On Being a Rebel and Thief

Last night at band practice, I moved the keyboard out of the way and that made a load of difference. I had been playing the keyboard for Lean on Me, but now that we are doing it in a cool rock-beat, I don't need it. For now anyway, even though R is saying that it would be fun if I could improvise chords when L is doing his solos. (I would love to do this, but I will have to learn how to do chords, etc. or maybe even just find some music sheets for our songs. I am not like L who can transpose chords in 60 seconds.)

(I love our rock version of Lean on Me. It is...well, rebellious and fun!)

So I had more leg room to perform, and that was fun. It was like playing a live audience except I was not as interactive and well, the audience was a wall. :-)

Anyway, a great evening. Collapsed in laughter a few times, like when we played Runaway more like Walkaway and really dragged the song. Or when L began waving his arms like a conductor when I did my acapella part of Lean on Me.

Tried All My Loving Eric Clapton-style and it turned out cool. I like Eric Clapton songs. They are well-suited for my voice.

L mentioned a phrase, and I said, "Hey, that would make a good band name." And three of the four actually said, "I actually do, too." B said it was probably taken already. And he's right. By a defunct band group who posted last on their Myspace in 2007. So as much as the name appeals, maybe it is not available...wouldn't want to steal the idea. Which is too bad, because 3 of 4 agreeing on a band name seems next to impossible with this group. I didn't push discussion of the band name, though, since it is not life or death right now. But I know sometime we have to resolve this.

Especially by August first, which is good to go as our first band performance in public (not theirs, but the band with me as singer). R is finally convinced that we are ready to perform for a small group.

I told him I needed to know the playlist because I have a hard time remembering 20 songs. And he said, eventually I will have to learn that many for a 2-hour performance.

How do singers do this? Remember all these songs and perform them live, that is. I will have to do a google-search of techniques.

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Other highlights:

Played Sunshine of Your Love faster. Much easier to phrase in this faster tempo.

Sang I Can't Tell You Why slower. Nearly fell asleep some parts, but definitely nicer tempo to sing this love song to.

We talked a lot about songs, and kind of did a creative give and take. I love being able to take part in this creative process, of my idea turning to the reality of a song. I am learning how to be a team player, and they give my ideas a chance.

PS When my oldest recently had Author's Day at her school, a famous Utah author said she would be a singer on a rock band if she weren't an author. Okay, so I am not published yet, but I am an author and I am living my (belatedly-discovered) dream of being a singer on a rock band.

Sometimes when I am singing a song and it is going well, I think, I can't believe I have this privilege.