So, these emails asked, and although I don't see a lot of feedback here the counter says many of you are reading, so I'll answer the last posted question.
A small portion of a musicians life is spent sharing music with an audience from a stage. I used to think it was 50% of the time went to business and 50% went to work / playing the sax. I now believe it is more like 25% of the time is on stage and 75% is trying to get there.
Today I was up at 8:30 AM trying to get confirmation on my rehearsal down beat time. Last I heard it was 10 AM but I needed to talk with someone to find out. The night before I had worked at the Island Hotel doing the lounge band gig till midnight. Some players from out of state came in as we were tearing down and we ended up talking for an hour, then drove home, a few emails and bed. It was 3:30 AM again - dang it.
So I was up at 8:30 and on the phone. We did have to start at 10. I was moving really slow and ended up 30 minutes late but it was ok because the bass player and singer never showed up. It was a pretty lame rehearsal and we start recording this band tomorrow so it kind of mattered. Oh well.
Lots of gear to move and set up so I got out and in my car around 3:20 to tons of traffic - home, change and to Church. I got to Church 2 minutes before downbeat to find they had started the service early. I missed the first song and walked out and played the next 2. I had parked at the red curb and thought I would move the car real quick but had to park too far away and missed the beginning of the next song too. The service was what they call a point and play which means we are pretty much stuck on stage the whole time. I had a minute to eat between services, talk to the MC for the Jazz concert tomorrow night, sticker and deliver new CDs to the tape table at church and almost missed the downbeat for the second service again.
Well, I had a conflict with a club gig and with the point and play and a really long message, I ended up bailing on the last half of the second Church service to run to the club again tonight. I beat downbeat by 15 minutes but that means I had a big rush before we started and I held down beat up a minute or 2.
We played 4 hours and I talked and then drove home, turned on the computer, deleted 250 junk mails and hit this post you know see.
I was running all day and got about 4 hours of playing time in. It is now 2 AM and Sunday morning call time is 8 AM leaving maybe 5 hours to sleep.
Tomorrow, Church is all morning, then I have to get ready for the radio station party - the KSBR Bash. Ready means find charts, copy them, get product ready for Tower to sell them at the gig, all woodwinds and sax rack loaded, to the gig, unload, sign station promotion materials and cable TV waivers, sell CDs to Tower, set up sax gear and saxes and play the show 6-10. Then close out CDs with Tower, leaving some on consignment for the store, pack up, after hour party with radio, guests and artists > then home, unpack and collapse.
That will be up at 7 and in bed after 2, all on 5 hours of sleep. I know many of you have crazy hours. I just wanted to begin dispelling the myths and state the realities - being a musician is great but it is also very complicated and exhausting!
If I tried to list all the things I did this last week it would boggle the mind. Between web work, optimization calls, contracts for gigs, calls to players to cover chairs, gig calls as sideman, going to work to play, rehearsals, a new CD to pick up and begin all the work for it, another CD project with 2 1/2 songs done and much to do on it, a family and the life stuff we all have to deal with....
It truly boggles my mind. Now I really have to log off and get to bed because tomorrow is another all day kind of day.
Just a foot note, but Monday and Tuesday are all day and very late night session days for the project we have been rehearsing - Razzor Sharp band. The break might come Wednesday unless the sessions run too long to finish Tuesday.
You get the idea. Very long hours and few of them are billable. Off to bed and more on this next time at SaxPlayersBlog.com
SAXBOY
