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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | AdamGhost@aol.com |
| Subject | Re: Taking over? or The way it should be?... |
| Date | Sun, 29 Aug 2004 16:26:10 EDT |
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Miguel, you're full of great comments today...
I've been accused of being a Nazi bandleader (mostly with affection, I hope!)
but I've also been in bands where everything just flowed as a collaboration
and where I just shut up and did what I was told. In each case, that was the
most appropriate role to play in the situation (I think!).
I think it really comes down to the bands and personalities involved. Every
musician brings certain talents to the table and that includes their own
personality traits which play into a band situation. A good bandleader knows what
his/her bandmates are capable of and acts accordingly. The complication is
when any band member -- particularly the leader -- is suffering from a case of
"bad ego." Your goal as a band leader should be to make the band sound as good
as it possibly can, and not necessarily to control everything just to control
it (it's easy to confuse the two goals though). It's also a case of good
politics. You need to know how to get good performances out of people without
pissing them off or making them feel condescended to.
In an ideal world, bandleader and musicians should all be trying for the same
goal and not get their feelings hurt if some idea doesn't cut it. With that
in mind, there will always be some musicians who are so in tune that you
should just sit back and let them do their thing, and others that will need to be
directed every step of the way. The key for the bandleader is to know the
difference and not micromanage where it's not needed. The key for the musician is
to be a team player, contribute where appropriate and stay out when not by
acknowledging his or her own strengths and weaknesses...something I personally
try to do when I'm backing up someone else.
that's my two cents!
adam marsland
<< Well, I'm not trying to put any of these two great artists down, probably
the contrary... How many of you musicians on auditees think that either the
main artist of a band (or particular song on an album) should take over or
should it always be a band effort? ... It's worked for Macca & Fogerty but perhaps
its not always the case... and come to think about it, it's probably one of
the main reasons bands break up... >>
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