Soft Skills - Key to Success as a Musician?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='868899' date='Jun 16 2010, 12:01 PM']Being a reader.......[/quote]
Although it only makes sense if you work with other musicians who are readers and use notation to communicate the musical parts.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='868899' date='Jun 16 2010, 12:01 PM']Being a reader.......[/quote]

Reading a book? A map? The collected works of Shakespeare? Or the instructions on how to get out of the lift in which they are constantly playing Jaco Pastorius - The Chicken ?

Edited June 16, 2010 by Marvin

[Wil]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='868907' date='Jun 16 2010, 12:13 PM']Although it only makes sense if you work with other musicians who are readers and use notation to communicate the musical parts.[/quote]

This.

What do I bring to my bands?

Mad bass skills.
Good sense of humour.
A good ear.
Flexibility and commitment.
Pro equipment.
Good ties with local promotors.
Backing vocals.
A bag of haribo.
Decent hash.
A mean cup of coffee.
Concientiousness.

[TimR]

[quote name='Wil' post='868926' date='Jun 16 2010, 12:31 PM']This.

What do I bring to my bands?

Mad bass skills.
Good sense of humour.
A good ear.
Flexibility and commitment.
Pro equipment.
Good ties with local promotors.
Backing vocals.
A bag of haribo.
Decent hash.
A mean cup of coffee.
Concientiousness.[/quote]

All these together with Reading and with the exception of flexibilty are all what I would call 'Hard' skills.

Soft skills are how you react personally with the people around you.

[Wil]

What can I say, I'm hard for being in a band.

[TimR]

[quote name='Wil' post='869036' date='Jun 16 2010, 02:07 PM']What can I say, I'm hard for being in a band.[/quote]

I auditioned a singer once. He sent me a good demo CD, came prepared, sang all the tunes in their original keys and had experience of various different bands. He came to the audition and got on well with the band and left the room while we discussed whether to give him the gig. We called him back in to ask him to join, he accepted and then proceeded to tell us about how he could handle himself in a fight and about all the fights he'd been in at gigs.....

We didn't need those type of 'hard' skills.

[Wil]

Chicks dig skills. Computer hacking skills, bowstaff skills...

[Doddy]

I won't comment on the reading thing,because you all know my opinions about it.

What do I bring to a gig?

I turn up early-if I'm on time,I'm late.
I don't drink or anything on a gig,and don't cause any trouble.
I wear the right clothes,be it dinner jacket or ripped jeans. I will fit in with the look of the band.
I'm relaxed all night and will do what I'm asked,but will still join in with all the banter and fun.
I can drive,so don't have to rely on anyone.

Things such as having good gear,knowing hundreds of tunes,being able to read,being able to busk,having
enough technique to not get stumped (preferably more so that you have some in reserve) etc. are a given.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Marvin' post='868912' date='Jun 16 2010, 12:18 PM']Reading a book? A map? The collected works of Shakespeare? Or the instructions on how to get out of the lift in which they are constantly playing Jaco Pastorius - The Chicken ?[/quote]


All of them.

Reading a book - in the pit during show rehearsals when you are waiting for not so good readers to find the coda.
A map - those out of the ways gigs in Poland.
Shakespeare - long fights for the gig in Tokyo.
Lift instructions - well if you dont know how to get out of a lift, you wont get The Chicken in Bb.



Garry

[ironside1966]

For a lot of bands good backing vocals are a great advantage.

[TimR]

Definition of soft skills and hard skills.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_skills"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_skills[/url]

[4 candles]

[quote name='Doddy' post='869085' date='Jun 16 2010, 02:40 PM']I won't comment on the reading thing,because you all know my opinions about it.

What do I bring to a gig?

I turn up early-if I'm on time,I'm late.
I don't drink or anything on a gig,and don't cause any trouble.
I wear the right clothes,be it dinner jacket or ripped jeans. I will fit in with the look of the band.
I'm relaxed all night and will do what I'm asked,but will still join in with all the banter and fun.
I can drive,so don't have to rely on anyone.

Things such as having good gear,knowing hundreds of tunes,being able to read,being able to busk,having
enough technique to not get stumped (preferably more so that you have some in reserve) etc. are a given.[/quote]

Took the words right out of my mouth. Ive recently aquired a gig where the previous player played about the same standard as wooten but was always late, stoned, drunk, turned up in a really sh*te untaxed car, wore a dark green shirt as opposed to the black one he was told to wear.etc etc

Its 30% ability and 70% attitude to me

Mark

[thisnameistaken]

I'm a self-starter and work well as part of a team. Motivated and proactive, good interpersonal skills, glass is half-full, PMA, GSOH, like dancing, long walks, nights in, don't smoke, drink socially, would like to meet similar but with knockers of beach ball proportions, preferably mute.

[Lylodile]

[quote name='Wil' post='869072' date='Jun 16 2010, 02:34 PM']Chicks dig skills. Computer hacking skills, bowstaff skills...[/quote]

[TimR]

Mediator.

and

The ability to coax a decision out of the rest of the band without appearing pushy and stepping on the leader's toes.

Edited June 18, 2010 by TimR

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Toddy' post='867937' date='Jun 15 2010, 12:28 PM']Lot of mileage in a quote from Guy Pratt on getting the Pink Flloyd gig,,,,

When a thousand geezers can do your job,,you might as well take someone thats a bit of a laugh !! [/quote]
A very good summary, which applies in all walks of life.

I've recruited loads of people in my (non-musical) professional career and, after eliminating the people who don't have the required skills, you're left with a bunch of people who are all technically capable of doing the job. At that point, I've always chosen the person I reckon would be the easiest to get on with in a working environment.

[TimR]

[quote name='flyfisher' post='870550' date='Jun 18 2010, 10:06 AM']A very good summary, which applies in all walks of life.

I've recruited loads of people in my (non-musical) professional career and, after eliminating the people who don't have the required skills, you're left with a bunch of people who are all technically capable of doing the job. At that point, I've always chosen the person I reckon would be the easiest to get on with in a working environment.[/quote]

But the $1M question is what is it that makes them easy to get along with.

[flyfisher]

Dead right - that's the most difficult part of the recruitment process. But there's no fixed answer because one's own characteristics and the company (band) they are joining are part of the equation. It's the interaction that counts and is difficult to define but I think most people could tell if they liked someone after a couple of hour-long interviews, with the second one being rather more informal than the first because the decision has almost been made.

The fallback is a 3-month (or whatever) review. Fortunately, I've only had to use this condition to 'let someone go' once. I wasn't looking forward to breaking the news but the person in question opened the discussion by saying that he didn't really think things were working out. He agreed he'd look for another job, I agreed to keep him on until he'd found one. It didn't take him long because he was a good guy, he just didn't fit in and he knew it. We parted amicably. Life went on.

[xilddx]

[quote name='flyfisher' post='870858' date='Jun 18 2010, 03:16 PM']Dead right - that's the most difficult part of the recruitment process. But there's no fixed answer because one's own characteristics and the company (band) they are joining are part of the equation. It's the interaction that counts and is difficult to define but I think most people could tell if they liked someone after a couple of hour-long interviews, with the second one being rather more informal than the first because the decision has almost been made.[/quote]
Apparently it's all in the handshake at the start of the interview.

[Toddy]

Its like this,,,,, playing music in front of people is a prevlidge,, and you never know when its going to end,,,,,, so every gig is important...

Playing/Touring is a catalyst for your personality,,,, if your unhappy or in a bad place it will make it worse,,, if your up for it,, you will have a great time,,,

So its no surprise when you see good acts always take the same faces on tour,,, cos they make it a good experiance...oh and they do have to be able to play,,, but ya know ...

This point was made clear to me years ago,,,,and it was bleedin marvelous when I went to a Steve Vai masterclass and found he shares the same view....

[gafbass02]

[quote name='Toddy' post='871564' date='Jun 19 2010, 10:22 AM']Its like this,,,,, playing music in front of people is a prevlidge,, and you never know when its going to end,,,,,, so every gig is important...

Playing/Touring is a catalyst for your personality,,,, if your unhappy or in a bad place it will make it worse,,, if your up for it,, you will have a great time,,[/quote]

I love this. Sooo true

[colleya]

This sort of stuff really interests me. Soft skills are just starting to make it into my line of work. It's interesting to note that lots of successful people - gigging musicians and otherwise have these skills as part of their makeup. I don't, so I have to work really hard at it (I'm not a pro musician by any stretch, just an enthusiastic amateur).

Stephen MR Covey wrote a great book called 'The Speed of Trust' about how to develop trusting relationships with others and its effect on working relationships. Think about it, if the guy paying your wages trusts you to develop a bassline that fits and grooves, everybody's happy and the whole process is speeded up. It basically boils down to 'trust yourself', 'know your motives' and 'do what you say you will'. Pretty much what you've all been saying. Don't take my word for it though - read the book.

[quote name='TimR' post='870506' date='Jun 18 2010, 09:20 AM']The ability to coax a decision out of the rest of the band without appearing pushy and stepping on the leader's toes.[/quote]

This sounds an awful lot like 'coaching', which is simply the process of listening ([i][/i]really [i][/i]listening though, not just waiting for your turn to speak - this is where I fall down a lot) and asking questions designed to move the whole process forward. It's about leaving your ego at the door and helping others to develop their own ideas and solutions - pretty much the bassist's lot in a band!

Admittedly, I have no experience as a pro player, and I'm a forum newbie - but the situations described sound familiar to the ones I've encountered at work and discussed with others.

Amazing how people can make serious money by watching what successful people do and then putting it between 2 covers! Might have to give it a try.

[Sean]

I've done a load of soft skills and coaching courses and I always end up thinking what I learn is more useful in band environments than it is in work. A great book for brushing up on these skills is [url="http://clconsulting.co.uk/CLC/The_Z-A_of_Coaching.html"]http://clconsulting.co.uk/CLC/The_Z-A_of_Coaching.html [/url] It's the kind of book you can dip in and out of rather than read cover to cover - it's helped me tackle a hell of a lot of band issues over the years.