Back to the Basics: August 2014
Do you love what you do? Really, do you? I love to play music. I am not at place where I am able to make a living making music, but I love to play any musical instrument I can get my hands on. I have the honor and privilege to play the Drums and Play the Bass Guitar on a pretty regular basis over the past few months. More and more often I am seeing Drummers and Bass players stepping up as Band Leaders and Musical Directors, so I cannot say that it is rare to see a Drummer or Bass Player as a Leader.
People can tell if you love what you do. I have tried to make things better for the Praise Band that I am playing in; I would say gigging with, but we are not getting paid. Getting paid is not the point. Loving what you do is the point. I have blogged about being the guy who carries extra cables, converters and drum sticks, and working with the sound man to make sure everyone is being heard. I am the guy who tries to make it better for everyone involved. When I play the drums, people say they enjoy the way I play the drums. When I play the Bass Guitar, I get more compliments from Musicians than from anyone else. I have started to notice, people may not be able to tell what I am playing; but they can tell if I am having fun playing.
When I play the Bass Guitar, my sound level and tone is in the hands of the sound man. I run directly into the main Sound System with No Amp and No Monitor. This makes it easier for everyone else to hear what they are doing. I am the last person to hear the sound of the Bass. I do this because it challenges me as a musician and because it is fun. It is more fun when the Bass is louder in the mix. This seems to depend on how many people are playing other instruments. The more guitars in the mix and the more the Bass seems to get lost. Again, this is not the point. The point is people can tell if I am having fun whether I am playing the Drums or playing the Bass.
When I play the Drums, it is obvious I am playing the Drums and I have control over the volume of the drums. The harder I play, the louder the drums are in the mix. Again, I try to make sure everyone else is heard so I try not to drown everyone out. I play loud enough to set a solid foundation and I listen for everyone else. I have found that when I miss a beat or make a mistake, I seem to laugh. I just love to make music. I get a sense of joy that over takes me, even when I mess up and make a mistake. I love that I get a chance to play.
When I play the Bass, it means we have a Drummer and at the Very least, Someone Playing Piano. It may also mean we have anywhere from 1 to 3 Guitar players in the mix also. I am the guy who makes sure everyone else is plugged in and heard in the mix. I am the guy who asked the sound man to take me out of the monitors so everyone else can hear themselves more clearly. I did this not because anyone can tell, I did this to challenge myself. Can I give it my all and not be a prima-donna while I am playing the Bass Guitar? Playing the Bass Guitar is a thankless job. Most people do not know who the Bass Player is unless they sing or write the songs. Running Sound is a Thankless Job. Most people do not know what the sound man does. That is why I thank the sound man and help him out as much as possible. The more I help others be heard, the more they accept me as a leader in the band even though I am not the lead musician.
I know others can sing better than I can. I know there are better drummers than I am. I am not ready to tell you there are a lot of better Bass players than me; because I have worked very hard to perfect the gifts and talents I have been given. But that does not matter, I will let someone else play the bass and have volunteered to step aside, if something else is needed more. The point is that people cannot always tell what I am playing. People have thought I was playing the Guitar when I was on the Bass. People have thought they could hear me play, when the sound man had turned me off by mistake. The challenge is not being the loudest. The challenge is to love what you are doing. People can always tell if I am having fun, even if I cannot hear what I am playing. I love having the chance to play anything, the Drums, the Bass Guitar; I would even play the tambourine, if that is what is needed.
I believe that you cannot be an effective leader if you are not willing to help others succeed. I also believe that you cannot be an effective leader if you do not love what you are doing. People can tell who is willing to help others. People can tell who is ready to sacrifice so that others can succeed. People can also tell if you truly love what you are doing. Are you having fun? Do you love what you do?
I am searching for how the Monkees taught me things as I reflect on my childhood.
I am sad to hear about Davey Jones passing away. It is like a little peace of my childhood is now gone. I know that The Monkees were not the Beatles, and Davey Jones may not be held in the same regard as the Former Beatles that have passed away, but I still liked the fun The Monkees offered every afternoon I spent glued to the T.V. as a kid.
This blog is about motivation though, so I am searching for how the Monkees taught me things as I reflect on my childhood. The Monkees were a band; they had a cool beach house, a cool car and were always broke and looking for their big break.
I remember not matter what they were going trough; they would break out into song, and do everything they could to get whatever they were looking for in that particular episode. One episode that comes to mind is where they are trying to get a gig at a birthday party for the daughter of a wealthy record executive or businessman or who ever. They went the extra mile and tracked this guy down and popped up everywhere he went and would break out a start jamming trying to get the gig. Pretty good for a broke bunch of guys who lived in a beach house, don’t you think.
The Monkees were constantly chasing their dreams and were very persistent in trying to get around the people who could help make their dreams come true. In real life they even fought for the right to write and play more of a role in their music, not just be actors and singers for hire. I say “just” in jest. The Monkees rode a pretty good hot streak even after the show was canceled. I have a Double CD of their Greatest Hits and know most of the songs by heart.
You didn’t really hear about a tragic fall from grace with the Monkees either. They tried to make a final stand with their Movie, but that is pretty tame compared to what most entertainers who have peaked and faded go through. The Monkees just kind of hung around. Even Mike came back for some of the reunion fun.
Still, the Monkees were about having fun, while they chased their dreams. I will miss Davey Jones more when I reach back and take a trip down Monkee lane. Yeah, I am going to go by the DVDs and fire them up this weekend. Maybe pull out the CD and put it in my car for the ride to work.
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