That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

Chapter 16
So You Wanna Be in a Band:
Fitting into a Jazz Ensemble
In This Chapter
� Fitting into an established band
� Recruiting a group of your own
� Drumming up some publicity to land gigs
� Getting into the performance zone
� Hitting the road, Jack
You went out and bought an instrument and have taken lessons for
months now. You’re reading music, and you’re good enough to play your
way through a half dozen standards. You’re ready to start making music with
other musicians. After all, jazz is group music as much as solo music.
As any musician can tell you, working in a band presents some of life’s major
challenges (and rewards). From what I know, a band is pretty much like a
family, with complementary and conflicting personalities, strengths and
weaknesses, and regular fights ranging from debates to shout fests. Getting
into a band is like getting into a relationship. If you don’t go in with blinders
on, your chances of success are much greater.
Being in a band is the most productive lesson a musician can have. It requires
a whole new level of musicianship, but it also forces players to rise to the
occasion with new levels of maturity and thoughtful communication. As life
experiences go, this is one of the most uniquely rewarding, and it’s never too
late to begin.
In this chapter, you can explore what it’s like to take those first steps toward
band-dom. You may not think you’re ready, but music teachers agree there’s
nothing like practicing with a band to speed your growth as a player.