Common ground for musicians
What happens when musicians from different genres get together to shape a presentation?
The sideman who has worked for many years with rock and pop acts has expectations that could be at odds with those of a musician who works in theatre, for example.
Rehearsal rooms for rock, pop and beat groups are set up with amplification and drum kits at the heart of the proceedings. In the post MTV era, dancers have a higher status in the pecking order of the major pop acts than instrumentalists.
In a recent conversation I asked an acquaintance about the role of guitarists in the contemporary popular music culture. He was reluctant to accept the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any iconic instrumentalist who inspires youngsters to want to play in bands nowadays.
Do musicians of today need interpreters and diplomats to communicate with each other? I don’t feel nostalgic about meandering jam sessions, but it is obvious that things have changed considerably.
