As a musician you’d be hard pressed to find a greater reward than jamming with friends. The first time a song is played through in its entirety is a moment that never fails to draw smiles. Getting there – having everyone on the same page, bringing something valuable to the table – isn’t always an easy journey, but the payoff can be enough to inspire a young musician to turn a hobby into a career.
It’s hardly a well-kept secret that behind every good band is an even more impressive dedication to practice. For budding musicians, though, finding time and a place to practise is the first big hurdle to overcome.
Relatively few musicians own their own house – it comes with the territory. Gathering a bunch of loud instruments in your parents’ home isn’t normally a viable long-term option. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to rent a jam space, where you won’t have to lug all of your equipment back and forth; and no one will cringe while your band irons out the kinks. The bigger the band, the more ways you can split the cost of renting a space.
Though a flashy vocalist and guitarist can spring a band into stardom, that band won’t make it past square one without a technically sound rhythm section. A solid drummer and bassist – no matter how creatively challenged – keep the song on target and provide a reliable point of reference for everyone else.
The best thing individuals can do for the band as a whole is to work effectively on their own. That way precious time spent together is rewarding and fruitful. The alternative, constantly grounding to a halt to hammer out specific parts, is like trying to ride a bike that forever has a wrench in its spokes.
In addition to individual lessons, Connors Music offers group sessions for anyone who wants to learn to play with other musicians. Participants will learn different skills from arranging to recording to performing. For more information visit www.connorsmusic.ca or call 905-476-3712.