Forming a band: accommodating differences

The sorts of differences that need to be accommodated in a band include personality, musical background, stylistic intent, technical expertise, image and performance values. While it is undoubtedly true that shared vision is an important factor in the success of every band, that doesn’t mean that you have to be clones of one another. Once again, unless you are hiring a group of session musicians to enact your exact musical vision, it is not wise to reject the input of your band members. Not only will this lead to resentment and the eventual loss of members, but it may also prevent you from developing the ideas behind the music to their full potential by ignoring something you may not have thought of. 

 

One-dimensional

 

It is not often that you will find a band where all members contribute to the day-to-day business of songwriting, image creation and musical direction, but there is usually more than one voice involved. The danger of keeping only one musical vision alive in the band from a creative point of view is that the band and its music can quickly become one-dimensional and other members can lose their drive and become mere passengers along for the ride.

 

If one can take the attitude that the sound, look and vision of the band is made up of the sum of all its parts, then your band members have more of a vested interest in the band, will be more passionate and committed, and your whole offering will stand a greater chance of being unique and powerful. For example, if band members were intolerant of musical influences all the time, we would never have had great bands like Rage Against The Machine, fusing hip hop and metal into a new amalgam. Rock as we know it would never have grown out of the work of Elvis Presley. Urban music would never have fused R&B and hip hop and Kylie Minogue would still be an actress. 

 

 

Attitude

 

As with much else, when one is playing in a band, it all comes down to attitude. If yours is exclusive, draws hard lines and insists on a dogmatic approach to what the band can and can’t do, you will find that your music will become formulaic, you will lose band members regularly and momentum will be hard to maintain. As an artist you need to be listening to everything that is going on in music around you. A rigid approach to what you like, listen to and write will likely result in a formulaic creation. By listening to everything that is out there, you open yourself up to more influences and ideas and can better stay ahead of the pack.

 

Originally published in David Chislett's One, Two, One, Two: A Step By Step Guide To The South African Music Industry. Download a free copy of the book at www.davidchislett.co.za.