Low Eh!

I’ve been so fortunate to be a founding member of the Prime Rib Big Band, and the Crius Saxophone Quartet, as well as a member for several years of the Ravens Saxophone Quartet, and several other groups. Over the years of being a collaborative member of these groups, I’ve learned a few things about being a regular member of a group.

1. Efficiency – The longer I’ve been with a group, the more efficient the rehearsals become. Working with a group regularly makes the getting the music right the focus, and I have found that we don’t tiptoe around each other like when a group is newly formed. This doesn’t mean that we are nasty or short with each other, but rather there is an understanding that develops between the members that we’re all pulling towards the same goal – to create great music.
2. Trust – there’s a musical trust that comes from working together. I find that as the group rapport develops, I take more chances, and trust that the other members are going to hold their parts down. It’s interesting, because even when you’re playing with great players, there is a learning curve to getting inside of each others’ sound, and time feel. As that comfort level develops, the music gets so much more exciting to me.
3. Personal Connections – The camaraderie that is built through the good and bad gigs, and the long rehearsals cannot be recreated without time – driving to gigs and rehearsals together, grabbing a drink after a gig and connecting with bandmates between the notes only makes the music stronger and more meaningful.

I used to think that subbing in to gig and rehearsals was the way to go, and I do still love the rush of sight-reading in a new group, and getting put in musical situations that are unpredictable, but there’s something deeper that has grown on me with staying a regular member of a group.