Back on the band front

[Griff]

Sounds like fun!

[Undertoad]

I would write everything about this, but it seems I've gotten cold feet talkin' about everything in life for fear of sounding like a diarist or being all self-oriented and whatnot. Seeking some kinda balance I spose

Rent is pretty amazingly difficult. I'm putting in two hours a day in advance of Sunday's rehearsal, and the first official music rehearsal with the cast, on the 14th.

I've never put in two hours a day for an extended time, on any musical project. This is more of an opera than a musical. There are 42 different pieces to know. Good lord. I should not have taken this on. It's gonna be okay, because I'm committed and have a compulsion to not suck, but what a task.

[glatt]

I know the feeling of regretting taking stuff on, but then I think about what I'd be doing instead. Sitting on a couch watching TV is fine, but after a long time of that, I start to feel bad about myself. Good to have some irons in the fire.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Fuck balance, how can we vicariously experience you musical journey unless you make a bare clean breast of it. Nobody is forced to read it, and it saves coming over there is the middle of the night to waterboard it out of you. Win-win.

That's a lot of time and effort to dedicate to something is at best, temporary. But I guess the closest thing would be an athlete practicing for the Nationals or Olympics, then the actual event comes and goes in a flash. Win lose or draw, you still have the skills and abilities you develop during all that practice... and street creds.

[Undertoad]

Capacity at this theater is about 120, and there are 9 shows, and they do pretty well when not scheduling midnight shows... so I estimate this audience at 900 people who will have a more complete and better experience if I do my job well. That's motivation enough!

[Undertoad]

The skin on your fingertips gets really thick. Especially on the fretting hand, the left hand, the one pressing down on the strings. You'd think it would be the right hand, which is plucking; and that skin gets thicker too, but not like the left.

Your hands get stronger. You never really think about your hands being strong. But just like anything, you exercise them, they respond.

After working really hard on one section, I noticed the veins in the back of my wrist and hand, sticking way out. They didn't used to do that when I was fatter.

[Undertoad]

I knew I'd regret selling the fretless eventually. One song here uses it to great effect, an effect I won't have in the toolbox. "I'll only use it once every 10 years," I thought at the time. "That one time in 10 years is pretty nice though," I think now.

[xoxoxoBruce]

After you sell a few albums you can buy another one.

[limey]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I knew I'd regret selling the fretless eventually. One song here uses it to great effect, an effect I won't have in the toolbox. "I'll only use it once every 10 years," I thought at the time. "That one time in 10 years is pretty nice though," I think now.

You can't borrow one from someone?

[Undertoad]

not amongst my friends... because if musicians are friends with me, s'a good chance it's because they needed a bass player at some point

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bass players are like Moose, solitary except when they smell punani.

[xoxoxoBruce]

In an interview with Dan Rather, John Fogerty says he practices two hours every day.

[Undertoad]

Practicin' pays off: the second rehearsal yesterday, and I knew a lot of stuff.

Still not enough though. There was plenty I didn't know...

Usually the case: we didn't go over the song I worked hardest on and had to develop the riff for.

The sitzprobe is next Thursday night. What's a sitzprobe? It's a painful medical procedure. No it turns out it's where the cast and band sit around and do just the songs with the singing. Everything has to be strong by then.

You can't find a drummer who'll put in hard work for community theater. They found one this time but it took 8 different people turning it down. They guy they got is Not Ready. Oh well.

[Griff]

The bass will have to carry the load...

[lumberjim]

dude. I hadn't been playing much (at all) for a while... Picked up the guitar yesterday, and couldn't get through one song without my hand going crippled. It was cold out, and I was leaning back in the chair with the neck up high... but still. I need to play every day from now on. my callouses are gone. I'm getting together with my dad and his cousin in August, and I need to be in playing shape.