Your Band: How Members Collaborate?

Subject: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:39 PM

When our band started, I (and to some extent my husband) did practically everything in terms of working up songs and leading the effort-- from listening to songs for new material, to transcribing lyrics, arranging, singing lead, teaching material to the group, organizing the library, etc. While we both are capable of this style and extent of leadership, it was never really our preference. We live in a very sparesel-populated area, so we worked with the people who were available and who shared our areas of interest.

Now I am very lucky that others who can share the load have joined us in the last few years. One of them sings lead now almost as often as I do, chooses which songs we might do from our repertoire, and teaches us new songs from time to time. Another is really good in arranging, often from poor-quality historical recordings, and he is a fine bass player who adds a lot to our interpretations in how he works out his part simply, with great embellishment, or anywhere in between. He's also been keeping an eye out for new players we might like to incorporate. I learn a lot from him, for my own arranging, when I see how he solves problems or approaches a piece, as I play it to try it out.

Today furnishes a good example. Tom chose 5 songs for Saturday. (I had found these songs and made up a wordbook plus ready-to-arrange players' sheets, and I have sound files archived for them.) I already had an arrangement for one, and startups on a few others. I emailed Louis a link to hear another one, and the lyric-- the one I was least sure I could capture easily. I arranged the other 3 myself. By the time I was done with those, there was an email from Louis with a .JPG of his arrangement, ready for me to play through and adjust if needed, for autoharp! Wow!

I'm finding that it's very, very comfortable working with these people-- no control issues at all, tho by consensus I still have ultimate veto if something isn't working, so we can move on to something else. And I lead rehearsals because we usually don't have 3 hours for all the gitar noodling some of them would like to have. :~) (Jams are another story!)

How much collaboration (and what kind) do you have in your band, and do you wish you had more, or less, in any area or overall?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: C-flat
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:29 PM

I think you nailed this subject with the words "I still have ultimate veto if something isn't working,"
It's great to work with other musicians, to hear alternate ideas and new arrangements but it usually falls to one person to pick out the best of those ideas and put it into practice.
I've played in bands that were totally democratic and everything from rehearsals to picking material was a lengthy and laborious proceedure, often resulting in being left with everyones' second choice!
As for arranging, any member of the band I currently play in is capable of a decent arrangement and it's often best left to one person to deal with one particular song rather than have everyone trying to have some input on everything.
I've also played in bands that were run like a dictatorship, where each band member is given a job to do with no more asked of them.
Less fun, and creatively stifling, but in some circumstances an easy ride.
As I get older, along with my band-mates, I'm finding it less of a challenge to get things done. We respect each others' ability and don't let egos get in the way of making good music, so there's less need to have anyone calling the shots but when it does reach an impasse the lead singer can make that call and we accept and appreciate the chance to move on.

C-flat.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:01 PM

We keep it to a trio......makes life MUCH easier. Since we are all on the same playing field, and all adults, makes it even that much better. Any larger than this, in our experience, is more difficult, unless you have a leader to make most of the decisions. Are involved in a 9-12 member band that in theory, is TOTALLY consensual. Miserable trying to work things out.......and the dratted rehearsals can spend 3 hours on one tune. In the trio, our set lists are pretty much cast in stone......the audience likes to come back for what they heard last time. New arrangements are only added after much practice, and discussion.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:03 PM

Back in the 'Good Old Days' I was in a Multi-Instrumental Vocal Harmony trio which tended to be VEry Co-Operative when we were trying for arrangements . One thing we found useful was that we all had portable recorders which were used during rehearsals , so we had something to work with betwen rehersals , AND something to back check on to see how a new treatment worked .

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:57 AM

I perform (musically) with the wife.

Sometimes she says what she wants and we do it.

Sometimes I say what I want and we don't do it.

What does collaborate mean?

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: GLoux
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:14 AM

I think you've identified the reason that a group of people can be a band. If there isn't collaboration, there is no band.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:58 PM

I'm exactly the kind of person you don't want in a band- i'm totally useless with technical terms, and tend to say things like 'Well what if you use the thingamybobber in that bit', 'I think it should sound more, um, angry' and 'Huh?'. So if i'm playing with other musicians, i tend to just get them to explain very clearly what it is they want me to do, and then do it. Then, if i think it could be made better, i say, 'Hey, how about this?' play them an example and they either agree or disagree. Seems to work out ok in the end! :)

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: C-flat
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 03:37 AM

Nothing wrong with blissful ignorance, Blissfully Ignorant. I prefer discussing "thingamybobbers" and using everyday language than musical jargon. Use of the expression "Huh?" is most vital in communicating levels of agreement and understanding! It's how most of us get things done!

C-flat.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 04:31 AM

we have a piss up or sometimes a punch up and the one that is still standing has the say for that song. I think it is called democracy.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 10:08 PM

C-flat, i wish more people thought like you! But they don't, and that's why i'm a solo artist ( if, indeed, one could call it that!) :)

Piss-ups and punch-ups? That's not democracy, that's Glasgow on a saturday night...Apologies to Weegies, but it had to be said :)

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 03:43 AM

count yourself lucky. you lot live in the days of digital guitar tuners.

when I think of the blood that must have been shed over whose guitar was in tune......

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 05:50 AM

For a number of years I had to do everything from being the music director and arranging gigs, travel & accommodation etc!
Then along came Terri to our practices and offered constructive criticism on our presentation, etc.
We decided to enrol her as an official member of the group. (A canny move on my part!)
She is now our business manager and what an asset she is! She has taken over all the administration from the accounts to travel & arranging accommodation when necessary - even to designing the group's uniform. Her most remarkable achievement was the construction of the group's web site.
She is truly an invaluable member of the group.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Cornflake
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 09:05 PM

C-Flat, band dynamics are indeed interesting. There are four people in mine. I write 90 percent of the material and do 70 percent of the singing. I therefore get deemed the leader.

Arranging is somewhat different for us because we're mostly improvisational and there's very little fixed arrangement on most numbers. When there is, as on some instrumentals, it's worked out by consensus. During rehearsals people get a notion as to what they'll play and they usually play something vaguely related to that notion when it's time to perform.

I keep encouraging democracy and encouraging others to take more of a role. It seems, though, that plenty of people are happy to sit back and leave the driving to someone else. So I keep driving.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: open mike
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 10:59 PM

we have one person who owns the equipment...and we always give him an
extra 10% of anypay we get. One person does promotion, prints up business cards to pass out, and another offers their house for practices. we all live 30-50 minutes apart, so every time we get
together to practice or perform it involves driving.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 08:47 PM

Electric guitar tuners? They only serve to discombobulate my already discombobulated mind... my ears, on the other hand, connect more directly with my brain, and are easier to operate.

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 10:03 PM

My band has been about for 32 years. Our rule has been,

"Whoever sings the song is in charge."

But we also have it in ourminds that some one else may have a good idea now and then so we tend to work well together. We always ask each others opinions. (Except the drummer's.) And at least one guy, Me, is smart enough to know that much as I love a song, someone else
in the band may do a better job of it because they are better suited vocally to the song.

By example, I can't mumble so I let Bill sing the Christy Moore songs.

Don

Subject: RE: Your Band: How Members Collaborate?
From: Cornflake
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 05:29 PM

"Whoever sings the song is in charge."

That's a necessary rule. The vocal is the most important instrument.

There's one rule I sorely wish I could impose: Don't play just to be playing. If you're not moved to play something that will improve the song, keep quiet.