Waywood Music January 2008 Newsletter

Hi and welcome to this January 2008 edition of the Waywood Music Newsletter.

As we move into a new year I'm excited by the possibilities that this year holds.  Sure, I'm probably a bit apprehensive too, but I also look forward to all the new things that I may have the opportunity to do and achieve.

This year I make a new start ... working on my own with a new business venture. But I also step out with my new band One Big Sky.  There'll be gigs to find, new contacts to make, recording to do and probably 1001 other things.

But amongst all of this uncertainty is the opportunity to do something new and exciting, even if that is only within what I already do.  On the musical front I can improve my playing, improve my timekeeping, understand more about how what I do makes a difference to the rest of the band members and to the band as a whole.

I read a great article by Eric Fawcett, composer, writer, co-owner of the music production company, Fiction, a drummer and a founding member of the soul-pop group, Spymob ... (The Dumbdrummer) ... who explains some the unexpected things that make some bands special. I was very interested to read that it's not always the ability to get on well together, but sometimes it is taking advantage of very different characters and personalities within the band, sometimes personality clashes, that can be the real spark of creativity.  Sometimes the best decisions, most original and strongest material arises from what started out as a clash of the titans (strongest personalities) amongst band members.

This also brings me on to our interdependency on other members of the band, whether that is with musicians or technical crew.  I've learnt to never underestimate the value of these relationships ... at the end of the day if the sound engineer chooses to shut down the PA you are not in a very strong position to impress your audience.

So, at the beginning of 2008, my thoughts focus on what I can do to make the difference, and how I can listen more to what others say, and after that, how I can offer my ideas and thoughts.  Bands are a strange mixture of personalities, preferences, abilities and ideas, but when these are cultivated and harvested in the right way; a good band can become a great band.

Hope you have a great New Year and remember, the Waywood Music site is being continually updated, and I would love to see your ideas and comments on the new Waywood Music Blog page, a page where what you write can make a real difference to someone else.

Until next time, Take Care & God Bless

Stuart

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