Ain’t it the Gospel Truth
Music
If you don’t want to be heard, DON’T SHOW UP
Apr 18th
From a post on FilmmakerIQ.com
So I set up the audio for a small community big band that I work with. I used to play with them but I’m so tired of playing the same rinky dinky music with the same rinky dinky attitude that I resigned my self more to full on audio tech and “conductor”.
Rinky dinky music is fine, if you approach it with a serious attitude.
I set up the mics for this group. 3 mics for 4 saxes… the Baritone sax gets his own mic. I set it up last night and go do something else.
When the show started and I got into my conductor position, the baritone sax’s mic was pointed away from the sax and over at nothing…
WTF???
This guy always does this. He doesn’t want to play into a mic.
In fact, nobody in the group wants to play into a mic… they’re all so afraid of their “sound”
Hello! I’m trying to record this assholes! (which was an unmitigated disaster). Even if I wasn’t recording this, you NEED TO PLAY INTO A MICROPHONE for sound reinforcement and balance.
Why do I even bother setting up this sound system if you guys won’t use it.
Okay, first let me set up the cold hard reality of playing in a big band. Every part is important for different reasons (some are more important than others). Each person is playing a DIFFERENT part so they all need to be heard together. Secondly, the sound from where you sit in a big band is sounds completely different from what the audience hears (especially if you don’t have monitors). You think you’re playing loud enough because you match what you hear, you’re way too soft. If you think you can cuddle up and hide inside the group, you’re wrong.
Or this attitude, I’m going to play my part so only I can hear it.
WHAT’S THE FUCKING POINT OF THAT!?!?
Get on the mic – then I can adjust you (live because this band “doesn’t need” a sound check). We heavily mic the saxes because we have this antiquated notion that the saxes are some how not as loud as the brass…
That’s another thing I can’t stand. I play trumpet. I am capable of pumping more wattage through that horn than most people I play with. For that, I am “well known”… but I’m not some cro-magnon that can’t tone it down. Guess what, I can play softer than most everyone I play with as well. I can play “purdy” too. And purdy stuff deserves to be heard of annoyingly loud sax work.
Back on point.
Seriously, why do you even bother showing up if you don’t want to be heard?
It stopped being funny years ago.
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Off on a Cold Lonely Iceberg
Sep 16th
The subject of this lil’ rant is old people.
I hang around with a lot of old people. I play in bands with them and talk to them a lot. I’m used to it – my Dad was 56 when I was born and I spent almost my entire childhood hanging out with him as a senior citizen. I’m used to creaks of groans of the elderly. And throughout my life I dealt with the impending reality that old people are not long with us on this earth. I’ve learned to have a deep patience and understanding with them because soon they’ll be dead and gone.
But sometimes……..
I’ve been invited to play lead trumpet in a college jazz band. For those of you who don’t know, lead trumpet is a very demanding and precise role. If you’re off tune in the upper register (where the lead resides), it’s painful to listen to. Today was my second week. I’m a bit late. I get to the room and I find myself sitting next to a white haired man probably in his late 70s with a funny habit of saying the word “fuck” in every sentence. A salty dog if there ever was one.
Then we started playing. This man wanted to “double” with me on lead. Okay, fine. At first I was diplomatic in my playing – relaxed, trying to match his intonation. But as the time went by it got worse and worse. He played like a hyena. It was loud, out of tune, and generally the wrong note.
When you’re trying to be precise in tone and attack and the guy next to you is blowing louder and about 30 cents flat – you’re ready to put your horn away. Stuff like that exhausts you and makes it almost impossible to perform.
Then he tells me about his story about playing in the so-and-so band (actually a recognizable name, but I’ll leave it anonymous) and I’m thinking… yeah right!
Again, some level of patience must be given to the elderly. I don’t know how I will behave at that age -loosing my physical abilities and coordination. Will I try to capture the old glory days by forcing my terrible tone on others – especially capable players.
But it’s not all about the age. My mentor was 67 when he passed away and he was still blowing as strong as anybody.
There must be a dignified way of letting the next generation carry on when you reach that age. Some guys manage it I suppose. Some don’t. When you’re screeching the wrong note in my left ear… maybe you haven’t found that way quite yet.
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Big Band SWING!!!
Jun 14th
Well I didn’t want to leave that last post like that. The emails had a overall positive effect.
Most importantly it all came together for the best concert I’ve ever had last Thursday night!!! We shot with 3 cameras in HiDef and I’m busy capturing and mixing everything right now. Preliminary results have been pretty darm good.
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On Social Energy
May 24th
Even though this header reads “Music” this could relate to any leadership situation.
So I played a rather disasterous gig tonight. The funny thing was it wasn’t that bad musically. It was bad because certain tempermental individuals in the group allowed negative energy to ruin the experience.
The first couple of sets went off okay – nothing terrible. But then we had some vocal charts that got way off and needed to be reset from the top (in other words, stop and lets go back to the beginning). In all fairness though, the band had maybe played through these pieces once or twice so the piece had not yet reached the “comfort zone” yet.
Then the conductor started down the road of negative energy and started lecturing the band about musicianship. Now we enter the cycle of negativity and the performance becomes worse and worse.
I’m not a new age guy. I don’t believe in the power of crystal skulls or measuring vibes… but social energy is a very real thing. When a director is coaxing out a performance (especially from not-quite professional musicians), he simply can’t start giving off negativity. A director needs to create a positive environment for people to feel “safe” to perform.
And this extends way beyond music. This is something absolutely essential when working on a set – especially with non-actors (and even with actors as well).
I left out a very important detail. Not only is sending out negativity bad for the performers – it’s picked up by the audience as well. Every body watching can get a vibe – if the band’s having fun, they’ll have more fun.
So much of this stuff seems so damned obvious but I guess it’s got more to do with someone’s personality. I don’t know – I think I might be one of the easiest going guys in the world sometimes – but I like who I am. I wouldn’t trade it in for the tempermental edgy personality…
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Merry Christmas
Dec 24th
My little Christmas song (spurred on by a MySpace Film forum) for y’all
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