How to Have a Successful Band Rehearsal (And More Solid Gigs)

CSO

The indie music scene is really booming these days. Musicians and singers who once looked to mega-watt record labels for their big breaks are now actively striving to create their own. Increasingly, the media is playing a huge part in the marketing and sales of independent music. At one point garage bands salivated at the thought of playing for large audiences. Now, the audiences have literally been brought to them with vehicles like YouTube and Myspace burning up the internet highway. Gigging is nice; getting paid for it is nicer. And the one grain of truth about the entertainment industry is that practice makes perfect. So how do "garage bands" begin to take their work seriously, and truly maximize their rehearsals? There are a few simple tricks that are essentially just common sense. But in the long run, they could drastically improve your "rocking out" potential...

HOLD SEPARATE MEETINGS FOR THE BAND

One of the most important things a band can do is communicate amongst the members. Just like a marriage, it's vital for everyone involved to understand what his/her expectations are. Where is the band going musically? How does everyone feel about touring? These are issues which may seem trivial at first. But when your band is faced with major decisions pertaining to gigs, it will help if everyone is on the same page.

Additionally, you will want to meet simply to discuss the material you're working on. It will help to iron out any creative differences beforehand, so that everyone is able to focus comfortably. These meetings do not have to be formal, complete with gavel and timekeeper (unless you want to). Simply establishing a time period (say ,30-45 minutes) for a quick "pow-wow" is really all you'll need. Some bands prefer to meet afterwards to discuss the rehearsal, which is also a terrific idea.

"PAD" YOUR REHEARSAL HOURS