Re: On Rehearsals and Pro Musicians

That's the whole problem with rehearsal - it's has relatively little bearing
on the final performance.

For example, I can't tell you many musicals I've done where the actors
couldn't remember their lines, the singers screwed up the songs, the band
couldn't read or get cues - right up until showtime.

There is ALWAYS at least one director/producer/band leader meltdown in there
somewhere. No one has a clue if this thing will come together, they're on
the verge of canceling it altogether...

But in the end it ALWAYS comes together somehow. It would often be better if
we all just shedded at home and showed up the day of the show, except I
wouldn't get paid for rehearsals then.

So to answer your question, I say It doesn't make a difference, if you're a
good player. How I play at 10 in the morning for the soundguy is in
absolutely no way indicative of how I'll play in front of 10,000 people at
8PM when the curtain opens.

And again, that's not to say you should NEVER rehearse. Running through
stuff quickly, going over problem spots, talking over cues - all that stuff
is perfectly necessary. Rehearsing "My Sweet Lord" 10 times all the way
through so that you can anticipate exactly what it will sound like on the
gig is just silly. I mean really, what's there to rehearse in that tune that
you couldn't do on your own?

And FWIW: I think Bangladesh is sloppy because everyone is so frikin high. A
year of rehearsals can't fix that.


"Jim Carr" <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2cnMn.83233$_84.83030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Derek should appreciate this.

I have no doubt that pro level musicians can give a good performance
with little to no rehearsal, but clearly there is a benefit to
rehearsal. Take a look at these two videos:

"My Sweet Lord"
Concert for Bangladesh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q37X9CTKniU

"My Sweet Lord"
Concert for George
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aa3ylmxnLM

Many of the musicians are the same including Eric Clapton and Billy
Preston along with dual drummers Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner. The
Bangladesh concert has an unprofessional feel to it, and you can hear it
in the performance. The Concert for George was well rehearsed and the
arrangements were impeccable. It's clearly a much better performance.

I'm not saying you have to always or even usually go to the level they
did in the later concert, but wouldn't you want to at least sometimes?
Sure, the free-wheeling earlier performance is cool, but as a musician,
which would you rather be a part of?

There's no right or wrong - just a difference. Maybe "ordinary" people
don't notice. I dunno.

--
Write a wise saying and your name will live forever.
- Anonymous


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