Give Me Just a Little More Time ...
by Shannon Price
The spring session of West Music’s Weekend Warriors program was very successful. A record number of new participants and some returning warriors came out for the fun. Several teens, aged between 12 and 16, signed up, and just as many 30- to 50-year-olds showed, including our favorite tambourine expert, 60-something Lucy Sharp (see “Listen While I Play My Red Tambourine” at www.makingmusicmag.com/columns/06sept03.html).
At the initial Meet and Greet session, the teens took off to one of the lesson studios to listen to the CDs and MP3s they had brought with them in order to make up a song list. The adults branched off into one large group to discuss classic rock tunes and current favorites, including a smattering of country and folk songs. Most of the adults had brought song lists, which shared a number of the same tunes.
However, one of the new participants, Jim, seemed somewhat agitated and impatient. I had discussed the Weekend Warriors recreational music program at length with him on the phone the day before. He had seen a flyer and was wondering what it was all about. Jim’s biggest concern was that he would be stuck with a “bunch of beginners who would waste my time.”
I encouraged Jim to come to the spring session’s Meet and Greet, because it’s a great way to network if he was looking for musicians to play with. And, yes, the room can be filled with a number of beginners, but also with those who have had years of experience but who had stopped playing somewhere along the way, because “life happens.” These warriors are often dedicated musicians who need to get back into the groove. I say “need” because that’s how the passion for music makes them feel sometimes.
Jim brought his son-in-law, Ray, to the Meet and Greet. Jim and Ray sat quietly, appearing skeptical as I spoke to the group and had participants introduce themselves and tell us what instruments they play and what music they like.
When the break-out sessions started, it looked as if things were going smoothly. However, about 45 minutes into discussions and song sharing, Jim said, “Are we done?” This is just a bunch of people talking, he said, and we could have had this accomplished in 30 minutes. “I’ve been playing in bands since 1966 and, at this point in my life, I require a higher level of organization and focus from my fellow musicians,” he added.
My reply was, “I’m sorry you feel that way, and I hope you decide to take the challenge. It’s a fun program and many times these recreational bands lead to the formation of serious bands. But the process takes time, patience, respect, and consistency.”
The first meeting of a new Weekend Warrior session is usually a bit scattered because people who don’t know each other must come together to see what their interests are and where they agree. My role isn’t to place people here and there and choose songs for them to play. The point is for the participants to get to know each other for a while and talk about music.
We also usually play an unstructured jam session to give participants a chance to feel some chemistry with their new bandmates before the real work begins. Jamming—free-form playing that is more about exploration than structured learning—is really a social act, a Meet and Greet with the instruments plugged in. The process of choosing songs as a potential band is another social and cooperative process that needs to happen, and that can take a little time. But where there is variety, there is knowledge!
After the Meet and Greet and jam session, the remaining rehearsals are organized and regimented. If everyone has done their part, the practices go relatively smoothly, as long as everyone listens and band members begin to work as an ensemble to learn a few songs, instead of as four or five individuals.
Learning patience and creating cooperative relationships is a big part of playing together in a band. Sometimes this process can take eight weeks. Sometimes it takes less time; sometimes the chemistry never happens. I have found, however, that recreational music making programs like Weekend Warriors are largely successful, and they bring people together as friends and fellow musicians no matter what their skill levels. It’s a great networking opportunity, and incredibly rewarding.
Sadly, Jim and Ray did not come to the first real rehearsal the next week. But everyone else was there and ready to roll. We even had three new participants show up who missed the Meet and Greet.
Facilitating Weekend Warriors has taught me that all of us need to be open and aware when working with others. Through recreational music making, people can broaden their circle of influences and experiences, and we can usually find something wonderful we never knew existed. At the very least, my warriors learn a few new songs, make a few new friends, and have a blast.
There really is no word to describe what we can gain if we open our hearts with music.
