Fighting the Manufactured Teen Pop Star (part 2)

So, quick update since I realized it's been a while since I mentioned this project. This is for the very good reason that it has slipped my mind. So, current thoughts on it. 

First of all, the band I'm in, The Scratches, has a different orchestration than is normally heard in this sort of song (we have piano, cello, violin, acoustic guitar/mandolin). So that's slowed me down on coming up with a melody and arrangement. 

Then there's the problem of the singer. The mainstream teenage pop song is only homosexual when the band or singer wants to make a big deal of how open-minded they are and/or be controversial (i.e. Katy Perry). So this song has to be sung by a guy. Although all the other members in The Scratches are guys, I still have a problem. The male pop star's voice is very specific, he has to sound young, is more likely to be a tenor, and possibly have a slight whine in his voice. Listen to the voices of the singers of Cute is What We Aim For, All-American Rejects, and Fall Out Boy for an idea of the stereotypical voice. Don't they all kind of sound the same? (I realize these bands are not classified under pop, but the voices of the singers are good examples.) Josh's voice is really deep, and sounds much older than the manufactured pop star does. I was told Hunter sang in the gang vocals for one of the songs we are currently recording (the backing track and gang vocals were recorded before I joined the band), but try as I might, I can only hear Josh and Shane (who is no longer in the band). As far as I can tell, he's a bit reluctant to sing. And Dan refuses to sing anything when he is not alone in his car. So, thinking this over, I came up with the idea that I could do the same sort of thing that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy did with their version of the song "Don't You Feel My Leg". That is, come up with a spoken intro of meeting someone, and the actual song consists of relating what the other person said.

Okay, yeah,  that's where I am now. I need to come up with a good intro in the character of the stereotypical popular high school girl. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on the intro (or the song), feel free to comment with them.

Starting a Band Part 2 - Rehearsals

After you have members, you need two things - rehearsals and songs. Songs will be covered in the next post, because without rehearsal time, the songs don't matter. I realize the opposite can be said as well, but it is very easy to find songs to play, even if it comes down to rehearsing covers of songs you don't intend to perform. Just rehearsing these songs gives you and the other members of your band experience in how you work together, as well as a chance to experiment with your sound. But if you don't have rehearsals, you don't have a band.

The place you choose to rehearse in should have enough room to comfortably fit the entire band, its instruments, plus instrument cases, music stands, amps if you have electric instruments, and anything else you might need. For those bands with electric instruments, keep in mind that wherever you rehearse should have enough outlets. The area should be quiet enough that you can focus on playing, and it should also be at a time and/or in a place where you won't disturb other people nearby with your rehearsal. You also need to make sure the rehearsal spot is relatively convenient for all members to get to. Don't pick a spot that's more than an hour away from anyone, preferably no more than a half hour away. If it's hard to get to rehearsals, your band members will stop showing up.

Do your best to avoid changing rehearsal times around. Having rehearsal on different days and at different times each week is not only confusing, but practically guarantees rehearsals will never happen, as you will spend weeks trying to pin all of your band members down and get them to agree to a time. Start by deciding you will rehearse once a week, and pick a time that you can reasonably expect everyone to be able to make regularly. If your band decides later that it wants more rehearsals per week, and you can fit it in, go ahead, but I wouldn't recommend meeting less than once a week. Sometimes a band member won't be able to make rehearsal. Do not cancel rehearsal if at least two people can make it. In other words, if you and one other person are going to be there, you can still practice. Take advantage of rehearsals like these by taking more time on parts that the members there have been having trouble with, or just want a bit more practice on.

There is no point in trying to keep your band alive if you never rehearse. If this happens, you are not a band, you are a procrastination club whose members all happen to be musicians.

Starting a Band Part 1 - Members

At some point, whether we're musicians or not, classical or heavy metal, we all think it: "I want to be in a band." And why wouldn't we? We see the rock stars performing to hundreds of adoring fans at concerts, wearing what they want, acting how they want. They don't have a boring 9-5 job, they don't have to worry about how they're going to scrape together the money to pay this month's bills. For the non-musicians and the casual musicians, this is usually just a passing thought, but what about those of us who dream of it? Not just for the glamour and the easy life the media presents us with, but for the chance to perform, to make even just a few people happy for an hour or two, the adrenaline rush from hearing the audience applaud after a show.

The trouble is, while the steps for so many careers are all clearly laid out for us, doctor, teacher, engineer, we were never told how to be in a band. No one ever laid out how to start a band, how to find a band to join, none of it. The only information we were given was that we had to know how to play an instrument or sing, or both. But knowing this by itself won't get us anywhere. Getting started is the hardest part, and there are many easily-avoided traps that will hold you back if you're not prepared. This is the first of a trilogy of entries on some of the pitfalls I've run into time and again.

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The first thing you need, obviously, is other band members. The difficulty here is, it's easy to find casual musicians, but it's considerably harder to find people who are willing to commit hours out of each week for band rehearsal, individual practice, and whatever gigs you might get. It doesn't matter if he's your best friend, if he doesn't show up to rehearsal, if he doesn't know the songs, he doesn't belong in your band. And speaking of friends, don't only ask people you're friends with to be in your band. Ask around your school or workplace, post signs on a community bulletin board, let people know. There are also many find-a-musician sites online* where you can post a profile for free to find musicians in your area.

While finding people to be in your band, do not limit yourself to either the "standard"** or your own personal dream instrumentation. Use what you have. On the other hand, you don't have to use everything you have. If you think someone isn't skilled enough, doesn't fit your musical style, or even if their personality just rubs you the wrong way, don't be afraid to say no. Remember, it's your band. You have the final say on who gets to be in it. But what if everyone you've talked to sounds perfect to you and is friendly and you just have to have them? Do yourself a favor and resist temptation. If you have ten people in your band, it will be next to impossible to schedule rehearsal time to fit everyone's schedule.

In the end though, it all comes down to finding dependable, band-mates who can handle the music. They don't have to have been child prodigies(and if your songs require that level of training to play, you should probably take another look at them), they just need to be able to show up to rehearsal and practice on their own until they know the music. Make sure the other members are committed and hard-working at the start, and you'll make things a lot easier for yourself.

*joinmyband.co.uk has sections for both the UK and the US. bandmix.com is good for american musicians as well, but put your email address in the visible part of your profile, as they require you to get a paid membership before they'll let you contact other members through the site.
**lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums