What Stringsinger said:"Playing with some so-called better musicians may not work at all if you are dealing with hot-shots and ego-driven players who might be good by themselves but not so hot in a group setting." struck a nerve with me.

"Playing well with others" seems to be a discrete skill from just "playing well." In working with a multi-instrumental music ministry at church, what serves me best is years of listening to bands where musicians worked well with each other. Trying to identify what sounds best in the mix, sometimes means saying "No. I should NOT play on every piece" - another consideration when playing in a group where the ethic leans toward total inclusiveness.

The leader-with-guitar at church is a prime example. While he is great on vocals, guitar or mandolin, his inabilty to stick to the arrangements we'd agreed upon and rehearsed started to drive me to frustrated distraction. He'd ignore the arrangements and make it impossible for some of the others to sound decent. Changing the key, tempo, what the introduction consists of, without any warning to anyone else and messing up singers who are doing their parts strictly by the dots in the hymnal by making up his own harmonies, (different each verse) was throwing us all off. All his fine musicianship didn't add up to being a team player.

Joanne in Cleveland (who plays in the VERY minor league, mostly)