Are you in more than one band?

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:26 pm

Hey,

I'm just about to venture into several projects. I've been swarmed with offers to sing and play guitar for local and regional (out of state) bands since RuleSeven split a few months ago. I'd like to get some info from you on how you manage all your different projects.

Right now, I have my acoustic act, a cover band, and two original bands who are willing to deal with my tight schedule, and who are all very excited about bringing be into the fold. What's your take?

Had I only known that this many opportunities laid in wait for me, I would have put myself on the market a lot sooner.

nonamehero · Post by **nonamehero** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:01 pm

Honestly bro here is my perspective on side projects...

I don't believe in doing side projects for one simple reason...
and that is time consumption.

The reason I say that is because in my eyes if you want to be a successful working musician then i believe you should only focus your time and attention to one project. If you are serious about making it in the music industry tean your main project should be your only project because I think that if you are devoting time, energy, creative ideas, and so forth to other projects ,then your main project suffers and something gets lost and I think that things get done half assed and not as well as they could if you focused just on one thing.. Then comes the issue of loyalty, what if one of the other projects takes off and then you just left the people in the other band in the lurch. I mean it may seem fun and creative and cool to be a band whore (and i mean that in the nicest way) but in the end it is only gonna give you heartache. What ever happened to the days of four or five guys just takin on the world and nothing else mattered but the band. For me and my band that is our attitude and i'll tell you what it works pretty well for us.

Now I'm not saying that people in my band cannot do side projects but they choose not too. because Northpointe is all that they need and we make some really kick ass music because of it.. i look at it like this, what if some of the cool stuff that we have come up with as a band would have never surfaced because our guitar player said "Oh I have this really cool riff that I wrote but we can't use it because my other band is using it" or something to that effect. I would be bummed and our music would have suffered for it.

I mean to each his own and i am not gonna condemn people for doing multiple projects I am just sayin that this is how I approach this way of thinking and these are the reasons why and to let you know it is not for me or the people that i play music with..

Good Luck and have fun because that is the whole reason that we do this RIGHT....

jewlee138 · Post by **jewlee138** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:12 pm

Mr. Ross should comment on this one

DropListBass · Post by **DropListBass** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:56 pm

...not that you care to hear my take....but ill give it to you anyway. To me it would depend on the situation. I would say being in 2 original bands where you have the same responsibility is not a good idea, unless they are of very different generes. You will always have that question of wich band gets what creative element. Its just plain out not good. Plus I know no matter if the guys say they are cool with it...life already puts a ton of time constraints on us as it.....band memebers will start to get frustrated if the reason you cant practice for 2 weeks is you are practicing with another band!!! But being in say a cover band and say an original band would seem managable. Now thats just the creative side of it. Now time...unless you had at least one day open a week for each band I wouldnt even consider it. Now these band say they are willing to "deal " with you being in 4 projects...seems a bit desperate. We for example we had Shane from plow come out...and while he said he was interested and we liked him....we all knew that with him being in a highly paid , higly played cover band , and playing guitar for another O.G. band that something would have to give....thats not to mention gigs. So I know that we were starting to get frustrated after not finding someone for so long that we were willing to "deal" with things that probably would not have worked out in the long run. When RuleSeven broke up or whatever...I know that I had at least 3 good projects aproach me to play bass, and while they sounded good...I knew I didnt have 7 days a week to devote to music. So I decided to just take on the one that I thought had the best potential to go somewhere.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:54 pm

R7Bass wrote:...not that you care to hear my take....

You're right.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:03 pm

Allow me to redirect this. While I fully support anyone's right to chime in, this is not the type of information I'm looking for. I don't want advice on whether or not to do it. I'm looking for insight from people who have successfully managed multiple projects at once.

Think what you will about taking on many different acts and feel free to continue to post your thoughts and ideas on that, but I'd rather know about the successes and shortcomings of people who have already ventured into this.

this dude · Post by **this dude** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:03 pm

My friend Jake Winebrenner plays drums in my band, Supabadd, and in a band called Seven Acres. He also takes lessons every week from Todd Harold. His outlook is very straightforward and professional- If you REALLY want to do this, then you should be out there REALLY DOING IT. Get out there in the trenches and work. If you feel your creativity and experience has made you a competent enough musician to work in a good cover band, get in one. If you need to be creative on multiple levels/genres, do it. Take lessons. It all adds up to your improving as a musician, and doing so more quickly.
Anyway, he's the best example of someone who knows how to 'swing' that I know of. Perhaps you know or have met him.

DropListBass · Post by **DropListBass** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:04 pm

I find it odd that nonamehero pretty much said the same things with no response from ya...but hey I guess we all know why that is..so there should be no shock. I did re read your post and I must have misread it the first time...I thought you were looking for peoples take on side project in general...but that is not the case. I have never done an official side project so I guess I would have no reason posting here...sorry. Good luck though....seriously....I couldnt do it well myself, something for sure would suffer.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:15 pm

After two posts netting me the wrong information, I felt it was best to clarify my wants and needs for this discussion.

It's only by happenstance that you were the second post and thus the reason why I made two separate posts. One to address you, and one to address the issue.

You and I don't get along and don't agree on many things and it's things like this:

I find it odd that nonamehero pretty much said the same things with no response from ya...but hey I guess we all know why that is..so there should be no shock.

where you put your own meaning behind my actions before asking for clarification that cause a large portion of our not getting along, but you know that already because I've talked to you about it a dozen times if I've talked to you about it once.

I made a special effort to handle the two issues separately, as they were separate points of topic (IMO).

Anyhow, I have only Saturdays and Sundays for dedicated practice, and three of the projects are in the same position and I don't fear that time or creativity will be spread too thin with them. The second original project is something that is in consideration, but not seriously.

I believe that I can handle all three equally, but it will mean that I'm stocked full of band stuff every Saturday, which is fine by me.

sevesd93 · Post by **sevesd93** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:46 pm

I used to do the multiple band thing, and I have to say it was great when I was single. I love to be on stage and play drums I could do it every night if I didn't have other commitments, but when you juggling multiple bands and a wife things get a little bit more tough. I have a great lady, but i know she doesnt like it when I am out at the bar every friday and saturday night and she especially doesnt like it when I miss out on her family events. I did it for a while but eventully it caught up with me and started creating more problems in my personal life than I needed. I still have 2 bands, but I keep the schedules loose. I can't be selfish anymore.

Just a thought for you, and sorry about this past Saturday I had to work all day we will get it together one of these days i know it.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:50 pm

Hey, you know, we said from the start that our band would be a laid back, fun, whenever we can project. You know that suits me well, and I'm not going to complain if someone has to cancel a practice or two. I'm just having a good time working with three top not musicians like you, Dave, and Aric!

Hutnick · Post by **Hutnick** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:19 pm

Right now I am juggling several projects. I think it all depends on what each act is doing and what the act's goals are. Take a look at any jazz scene, in any town right now. If you want to work you have no choice but to play with several acts. Sure there can be conflicts of interest at times but if you manage the types of things you are doing, these are usually avoidable. The big questions are- how often are all of these acts going to be playing out, and on what nights are they going to be booking gigs? The rest of it should fall into place.

The rehearsal thing has come up before in conversation about schedules and I see it like this- I'm not interested in playing with musicians that have to rehearse a set 50 times before they are comfortable enough to go out and play. For me, music should be fun and fresh and nothing will make a set list more stale than rehearsing it every Wednesday for six months.

Keep it fun, because chances are, were all going to have to keep our day jobs, and that is already too much work for me! Thats just my $.02

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 am

jewlee138 wrote:Mr. Ross should comment on this one

I'm currently juggling 3 bands (if you count worship band, which I do), plus doing session work and fill in gigs (thanks again, Basement What)...

My suggestion is to use the opportunity to fulfill all your various stylistic leanings. For instance, NoRA is pretty much straight up alt. country/singer-songwriter type stuff, which I love - but would hate, due to the simplicity of the bass parts, playing all the time, so... I also have an extremely experimental duet/trio gig with a funk drummer and some electronic loops or occasional fill-in musicians. This band gives me the opportunity to display my chops (and I take full advantage!), and play with effects and all that fun stuff. I would love to do this full-time, but the market's not exactly ripe to it. The drummer for that band is now playing with Ty Causey, which keeps him extremely busy and far too busy for us to have done anything in a while.

I also play with the worship band at church, which runs the gamut stylistically from rock to jazz, r&b, gospel, latin, even some old hymns and irish feeling music... It also fills a spiritual need for me.

This way, I get to pretty much play everything I like to play, although more jazz - smooth or bop - gigs would be cool too. Not enough time though.

I do consider NoRA my main band, and I recommend picking one that gets the benefit of the doubt if two gigs come up at once. Everybody else knows that NoRA comes first and anything else takes a backseat to my main band.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:50 am

Oh, and take care of the home fires. getting divorced over a band would be tragic, especially if there are kids involved. I'm fortunate and my wife fully supports me playing so much, but she also occasionally lets it be known that I need to cut back a little bit and be home a little more. Because she gives me room to do the music thing, I respect her and find ways to cut back and be home more.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:55 am

Hey, thanks for the advice. I do have a wife at home, and I run it by her before seriously considering anything, and she's very understanding about my need to be musically involved.