by Stephen Thorne

Created on: September 11, 2008

The term "paying your dues" is thrown around in musiic circles with gay abandon.But how many young kids aspiring too play in bands,REALLY know what they are in for?
The answer is not many at all!
This term seems too imply that there is a ritual or an "apprenteship"too be served before you,are accaepted by your fellow musicians.
But I put it too you,what,ritual,what,apprenteship,and serving who? for,who,s purpose?

Sure I aggree;as with most trades,and careers their is a time when you are learning the "ropes"but your not really passing some kind of mystical unwrritten test.Nor going through an ill defined process too pass some kind of right of passage.
What does it all mean? It means that so many experienced music "teachers" have simply sold their young student "down the line"
In other words in areas like,stage craft,gigging,dealing with the industry,creating song lists too suit different venues,rehearsal..oh..yes rehearsal,discipline at rehearsals,and
band "politics,practical advice is sadly lacking.
So your teacher will tell you,"you have too pay your dues,this isnt good enough by half!
Please refer too my article about music education,and putting a band toghether for young musicians.
Heres a real life story that dove-tails nicely into this area of music education.

Lessons in life are HARD EARNED! My friends an I had been putting a band toghether for years,and as usual,we went through many incarnations,mostly awful,some absolutely crap.

But we were learning..."paying our dues" but doing so like blind kids with walking sticks!
After years of frustration came the day when it dawned upon us,"HEY..weve got twenty songs,lets get a gig,so we did!
Now any self respecting muso will already be laughing,because we all know that no way will twenthy songs get you through,from 8.30pm too 12.00midnight/chuck out(or up)as the case may be time.
So off we went too our first ever proffesional gig.That night I learnt a valuable lesson I have never forgotten,and,ALL,the others did too.
We werent good,we werent gteat,but all of us had put our heart and souls into learning our individual parts for each song,that made up our repertoire.....and the term repertoire really should be used as loosely AS POSSIBLE!
So we started at 8.30pm AND BY 9.15pm..we had played our entire play list!Trouble the owner of the club came up and said"what do you blokes thimk your doing?
Truth is we didnt have a clue.Apparently we had too get through too midnight...what did we know...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Never the less we were

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