[Harp-L] Re: things you learn by playing with other musicians [long-distance jams]

["Splash!" <celtiac@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Payne"
> These are things you learn by playing with other musicians and a big 
> reason I'm
> always an advocate of getting with other musicians as early as possible, 
> as
> often as possible and surrounding yourself with musicians better than 
> yourself.

I played with four other musicians probably an average of between four and 
eight hours a day for almost ten years.   We were all best buds.  We had a 
stream of other musicians come and go, add to our mix over the years, all 
good!  It doesn't take long when playing with the same group for a while, 
just fooling around, or in-between takes in rehearsal, that we get over 
worrying about making mistakes.  Goofing off and looking like a genius, and 
totally messing up are only a hair's breadth away from each other.  And 
crossing the rubicon becomes a frequent adventure.  Jamming is FUN!  Pushing 
things to the limit and beyond.  And that's how I was able to expand my 
'musicality.'  But only when there is freedom to mess up.  I once heard this 
quote: "If you're not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room." 
When you have a group of musicians that continually push themselves, while 
indirectly pushing each other, it gets infectuous.  Then when you play a 
well rehearsed set, you all know the limits and back off just a little so as 
to not screw up.  It worked for us.  Now, everybody is scattered all up and 
down the Eastern Seaboard.  And finding new local mates without issues is 
difficult.

I'm getting itchy to start working on stuff in the studio [yet to build] and 
putting my tracks on a flash-drive, then sending it to my friends and having 
them add some tracks and sending it back.

Anybody doing this?

Splash!

And Porter handling things like a pro!  Ayup!
My Great Grandma once told me that "Them that don't screw up regular are 
doing damned little!"