133rd Concert Review – Join The Band -June 1st and 2nd 2024 “Rockin’ The Mint”

What a weekend! 31 bands performed at our “Rockin’ The Mint” concert weekend. 

Lloyd Delaney, one of our longest JTB band members, came up to me between bands on Saturday and said, “John, just look at how many people you are making happy today.”  His comment stopped me in my tracks. I just always assumed everyone should be having fun.  I love what I do, and I have a great team of not just talented musicians who also love what they do but are also great people to just be with. I believe that is what makes our studio and the concert events a fun experience for everyone involved. 

A big thank you to the JTB crew! We always have a big staff presence to ensure a smooth-running concert. Someday, I will film “behind the scenes” footage of all the little things we do to make sure our band members have a successful show.

Both show days opened up, featuring our adult band members (Kids with a mortgage). Followed by our kids and teen bands. We had fun performances from everyone. Congrats to all of our band members! 

Our concert weekends are not just about performance but also about valuable learning experiences. The stage is a different world, and each performance is a lesson in itself. The unique atmosphere of a nightclub is a stark contrast to a rehearsal room, and these experiences are what shape us as musicians. 

At Join The Band, we do what we can to simulate what you will experience playing in a nightclub. We bring the equipment you rehearsed with to every concert and make you stand in the same area on stage. However, bright lights, a bustling audience, the sound of a different room, and show-day jitters can unsettle even seasoned performers. 

Playing for an audience can be unnerving. Sometimes, performers will even obsess about just one person being present in a crowded audience. I advise finding a quiet place to focus on preparing for your set. Calm down and mentally go through the music you are about to perform. 

Did I also mention that the most successful performances I see/hear are when band members have memorized their music and song lyrics?  Hmmm.

If you have prepared (and you know if you did), you will have a successful show. However, if you wait to work on your parts 1-2 weeks from the concert day, your chance of a successful show will drop dramatically. 

SUCCESS

The successful people I know in my life all agree that there are two things that drive success. 

1. Be prepared – Do the work – Not only “do the work,” but “do the work” with a mentor or teacher. Your preparation is not only detrimental to you but also to the success of your bandmates. Do not think you can fake your way through anything. 
2. Show up! I can go on and on about this, but showing up is half the work. Just be present. 

PERFORMANCES

We had many first-timers over the weekend, and I can’t tell you how excited I was watching them on stage. Yes, there are a lot of nerves and uncertainty about what to expect. But the payoff happens when they have done their work and have a fun show. The fact that they got up there and “did it” is something I will always admire. Congrats to all our first-time Join The Band band members!

I also love watching our veteran kid, teen, and adult bands putting it out there, doing the work to improve their skills, and getting on stage. Some of you have been with JTB for well over 20 years, and I still get a kick out of watching your musicianship grow during rehearsals and concert performances. 

THINGS TO WORK ON – TUNNING

To everything tune, tune, tune,

There is no reason not to tune, tune, tune.

And a time for every song to be in tune.

Guitar and bass players: Do not come on stage unless you have tuned up. Tuning on stage is not something your audience wants to hear.  Our JTB team backstage are instructed by me to get you in tune. Let them do their job. They are experienced professionals. :) 

I can hear an out-of-tune guitar a mile away. I can tell you which string/strings are out of tune from another room.  Tuning properly and hearing whether you are in tune or not, is a hearing and listening skill. You are not “in tune” just because you used a guitar tuner. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into a rehearsal room and said, “Hey, your G-string is flat.” The pushback I always get is, “I just tuned up with the tuner.” To which I say, “It doesn’t mean you are in tune. I can hear that you are out of tune. Please check your tuning.”  

TUNING: Things that will make your guitar or bass out of tune:

1. Just because you are using a digital tuner, it doesn’t mean you are “in tune.”
   1. Many students use tuners incorrectly. Talk to your teacher about how to properly tune-up.
   2. You should never tune down to a note. Lower the string below the pitch you are tuning to and tune up to the pitch so the string tightens evenly. 
2. If your guitar is not “set up” correctly, it will always sound out of tune. Ask us at the JTB studio to give you an assessment of your guitar “set up.”
3. Don’t walk through the club with your “tuned” guitar and expect it to be still in tune when you get on stage. If you bump or someone even slightly bumps into your guitar tuning pegs, it will go out of tune.
4. Simply going from a hot room to a cool room can affect your tuning. Fine-tuning just before getting on stage in the same room will help stabilize your guitar. 

Tuning issues aside, it was a very fun weekend. I am grateful to all of you who chose “Join The Band” to pursue your music ambitions, goals, and dreams.

Keep Rockin’

See you at the studio!

John Mizenko

Director

Join The Band