Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

With our bass player leaving and the hum drum of finding a replacement the more I think about it the less I really want to put myself through this. I have been leading this band for 5 years. I mean I was doing everything required to further a project. The last time I took a break was 1997. Part of me wants to continue if I were to find the right bass player for this project or find another band with musicians that are as dedicated as I am. My thinking is I have been through enough with this project (although I have managed to build a name recognition). We have had a revolving door for musicians in this band and it is effecting the quality of the music. My recording equipment has been collecting dust for some time now as this band requires 100% of my time. I am thinking about just not booking anymore gigs, our last gig is at the end of July, and just let this thing wind down and put a note on the website that the band is taking a break. All the while I can keep an ear to the ground looking for that next project and record some new originals and just enjoy life for the rest of the year unless of coarse I found the next project sooner than I thought I would. What do you guy's think.

Hi Haley.
We haven't spoken I don't think before? (Apologies).

In my humble experience. When someone is running everything, booking, hiring, sorting out the multitude of stuff that needs sorting out then others just take a day off because you have in essence become too familiar, almost mother-like.

The simple truth remains that most people are just too damned lazy and want everything on a plate, served hot and with side dishes too.

I think you will find that as soon as you throw the towel in and make your feelings known you'll suddenly find things happening again and may even find the person you are looking for perhaps?

That said I've read many of your posts and they seem to suggest just as you have said, that you need a break from it, need to get some energy from somewhere and then and only when you feel ready for it, start again. I've been in your shoes one or two times in my life as regards music and many times in other areas. At the end of the day it is about you and you are way more important to yourself than constraints placed upon you by circumstances.

I would say. Go write your stuff, chill out a while.
Life's just too short to get bogged down isn't it?

Best of luck Haley.
Chippy

J-HALEY wrote:With our bass player leaving and the hum drum of finding a replacement the more I think about it the less I really want to put myself through this. I have been leading this band for 5 years. I mean I was doing everything required to further a project. The last time I took a break was 1997. Part of me wants to continue if I were to find the right bass player for this project or find another band with musicians that are as dedicated as I am. My thinking is I have been through enough with this project (although I have managed to build a name recognition). We have had a revolving door for musicians in this band and it is effecting the quality of the music. My recording equipment has been collecting dust for some time now as this band requires 100% of my time. I am thinking about just not booking anymore gigs, our last gig is at the end of July, and just let this thing wind down and put a note on the website that the band is taking a break. All the while I can keep an ear to the ground looking for that next project and record some new originals and just enjoy life for the rest of the year unless of coarse I found the next project sooner than I thought I would. What do you guy's think.

Not a thing wrong with a vacation.

You have earned it. And a little time off always creates new energies for new opportunities.

I'm in agreement with sans and the chipster, take a break for a while. Sometimes it's a very good idea to back away from it, see things from another angle and regroup. Or drop back 20 and punt, as they say in baseball. Or is it soccer?

I'm so confused...

Hey J....

If you want to do some recording... I will volunteer to do some bass or Rhythm guitar for your project....

I like recording.... keeps me close to the family and lets me play at the same time... I am also really enjoying learning the mixing mastering stuff... although I obviously still have a lot to learn...

Look me up if you decide to do something!

X!

I know where you are coming from Haley.

My singer and bassist had been in an original outfit, that tryed hard to do something, get on myspace and look up Chemical Zoo, they had one great song called Can You Hear Me Now, I would put that song up against anything Ive heard in hard rock radio, its still in the running on garage band. So these guys were burnt out when I got back with them. So ive wound up running the thing. For awhile I was booking to many gigs so I backed off to one a month and then if some really killer gig floats our way we will do it.

Good Luck

Good luck on that Haley!

Are you thinking of doing some other focuses with music like Studio Musicianship or Production?

I got burned out a couple of years ago with performance and went into composing filmscores. It was a good experience and rejuvenated my energy and musical perspective. One of the films made it to Newport, Toronto and Chicago Film festivals as a feature.... It was a trip to see my names in the credits.

Anyway, what Im trying to say is that taking a different approach with music may be a good thing.

J-HALEY wrote:With our bass player leaving and the hum drum of finding a replacement the more I think about it the less I really want to put myself through this. I have been leading this band for 5 years. I mean I was doing everything required to further a project. The last time I took a break was 1997. Part of me wants to continue if I were to find the right bass player for this project or find another band with musicians that are as dedicated as I am. My thinking is I have been through enough with this project (although I have managed to build a name recognition). We have had a revolving door for musicians in this band and it is effecting the quality of the music. My recording equipment has been collecting dust for some time now as this band requires 100% of my time. I am thinking about just not booking anymore gigs, our last gig is at the end of July, and just let this thing wind down and put a note on the website that the band is taking a break. All the while I can keep an ear to the ground looking for that next project and record some new originals and just enjoy life for the rest of the year unless of coarse I found the next project sooner than I thought I would. What do you guy's think.

I think this is a fine idea. When we think of music we think of "play" but it really isn't play, is it? Music is hard work and it can wear you out. The nice thing is, this job will always be there once you return to it. Perhaps a breather will allow you to come back stronger than ever before. I guarantee you, you will be a stronger musician for it because you will miss it and vice versa.

Mary

Two sides to every coin. If playing has become a job and you're going to take a vacation from it, think about when you've gone on vacation from your real job and how much you hated when vacation was over. It can happen in music as well. As much as I LOVE playing, it had gotten to seem more like a job to me and I have been taking an extended vacation for about a year and it's really tough getting back into playing with a band. We rehearsed one night last week and the other guitarist got tied up in a meeting and couldn't make it. We rehearsed last night and the drummer couldn't make it. It leaves me wondering if I've jumped back in to the same sh*t that I was trying to get away from.

Thanks for all your advise there is a lot of wisdom on here, I really don't want to stop but it really is starting to feel like a job. I think that I just need to recharge my batteries and I will be fine. I can use this time to write and record and just enjoy life a little and meanwhile I will still be looking for the next project. I just don't have that panic feeling that I use to get,
"oh no what am I going to do now" it's just not there. I think more than anything I am burned out on this project and it is time for a new one.

J-HALEY wrote:Thanks for all your advise there is a lot of wisdom on here, I really don't want to stop but it really is starting to feel like a job. I think that I just need to recharge my batteries and I will be fine. I can use this time to write and record and just enjoy life a little and meanwhile I will still be looking for the next project. I just don't have that panic feeling that I use to get,
"oh no what am I going to do now" it's just not there. I think more than anything I am burned out on this project and it is time for a new one.

A new one as in all originals and making a CD?

If you think you might need a break: you do.
. . . as long as you realize (as I think you do) that if you take a break for too long, you might not have a band to come back to.
When I wanted to take just one rehearsal off, I caught hell for it: "We're all counting on you."
The pressure can be very real . . .

RhythmMan wrote:When I wanted to take just one rehearsal off, I caught hell for it: "We're all counting on you."

Yeah, sometimes it's a pain being the one they all count on. Several bands I've been in it's like any other member could take off and we could get someone to fill in, but if I wanted off, they would say they would have to cancel the gigs. I hate that stuff.

Its time for a new band that plays covers for money and does originals for personal satisfaction and records. I have long ago given up on the "making it" pipe dream. I play music for the same reason I did before my dreams were dashed with the reality it ain't gonna happen. Playing music is part of the very essence of who I am. To not play music would be for me to not be myself. I have to express myself in a musically artistic way (originals) and I love to perform in front of a crowd and whale away on the instrument I have had a love affair with as far back as I can remember (guitar). I am just tired of being the mother hen that does everything and now there is only two of us the drummer and myself. This thing is starting to look like the perverbial dead horse. I am kicking him but he will not get up LOL!

I really hate it when I hear you guys express your momentary frustrations by saying your "dream" is dead.

Do you really know your future so well ?

Or are you just afraid to keep playing the odds?

Freakin stand up and put your fist in the air.

It aint done till they throw dirt in your face.