This week strangely enough started Sunday night - due to the time span between blogs in which I pulled out my fiddle for a traditional rehearsal on our broadly chosen material. I feel we are coming along slowly but steadily and that the material will be ready for the first gig and that the material will be ready for the gig. However our progress I sadly cannot attend the gig as I feel I am going to have to give my fiddle playing a break as there just isn’t enough time in the closing weeks of term to keep up with practice. This is for the best as college work comes first and I would not be doing myself and the band any favours if I didn’t keep up with rehearsals. It seems that the lesson learned here is sometimes you have to make room for the things that are more important and make changes. As an aspiring session player this would be something I would frequently have to be used to coping with.
On Monday Feefree Conspiracy were up bright and early for a practice towards our up and coming gig supporting Eat Dr Ape at their album launch. Our new material is piecing together nicely and I feel that Saturdays gig will go well. I however am finding it hard to be enthusiastic when playing on my uncomfortable and mechanical electric drum kit as it is nowhere near the real deal. However with practice rooms fully booked and acoustic kits nowhere to be seen I just have to adapt. This is a skill that a musician has to be capable to do for it never go to plan!
The afternoon consisted of a degree practice for the Led Zeppelin dude which turned out to be quite enjoyable. Since we are all major Zeppelin fans all the tracks are being polished off in minimal time and I look forward to end product and gig.
Tuesday morning was hectic as I ran through the streets of Perth to turn up to my piano lesson late. If that wasn’t bad enough I made a complete fool of myself by destroying every piece that was put in front of me. I feel that the reason for this was I wasn’t composed and was still all flustered from the run which really emphasises on how being on time is of the utmost importance!
The afternoon was Rocky rehearsal which was a little more complex than usual with the parts testing me slightly in both range and intonation. Since a lot of the music is writing in the lower range I find it hard to control my air which leads to bad tuning and so with this new material pushing me I hope to get the problem sorted. Other than that the songs are coming forward nicely but whether it will come together nicely is another question!
Wednesday was slightly shorter than usual but even so, I felt like I had done a good days work after the morning. In our Band project we decided to change our chosen festival from Isle of White to the year 1973. It was mutually thought that there just wasn’t enough enthusiasm and varies of genre to tackle it and so now we are looking at the tracks Hotel California, Money and Dancing Queen! If I am to become a successful musician I will need to be able to change from genre to genre without hesitation and be capable of churning out the tracks without mistake. After a hectic drum lesson I was back in the practice room for 20 to 11 and pretty much stayed there until 4 o’clock playing for a Jazz funk degree project and my own band rehearsals. However long it was an exhausting I did enjoy playing for so long. If I want to become a session musician I will have to be able to play constantly for long hours without losing focus and so this is preparing me if such an occasion is ever to occur. Apart from composition class cancelled my day was its usual self. I spent the rest of my time catching up on the Everest of work that has been thrown at me with no mercy.
Thursday I had no graded unit but I used my time to piece together my portfolio which is ever so slowly coming together. History was yet again incredibly intellectual and I left feeling I knew less than I did when I entered the classroom. Clearly my mind is not made for this philosophical side of music. Session skills was spent in the studio mixing down the tracks and preparing for next week in which I will be coming into the studio to record the trombone part to grits ain’t groceries.
Digital audio went well and I spent the most part at the electric kit recording for outcome two for each student. It was all made up on the spot with our recordings ranging from funk to blues to country. It was a good little exercise for my playing and will help me in my climb to perfection as a player.
The night of Eat Dr Ape’s album launch at the Twa Tams came and due to the boys expertise in promotion the venue was more packed than I had ever seen it. When it was our turn to play I felt the sound we got was superb and with it came a good crowd. It was one of these gigs in which everything goes well. Overall I felt it was one of the best times I had ever played live. It really showed me how important a good sound and atmosphere where to performing to the best of my abilities and taught me to really attempt to get the best out of the equipment and be truly comfortable before a show, as it makes the world of difference to the product.
The End.
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