past, whether good or bad, because it still has a positive impact on your present and future"

Sometimes in life, we put extremely high expectations on ourselves and set timelines by when to accomplish these goals. Any slight failure or delay in achieving these expectations can lead to a turmoil of grief and hopelessness. Other than the loss of loved one, the worst possible feeling one can have is that of a crushed dream and having no direction to look forward to, like being lost at sea.

Recently, the devotionals I've been reading have been along the theme of  "God's plans and desires of your hearts". The main points of these devotionals, was that God has plans for us and knows what's best for us better than we do. Also, if you have a desire in your heart to pursue something, it is because it is God's plan for you to achieve that desire, and so he places it in you heart that you may pursue it.

If things were to go my way, by now I would have graduated with a double Master of Arts degree in Conducting and Piano Performance, just gotten married to my first "true love", who would have patiently waited, and we would be expecting our first-born twin boys, but alas, none of that has even nearly happened. A friend of mine, Gladys, once told me never to regret my past, whether good or bad, because it still has a positive impact on your present and future. This is a motto I still live by today. In as much as I'm just getting done with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree, "true love" is in a committed relationship and we do not have twins on the way, I have no regrets because I have learnt so much in my experience that I believe has made me a much better individual than if it had gone my way.

Although worth it, this "not my way" experience has not been an easy one:

• Because of other commitments, I haven't been able to get in as much practice as my peers in the industry, also taking into account that bass is a fairly new instruments to me. I have met and played with great, full-time professional musicians, some with as much as 13 years experience in the field and 12 hours a day practice time. 
• Classical piano has taught me to read music and to plan any non-scored music you are going to play ahead of time. Give me any song and tell me to come up with a bassline 3 weeks before and I will give you a superb line. Expect me to improvise on the spot, and I look like a fish trying to climb a wall. But this is what Kenyan musicians are made of; improvisation.
• In the new group I'm in, there are a couple of people in their 30's and 40's, who are looking for the same opportunities I am. Will I be a 40 year old mother still looking for a breakthrough in my career?

This can be very intimidating and stressful, and many a times I have considered quitting and opting to sell sausages by the road side for a living. But then I remember: God's timing and life lessons.

• Psychology has given me a broad perspective that I can use in music and business. My possibilities are limitless, rather than if I had just studied classical piano and conducting. I would probably have just toured Europe and then retired at 35. Since a piano is not an orchestral instrument but a feature, you have to be quite exceptional to be given a concerto, with or without orchestral backing. Same goes for being a conductor. I don't doubt that I could be capable of achieving this, but what are the odds that a black woman would get such gigs? However, I still do intend to travel the world.
• I have learnt to play on the go and so many other things, that I am now even much more confident in my ability to succeed in a music Master's program without having done an undergraduate degree in music.
• Bass is just really fun and, in Kenya, seems to be more profitable

Sometimes we reach a certain age and stop dreaming, believing that once an opportunity has passed, that's it for life. But the past is but gone. Every new day gives us a chance to start a fresh. One reason I admire the older folk I play with is because they have not settled to living an average life because "their time passed". Likewise, I realize that this experience has enabled me to be a more holistic musician and individual, giving me the ability to achieve much more and influence people in a better way. Here's to dreaming a new dream!!