I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF IN THE MONITOR!!!!! They shout…..
I cannot begin to describe how much I hate hearing that particular phrase. Since I do sound, you might wonder how it is possible for me to hate that phrase if I hear it all the time? Its just that such a statement says volumes about the person requesting more sound level.
1. They don’t really know what they want coming through the monitor, so more me sounds like the answer.
2. Secondly they are not really that confident about what they are playing.
3. It normally speaks of a person that really is not fully mature (at least in what they are doing)
Big statements of a person from just one line they give hey????? It also describes a person who in the larger scale is simply concerned with themself. I know, I know, it is quite a stretch to say that. But remember I have been doing this for more than 10 years and musicians rarely operate out of the box.
So last week the week starts off with one of those, and boy was it a week of rollercoaster events, which pretty much ended with me flipping out with the (producer I think is what he would be called). Anyway the show went fine on opening except for a tiny slip (I had not opened the main keyboard for the start of the second half) Okay it was a genuine mistake which I quickly resolved. But Clearly not good enough for the musician (this being the one who could not hear herself). Anyway so she was furious and said she would send an email and by this time the next day I would be fired.
I told you these people rarely prove themselves worthy of the air they breathe (just emphasising it for frustration sake). Needless to say I was still working there the next day, I was very tempted to walk up to her and ask her if that is what the Prophet Mohamed taught her (by the way in this show she plays keys and her husband sings in arabic, which I am guessing is some form of prayer). You know if you don’t what you want, make them pay, but I decided against that and show my Jesus side and simply turn the other cheek by not doing anything. All of this happened without a conversation between me and the woman. Which frustrates me even more. How can one person decide that they will end someone’s employment over simply not getting what you want?
Anyway that is simply to describe to you how petty some musicians are. Personally no one musician is that important to me to throw my career away. Really musicians are a dime a dozen these days.
But anyway, long story short. A mature person on stage tells me I want to hear this and this and that. Well defined, clear cut and to the point, does not make me responsible for their lack of listening skills. Because that is really what it is about. When someone says I can’t hear myself, I ask what are listening for? 10 out of 10 times they can’t answer. It never occurred to them that its about listening.
A band is the perfect place to grow up in, it teaches self sacrifice and the ability to work with others separate to your own wants. Or it can be a literal hell on stage if someone is immature and begins to think its all about them. Even audience members can see that.
Anyway so that is a day (or a week) out of my life. Full of drama hey.
Lets see how this story unfolds.
thehonestone
theHonestOne 