I am not a fan of the jam night or open mics, I think it becomes a competion and thats not what music is supposed to be about. As far as the "Music School" students I have to agree with O-Lugs, they can be technically fantastic but they lack soul! Just my two centavos.

Lucky

The "student players" are a bit young to have that soulful approach.Give them a few years of dragging thier gear around up and down stairs,long trips through storms,playing for a handful of abusive drunks,etc etc,and the instincts will take over.........just like what most of us had to doYes Sir

That's right wayne. But the problem is that they EXPECT to get to play because they "put their dues in" at music school! LOL! I swear to you...I saw a few of the bios (that's right) from high school kids who are shoppoing themselves out to college music programs. Some of them have won school band competitions and, as a result, got to go perform at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis. And, they have these bios that SMOKE many of the veteran players I know. For that reason, they show up with this attitude that they have come to expect from their teachers and peers at school. So, when they show up at my gig and want to sit in, we usually say "No." (politely, of course....most of the time). And, instead of them sitting back and enjoying the band as an audience member, they would rather pack it up and leave.

The jazz scene is a different thing than the scene you guys are talking about. The jazz scene is really compartmentalized -meaning that people carve out their own gigs and then stay there and protect them from someone else coming in and taking over. It takes a long time and hard work to blaze the trail of creating a paying gig for you and your bands. And so when some kid fresh from college steps up with an attitude, you sometimes have to draw the line.

I encourage everyone who is really interested in drumming to learn, not only how to play, but also to how to present yourself in a proper and respectful way when approaching veteran players who have made the decision to dedicate their lives to playing music. You don't see people walking into churches on Sunday morning and grabbing the microphone and taking over the pulpit just because they "used to go to church in their younger days" Or, because they "went to church camp for four summers in a row and got top honors for preaching in the preaching competition". See what I mean? So, why is it so easy for people to assume it's okay to approach a stage in such a way?

Parents encourage their kids to be confident. And that's fine. But parents should also allow for their kids' ears to get pinned back every now and then. That's my tuppence.Burger Kin

There was much fear and trembling before playing with confidence and skill among other musicians.

Like any apprenticeship for any real craft, musicianship included, there is a "journymans" period of learning after the books are closed. Jam night is not the place for that to happen.

A decent band of any kind takes leadership, ability of the musicians to read music and good technichal ability.

kelly

Last week at work i had a customer come in wearing a zildjian hat,so we started talking about drums.Turns out that he makes a living as a teacher,and is the star student of the#1 consistantly rated drum clinician in the country.He asked me if i wanted to hang out and have a couple of drinks at jam night at a local bar.Like Jim said,i would rather find out my playing is not up to snuff in my basement on tape,than in front of one of the best drummers in the area....lol.My life has led me away from being able to practice 4 hours a day anymore,and i have no aspirations of being a world classs drummer anymore,and i have no place being at a jam night!! At this point in time,i play because of my love of the drums,and it helps to clear my head up when things are crazy around me!! I am looking for a jam band situation myself now to play 1-2 times a week(allmans-dead etc.) with guys of my same age and mind,and have been thinking about maybe playing in a church band also,but that is a big commitment on my 1 day off.Oh,and did i mention i gave up drinking 23 years ago and have no right being in a bar in the first place!!The lions den,you know!! MAN DO I FEEL OLD!!!!!