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My solo stick debut train wreck
https://stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11685		 Page 2 of 3
Author:  MichNS [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 6:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
paigan0 wrote:

... because on Ann Arbor Stick night once a month, I've been crashing and burning in front of the real Stick players and they still let me come back for another try at that 4-chord jam thing where suddenly all I can do is play a bassline.


Last Thursday you saw the best I've ever played "Yesterday" ever, I've messed that one up many times. You didn't play bad, keep in mind Oz throws us many curve balls - you really get a memory exercise with him, and at times just when you think you have his progressions memorized - he adds or changes something on the fly. Great experience for playing in a band if something goes wrong during a song, you'll have that experiece under your under your belt.

Words of wisdom here:
Author:  Jayesskerr [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
I am envious of you Ann Arbour gathering guys. That sounds like a really cool thing y'all have going...
Author:  kevin-c [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Ah Rob me bro......I feel your pain.
I too get those jittery hands that freeze up......I'm not sure why that is. I've never really had a pressing passion to get up on stage and play alone, last public gig was in the summer. But because this instrument is so goddamned awesome, I want folks to hear it, even if its at my embarrassing expense. :oops:

Funny how easy it is to share the stage with a band and feel comfy.....but the moment you become a soloist,,,,seems all bets are off. Like you, I have terror moments where I cant see the board, sound ain't right, etc....

That being said I have no advice other than to echo Bruce and Rodrigo offer.......keep on truckin bro...

cheers,
k-roc
Author:  Jayesskerr [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Adrenaline kills your fine motor skills; it's why things like BJJ, Vale Tudo, Krav Magda, Judo 'works' under pressure and really fancy stuff often times doesn't. It's also why fights between even skilled, trained combatants look like a hair-pulling match... Rolling around, all sloppy, not doing Seagal throws and Van Damme kicks...

Excitement = Adrenaline and dopamine plus some other stuff, which in turn kills the fancy finger movements.

Lovingly called "Oven mitts syndrome"

Hadn't experienced it in quite some time until I played the Stick...
Author:  LADC [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Jzzb8ovn wrote:
Thought I was ready as I could get though the tune at home mostly perfectly sort of. I wanted the opportunity to play in front of a crowd to get the nerves out of the way and to experience a real performance. It was a train wreck!! That didnt bother me though as I figured I might fumble a bit but not as bad as I did. Im happy I did it and will do it again. It was kind of a lesson for the other adult students to just get up and play and not worry about how things go .
...
I learned a lot playing in front of 65 people last night. It was a train wreck but it was also a great success in that I learned a lot and I got up and played in public and I had fun. Id do it again in a heart beat.

How do you guys tackle nerves other than just getting used to it. How do you deal with distractions during performances? Anyone else ever had a horrible train wreck?

You have a great attitude, Rob!

It's OK. Even governments have trainwrecks sometimes. :)

I deal with distractions all day. Just gotta keep moving forward. The only thing a creative person can hope for is to be able to solve at least most of the problems he/she creates.
Author:  Olivier [ Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Rob, you would not believe how many train wrecks I got into when I started gigging ! Your questions are good. Tacle nerves ? Breathe. Deal with distractions? Close your eyes. The gig situation is an excursion way out of your comfort zone. And you say it all: you have to get used to it. Just go out there and play as many times as you can, in as many different configurations and locations as you can. It'll get better all the time (with occasional clams). Have FUN!
Author:  Alain [ Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Thanks for sharing your experience. I always said that he takes courage to do something like the one you did. The best way to never do mistakes is when you do nothing (The Simpsons kind of...lol). But, when we don't think like the Simpsons, we like to be in front of situations where we want to share something with the others, we already gain in experience. Errors are not important...we also all lives Heaven sometimes...Just happy for you, you learned something new. Like Olivier said, I lived so many train wrecks since I play music...better to laugh about it...lol.
Author:  pcgonzales [ Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
The first time I played Chapman Stick live was in a duet with my son at a church carnival. We got thru our first song and I was very pleased.

Got to the second song and I just couldn't remember how the hell the song went!! I tried starting it 3 times and told my son lets move on. He said NO Dad!!! lets just do it. So I took a deep breath remembered the key signature and heard the melody in my head.

4th time start worked and the audience really didn't seem to care! Got a positive response after the tune.

So like Steve Adelson says.. "Nobody got hurt"!!!
Author:  RandO [ Fri Nov 25, 2016 5:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
Rob, at the very least, you DID it! I think the first time in public has to be the hardest. I have not done it yet, and it will be 2 years since I acquired the Stick in February, 2015. I had no prior experience with a stringed instrument (I am a drummer), and I thought I would feel great if I could play one sing after 3 years lol! I set my 'bar' real low.
Well, I can now stumble my way through about a dozen songs, complete with various clams! I got real brave a few months ago, turned on the video camera and proceeded to be stunned... absolutely shocked... that I could not play one single tune longer than 10 seconds without falling on my face! I actually started and stopped several songs at least 10 times...yikes!! It was horrible! I can't even imagine playing live until I can video at least one song without completely falling apart. If I ever get there, I will post it here, as I've promised to do so for a while but just can't get a song recorded!
So 'good on ya..' for actually having done it! I really want to try an open mic night this winter, but I have to be able to play a song! If I ever do it, I will report back like you did, good, bad or horrible :-)
Author:  jluebke [ Fri Nov 25, 2016 6:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My solo stick debut train wreck
I haven't been to very many of the A^2 Stick nights, but last time I did I figured I'd just run through Greg's arrangement of Greensleeves, which was the first song I ever learned on the Stick. "Train Wreck" was probably a good description - I just got a complete mental block about 1/2-way through the song. Tried starting over - couldn't get over it. So I threw in the towel. :-) Been there. ;-)
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