My thoughts
I have always preached that each musician should have his/her own internal metronome and that the musician should not have to rely on the rhythm section to keep a steady beat. This is true. A great horn section will swing with or without the rhythm section. However, you get a weak rhythm section in your band and everything gets off kilter. I do not have this in my band, thankfully, but I have sat in on some bands with some weak subs. This is especially pivotal with the drummer. The drummer can single handedly bring down the band if he/she does not have a good sense of time - that is the importance of the position. If you have a fluctuating ride cymbal or high hat, or worse a sense of time that is not on Duracell batteries, and you can kiss any unity, swing or musicality goodbye. This may sound harsh but what I am really saying is that my hat is off to drummers everywhere for taking on this burden of responsibility. I would be sweating buckets if I was in that seat.
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It has been a few years since I was with the BCO. I will be sitting-in on lead trombone tonight and I'm jazzed to be doing it. Bob is a real character who I met while doing a Rat Pack show in Niagara Falls, ON. He was actually my roommate for the duration of the run. This man has stories upon stories about all the great big bands, and he has played in most of them. A real treasure and a great guy. Should be a real treat. I love leading a band and I love all the responsibility that comes with it. As with many jobs, you can be as involved or invested as you want to be. Sure, you can show up and count off the tunes or flap your arms and leave it at that, but you will likely be an ineffectual band leader. If you want to really take your band to new heights, you need to do research on the repertoire so that it is a good fit for the band and so that you present it well to the band (the right style, tempo, etc.). Also, you are not just managing music but people. The bigger the ensemble, the more personalities you are juggling and the "sounds" that are associated with them. You must be a diplomat and find a way for everyone to work together. That being said, I always say that an ensemble is not a democracy and the band leader needs to make some decisions and the band members must have faith in the director. This complex community does not just take shape just during the rehearsal. Communication is ongoing and other activities such as composition, arranging, clinics, sectionals, one-on-one meetings, etc. can take up as much time as you allow. Next time you get frustrated with the man or woman with "the stick" in front, realize that that baton can weigh heavily some days.
Getting together with the trombones tonight for a sectional. Looking forward to it. I have played in a lot of big bands and very few spent time working in sectionals. This is likely because the allure of the big band is that big band sound of 16+ players swingin' and groovin' together. Getting that many people together is always an effort so to ask for an additional commitment from any of the players is always a bit of a risk, i.e., band leaders are just happy if musicians show up for the full rehearsal, let alone sectionals. This is not to say that enthusiastic sections do not steal away from a few minutes, here-and-there, to work on some parts. This is common. I cannot really pat myself on the back too much, as my band's sectionals are sporadic. I do know the value of "cleaning-up" a section away from the band and then reinserting that sound, providing new life for the ensemble. Maybe this blog will kick my own butt. We'll see.
Gig day. Time to review tempos, as I count off fast when I am nervous :) #bigband #jazz @AHBBjazz1/28/2017 The big band conductor does most of his/her work before hand, in rehearsal. However, nailing the right tempo so that the band can really groove is crucial. It is not as if you are conducting and can adjust the tempo "on the fly." This being said, we all count off tunes a little fast and a little slow in the heat of battle and a good band will take that tempo and reshape the tune, i.e., make the groove work. Tonight, here's hoping I do not ask my band to do that too often.
Putting on a concert in a few months with all Canadian content. Sadly, this is not something that you can go to the nearest music store and pick-up. With some digging, I am hoping to find a set-list that will showcase my band and the great writers of this country.
Set List for the @AHBBjazz gig at the Lion Pub & Grill Newmarket Sat Jan 28 9 PM #jazz #bigband1/20/2017 My band's next gig is at the Lion. Looking forward to it. The first set is a swing set, the second has a touch of Latin (Bossa Novas, Sambas, Latin Rock) and the last set is a contemporary one with modal jazz, blues, R&B, rock, and pop. We usually fill the place and I expect the same this time. At the gig, we will be premiering my arrangement of Twenty One Pilots' "House of Gold." Don't miss it! Link to set list. Our first gig of the New Year should be a blast. We have three very different sets. One swings, one sambas and one just rocks. I love that my bigband is this versatile. Check out the set-list and join us this upcoming Saturday night in Newmarket.
Well, it has only taken 5 years but finally the band has a decent quasi formal shot. I am going to embrace it.
Great sound at this festival and we are always happy to be part of the line-up. You can see videos of the band on this website or at the band's youtube page. Also, it seems as if we have a fan with some very good video equipment. Check out one of "Twentyfive Musical's" videos here.
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Dr. Michael KearnsMusician, educator, husband, father, web designer ... my life is like a mosaic with each piece vying for my attention. Archives
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