Big Music is Big Band Part 6, Rehearsal 7 for a concert that will cost me $126.30!?!
It's 9am Monday morning and in my mind, this big band rehearsal 7 and our concert on the next day, have already started. That's why I'm in a massage chair.
Cheap therapy is the name of my bass game. Practice being healthy to practice being a bassist.I practiced a lot and prepared for this rehearsal and tomorrow's concert. I was planning to practice today before the rehearsal, but it's smarter to give my hands a break. I massage myself more than I play bass and it makes my hands tired and sore the next day.
I managed to take a picture that makes traffic look awful, but the truth is it's much later than usual. I'm grateful for the extra few minutes.
As usual, I paid for parking and took these two pictures. The receipt image directly above with the palm trees is the new version of the one I'm not supposed to be taking any more. The one below is the old version that got me in trouble.
I almost fⓤcked up again. I took the image below and said I would stop. I took it anyways because I thought I was slick, yet I endedup leaving the ticket in the wrong place again.
This time I got away with it. No parking ticket. (Mental note: meter maid/parking security probably doesn't want to check the cars on the outskirts of the parking lot.) Today I parked really close to bushes on the outskirts of the parking lot. I think it helped me get away with improperly displaying my ticket again. I can't seem to stop taking that image. It's just part of the tradition I guess. I'm lucky and grateful for whatever created that leniency this time.
Keep scrolling to the next image to see something else that's dumb.
FAIL! If these parking rules are going to be enforced under the guise of fairness. These parking meters should be capable of accepting every form of payment.
Parking ticket update:
I paid it and I contested it also. I didn't really want to, but I let somebody pull my arm and now I'm fighting the ticket. I would've just accepted the fine and paid it, but someone special thinks I should try to fight it. So, I am.
Cost of a Big Band Beat Down:
This semester of big band and specifically the concert tomorrow is costing more than ever before. So far, this semester will cost me an additional $40. Stupid midday college campuses concert where NOBODY GETS PAID. Maybe they will give us some sun baked sandwiches and plastic water bottles to consume while we try to leave and pack up our equipment. If there are any sandwiches left over, I'm taking the entire tray.
The image below features a text conversation where I deny a last minute paid opportunity so that I can perform in tomorrow's concert instead.
Last time I calculated the cost of this big band to be $80.30. If I add todays costs of $6 for gas and parking my new total estimate is $86.30. Should I add the $40 worth of work I will miss? I don't see why not. If it wasn't for tomorrow's concert, I would be making an easy $40.
My new estimate is $126.30, and that is why I sound bitter in the text message above.
Bass Amp:
I said I would bring my own amp for this rehearsal, but now I'm not. My sacrum doesn't have the patience and my torn iliopsoas muscle lacks the tolerance. I drove here and that was enough damage. It will be our first concert and it's outside. If the concert was inside I would bring my amplifier to this rehearsal. I'll bring my amp for the concert tomorrow.
It's great to have the another bass player but her learning curve for controlling her amplified sound is a disruption and a burden on my injuries. My compromise is to minimize pain and hide it. She is using a stand up bass, or double bass rental. The rental people gave her one with a pickup on the outside. The pickup is the little metal things under the strings of guitars that absorbs string vibration for the sake of amplification. Unfortunately, it creates lots of feedback. I find it debilitating. She has no choice. If she wants to play softer (and enjoy a painless increase in finger dexterity) she needs to turn up the gain on the amp. This external pickup doesn't allow it. The bass starts to feed back into itself. Imagine a microphone getting feed back. Bass feedback frequencies could destroy an unprotected sound systems.
I'm afraid of what will happen at the indoor concerts scheduled for later in the semester. If she can't play her instrument at the indoor concert's dress rehearsal, the director will cut her from the concert. Half the songs the band is expecting to play will either be dropped, or suddenly put on me! I'll be site reading her songs and she will be another sad stand-up bass player crying in the wings all because her instrument's pickup is out of control. Let's hope that doesn't happen (again).
What is Big Band:
Big band is similar to what people consider Jazz except we use special arrangements that allow for improvisation. Miles Davis didn't play big band. It was probably considered too old and square. Miles Davis wanted to make social statements. Part of me suspects a racially motivated separation between big band and beebop of those days. Not sure, what do think?
Frank Sinatra was usually accompanied by a big band. Listen to his music and you will hear a similar style. Count Basie was famous for his big bands. Duke Ellington was also a famous big band director. Buddy Rich is another big band guy.
It's all mixed up these days, but just know that big band requires note reading and unison parts with drums and horns n' stuff. Some Jazz combos read lead sheets, make up arrangements and improvise lots of stuff on the spot.
To go further from generalizations I just made, we received a new song that is considered a "big band arrangement" of a Stevie Wonder song. "Sir Duke" is a new song I will need to learn.
The next image shows all the songs we will perform at the concert:
Look to the bottom left of the image above to see a trombone. It's resting on it's stand, next to a cart our drummer uses to lug around instrument. Funny contrast to me. Trombone guy just needs to carry a case and drum guy needs a cart and tie down system.
Big Band Broadcasts On Periscope:
These are the broadcasts I posted for this rehearsal.
Tomorrow's performance will be our first concert for this semester. I hope we sound better than this tomorrow.
NEXT:
"Big Band Part 7, Concert One: We all steal music while I get a $100 parking ticket loading for a big band concert I'll perform in."
Previous posts in this series:
1. "2019 Big Band Series Warning from Steemseph" https://steempeak.com/music/@steemseph/caution-2019-big-band-series-from-steemseph-coming-soon or https://steemit.com/music/@steemseph/caution-2019-big-band-series-from-steemseph-coming-soon
2. "Big Band Rehearsals 1 and 2 February 2019 Part 1" https://steemit.com/steempeak/@steemseph/big-band-rehearsals-1-and-2-february-2019-part-1
3. "That guy who plays Monday night Big Band bass. Part 2 Rehearsal 3 scrambled and ticketed" https://steemit.com/music/@steemseph/that-guy-who-plays-monday-night-big-band-bass-part-2-rehearsal-3-scrambled-and-ticketed
4. "That guy who plays Big Band bass gives an update. Part 3: Rehearsal 4 is neat and parking tickets suck." https://steempeak.com/@steemseph/that-guy-who-plays-big-band-bass-gives-an-update-part-3-rehearsal-4-is-neat-and-parking-tickets-suck
5. "Big band Part 4: Rehearsal 5 Fancy Gear goes boink and a percussion lesson." https://steemit.com/steempeak/@steemseph/big-band-part-4-rehearsal-5-fancy-gear-goes-boink-and-a-percussion-lesson
6. "That bass guitar guy who plays bass in a Big Band Part 5: It's rehearsal 6. Do We Sound Better?" https://steemit.com/music/@steemseph/that-bass-guitar-guy-who-plays-bass-in-a-big-band-part-5-it-s-rehearsal-6-do-we-sound-better
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My music on BandCamp: https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/music
My music on BandCamp: https://tetrahedroseph.bandcamp.com/music
Hey @steemseph,
interesting choice of topic. I do not exactly know if you are serious or if its just sarcasm, but I like the idea of adding upside costs to a general "free hobby".
As far as I can understand it, no matter if it costs you something you like doing it :P Being part of a big band brings you further to your goal of being a musician :)
IF I am completely wrong here I am sorry: you can just ignore my message :P
Hi @steemseph,
This is what I was referring to :P I think you can be right but that is just the hard work you put in in the first place in order to be successful in the future. Its like "free" professional help and if you feel confident enough you can already start to do your own thing.
I used to play the guitar being a kid, but dude lets not talk about it. I am not really a musician. AH - and I was in the choir back in Highschool, good grades for not that much effort :P
I love artists for being artists and I often thought what a nice life would it be if I was Jack Johnson, Ben Harper .... but I am more the listener than the producer :)
I am curious about your process and keep up the effort! In the end passion pays off.
I am going to listen to it, thanks bud. Have a great weekend :)
Hi @mcnestler I appreciate your comment! Yes, probably sarcastic, definitely grumpy. The costs I’ve incurred are real and believe it or not it’s gonna go way up in my next big band post. (Totally my fault, but I’m going to complain about the lack of leniency. 😬)
I wouldn’t use the word hobby, this is more like job training. For this big band series, I usually say “my costs are low for an education” or “it’s a cheap education.” Maybe I should say “it’s a low cost for job training?” 😊
I see your point though. I get caught-up in the financial irony of being a musician. I want to dilute the entitlement listeners and players practice. My goal is to provide entertainment, to maintain healthy boundaries, and to give perspective. I want to share realistic expectations for all our sakes.
I also want the irony of charging students for parking to be exposed.
Yes, I like doing it, but when does one’s passion become abuse? That’s one of the many embarrassing question we must ask ourselves. Thankfully, I have a healthy support system. People around me help in many ways... or are they “enablers!” Just kidding they know I love it. We fight for what we love, right?
You are not completely wrong! Thanks again for your comment. (By the way, I’m not on drugs. I would be a much better soloist.)
Hey! Do you play music or big band?
Did you see my comment to @enforcer48 above? That play list I put in there is lots of fun to listen to. It’s twisted, yet fun big band music.
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Congratulations on the curie vote, it's well deserved and is long overdue for you.
Thanks @adamada. That means a lot. 🙏😁🙏
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Fallout series introduced me to big band.
The video game series? I had to look it up. I totally missed that game. I was busy playing Disney's crap (for work), COD, Quake, Unreal Tournament, Doom, Diablo... but I found this:
Now that I listen to that playlist above from Fallout, I can see how it fits into Fallout. Kinda funny. Those big band songs were strongly influenced by the World Wars. "Atom Bomb Lady"!
Lol, oh the normalization they were exposed too.
WOW listen to this songs's lyrics here at 18:23:
That playlist features an older style big band, imho. I like it too. I love the singing. The stuff we play in my big band is a newer style. Eventually, the a-vanguard BeeBop influence took hold of Big Band. The bass players in most big bands these days play a lot more notes and outline chords differently. It's a different approach. Beebop style jazz used lots of chord substitutions and sometimes overly complicated stuff. We do that now in big band so that people don't like it and so that people can't tell when we mess up!
:(
Sometimes I play in a big band that does the older style. The music is written differently. It's written for less interpretation. I miss the singing and general appeal of some big band. People can't really dance to our stuff. Sometimes it sounds like we are trying to impress other musicians. :P
Incredibles would be another good example of big band music in Video games too.
Always fight it. It there is any reason that you can't pay for the ticket then you win. Same goes for any speeding fines or charges. If they didn't follow the rules exactly then you win.
I almost always fight the other tickets I’ve received, unfortunately the school system has a different approach. I ignorantly paid this ticket and contested it at the same time, actually my “assistant” did. That’s what we usually need to do for traffic tickets. Apparently the schools parking ticket system only requires us to pay for the second level of appeal.
Spoiler alert:
In my next post about big band, I’m going to talk about the second ticket I received while loading for our first concert of the semester... a school’s function.
I take it to the first level and I fight it, but I don’t make it to the second level appeal. To make a long story short, I lose again. I would do that over again also if I could.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll probably push a lot harder if it ever happens again.
“Always fight it.” Thanks @niallon11
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Yeah, I like that! Thank you very much. Thanks for inspiring the community also.
By the way, I shared your post to Twitter.
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I love music but don't know anything about big band. Now thanks to you i got some insights. Sorry for your problems, must be frustrating to play for free while declining a paid job. Life is complicated, but you know that already :)
As about the parking meter ... that's disappointing. It looks very worn down and you're right, it should accept any form of payment but I believe cash is not accepted in order not to be a risk in case someone decides to rob the meter.
Thanks for your kind words. Coins are not easy and probably require extra effort. Many pinball places I once visited switched to tokens also. Bandits and Employees are less likely to steal them... but they have security at the college. Maybe they need more security. Maybe they should hire more people to service the customers (students).
I’m really glad you learned about big band. Thanks for letting me know. I shall continue with this series. Let me know if you have any questions about the big band stuff you see in my posts. Look forward to more... soon 😁
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You're right, bandits and employees are less likely to steal tokens although I'm not sure about employees.
About big band, it's a very pleasant kind of music, I like it. It takes me back to those times and it's nice.Thanks for offering to help, and keep it up :)
Hi steemseph,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Awesome! Thanks for the support. I’ll be reviewing my witnesses votes one more time this week just to make sure I have a vote for @curie. I think I am already.
Anyway thanks again and I’ll see y’all in Discord.
More to come! 😃😁😆
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