Last night I did something I haven't done for a VERY long time... I got together in my basement with two local guys I've never played with before and just jammed and talked...
Please don't confuse jamming with rehearsing... 'cause it seems like I've been rehearsing for the last 20years without much to show for it. Sure it's made me some money, and hopefully gained me a bit respect for working hard at what I do... but I always seem to be preparing for something... a gig... a recording... and that stifles creativity. It's extremely rare that I am in a room with other musicians that don't look at me and say "So, what are we gonna play? You pick something"... I guess it's natural, I sing and I know A LOT of songs, but it always leads to playing/singing the same handful of songs I've be playing since I was a teenager (a long time ago!).
Sitting back and letting someone else sing while I concentrate on trying to follow along without completely fucking the other guys up was great for a change... it teaches you to play/think differently and I am in desperate need of that. The overlooked fact of being in a band is that it's a business (at least it is if you want to: play for people... pay for the gas to get you to the show... get booked to play the same place again... I think you get the point). The business side of being in a band is unavoidable if you want any hope of doing well... and it NEEDS to be done, but it's all consuming and quickly takes your focus away from the creative side of music.
I am so looking forward to more nights like last night... nothing needed to come of it, for a change I was just hanging out and jamming.
Peace, Bryan
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