When you were younger, a piano lesson may have ruined your day. Carrying a flute from class to class just for a half-hour lesson may have seemed pointless. But as you enter the adult world suddenly you realise that knowing how to play an instrument is pretty cool. Yes, even the flute.
So, what makes being in a band so cool? Is it because you get to go on stage and play to millions of adoring fans? Well, yes, but it’ll be a few years before your dodgy rendition of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ starts to resemble a Mozart symphony.
Even if you’ve been born with endless talent it’s still not easy to organise a band, but here’s a quick guide to get you started:
1) Find your members.
You’ll need a drummer, a guitarist, a bass guitarist and a singer. Any other instruments are a bonus. This is where playing the flute comes in, if you can make playing the flute cool, you deserve all the fame and fortune in the world!
2) Organise a band practice.
If you are lucky enough to have a band member with a drum kit and parents who are hard of hearing, you can practise at home for free. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a local studio which can be expensive. Split the cost equally, including the cost of hiring any equipment such as cymbals for the drummer, you rock together, you roll together!
3) Be productive.
If you’re paying for a studio, the last thing you want is to spend it catching up with each other, so meet half an hour in advance to get all the chatting out of the way.
4) Agree on songs to learn, and learn them!
Each band member should choose a song for the whole band to learn ready for rehearsal. This will allow you to see what genres work for your group.
5) Start writing.
Once you know what music works for you, start writing! You can do this individually or as a band but the most important thing is to respect other people’s songs. It’s very rare to find someone who isn’t shy about sharing their first few pieces of writing, so be nice!
If that sounds like a lot of hard work, then you’re right! If it also sounds like a lot of fun, get started!
But what is it that makes all that hard work worth it?
Being in a band teaches you precious life lessons. It is a fun way of learning about how to share opinions respectfully, be creative, become more confident and work as a team. Once you can do that you’ll be well on your way to finding what it is about you that makes you unique, special and cool!
Do you sing or play a musical instrument? Which one? Are you in a band?
