Thoughts around being in a band

As you may recall, I recently practiced with a band for a show. It was a small gig. What started out as me just coming in to play on '6-7 songs, with all the music worked out', turned out to be really more like 20 out of 23 songs, with me coming up with the music.

The show itself was okay. I was a bit rusty, and could've stood to work on a number of things (i.e. ensuring the guitar was in tune after someone else was playing and so forth).

However it led me to realize a few things.

Working in this band was akin to being a software test consultant in an IT or product department of a large organization, where the leadership and team really have no drive or will to really do what's necessary to be successful for their customers. Instead people like me come in and show them what they are doing wrong and move things forward by sheer will and determination.

Then, when the release to production is deployed (i.e. showtime) the final curtain is drawn, and one is dropped like last week's Seattle Times (that is, not good enough to even wipe your ass with after a nasty offloading).

Except for one or two people, no one really seemed to really care how bad things were going. Indeed, it seemed as if no one really was recognizing (or perhaps wanting to recognize) how things would've ended really badly.

And other people on the team basically were there to socialize, or make snide comments, or simply argue because to do otherwise would jeopardize their allegiances with other 'core' members.

In other words, juvenile politics, just like in any IT org.

It's like a game, where the dice is loaded, and you're forced to roll them no matter what you're shooting for, or what the odds are.

So, I've come to the conclusion that this is the kind of game I think going forward I want to not be a part of.

I think it's time I start moving ahead with putting together my own band, my own org. One that is actually interested in performing good music (originals as well as covers) well, for a variety of good causes and efforts.

But wait! There's more!

I want to something a bit different. I want to stretch the boundaries of different kinds of music by taking all the influences and blending them into a variety of new ways and forms. And do so in a way that reaches not just folks in a particular community, but perhaps the globe.

But like anything and everything in my life, such grandiose visions and ideas come with a price - time, energy, money, know-how, and will-power.

The question I have for myself now - and over the next coming months - is, do I have the stuff to see it through?

We shall see.