One plus one...

Things playing music has taught me…about life(1).

Ordinary people, doing ordinary things, can be exceptional - when they work together

It’s a summer night, about twenty years ago. I am hanging out with some friends. Next door has a kind of shed on its roof. It was being used as a rehearsal room for a local african band (which were everywhere the nineties). One of us, James Browne, (I draw your attention to the e), was their base player. Late into the evening he suggested we go up and mess about.

Someone, Dave I think, sat at the drums. James picked up his base. Someone else grabbed the only guitar - my instrument - so I sat down behind the big electric piano. A Rhodes I think. After a bit of random noise, James decided to walk us through a song from his band - he tapped out a couple of basic beats for Dave. He walked the guitarist and I through the chords. He explained the two transitions where the timing changed. Then he led us into the unknown with a strong clear base line.

Did I say I am a guitarist? I did occasionally use a keyboard - to work out ideas. I never really played piano. I knew the keys, though, so I just started with the chord roots and focused on adding bit of rhythm.

The first run through was a train wreck, and sort of petered out in embarrassed laughter around the second verse. By the third try Dave was getting the beat and I was finding the chords. A few more runs and I was adding some stuff - sevenths, passing notes, the odd trill. After a while we were just having so much fun it didn’t matter when one or two of us fell behind, or missed something, we just caught up and kept going. After a while I found a groove. I had worked out my basic, but passable contribution and was getting it down. Now, the fun was about seeing how far we could get before it got too late and un-neighbourly. I was a guitarist, playing a piano in an African band on a rooftop in the city on a warm summer night.

I have a few stories like that.

You can be the skilled soloist. You can be the leader of the band. You can get together with the same four people over and over again working to perfect something. Those are things even an amateur like me fantasises about.

But while music can be hard and challenging, it can also be simple, easy and a whole boat load of fun. It’s a stone-soup art form. At midnight, on a rooftop four people playing rough and simple can bring just as much joy as any virtuoso.

So here’s what playing music taught me about collaborating…

• There’s always a plan. People aren’t telepathic. Even the best improvisers have a plan.
• It helps to have a leader. Not a boss, a leader. Someone who goes out in front and makes a way for others. 
• You can take turns at leading. That’s even better. But collaborations are not anarchist collectives.
• You give what you have, you take what your given. And nobody should demand more.
• If someone - anyone - is not having fun you are not collaborating.
• Ordinary people, doing ordinary things can be exceptional when they work together.

One plus one will equal whatever you want it to be.

Notes:

(1) This is the second in a series about what I have learned from playing music... that apply to more that just music. The first post, was It's OK to give up.

I am not a professional, or even that good really. But these posts are not about being good. And if you are curious - here's me playing a short "interpretation" of Georgia.

Banner Image:

Jamming at Casa Bava, Alan Levine, 2012 Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic