(Reliable Drum Cat photo borrowed from www.conservativecat.com)
I’m looking for a word to describe those musicians who will show up and do their best even when they’re deathly ill, tired, or troubled in other ways. Over at GuitarFlame, they’re talking about performers who don’t show up at gigs, rehearsals, etc… and it made me think that I’ve been lucky to have dealt with very few of these types over my years of playing. I’m seriously trying to remember if I EVER missed a gig. Seriously.
Don’t think I’m some kind of superman, but I posted recently about my struggle with the flu. Last night I played a 3 hour rehearsal (from Hell) after working a particularly exhausting 10 hour day(but that’s normal ). I’ve traveled many, many miles and endured incredibly bad venues (including many churches!) and low (or no) pay but if I told someone I would play, then that’s it; –I’m going to play.
OK –mea culpa; a confession. Over my years of accompanying (15+ years at TROY), I now recall that there was one senior recital that I missed because my sister-in-law passed away and we had to go back to Indiana. The player kept the piece on the program and one of my piano-playing students tried to cover for me, but I missed it; I couldn’t make it. I still feel guilty about it because that recitalist was depending on me.
So far this post has only been about ME. I still need to find a word to describe that overwhelming sense of responsibility to the task that a professional musician has. So help me out:
1. What’s the word?
2. What’s your story? Ever made it to a gig under the most adverse conditions? Played even when you felt like you were going to die?
3. Do you need to confess a missed gig? If so, post your gig sin here and I’ll see if I can get it absolved.
4. Do you have a word that adequately describes a musician who thinks nothing of skipping out of an obligation? (Let’s keep it relatively clean, folks; I have impressionable students who read this blog!)
Peace,
J
5 Comments
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March 26th, 2008 at 6:49 am
I love that part with the “gig sin”! You found the best way to put this!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
What’s the word? Thunderbird! What’s the price? Fifty twice.
Sorry J, couldn’t resist.
Simply put, the player who is reliable, does the job regardless is a “Pro”. I don’t care if it’s Armenian folk music in odd time signatures, death-speed-nu metal, be-bop or blues-some are pros, some are not.
Ever made it to a gig under the most adverse conditions? Played even when you felt like you were going to die?
Sure, do it long enough and there will be times like that. You just do the best you can with what you got and move on.
Do you need to confess a missed gig? If so, post your gig sin here and I’ll see if I can get it absolved.
I’ve missed a couple of gigs due to weather or illness. I had a violent case of food poisoning and left the stage during the 3rd set one time-the club owner docked us $100 for not playing the last set. On a Tuesday night with a handful of people in the audience.
That kind of stuff is going to happen too, if you do it long enough. You do your best, that’s all.
Do you have a word that adequately describes a musician who thinks nothing of skipping out of an obligation? Too bad you got the “relatively clean” clause in there but, I will abide and pull my punches.
The old, crusty booking agent used to say; “That guy is B.O.I.” B.O.I. meaning Back On the Interstate because, that’s where he was headed.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Jack, I literally spit cola all over my desk when I got to the B.O.I. part. Thanks for that! I can just imagine a certain crusty old character from my neck of the woods saying “that guy is B.O.I.”
March 26th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
> Do you have a word that adequately describes a musician who thinks nothing of skipping out of an obligation?
Unemployed.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Hi Joe; thanks for your comment and visit! It was interesting to see your systematic approach to using a metronome when mastering difficult passages; –at http://fromthewoodshed.com/