I took over a big band and I am officially insane!

[BGuttman]

My condolences. Hope they sort themselves out. It may get kinda ugly for a while.

[AndrewMeronek]

Sounds like the band doesn't have a clear focus on what they want to do. That can be pretty frustrating.

On a different note, I have a couple of friends with clinical depression. It can be pretty rough for them, especially when they are transitioning to new meds.

[Kingfan]

Sounds like the band doesn't have a clear focus on what they want to do. That can be pretty frustrating.

On a different note, I have a couple of friends with clinical depression. It can be pretty rough for them, especially when they are transitioning to new meds.

Our old drummer got replaced against my gut instincts. The new owner thinks it was a good move, I think it traded one set of problems with another. Our old bass player couldn't keep up with the work needed to do new gigs every two months, especially after we went from two rehearsals a month to weekly, and the new bass player is a buddy of the new drummer. It seems like they think they are the center of the band, more important than the rest of us.
The new owner's dream was to do these bi-monthly gigs at a club, it wasn't mine. There are four members (lead trumpet, bass, drums, owner) besides me who seem to have opinions, the rest just show up and play.

The original med I was on worked for only a few days. I switched and it took weeks before I felt better, but now six weeks in I feel it isn't working as well. That said, the band issues would have driven me nuts even if I was 100% healthy. I'm glad I have a supportive, understanding, patient wife.

[Kingfan]

I can't believe it. I offered to come to last night's rehearsal and say goodbye, but the leader said he would let the band know what is happening and to stay home. I heard nothing from band members today, so I called our 2nd alto. She said there was no mention of me at all or why I wasn't there, no news that I was on hiatus. She also said the day after last week's gig the lead alto told her he quit, but the band leader didn't mention that either, just thanked the sub. All this just solidifies that my decision to leave was the right decision. My two other playing venues are a brass quintet and a community band that the big band leader also plays in, and to make things worse the brass quintet rehearses at his house tomorrow. The fun continues...

[Kingfan]

I had sent feelers out to a local community orchestra. The bass trombone player just went in the hospital and they asked me to Monday's rehearsal for a concert next Sunday. I haven't played in an orchestra in 15 years or so. This ought to be interesting!

[BGuttman]

Good luck. I just finished a concert with an orchestra where I was a sub. I think they may ask me back.

[Kingfan]

Good luck. I just finished a concert with an orchestra where I was a sub. I think they may ask me back.

The conductor just e-mailed that one of the t-bone players already found a sub, sorry, but he wants to use me later this season. I am both relieved and disappointed.

[Kingfan]

Ok, things are looking up. The community band I joined is getting better all the time. The conductor does an adult music education class and asked me to be in a brass quintet, first time in over 40 years playing baroque music and boy does it feel good! I also joined the oldest big band in Cleveland, The Townsmen. http://www.cleveland.oh.us/wmv_news/jazz126.htm Their focus is having fun playing music people have fun listening to. Tonight we played out of a book meant for school bands with some Miles Davis tunes and Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4. I have never played Miles before and always wanted to, really enjoyed it. I dug up my inner Pankow and took some of the Chicago chart up an octave and got a lot of thumbs up on that one. I was able to give some input and help fix a trouble section on one chart. I told the co-leaders I am happy to help but if I get too pushy just tell me to ST#U. It isn't the best band I've played in, but it sure is fun. Interesting mix, half black and half white, ages from 20-something to 80-something. Their singer is a real Motown throwback, and I mean that in a nice way. Lady sat in and sang "Respect", hope she comes back.

Have cut my dose of anti-depressant to half the recommended minimum dose with approval of my doc, and that plus some bio-available B12 got me feeling better than I have in a year. I hope to make peace with the guy who took over my old band soon. I started a part time job, delivering parts for a local auto parts store and doing stocking, running the register, etc. Having a ball! My other hobby besides music is cars (my wife and I have a pair of Mustang GT convertibles that we have modified. My last muscle car was a 500 horsepower 70 Road Runner 440 six barrel I retrofitted with a Tremec 5-speed and hydraulic clutch) so this is right up my alley.

[Bach5G]

Good on you Greg for pulling things back together.

I left the big band I was involved with. I found the experience mostly unrewarding and anxiety- producing. I missed playing and I was getting run down being out several nights a week. I was spending way too much time driving. Something had to give.

Two takeaways:

1. I will behave better at rehearsals (less chitchat) and

2. The trombones always drag.

[Kingfan]

Had a chat today with the former lead trumpet player in my old band, Scott. He was probably the best player in the band. He quit because it was no longer fun, and instead of being a co-op where everybody had input he said the guy who bought it from me now runs it as an autocrat. Funny, the new owner complained to me when he joined the band years back that the old owner/founder was too autocratic! The band used to have low turnover but in the last year or so the drummer, bass, keyboard player, lead trumpet, lead alto, and lead bone (me) have quit.

I'm finally in a good place personally. The big band I joined has a new music director who knows that he is doing. We actually sound good! On top of that, Scott said he has some charts for small big band (is that an oxymoron?) as well as full big band charts, and I have a good library of my own. My wife is all for the two of us starting our own band. Stay tuned for updates!

[BGuttman]

Good luck with your planned new band.

I used to play with a "Little Big Band" that was 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 3 saxes, piano, drums, and bass. 10 pieces. Our leader was the lead sax, who was a dynamite clarinet player and sang in the style of Dean Martin or Bobby Darin. Sadly, he had an alcohol problem as well as other issues and the band folded.

But a "little big band" is real.

[Kingfan]

Thanks, Bruce! I was digging through my basement music area and found two boxes of big band dance music I had picked up at a garage sale and forgotten about. Over 120 big arrangements from 1924s thru late 50s. Lots of Johnny Warrington. Not the most challenging stuff, but nice to have in my back pocket if needed.

[AndrewMeronek]

Thanks, Bruce! I was digging through my basement music area and found two boxes of big band dance music I had picked up at a garage sale and forgotten about. Over 120 big arrangements from 1924s thru late 50s. Lots of Johnny Warrington. Not the most challenging stuff, but nice to have in my back pocket if needed.

Ah, yes. Johnny Warrington stocks. Those are mostly simple, but don't treat them too lightly. A lot of charts from that era have some surprisingly tricky syncopation that pops out of the blue.

[Kingfan]

OK, resurrecting this thread for an update. Last week I sat in with the big band that was doing bi-monthly gigs at a club. This is the band that the guy who took over my band wanted to copy and is playing the same club. It was their first rehearsal in a year and a half, and man did we sound good! Three of us bones were subs. I'm hoping one of the three regulars doesn't come back because if there is an opening I'm told it's mine. Oh, yeah, switched antidepressants again and I'm feeling normal. Yay! I tallied it up and as of today the first and second trumpets, lead and second alto, bass, drums, keyboards, and the lead bone (me) quit the old band due to conflicts with the new guy. Yep, he forced out half the band.

[Bach5G]

Congrats. Hope things work out.