Get the Lead Out!!!

I have a personal friend and amazing guitarist, Greg Jones, who just landed a position as Praise Band Music Director of a local Methodist church. He called to ask if I would play keys this Sunday for his first Contemporary Christian service.

Rehearsal was Friday night.

I was so excited to find a beautiful (and tuned!) grand piano and very nice digital keyboard already plugged into the sound board and ready to go.

The first song was very funky and reminded my of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", so I dialed up the clavinet patch and started dancing on the keys.

Well, it came to pass in the process of time that I learned that there were no less than six key modulations in the course of the song.

Most of the band are very sweet and well meaning non-musicians who were not picking up on Greg's key change cues.

The music ground to a halt as Greg started to explain where the changes should occur.

I was very surprised to find that I was the only one band member who brought a pencil to mark the editions on the sheet music.

Please remember that a sharpened  #2 pencil is a must when attending all rehearsals and performances.

Keep one in your case or gig bag.

good gigging!

Larry Marra
www.musicteachers911.com