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Just auditioned a drummer Part 2


leschirons
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Well, my intention was to call the girl who auditioned yesterday (Alice) but I had also drated an e-mail to send in addition to that so she had something to refer to after the call in case anything was lost in translation due to my French language ability (not bad, but things can get difficult on the phone)

I called, and then hit send as she answered as I didn't want her to get a mail without personal contact.

I explained straight away that I regret she did not get the position and hope that she was not too upset. I also added that I was happy to let her know why if she wanted to know, and that my comments may help her in the future and that the point in telling her, was to help and not to criticise. I'd also thanked her for coming down to see us and said how nice it was to meet her and that we wished her well for the future.

I pointed out that she may have been nervous and that that, was normal in this situation. However, she would need to prepare a little more for auditions and really learn the songs demanded of her. I suggested that her time keeping was a little off and asked if she practices with a metronome and suggested that if she didn't, it may be worth buying one as it will help get a natural feel for timing into her head. I then took a slightly different tack and told her that I had no doubt that she could play hard rock very well but needed to maybe listen to different types of music in order to become familiar with other styles if she were going to audition for bands in other genres.

What I got back was this.

It was the band that did not know the songs properly, not her. (it was actually our CD she'd been sent)

She uses a metronome, listens to, and can play ALL styles of music.

Attends drum school for 40 hours per week with their top prof. ("So, I am good") her words not mine.

She feels that my comments are totally misplaced and knows that she is a good drummer.


Well, I tried. Maybe I handled it badly. Looking back to Doddy's comments yesterday, I took that into consideration but even if that was the case, shouldn't the auditionee "know" that they've screwed up?

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[quote name='leschirons' post='1136987' date='Feb 22 2011, 12:39 PM']Well, my intention was to call the girl who auditioned yesterday (Alice) but I had also drated an e-mail to send in addition to that so she had something to refer to after the call in case anything was lost in translation due to my French language ability (not bad, but things can get difficult on the phone)

I called, and then hit send as she answered as I didn't want her to get a mail without personal contact.

I explained straight away that I regret she did not get the position and hope that she was not too upset. I also added that I was happy to let her know why if she wanted to know, and that my comments may help her in the future and that the point in telling her, was to help and not to criticise. I'd also thanked her for coming down to see us and said how nice it was to meet her and that we wished her well for the future.

I pointed out that she may have been nervous and that that, was normal in this situation. However, she would need to prepare a little more for auditions and really learn the songs demanded of her. I suggested that her time keeping was a little off and asked if she practices with a metronome and suggested that if she didn't, it may be worth buying one as it will help get a natural feel for timing into her head. I then took a slightly different tack and told her that I had no doubt that she could play hard rock very well but needed to maybe listen to different types of music in order to become familiar with other styles if she were going to audition for bands in other genres.

What I got back was this.

It was the band that did not know the songs properly, not her. (it was actually our CD she'd been sent)

She uses a metronome, listens to, and can play ALL styles of music.

Attends drum school for 40 hours per week with their top prof. ("So, I am good") her words not mine.

She feels that my comments are totally misplaced and knows that she is a good drummer.


Well, I tried. Maybe I handled it badly. Looking back to Doddy's comments yesterday, I took that into consideration but even if that was the case, shouldn't the auditionee "know" that they've screwed up?[/quote]
I'd never proffer advice to someone who hadn't asked for it.

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I'll stick by what I said previously,she may be great in her lessons and impress her teacher.
However,with her saying that she knows she is good, I'd guess that she probably has delusions of adequacy. Her teacher may have said she was doing well and she took this to mean that she is ace-it happens a lot. She's also probably has had her mates and parents blow smoke up her arse for a long time,leading her to believe that she is brilliant.

I wouldn't have given any advise without any prompting either,but maybe it will cause her to take a step back and look at her playing.However,she's probably more likely to jump to the conclusion that you are an idiot......until it happens again,which with that attitude,it will.

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Haha, Ive been playing drums for over 15 years and would never say I can play all styles of music.

Not many people can, not to a level of a live band anyhow.

I would also wonder why if she is as good as she claims to be, she needs to spend 40 hours a week with a top drum tutor? Ive never had 40 hours of tutorship in my life.

If she is that good, shouldn't she be the tutor?

Rearrange the words

arse, head, up

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You can see plenty of people with great chops who can't play in a band...
The worlds bedrooms are littered with them..and some venture out to gig..but they are so insular in what they do..they don't hear anything else.

I wouldn't have expanded on why she didn't get the job unless she asked... Doesn't sound like she was going to do that.

Walk away and let her figure it out.

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[quote name='Doddy' post='1137009' date='Feb 22 2011, 12:58 PM']I'd guess that she probably has delusions of adequacy.[/quote]
Ha! I wish I suffered from that. :)

I wonder if this was her first audition for a real band? It sounds as if she has a lot of disappointment ahead until she can improve her playing - I hope it doesn't put her off playing music though.

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[quote name='leschirons' post='1137015' date='Feb 22 2011, 01:00 PM']Point taken. As of now, I'll just let the vocalist tell them to f*** off when they're sh*te.[/quote]
the best way. let someone else do the dirty work! tellin one or two crap musicians out of the millions in the world, that they are crap, will not upset the balance of the universe. some folk deserve it anyway, as she has proved.

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If i've read your email correct, then as with this girl, there are some young trained musicians who can't yet play in a band situation, outside of collage style playing

To be fair, this may have been her first step outside of that comfort given her comments about playing all styles, she has most likely done a bit of everything in a class, and has no real world experience to understand what she doesn't know

The same can be applied to any number of trades and professions where someone has graduated, but is yet to experience the real world

The experience will do her good in the long run, even if she is slightly hurt by your comments

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[quote name='lojo' post='1137313' date='Feb 22 2011, 05:04 PM']If i've read your email correct, then as with this girl, there are some young trained musicians who can't yet play in a band situation, outside of collage style playing

To be fair, this may have been her first step outside of that comfort given her comments about playing all styles, she has most likely done a bit of everything in a class, and has no real world experience to understand what she doesn't know

The same can be applied to any number of trades and professions where someone has graduated, but is yet to experience the real world

The experience will do her good in the long run, even if she is slightly hurt by your comments[/quote]
no, she's just a git who goes to school to learn how to be a drummer. by the sounds of it she's more than qualified. the only thing i can see that was wrong was the fact she remembered her sticks. i guess thats just down to a bad tutor.

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To be fair though, part of providing tuition is to explain to students about being a professional musician, not just the technical/theoretical side of playing bass.

Her drum tutor may have taught her to be the best practice room player in the world, but it means nothing if she can't conduct herself in the right way and get a gig.

My tutor always made sure I conducted myself correctly as well as teaching me about playing the bass.

Just for those who might be interested, I remember him telling me loads of stories from his early days to warn me of the dangers of not being professional... the best one being his story about turning up to his first reading gig and trying to be confident/friendly so he shook hands with all of the musicians and introduced himself, only to find a lot of angry faces. Turns out (after a word with the MD), the guy who had hired the band can be very picky about the musicians he hires. He had hired the function band THINKING that they'd played together for years. The MD did not want a young, depping musician drawing attention to the fact that he didn't know the band/music by introducing himself in front of EVERYBODY, as the guy would be watching like a hawk for mistakes and an excuse to get his money back lol. Lesson learned.

Edited by skej21
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I remember being in a local band with loads of our mates bigging us up then we got a gig in London with 3 other bands, Best start to raise our game then! We never did fully but it made us realise what sort of standard the other bands were at. We used to do gigs with another local band and years later they still think they are the best band in the world but they never left their local pub to get the much needed reality check.

Im not sure I would of bothered taking it any further than your gentle let down in the first place because music is too subjective, Please dont take this the wrong way but for all we know she could be right and your band could be crap in our eyes? Its all a matter of opinion in many cases with all forms of art. Look at the top 40 chart for a citation :)

Edited by stingrayPete1977
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[quote name='skej21' post='1137358' date='Feb 22 2011, 05:33 PM']To be fair though, part of providing tuition is to explain to students about being a professional musician, not just the technical/theoretical side of playing bass.

Her drum tutor may have taught her to be the best practice room player in the world, but it means nothing if she can't conduct herself in the right way and get a gig.

My tutor always made sure I conducted myself correctly as well as teaching me about playing the bass.[/quote]

This the bottom line really, Im not the best bass player in the world or even my street probably but I have my own top quality gear, My own transport, I turn up for practice when I say I will and arrive at the gigs on time. The best player out there with no car, Amp or Watch wont get as many gigs as me, Fact!

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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1137374' date='Feb 22 2011, 06:40 PM']I remember being in a local band with loads of our mates bigging us up then we got a gig in London with 3 other bands, Best start to raise our game then! We never did fully but it made us realise what sort of standard the other bands were at. We used to do gigs with another local band and years later they still think they are the best band in the world but they never left their local pub to get the much needed reality check.

Im not sure I would of bothered taking it any further than your gentle let down in the first place because music is too subjective, Please dont take this the wrong way but for all we know she could be right and your band could be crap in our eyes? Its all a matter of opinion in many cases with all forms of art. Look at the top 40 chart for a citation :)[/quote]

Fair point Pete about the "maybe we're crap and she was right all along" and I understand what you're saying but I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Her drumming was reminiscent of Charlie Drake falling down the stairs with a tin dustbin. If you're that good, you'd at least be able to listen to what the other players are doing and lock in to at least one of them. She was totally unaware of anyone else in the room and even her dad's eyebrows were going up and down a bit :) Probably wondering where all his tuition money had gone.

Anyway, all over now, I wished her well for the future and she'll make that, whatever she makes it.

Edited by leschirons
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The last band I was in wasted 12 months auditioning 'singers'. We had some conservatoire singers turn up too - and they couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Bottom line, ask around and see who gets recommended, other than that go see other bands and steal the players that you like the sound of :)

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[quote name='leschirons' post='1137633' date='Feb 22 2011, 08:16 PM']Fair point Pete about the "maybe we're crap and she was right all along" and I understand what you're saying but I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me on this one.[/quote]

I do and Im glad you saw what I was saying in a sensible light and didnt take it the wrong way :)

Drummers Eh......

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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1137725' date='Feb 22 2011, 10:03 PM']I do and Im glad you saw what I was saying in a sensible light and didnt take it the wrong way :)

Drummers Eh......[/quote]

No problem mate. I understood that it's all a matter of opinion.

I guess we have both learned a lesson here. I will not offer advice any more unless it's requested and maybe she, (hopefully) will reflect on whether any of it was warranted.

Kids eh.......

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I love her "I don't care what anyone says, I AM great" attitude. She has a long and successful career ahead of her as Simon Cowell's stunt double.

She needs to get ripped to bits at a future audition. Maybe it'll make her stop and think.

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They are out there, im nay different shapes, forms and guises.

The amount of "best bassists" I`ve encountered, who without hearing me play, know they are better than I could ever be, is amazing. Fair comment, some probably are (indeed most/all is a possibility), but when I ask them how many drummers rate their playing, most have replied that they`ve never played in a band/with a drummer. Can they record a song with only them playing 5 times, and each time be within one or two seconds over the whole length of the song? Thats boring! So someone playing a rhythm instrument that can`t keep time then...............

Sounds like this girl - bags of confidence, no experience.

Reminds me of a line in Aliens, when they are landing on the unknown planet. Ripley asks the head marine "How many missions have you been on?"

His reply "22.............................................................................................
simulated."

Ripley knows at that point, they`re all gonna die!

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