Change of Subject

All I seem to write about these days is job related. How boring! Let's try writing about something else today.

A friend of mine is a drummer in a band. He's been a drummer most of his life and has played with several bands. They aren't the make a hit record, tour the world, roll in money kind of bands. They are the play at a local club on the weekend, make a couple of hundred dollars kind of bands. He has a full time job and plays for fun.

I've been wanting to do the same type of thing for most of my life but haven't ever done anything to make it happen. Me not being a very good musician probably has something to do with it. The "Catch 22" thing is, you get better by playing with other people, and you can't play with other people until you play better.

So, I spent a few years playing guitar in my church band. We had three guitar players and I was the least accomplished. I decided we needed a bass player and bought one. I found out that I played guitar well enough to be able to play the bass halfway decently. After playing bass in the church band for a couple of years, my friend the drummer invited me to play with a group of people from his church that were going to be playing at a local coffee house. I ended up playing with them a couple of times before people moved and the band dissolved. It was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done. I played sports for twenty years and it never felt like playing live music in front of people that had come to listen by choice.

A couple of months ago, my drummer friend called and told me he was in a new band. Their bass player had to leave because of some personal family issues, and my friend asked if I would be interested in auditioning. I ended up being invited to join the band and we are getting ready to record a demo record to give to club owners to try and get hired for weekend gigs. It looks like we are going into the studio sometime in February. I can't wait. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I need to practice more.

I've been trying to decide on my "stage look". Mrs. Dirpus says not to forget that I still need to look appropriate for my day job, which is more of a suit and tie look. Maybe I'll have to forego the shaved head or purple spiked hair.