Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

To me, starting a band is like starting a business. Sometimes, you start a joint partnership where somebody takes over the connections end, while the other focuses on most of the song writing. Things vary in circumstances all the time though.

Joining a band is like being employed. You have to prove yourself until you get promoted to more freedom and say-so within the band. What you do from the start depends on your qualifications. You have to gain the band's trust...etc.

So how do you like to go about things as a musician? Do you like a good level of control? Prefer to join something already well established? Or maybe it doesen't matter to you as long as you're playing, and the music is good.

I've always been the leader. I run the ads, audition people, write songs, book gigs, produce recordings and fire people when I have to. Never been much of a joiner.

If anything were to happen to our present project ( God forbid ) I would probably want to initiate one of my own.

Having done both, either has their pros and cons. But, I'm getting at a point where I'm getting tired of playing someone else's music and not mine. I may join another band, so I can "borrow" their musicians for mine. But, I want a project that I can work out my own ideas in.

Ive been involved in both situations. One takes a lot of responsibility, the other takes more diplomacy. As long as you have a realistic personal goal for the project, you'll know when your wasting your time.

Well, I can't seem to find ppl that want to work for me. Like Capt Beefheart, I can't seem to find a drummer that can play a strawberry, for the life of me!

I was always a hired gun. But that doesn't mean that my input wasn't appreciated by any group I was working with at the time. I preferred it that way.

Hello, I am new here.

Both situations have their good and bad and neither one is easier than the other. I have found the factors that define how these situations turn out are 1) Dedication 2) Inspiration 3) Patience and 4) Musicianship/Abilities. These attributes should be shared by all members or it wont work out. "Musicians" by definition can adapt and function at any given situation. Being in a band, starting or joining an existing, you have to deal with issues outside of music like: promotion; finance, networking; etc. Again these should be shared by all members. The more experience you gain working with different musicians, you expand your horizons and abilities. At a certain point when you realize that having a "band leader" is a moot perspective and you focus on every individual's strong point.

Slacker G wrote:I was always a hired gun. But that doesn't mean that my input wasn't appreciated by any group I was working with at the time. I preferred it that way.

+ 100000000

jsantos wrote:Hello, I am new here.

There's usually one person who actually signs the music studio lease, right? I'd be shy of doing that if I were forming a band, especially if I didn't know the chaps.

SirJamsalot wrote:There's usually one person who actually signs the music studio lease, right? I'd be shy of doing that if I were forming a band, especially if I didn't know the chaps.

Yes. The monthly music studio leases here in Chicago are quite expensive and have the going rate of $400 and up monthly. We are talking about a small closet for that much. The one we rent at Superior Street Studios is $750 monthly and is split 4 ways by the members. So that is somewhere in the $200 a person. We are very serious about the project and are willing to put in money. All our names are on the lease lol.

jsantos wrote:

SirJamsalot wrote:There's usually one person who actually signs the music studio lease, right? I'd be shy of doing that if I were forming a band, especially if I didn't know the chaps.

Yes. The monthly music studio leases here in Chicago are quite expensive and have the going rate of $400 and up monthly. We are talking about a small closet for that much. The one we rent at Superior Street Studios is $750 monthly and is split 4 ways by the members. So that is somewhere in the $200 a person. We are very serious about the project and are willing to put in money. All our names are on the lease lol.

oh, you can do a 4 way lease signing huh? I didn't know these types of studios would do that. I suppose that would take some fear out of it for me

Oh you mean practice rooms. When you said music studio lease I got confused.

In response to SirJam and Jimmy. Yes it is a monthly practice room. They have more than one name on the lease so the establishment can "extract" from any member is one fails to produce $$$. They know how musicians tend to forget the lease money sometimes haha