Have you ever had to play music that you (really) disliked?
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:16 pm
Hi Thomas,
Thomas Altmann wrote:
There are situations where you have to temporarily suspend your own emotions to better serve the creative process of collective music making. Sometimes it is just work.
out of curiosity: as a professional musician, have you ever in your career had to play music that you (really) disliked? If so, how did you deal with it? "Suspend your emotions" is easier said than done!
...
SL
Hi Siete Leguas,
I decided to start a new thread with this question, because it deviates too far from the original topic. It touches the principles of professionalism, and it would be nice to have other members share their opinions, too.
1. If you are a professional musician, your likes and dislikes are secondary to what is good for the people out there: your audience.
It is the privilege of the amateur (fr.: the one who loves <what he is doing>), the aficionado (sp.: the enthusiastic), the dilettant (it.: the one who enjoys / is having fun with something) to evaluate and choose his/her activity by the amount of pleasure he gains for him-/herself. As soon as you take on a profession, you are going to perform a service for the community, and the society at a larger scale. You are there to invigorate, harmonize and enrich people spiritually, mentally, and even physically. Anything that is conducive to these ends, is what you are advised to do.
What is a great joy and a wonderful profession on the whole, may demand sacrifices and periods of writing, reading, counting, watching conductors and not listening too closely to what your bandmates are doing. This is often the fate of the big band drummer, for example. It isn't fun. Your fun starts when the gig is over, you see all the happy faces, and you know you have done a good job.
2. Being a professional musician means that your living and that of your family depends largely or exclusively on the income you achieve by making music.
Any musician who enjoys the luxury to earn enough money by playing his own music or only the music that he/she loves, is extremely fortunate. More commonly, you get calls for jingles (commercials), cheap pop songs, theatrical music and musicals, dinner music, dances and accompaniment for celebrations of all kinds (in addition to regular concerts). It is then up to you to decide whether you accept the gig or decline it (if you can afford it).
3. As soon as you agree to perform a concert or any type of musical service, it is your duty to do it, do it well, and with all your heart, from beginning to end.
It is a big advantage to have a broad taste, to like many styles of music, and to know what to do to make them happen. If I know that I have to play something that is not exactly my favourite music, I can still enjoy playing my instrument or serving the respective style appropriately. Hopefully then, the gig is paid well enough. Don't project that you are unhappy! The people in the audience don't want to see that, no musician in the band will ever hire you again, and you are giving yourself a hard time. Plus, you are likely to play the music in a bad or wrong manner. Finish the gig, get your money and be unavailable the next time they call you (if you can afford it).
The problem is that you don't always know what's coming up. You may find yourself thrown together with some impossible musicians who are spoiling the whole gig, even though it's your favourite style of music. Or the people who have booked the band turn out to be complete a..holes that treat you like rats. Or you find out at your arrival that no one has told you that you are supposed to play outdoor, and there is no tent or anything. I once drove more than 500 kilometers from Hamburg to Frankfurt for a well-paid gig, only to learn I was going to play for an event of the Scientology sect. What would you do?
Greetings,
Thomas