Posted by Rissa on Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Sunday I had my first public gig at an open house at a local farm. People loved the music, said they could hear it surround the whole place. For the most part I had a good time, but I did have one problem and it's been bugging me. I have been learning an OT tune on fiddle for the last few weeks, and I was super excited to play it for everyone. I mean, that is my tune and I've been working hard on making it sound great. And I was told to bring my fiddle to the gig just to play that tune and the rest of the time I would play my mandolin. Well, it never happened. One of the banjo players showed up and pretty much took over. At one point we had just finished a tune and didn't really have anything planned next, so I grabbed my fiddle and said, "Well now that there's break, I'm going to play something." And I had my fiddle at the ready, bow on the strings and as I played that first note, the banjo player jumps in and starts playing a different tune that she wanted to play. Ok, I get it. Everyone else has a few hundred tunes memorized from playing for years and years and I know, very well, a tune. But I just thought it was a bit rude to cut me off like that when I was starting to play something. If it was a show of proving she's a better musician, I already know that. They're all better musicians with decades of experience. I have my one tune that I'm really good at playing, and it just sucks that I didn't get the chance to show what I've learned in the short 3-ish months I've been playing.
weaklandjr Says:
Sunday, July 28, 2013 @7:37:21 PM
Rissa,
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I hope that it goes better next time.
Rissa Says:
Monday, July 29, 2013 @1:08:50 AM
It could have been worse I suppose. At least I could play back-up for most of the tunes. It was very much a surprise to be cut off like that. From what I heard from other folks, that kind of things isn't exactly approved of in gigs or jams. At any rate I skipped out on the jams this weekend to collect my thoughts and focus on a bunch of tunes I picked up from the arts festival last week.
TeachinMandolin444 Says:
Friday, August 16, 2013 @10:18:58 AM
you know I've heard of players like that and it's a shame that whoever was running the event couldn't have told the banjo players after they finished a song that it was your turn to play fiddle. (I play mando and fiddle as well tho like you,I"m a better mandolinist,IMO anyway)
OregonGal Says:
Thursday, August 29, 2013 @4:53:28 PM
Yeah - they need to have a go-round the circle so each person gets a chance to call a tune and play the lead. That's what they do at the jam sessions I attend. That eliminates others taking over and gives the newbies a chance to strut their stuff a bit.
Rissa Says:
Thursday, August 29, 2013 @5:28:36 PM
That's what I was expecting. I'm learning some new tunes that don't fit in with that group anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love playing OT tunes. But I'm moving more to bluegrass music, and I'm going to need to find a group/jam that accepts newbies and plays that kind of music. Might not happen this year, but I'll find something somewhere.
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