Starting Up A Band

A friend is putting up a new band. His last update was that he has three musicians who expressed their interest. He added that what he’d like to do first was to start off with cover tunes and then move up to songwriting before finally recording them. Sounds like a good plan.

I got an email from him a week ago. He was asking for help. I wasn’t really sure what he wanted me to do but I suppose he was asking some inputs on how to start his new band (or whether his plans would work). This is probably the most difficult question I’ve ever been asked of. I didn’t know exactly what to say.

In all tasks, the most challenging part is usually the first few steps. But then, those steps lead to another series of steps leading to another first step and so on. One time I consulted Mr. Junks Muaña, one of the owners of The Outpost, on what I need to do first when putting up a business. He simply said “Just start with whatever you have and you will learn from there. Everything else will follow.”

I’m still hanging. All of a sudden, it got me thinking - if I were to start up a real live band today, what should I do first? What should I next? What do I need to get myself from point A to point B. Barred by these preliminary FAQs, I allowed my mind to teleport to 1990, the year when my first band in college was formed.

My selective memory showed me images of a laundry room (our practice studio for a time), a karaoke, two acoustic guitars, and a wooden box. Just like any start up band, we didn’t have any money and our options were only limited to these tools so we decided to improvise.

We would plug the microphone jack into the karaoke and the other end into one of the acoustic guitars. The amplified strings would serve as our bass. There were four of us - Blair Kriekenbeek, Antonio Mesa (Oniot), Mitchello Simbajon (Mich), and me.

I insisted that I play the bass. Oniot was still new to the 6-string instrument and at that time couldn’t get the notes right. Later, Oniot and I decided to change places (today he’s one of the finest bass players I know). Mich sat on the box and provided the beat. Blair, with his strong and powerful baritone voice married with that good diction, became the musical voice.

We tried jamming (still with improvised tools) in other places like Mich’s aunt’s house in Maria Luisa village. Sometimes we would just hang out at the “Bukid” (yes for those who grew up with us during these years, you know where this place is) and all we would do was talk, play, talk, play, write, talk, play, write, and beer.

Our little sacrifices and late night sessions lead us to Las Piñas recording studio wrapping up the very first ditty Blair, Mich, and I wrote together. The song was “Desolate” and we called our band The End. Our song enjoyed heavy rotation in Y101's airplay back then.

Today, with the many great and talented bands sprouting like weeds in a playground, the challenge is steeper and the goals are higher.

I guess my college band worked because we all share the same passion. We all wanted to do the same thing. Apart from that, Blair had a fetish for high standards. One time he said, “I will not play on stage or sing a new song if we feel we have doubts about it.”

It all started with me looking for souls who may be interested in making good music with me. Now I’m thinking… if I were to put a band together today, how will I do that? Where do I start?

I guess an important thing to look into is not to look too much on the skills of a potential band mate (although this is a huge plus). Me? I usually look more on the level of interest and the personality (and someone that understands discipline). Skills can be developed and when that happens, talent will surface.

What makes a good band is not how good the musician plays. A good band comes when there is the understanding that one musician is not any better than the other. Good music is made because each musician allows their personalities to merge.

Music is an extension of one’s personality. There is greater output when every musician in the band listens soulfully to what the other member is playing. We become better musicians with teamwork. Everyone must compliment each other. We become a great rock 'n' roll band when we start understanding the benefits of a collective effort. That’s how I think a good band is formed.

In any start up band, there are no clear-cut rules. But there’s always the drawing board in your head. A vision of what you need to happen, how you would like it to happen, and what you would like to see happening in years to come.

I guess the next thing to do is stay firm with that vision of your band and keep an open mind. Oh and keep your music as honest as you can – meaning keep it close to your soul.