(Note: I started off this entry thinking I would be blowing off steam about an annoying problem that had just come up, but as I was writing the post, I came up with the solution for my own problem! So this entry turned out to be more like a record of my own mental process of solving this problem.)
So we're gearing up to record the bulk of the songs for the documentary at a recording studio hopefully in July.
I've been kinda overseeing the music rehearsal sessions and keeping track of what we need to remember for recording and performance purposes. Barry, a friend of the documentary team, has been composing most of the music.
Barry has a brother named Marc who plays the harmonica, so he had this idea of getting Marc to play on a few of the songs. So we added Marc on to a few of the songs and they sound really great with a harmonica part.
We didn't have a drummer for most of the songs, so Marc suggested his teenage son, Jordan, play the drums. I was kinda "meh" about that because while I realize that a drum would sound great, I didn't want to do a whole lot of adding and tinkering to the songs at this point. Barry and I had been counting on just using some pre-recorded beats. But obviously a real drummer is better than that, so I said OK, let's have a rehearsal with Jordan too and see how it goes.
We had one rehearsal with everybody. Jordan was doing a decent job, but (being a kid) he wasn't super-experienced. Some of the drum parts he did great with on his own. Others I had to make suggestions about, which was fine, but then he didn't always remember what I had asked him to do. On one song he was really struggling just to keep an even beat. I said OK, no problem, you can just practice at home with the recordings of the songs your dad already has, and we'll have a couple more rehearsals all together to get the drum part smoothed out before recording. No problem.
Well, we haven't met to rehearse with the drum part again since then (which was back in early May I believe) because Marc (Jordan's dad) was away on a trip for a while. I spoke to him about a week and a half ago before he had to leave for out of town and said when he got back, we would need to rehearse again a couple of times. I also added that I could come over and help Jordan with the drum part by himself because according to Marc, he hadn't really been practicing and kinda "forgot" some of what I asked him to do. *eye roll*
So then Marc goes out of town. I've been busy working for my dad and trying to finish the video log project I've been working on for a couple of weeks, so I didn't have music on my mind too much. I just figured I'd call Marc on the 14th which was the day after he was supposed to come back into town, and talk about rehearsing.
So I called him, left a message, didn't get an answer. Was getting ready to call him again today but logged on to check my e-mail first and found an e-mail from him instead. And what does the e-mail say? Apparently they got an opportunity to send Jordan to summer camp for free, so they're sending him to one summer camp for three weeks and another one after that for two more weeks.
...
I'm just sayin'... what the hell dude. You wanted your kid to be included in playing on the music, OK fine. I was open to that. But he hasn't practiced, he's apparently forgotten his parts, and now on top of that now he's going to summer camp for the next
five weeks? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this picture??
The funny thing is that I seriously have had a feeling for the past couple of days that Jordan was not going to be able to play on the songs with us. I can't explain it but I truly did anticipate that something like this was going to happen. I also had a feeling from the get-go (before we even had that rehearsal) that including him as a drummer on the songs was going to be a lot of work, and well, I guess I was right. I was willing to have him play if he was going to put the work in, but if he hasn't practiced or bothered to remember the parts I helped him come up with for the songs, then I guess he doesn't place a whole lot of importance on being part of the band.
So I'm really annoyed about all this, but my wheels are already turning and I'm trying to think of where we could find another drummer. I can see the benefits of the situation in that now I'm free to find a drummer who would be more experienced and have a quicker, more intuitive grasp of the songs and how to play to them... but I just don't know where to find that person.
Oh wait!!! Now I just remembered -- the owner of the recording studio said a while back that he has musicians available for just about any instrument if you don't have someone to play a certain part. Perfect! So we might have to pay a professional to come in and rehearse and then play with us, but this gig would be a cinch for any drummer with experience, so that part would be really easy.
Whew! I think I just solved my own problem. Now I feel a lot better (^_^) I'm not even irritated about the situation with Marc's son anymore 'cause we'll definitely get much better results with a professional drummer, and we'll get that result with a lot less work and stress on my part. I was willing to coach Jordan if I had to, but I'm not a drummer and that's not my area of expertise, so it'll be a real load off of me to have someone come in who just knows what they're doing and will be open to suggestions.
Amazing how even when something lousy happens, it usually winds up working out for the better in the long run (^_^)