Band Rehearsal

Hey! I'm in a band!
Really?
Really!
You're kidding.
Nope! Dead serious!

It fell out of the sky, like I mentioned in last Friday's post. (Shoot, tomorrow's Friday! I need to learn something!) Last night was my first ever band practice with the band, and it was QUITE exciting. I don't know how other bands function, but if every band is like this, what on earth have I been doing NOT being in bands?

Joe, the guitarist, had already written lyrics and a little guitar for one and a half songs, but it was just a sort of "rough sketch," so we started out with those two. Cutting to the chase, it was basically just a jam session. Our tireless drummer (He's a machine! Literally.) kept the beat going while Joe and Yves, the bassist, fiddled around on their guitars, and I worked out how the vocals should go. And played guitar in one song, actually. Simplest chords ever, but I couldn't have done anything more complicated; I was thinking about lyrics, inflection, notes, harmony, etc. just for my voice alone, and my fingers were not down to do any crazy fretting, having only touched guitars every once in awhile thus far in my life. (Funny thing about guitar, you kind of have to practice.)

I make it sound like singing is just sooo hard. It's really not, but I've come to realise how much actually goes into being a GOOD vocalist. Some people are just lucky enough to have incredible voices at birth (not me, heh), but I'm pretty sure they have a lot to consider when singing too. My background in theatre has already proven to be one of my greatest assets; the improvisation skills and willingness to step outside my comfort zone it's given me apply to just about everything, and singing is no exception. According to Joe, it's very rare a vocalist can "jam" with the band. If it's not scripted, they can't do it. Kind of blew my mind.

Anyway, Joe's songs started coming together as we jammed, and I came up with the missing verse for the half song while we improvised. Two rough songs down! On our way to enough for a show. So I pulled out my phone, grabbed lyrics I had written, and we started figuring it out too. Let me just say that it is SOOOOO different writing via jam session with others than just sitting on a piano bench trying to make something decent with my lack of ridiculously awesome piano abilities. And hearing YOUR song suddenly come to life with all these different sounds? It's incredible.

Three rough songs down! That's almost enough for a show! Hey maybe we'll play a show soon! Oh, wait, we probably need a live drummer for that though, don't we? Yeah, so if you know or are an incredible drummer, we're on the lookout for one; get in touch with me!

P.S. I finally bought a ukulele yesterday. I am in love.