#1689122 - 02/02/06 11:41 AM
Getting four people in a room at the same time
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 16924
Loc: Redondo Beach,CA,UNITED STATES
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My GOD, it can be hard getting practice schedules together among four adult people who have lives beyond being musicians.
Singer: Hey, can you guys practice Friday night?
Drummer: Let me check my work schedule and call you back.
Bassist: I need to call my girlfriend and see if we'd already made plans.
Me: Let me talk to my ex and see if she can watch my son that night.
Drummer: Okay, it looks like I can do it, but I may have to do something for my brother, so I'll let youknow tomorrow.
Bassist: Yeah, my girlfriend is out of town, so I'm in.
Me: Okay, I'm free. Friday night it is!
Singer: As it turns out, my daughter just called and she is driving down for the weekend. How about next Tuesday?
Drummer: Gotta work. Wednesday?
Bassist: I'm up at 4:30am that day and will be too tired to practice that night. How about the following Friday?
Me: Can't do it, going out of town on business. How about the third Wednesday of February?
Singer: I'm doing a system installation in San Diego that week. I'm free the following Monday though.
Bassist: Nope.
Honestly, there are times when I think that bands are just not for grown-up people, unless they make a living from playing.
On a slightly less depressing note, my drummer is hosting his annual Super Bowl party on Sunday, and he'll have a bunch of gear set up for open jams after the game, so at least I'll get my ya-ya's out in that regard.
- Jeff
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#1689123 - 02/02/06 01:45 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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RicBassGuy
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Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 3832
Loc: Metro Detroit, MI
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Sounds all too familiar, Jeff. Especially the part about getting your ya-ya's out at the drummer's Super Bowl party. 
The only way it can work, IMO, is to have a standing commitment. It's like signing up for any other event that meets regularly; if you can't make Wednesday nights from 7:30-9:00pm, I guess it's not for you. Of course, there can be a little flexibility, but you don't want to constantly repeat the nightmare you posted above, right?
Would anyone sign up for a college course that meets Monday nights if they know they can never fit it in their schedule? How about a bowling league? Karate lessons? Yoga class?
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#1689124 - 02/02/06 01:46 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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CMDN
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Registered: 11/13/01
Posts: 6105
Loc: Philadelphia,PA,UNITED STATES
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It's tough, for sure... and sometimes it's not worth it...
But we live for the times when it is, don't we?
_________________________
\m/
Erik
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
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#1689125 - 02/02/06 01:55 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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Aldena
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Registered: 09/02/03
Posts: 208
Loc: So Cal.
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I agree with the regularly scheduled commitment. One of the bands I'm in, it's always Wednesday night, and a simple phone call if someone needs to cancel make everything good.
The other band involves someone with a 3 on, 3 off, rotating schedule. Days are picked out a month in advance sometimes, so it might be twice in a week or not for three weeks.
Being grown up make both situations work for us, although I would prefer to play every other day or so!
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#1689126 - 02/02/06 04:26 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 16924
Loc: Redondo Beach,CA,UNITED STATES
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It's truly a sign that we're just not committed as a band. We love playing, we're all good at what we do, and so on.
But for a two-year period, we were playing religiously. Practice EVERY Tuesday night, which then moved to Friday night. And then, it just started fading out.
At this point, we practice slightly LESS often than we gig! Now, much like Allen Iverson, I can claim that we don't NEED the practice. However, that's when we can experiment, add new tunes to the set list, and so on. Practice is good, and is fun when you do it right. It's like working out... hard to convince yourself to get up and do, and yet very gratifying after its done.
Ah well. I'll let you know when we actually get a practice together. Maybe May, at this rate!
- Jeff
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#1689127 - 02/02/06 09:43 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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Cozmicslop
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Registered: 09/10/02
Posts: 367
Loc: Chicago
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I asked everyone up front which day was best. We all agreed on Saturday. As soon as we get a couple down, other commitments start creeping in. One person needs some overtime so it's every other saturday. Back up singer's kid is in YBA, so Saturday is now hit or miss. One singer doesn't even drive so I have to arrange for her transpo. Anything to keep her intruding husband from having to bring her.
We look for alternate days, but it involves hauling gear around. Nobody has to bring anything to my house. All the gear is there. I'm not gonna haul gear to a rehearsal. My amp maybe. A full PA?
Forget it.
So we lurch along like the drummers uneven time.
Still fun.
Why complain.
We just don't get to gig as often as a tighter band. With the way they drop out, I'd be playing with one sub or another every night.
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#1689128 - 02/05/06 03:47 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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Tedster
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Registered: 09/21/00
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PRE-FUCKING-CISELY why I play solo!!!
Ted: Hey, can you practice tonight?
Me: Sure! How about you, Tedster?
Tedster: I'm in, but we'd better check with Theodore...
Theodore: No problem here. What tunes should we learn?
Ted: Well, how about that new one by Joe Doakes and the Croakes?
Tedster: I love that tune...how about you?
Me: One of my favorites!
Theodore: Let's do it!
_________________________
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1689129 - 02/07/06 12:37 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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PBBPaul
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Registered: 07/31/02
Posts: 2949
Loc: Wonderful World of Cheese - Wi...
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We only get together for rehearsal once or twice a year and it usually takes a couple of months to plan it.
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#1689130 - 02/07/06 01:15 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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typi
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Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 118
Loc: Coast to Coast
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Very familiar story. Try it with six! Not sure why it works for us, (and as much as I used to HATE to rehearse) it just seems that Thursday night rehearsals have become a regular part of the week for us. It helps that we all are heavily into the 'project,' realize that the shit we tend to do really NEEDS rehearsal and polish, we tend to have alot of laughs together, and we really IMPROVE-----rehearsing stuff makes the next group of tunes we have to learn much easier.
I used to have the attitude that, if I ever admitted to other band members to the fact that I needed to actually REHEARSE something, that this was like saying, 'I can't cut this tune,' as stupid as I was then.
This probably won't go on forever! If a family matter comes up, we rehearse without that member or postpone and pick up where we left off. For now it seems that we look forward to getting together on a regular basis. (I think I will now count my blessings  )
_________________________
"You're either WITH me, or you're AGIN' Me!" (Yosemite Sam)
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#1689133 - 02/23/06 03:57 PM
Re: Getting four people in a room at the same time
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mchen
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Registered: 09/02/03
Posts: 138
Loc: Eagle, CO
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Very familiar story. Try it with six!
I feel pretty lucky!
_________________________
"It's better to wear out than to rust out!"
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