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Don’t wait for lockdown to be over. Your band needs you now.
It doesn’t feel like it’s a good time to be in a band right now, does it? It’s not safe to get together for auditions or rehearsals, and it’s not even possible to rehearse online (curse you, internet latency!) as I discussed in a spring 2020 post here . But that doesn’t mean this lockdown…
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A Matter of Distance – Why Rehearsing Online Can’t Work
Like all other musicians on the planet, I really miss rehearsing and, of course gigging. So, like many of us, I went online to see if it was at all possible to rehearse using internet technologies like JamKazam and Jamulus. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Everyone’s assumption is that because we can all use Skype, Zoom…
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To Be a Fly on the Wall in Genesis’ Studio
Some of the most fascinating gems to emerge from the YouTube mines, in my opinion, anyway, are videos of recording and rehearsal sessions from the bands I love. In the era before ubiquitous video cameras and cellphones, the act of filming was less frequent and more specialized. A band might bring in a film crew…
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What is Yacht Rock anyway?
I watched a recent Ford TV commercial (November 2019) that showcased the Ford F-150 pickup truck and focused on its trailer towing capacities. The spot portrays a truck deftly launching a decent-size pleasure boat into a harbor. The boat is named Brandy and the music that played through the spot is Brandy by the 1970s…
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Paul Shaffer – We’ll be here for the rest of our lives.
Paul Shaffer is a fascinating guy. At once both nerdy and cool, he has lived a musician’s dream, playing continually and successfully, backing up everyone who is anyone, and spending what seems like every waking moment immersed in music. His autobiography, We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives, is a fabulous romp through…
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The Curious World of In-Ear Monitors
My band is taking the plunge into using in-ear monitors (IEMs) and without a doubt, the plunge metaphor is apt. It’s like teaching kids to swim. IEMs are both loved and less-than-loved by performing musicians. On the plus side, they can deliver a perfectly balanced sound mix, tailored to each player, while removing floor wedges…
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Those wonderful lost-then-found famous guitars
The news of Peter Frampton’s condition, a degenerative muscle disease called inclusion body myositis, and announced by Frampton himself on February 23, 2019, is of course bitter news made bearable by the fact he’s not dead, but will just be slowing down some. Those blisteringly fast and sublimely melodic solos that he has created during…
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Downloadable Music and the Flipped Listener Relationship
I was watching a YouTube video the other day which talked about “everything that is wrong with modern music.” The host of the video, who goes by the name of Thoughty2, wasn’t even old. Probably around 23. He wasn’t one of those 70-something prog rock old-timers spouting on about today’s music, but instead, he presented…
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The Physical Aspect of Rehearsal: Recognition versus Recall
Fellow band members often ask me why I lug my pedal board and guitars to each band rehearsal. After all we’re just going through the tunes – we’re not playing a show. My answer is that rehearsal is not just about knowing a tune. It is also about knowing how to play it, and playing…
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Forming a Band? – Read a Business Book
This is a post about becoming successful as a band. It’s about music, so don’t let this next paragraph turn you off. In fact if it does turn you off, that’s likely part of your problem. So here goes. There is a great book that you can find in the business section of any bookseller,…
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Steve Prentice Guitarist 