"The one with the situation"

Alright, this one may be a bit of a jumbled one on subject matter! I have a few different projects going on right now and my mind is a flurry with situations, theories, ideas, and opinions about what I have going on and the musical interactions that I am currently faced with. First off, as a musician that is getting very busy, and faced with learning lots of new material for a new band or musical endeavor, it is really important to pace yourself and plan your days out in such a way that allow you to have a few minutes here and there to recoup, and more importantly rest your hands! So far I have been doing an ok job at spacing out time to learn/chart new music between preparing lessons, teaching lessons, composing music, and allowing for time to pack up guitar rigs, load in/out, get changed into clothes for the gig, and plug in and warm up. 

Whew, that’s a ton of stuff to think about, and somehow last night I let myself get to a point that I had a hard time conquering! After all that planning and doing, I actually got to the rehearsal session that I had planned so much for and hit a wall of sorts. I hadn’t planned for a long drive to the rehearsal with multiple wrecks on the way that turned a 30 minute drive into an hour and fifteen minute one. This wore on my nerves that were already stretched thin, and by the time I settled into the gig with my guitar on, I started to yawn almost uncontrollably and my brain wanted to shut down! I still had 2 hours of new charts to sight read and a new band to try to fit in with. What do you do? What I did in that moment allowed me to get through it all and semi-recover and play well. I took off my guitar, walked outside, looked around at the situation, took a few deep breaths with my eyes closed, and thanked God for the opportunity at hand. That all put a smile on my face and a good feeling in me about the rehearsal to come. I will of course learn from my situation and do better next time, but I thought that it was important to share my busy week and maybe glean something from it, because I know that we all get crazy busy, and how we deal with it can be the difference between absolute disaster or success! 

Anyway, that’s all about that for now at least! On other fronts, I have been restless trying to find the right sound to fit into the new gig/job that I have been rehearsing for. It is important to be able to adapt quickly in rehearsal and gig situations too. I have been showing up prepared to do one thing (from albums given as reference), and upon playing it once with the band, promptly asked to completely switch gears and make the song/sound almost night and day different from the album. This of course catches you off guard, but you have to ditch that feeling and quickly look at your pedalboard, amp, and guitars and make a decision as to how you will accomplish this reboot, in the moment, to make the rehearsal roll on accordingly and also make the band leader happy in the process. 

This whole thought process is a quick one, but draws from your time researching and listening to all sorts of music and guitarists. Look at the style, the player, and what they were using and currently are using to make complete these tones. I will say that years of playing, touring, charting, and rehearsing for gigs have made it easier over the years to switch gears effectively, but I also had the chance and good fortune to get my college degree in guitar performance from Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. This experience was tailor made for a guitar player/multi-instrumentalist like me that would spend the rest of his life gigging, recording, teaching, composing, modifying instruments, and searching for the next cool music venture. I was taught to look at the situation and get through it professionally and quickly, no matter what the gig or recording session asked for, and believe me, I have had some that were amazing and quite a few that were ridiculous that took all that I had to get through. 

I definitely thank MI and my teachers, especially Al Bonhomme, for preparing me for this cool, professional, life of music! So, pay attention to your gig at hand, pack your gear that you know you need, and always pack a little bit of extra goodies that you may not even use, but its there just in case. Listen to your other band members and find your pocket and it will be a great gig! I had to get these subjects out of the way because they were eating at my brain and needed to get out, but I promise to get back on track next week with modifying guitars and pedals. Hopefully you can take away something helpful from my story this week and apply it to getting through your job or gig. Thanks and check back next week for part 6!


~ Ryan Ridgeway 10/2/20


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