Anyone play in a band?

The title of this thread brought back some memories!

I started many years ago, playing guitar, (Folk group), Guitar and lap steel, (Country band ) and keys, (Soft rock band playing for charity to support Radiology Dept of local hospital) and finally, playing keys with a talented singer songwriter, guitarist and great friend.
The last time we played together was in 2001, when we quickly recorded a few covers together, in his amazing home studio. This thread just reminded me to listen to them again!
I think that playing with other musicians, no matter what genre, is invaluable, not to mention, the best fun ever!

I play the piano in a tango orchestra. It's a traditional Argentinian tango 'orquesta típica', with violins, violas, cellos, bandoneons and a double bass. Great fun, because the piano and the bass form the rhythm section. There is no percussion instrument. Which mean you get to do cool things like hitting clusters of the lowest piano notes, and glissandos. And nice little solos.

Ostinato How cool - I would LOVE that. Latin music is so fun.

Played brass in high school, all but the French horn, never could really make that one work for me. Played in a contemporary gospel band in the early 80's, keys. Played a lot of conservative church stuff for 40+ years, some of that solo, some with an organ or piano (I played either), some with vocalists, some with a few other instruments. Quit doing church work a few years ago and have been playing jazz with a trio (piano / bass / drums) for a little over a year.

I used to play a little guitar and could play a bass. Still could if I'd just play it for a while. Even had a few recordings back there in the 80's... but none of 'em went far.

Not really sure where music is going for me. The three piece is doin' OK. Pay is pretty decent for gigs, can't really say anything bad about that. But the leader's health isn't the greatest and not sure where it might go after that. He (the drummer) and I have probably bonded a lot more than me and the bass player. But the bass player does his own stuff (finger style guitar) at his own gigs now, a little different genre than the three piece. He'd probably just keep on with that. Not sure what I'd do if something happened to the group. Have had thoughts of solo stuff, restaurants, piano bars, that kind of thing, but dunno. Absolutely NO desire to return to church work as most of that is stuff I really do not enjoy playing or listening to. Even if it were paid, which a lot of church musicians are not, I still probably wouldn't, save perhaps a conservative place where it were hymns from the hymnal and Hillsong and Bethel were outlawed. LOL! (Sorry if that's your sweet spot, it's fingernails on a chalk board to me.)

Pushin' social security age, the perspective might be a little different. At 18, playin' Chopin and Tchaikovsky, I thought I wanted to go to Carnegie Hall. Got really bored with classical music and that aspiration kinda went away. Nashville, not much interest. Bourbon St., been there, wasn't what I thought it would be. Have been on some theater stages that were kinda fun. Have never been on a cruise ship, not sure I'd thrive in that environment. So... kinda takin' what comes and ridin' the small train wherever it goes.

I began on alto sax, age 9, but asked for an electric bass at age 14 and started playing in a rock band, junior high, didn't really like the lead guitarist, and didn't like a lot of the songs we played, but was hooked on the notoriety and, well, perks of playing in a local band. Eventually, having grown tired of compromises, I picked up guitar (no pun intended), got into blues, learned slide, and started my own band, which was a little better than playing in someone else's band.

As I got older, I returned to the sax, tenor this time, and got into jazz, classic stuff like Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue", Dexter Gordon, standards, swing, some be-bop, had some good groups, piano, bass, drums, sax, and even had two tenors for a while, which was the most fun I ever had playing. After a while, jazz gigs were harder to find, and things dissolved. So, I decided the piano was the best way the express myself, can play a whole tune (unlike sax, which really needs a rhythm section), no compromises, play exactly what I want, how I want. And that's worked for any gigs I might pick up, agree on a duration and price, play what I want, or no gig. Simple, really. Fits my personality and my frame of mind. Should have gone this route to begin with.

I still play guitar, some classical, some electric, but the only band I have is either Band In A Box or GarageBand.

JB_PT I'm still a band geek at heart. I played clarinet (like you, if I remember correctly?) with a symphonic band until a few years ago. Unfortunately I had to quit due to an ear injury caused and exacerbated by the loudness of a full band.
But I miss playing with others. A friend of mine and I have talked about getting together regularly to play classical guitar duets but due to injuries, work schedules etc we've still not managed to make it happen. Hopefully one day...

candela Clarinet, yes. I'm sorry about your ear problem, that must be really hard! I have an Apple Watch and every rehearsal it squawks at me multiple times about being in a loud environment. Our conductor has been at it for probably over 50 years now...it's amazing that he still seems to have good hearing!

JB_PT Thanks. Well, it is what it is, and I'm happy there are other instruments I can still play and enjoy. My hearing is overall very good, but my left ear can't handle loud sounds in general and certain particular sounds at any volume any more as they get terribly distorted and painful. I also have a never-ending pulsating tinnitus in that ear. It all appeared from one second to the next during a fortissimo by someone on the row behind in a rehearsal back in 2006. I'm suspecting it's a case of superior semicircular canal dehiscence. For several years afterwards I could kind-of get by in band by using ear plugs, but eventually even the strongest -26 dB filters didn't cut it. In retrospect it is obvious I should have worn ear protection from the very start. You don't know for sure until it's too late what injuries you might have a predisposition for.
Sorry about possible over-sharing but if it would make a single person protect their hearing before it's too late that makes it worth it in my book.

candela It all appeared from one second to the next during a fortissimo by someone on the row behind in a rehearsal back in 2006.

Yikes...that does give me something to think about. Often I'm sitting right in front of the trumpets. That's unpleasant for multiple reasons, but I hadn't considered the idea that they could literally break my ears. Thanks for sharing!

JB_PT I hadn't considered the idea that they could literally break my ears.

Yeah, I know... We've probably all heard about ear damages caused by explosions and such, and also about the deterioration of hearing and increase of tinnitus over time in loud environments, but this? No, I had no idea either before it happened to me.

Not in a band per se, but I have been the accompanist in a number of amateur jam sessions.

Being in a band is a commitment, one that I don't feel like I have the time or energy for at the moment. Maybe piano for me in its purest form is also something where I'm allowed to be myself and don't have to bend to the whims of others.

Hi

I've been playing in bands since the late 1980s. The first band I ever played was "The Sheds Jackson Trio" a Jazz trio consisting of Piano, bass and drums. Over the decades I've been lucky enough to play some decent gigs, perhaps most memorably playing in a band that was the support act for Buddy Whittington (an American blues guitarist). The gig was played at the Mick Jagger Centre (Kent, UK), not a huge venue, but nevertheless we were supporting a professional act, and it felt good! In fact my avatar picture was taken at that gig, back in 2010.

Although I returned to serious classical playing in late 2022 and am working towards my ABRSM grade 8, I still play in a rock/pop band, where I actually play more drums than keyboards. I shall probably do more gigs this year, with that band, than I have in more than a decade. I also attend a regular rock/pop jam session every fortnight and in theory rehearse with an amateur big band once a fortnight, but this seems to be on the wane.

I'm very lucky to have my own rehearsal space at the bottom of my garden. Tonight I'm hosting a monthly Jazz jam I have in it with a few friends. Over the years it's been used on a regular basis to play with quite a few different combinations of musicians/friends.

So the short answer to your question is yes

Cheers