PRACTICE ALERT

Hoday,

Stop playing Mustang Sally, Celebrate, Brick House, I like the way you move, etc.

Virtually every night club band shares clones of musicians who play the same material. And it doesn't matter really what style of music we choose as even the symphony is stuck in a rut playing ever popular themes ripped off by John Williams, and others (you know who you are)!

Why, because it's easy to go from one band to another without rehearsing - (ok so the symphony has to rehearse, or should I say re-hash). Some even go as far to say that these are the tunes "people want to hear." Then there's the ever popular, "we have to play these songs so people will dance." Or, we have to play this symphony because people will come to hear it." Stop playing this music, it's boring and insulting. The CSO even went as far as to play Star Trek Movie Themes - which I would have seen but I already know every last note Goldsmith uses and the fact that they could play it only revealed that they too can do it - congrats.

I know music doesn't revolve around me but does anyone remember what it really takes to compose and practice the act until it's ready for the public? The answer is not really, but who has the time? The only problem is that groups who don't rehearse, fail. I don't know about you but I like to perform an act that is ready to perform... And the only key to this musical success is rehearsal. Rehearsal changes the songs and the act. When you make the songs interesting to the band, you make the songs interesting to the public.

Later