I don't know what to call it, but you'll like it

October 22, 2011Last night was Beatles Night at Eclectic Music. It was the biggest turnout we've ever had - a fun, collaborative musical experience.

What makes Beatles night so special is that there is minimal separation between performers and audience. It's somewhere between performance and party. These types of gatherings help students of all ages to realize, "I want to be a musician!" or even better, "Holy crap, I am a musician."

I believe that opportunities for musical collaboration are the most crucial piece of the musical puzzle that we as a school can deliver.

I don't necessarily want to call an event like that a "jam session." The phrase has become a bit dated, now associated with the freewheeling, drugged-out jam bands of the 1990s. Plus, it's not necessarily a jam session in the sense of being improvisatory and "anything goes."

It's sort of an instant band, or "instaband"...it's a cooperative ensemble, a sound collage, a music mix. It's a sonic shortcut, a chance to get everyone playing together as quickly and easily as possible.

I was talking about this idea on the phone this afternoon with my mom, who was relaxing on the couch recovering from an injury. Mellowed out by painkillers, she murmured, "Why don't you call it 'Bill's Basement?'"

Bill's Basement. AKA, The Rock and Roll Room.

Applauding one of my favorite musicians in the Rock and Roll Room (photo by Shaina LaFlamme)Bill is my dad. His basement is stocked with music gear. That's where he's been playing music with his friends for decades, and where my friends and I all learned how to play. Bill has taught some lessons and classes here and there, and has mentored countless musicians who went on to play professionally.

If I could invite my students to Bill's Basement I would. Trouble is, he lives in Maine. So, I've had to reconstruct that environment here in Atlanta.

That's what I've been working toward for a few years now. We've had fun open house parties, house concerts, recitals, and special events. Our studios, particularly the one on 17th Street, have an offbeat, welcoming vibe.

It's time to take the next step. Some of our students know how to jam/collaborate/musically communicate. But many (most?) have never tried it. I'd like to change that.

In Bill's Basement, everyone grabs something - a maraca, a tambourine, a microphone. There's no room for an audience, so if you're in the room, you're pretty much in the band. It's loud and it's fun.

Here's something to ponder: Pretty much everyone can quickly figure out what to do with tambourine or maraca. What if you could easily learn what to do with a guitar, piano, ukulele, or violin?

Admittedly, there are technical obstacles involved in casually picking up, say, the violin. But what's you're excuse if you've been taking five years of lessons and have no idea what to do with "House of the Rising Sun"?

Unfortunately, in the context of learning how to play an instrument, all too often you aren't learning the language of music itself - the harmonic and rhythmic dialects that allow musicians to connect with a given song and with each other.

This is something many parents want for their kids, and there are a few false assumptions around this. First, you may believe that only the talented musicians will learn how to "jam" (no way!). Or you may think that a student will internalize the language of music in the context of a music lesson (sometimes, but usually only if it's explicitly taught). Finally, you might be under the impression that your child is too young to learn how to play with other people and that this will come later (not necessarily).

So let's go from here. Would you or your child like to learn:

• how to find the handful of notes that will sound good in the song you're playing no matter what?
• the three chords that you're most likely to find in any song?
• how to come up with a simple bass line in a moment?
• the simple trick that makes every ensemble instantly sound more polished and sophisticated?
• how to fake your way through a song you've never played before?
• how to balance the instruments of an ensemble so that each one can be heard clearly?
• a few clever ways to jump-start improvisation and experimentation without self-consciousness?
• the secret that makes practicing a joy instead of a chore?

Yeah? Well, great! Over the next few weeks, I'll be arranging informal music parties where students will get together and play songs, nailing a few of these bullet points in the process. Like I said, I don't really know what to call it yet (Bill's Basement Sessions? Close but not quite). It doesn't matter so much what it's called, as long as you get what we're trying to do.

Interested? Let me know in the comments, or contact me. If I don't contact you first. It's going to be great.

Comments

[hani]

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