Joining a band pt. 2

Ever since I first touched a drum set, I've dreamed of being part of a band. Honestly, when I was in high school, I assumed joining a band would be easy as pie, and there were times that I was pretty sure I wouldn't even need to have a career plan because everything would be alright - I was going to be a rock star.

Of course, I was stupid. Joining a band - much less being in a popular band - is not an easy task. All of those dreams I had of touring, making money, reaching the pinnacle of success, they were all unrealistic. There are literally thousands of bands out there, and how many reach stardom? Very few. But for some reason, that never crossed my mind. I was convinced that as soon as I got to college I would join a band and we were going straight to the top.

Here I am in my junior year of college, and all I have to show for it is five shows - six with our final one this Friday - with Bananarchy. Don't get me wrong, Bananarchy has been fun; it's just not that serious, not a band that I'm proud to tell everyone I'm part of. It was just a fun project. Putting together a real, serious band is very difficult, which I've discovered these last three years. That's because you have to find other musicians who are serious and committed to the band, not to mention have talent.

I've known some people in college who are incredibly talented and who are serious about putting together a band. I've had a couple of 'close-calls,' bands that almost actually happened. But you have to have all of the puzzle pieces, you have to have a group of people with the same determination, who are willing to set time aside for the band. And for me the puzzle pieces have never come together.

Until now. Being the drummer for The Jarts is cool because I'm coming into a band that is already established; the other band members have already committed themselves fully. The band is practically their lives. And with The Jarts I'm thrown into a band that already has credibility and popularity - we are the band that I always wanted.

But one part of being in a band is different than I thought - recording. When I was younger I always envisioned recording records as the greatest job ever. The thought of chilling in the studio for the day doing nothing but playing the instrument you love would seem to be the perfect life - especially because you're making a record that is going to make you money. Right?

Well recording has proven to be quite different than I thought. Don't get me wrong, it is fun and exciting. But it is a business, and one that people take very seriously.

I've been in the studio a couple of times recording auxillary percussion for our new album with Chris Pyle. It's simple stuff, like tambourine, shaker, a little snare drum and ride. But doggone it if it doesn't take hours to complete. The microphones have to be set up perfectly, the instrument has to have the perfect sound, and you have to nail the rhythm. Sure, you can re-record and fix things you've messed up, but there is a lot of pressure to get it right. And whoever is recording you - like Chris - probably wants it to be perfect and is particular on what perfect sounds like. Like Chris.

After spending a couple of hours in the studio doing nothing but playing the same parts over and over again, you become stressed. You're tired. You want to go home.

Just like work.

And to top it all off, it costs a lot of money to do this. I'm not sure how much, but these things usually cost in the thousands of dollars. And to tell you the truth we probably won't make a lot of money off of it. We'll sell a lot, sure, but unless we get out of Athens and go national, we won't make a ton of money.

These are the sides of being in a band I could never have expected. It is a business. It's not all easy.

But it is fun. It is a thrill, and a true joy to experience. This is art; we are pouring ourselves into making music. It is such a pleasure just to be able to use our passions and skills, to create something, especially because people will someday appreciate it. And I don't care how much time, effort, or money is lost on this project; no matter the cost, it will all be worth it. Because some day I'll be able to tell my children, "I created this."

Sound familiar?

Joining a band

This morning I went to the studio to record percussion for The Jarts, who I am now the drummer for. Let me explain...

Chris Pyle has been a musical mentor of mine. Back when I was 15 and we played in Central's worship team together, he would ask me about what kind of music I listened to, and I told him the truth - P.O.D., Linkin Park, etc. I'm not proud of it, but that is indeed what I listened to at the time. He didn't laugh at me or anything, just nodded and listened.

By the time I was a senior in high school, though, I had started exploring my musical tastes, using Radiohead's 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A' as a springboard into a whole new world of good - mostly indie - music. And Chris helped me along the way, making mixes for me of some of his favorite bands, which honestly I would force myself to like because I respected his taste so much. Now I like that stuff for real.

Chris, who owns Donkey Coffee and 3 Elliott Studios here in Athens, has been playing bass in a band for the last year or so called The Jarts. Ever since I saw them play for the first time, about 6 months ago, I knew they were one of the greatest bands in town. Playing folk-rock with cello, they had a lot of talent and great songs, written by lead singer Troy Gregorino.

Two weeks ago Chris approached me at church, saying The Jarts needed a new drummer and would be auditioning potential replacements. He said I was his first choice to fill the role. I've never auditioned for anything before, but I was really excited to have the opportunity to join a band I really respected, especially since Chris was a member.

So Chris made me a mix of four of their songs, and I practiced along to them at church to get a feel for them, while listening to them back home to really familiarize myself with them. I was nervous for the audition - playing another band's music with that band is kind of intimidating - and wanted to make sure I nailed the songs.

A week later the band held practice at 3 Elliott and auditioned myself and I believe one other guy. I went in, introduced myself and talked to the band for a while - really comfortable, they are all so chill and nice - and then headed to the drum set to play the four songs I knew with them.

Man, what an experience, playing the drums for a band I really liked and respected. It was really nerve-racking - even though the drum parts are fairly easy - because they were all paying such close attention to me and what I did; they really wanted the new drummer to mesh both musically and personally. But it felt great, and I left feeling really optimistic about the process.

Through the entire audition, honestly the person I felt most intimated by was Chris. He didn't just let my playing go, he criticized what I did and told me how to fix it. It was kind of scary, because Chris is someone whose opinion I respect very highly. But I know he just wanted me to play as best as I could; he wanted me to show The Jarts what I could do, so he pushed me to do so. And I'm glad he did.

I got the call the morning of Thanksgiving, while at my parents' house. Chris said, "Hey, if you'll have us we'll have you in The Jarts." Wow, what a feeling - the band had chosen me. I don't know how many candidates they ended up having, but they chose me. Chris said that after I had left, the band all agreed that my audition made them feel really good both musically and personally. So they chose me.

Now I'm a member of a band that I once followed. And we're (weird to say we're) recording an album, which is nearly completed. Unfortunately I didn't come in to the band soon enough to be able to record the drum tracks, but I did go in today to do the auxillary percussion. So at least I'll make an appearance on the album, which should come out early next year. Oh, and here's our MySpace, where you can check out some of the tracks.

This is such an exciting time for me. Ever since I first touched a drum set, at the age of 12, I knew I wanted to have a band. But until now, all I had to show for it was Bananarchy, which is fun but not very serious. Now I have that band I always wanted, a band I am proud to tell people I am a member of.

And I have Chris to thank for all of this.