Practicing For July
In July I’ll be sitting in for some shows with the Dudley Manlove Quartet. They’ve been playing together for 13+ years, performing hits of the 70’s and 80’s, and they have a high degree of musicianship. Their set consists of around 30 songs, most with fairly tight arrangements. So I’m doing a lot of practicing to ensure I’m prepared. This has meant listening to their live recordings and the original artists’ recordings, and making notes on my copies of the charts. I’m always up for a challenge musically and this definitely fits that description. Since the band is an established group, my responsibilities are
- Be prepared – this means practicing the songs, programming my patches, and learning any cues that are part of the live performance.
- Be a good fit – the band is accustomed to working as a unit and has an internal culture. My job is to be a part of that unit with minimal disruption.
- Be alert – the absolute guarantee in live music is that something unexpected will occur. Being present in the moment is crucial.
- Be the Walrus – if given the choice, always go with the Walrus. I mean, who even remembers the other three characters?
It’s interesting to note that this is the same approach I’d recommend to aspiring Project Managers. It’s a slightly different profession, but the same rules apply.
I attended college in Bellingham with Steve Okimoto – the band’s bassist – but this is the first setting in which we’ve played together. All the members of the band are talented, easy-going, funny guys. I’m looking forward to these shows and will be spending the next week continuing my preparation for the gigs. If you happen to attend any of these shows, give a shout or a wave.