If only I'd put my guitar back in its case after finishing the second song.
Besides getting there early enough to chat with the other musicians before beginning to play - and quitting while I was still feeling good - I'm struggling to extract other pertinent lessons from my first experience participating in a public jam session. I made some music on Body and Soul with the piano player and held my own leading the quartet through Out of Nowhere. From there, things went awry. Quickly.
The next three tunes I played on were all quite familiar, but first my hands and then my brain let me down. My anemic soloing on Alone Together disappointed me enough that having to transpose Night and Day and How High the Moon to different keys on the spot sent me into a musical tailspin. My brain freeze was followed by mortifying solos on both those songs which, in turn, sealed the deal. Though I'd waited too long, it was now time to pack up.
This first will not be my last, despite my D+ performance. I plan to set aside my embarrassment and return to this session, provided the leader will allow me to sit in again. Perhaps I'll do so as soon as this week. But it will be a while before I invite anyone to attend and listen. When did you most recently put yourself out there? Did you fall on your face as badly I did? If so, how long was it before you got back on the horse?
Interesting post, Pat. Glad to see you're out there doing your thing. There is such a big difference between the way I put myself out there with my writing and what you do by performing in front of a live audience. I have always envied the artist (musician, dancer, stage actor) who can perform in front of an audience and get immediate feedback -- and, one hopes, the satisfaction of something more than polite applause. Of course, musicians get a chance to go to the studio and not release their work until they feel like they've nailed it, which is akin to what I do, but it isn't the same vibe one gets from performing live.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous#1; Thanks for the comment. Interesting that you mentioned how your writing puts you out there. I often feel that way about this blog but putting myself out there playing improvised jazz guitar is a whole lot more fraught for me than any public writing I do, probably because of the nakedness of performing.
DeleteDon’t beat yourself up. Those on the spot transpositions are murder. It’s like a new art form. You have to practice that all the time to get good at it. Kudos for stepping up and doing your thing. Proud of you. I’m sure the second time you’ll soar. Next time I would ask to play the same songs and learn the new keys otherwise you’re probably being a little overly critical. You’re a good player and you huge ears. Keep up the good work
ReplyDelete"Anonymous" #2; Thanks for the comment. encouragement, and the nice words about my playing. Good idea about calling those same songs in the alternate keys, though that may be moot because the players at this particular public jam change regularly. I know that because before sitting in, I attended a few as a listener just to be sure I wouldn't be completely out of my depth.
DeleteI too say don't be so hard on yourself. There are many quotations about success and failure. Here is one I found:Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. ' - Dale Carnegie. Years ago as you may know I was a belly dancer. I danced a routine where I flipped my silk veil over my head and onto the floor and then walked/danced on it. On stage I slipped and fell on my backside. Literally. I got up and continued but boy did that embarrassment stay with me for a long time!
ReplyDeleteInes; Thanks for the comment, especially for sharing your embarrassing belly dancing moment. Ouch. And thanks also for the encouragement and the apt Dale Carnegie maxim.
DeleteHey Bob; Appreciate the support and words of encouragement from you and all the other commenters. I've never stopped performing but participating in an open public jam session with on-the-spot improvising on standards and jazz tunes is a new endeavor for me. As I said in my post, I plan to persist but ...that maiden voyage was a bit painful. Oh well.
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