For decades, it has been the dream of many teenagers to play in a rock ‘n’ roll band. The few who try to follow through on that dream, however, soon learn that the hype is far greater than the reality. There are no thousand-watt stacks or thousands-strong crowds; often there’s not even a stage. The pay is scarce at best, and money tends to be lost if you happen to be organizing an event. Despite this, music is still one of the most important elements in my life.
I started playing bass not long after I entered high school for the same reason as most: I wanted to be in a band. Looking back, neither my friends nor I really knew how to get more than a discordant screeching/crashing out of our instruments, and the whole notion was rather ridiculous. Finally, after six months or so of failed attempts at rock and roll, I began to seek advice. Most of what I learned came from three sources: a) my friend’s father, an accomplished blues guitarist, b) The stand-in bassist for the afro-jazz combo Black Heritage, who was an immigrant from Cameroon, and c) The bassist for Solazo, a Latin-American jazz combo, who was an Argentine citizen. It was during this period that I started playing bass for the school jazz band, while still pursuing an independent project with some friends. It has not been until recently that I found a group that was compatible enough (and had enough connections) to begin playing shows and gathering a fan base. This has taught me another important lesson: knowing the right people is as important as knowing how to play.
Despite the often-ramshackle settings, the thrill of a show, listening or playing, can hardly be matched. Granted, if the crowd is dead, it puts a damper on the performance, but being able to get people dancing and moving is an extraordinary feeling. By the end of a good set, we exit the stage drenched in sweat (not necessarily all our own), with cramped fingers and wrists, and barely enough energy left for an encore. While this may not sound appealing to many people, for me it is absolutely euphoric.