Start A Band (Step 3)

Hello all,

Time for step 3 in the Start A Band Step by Step posts.  Today we are going to talk a little more about how to pick your band mates.  Please leave your own ego at the door when interviewing your potential band members.  This will let you get the best feel for how someone you are trying out for the bands attitude is.

Things to look for when interviewing (trying out) new band members:

• Personality - (Are they able to talk or sing without getting nervous?) - Not a deal breaker!
• Talent - (Can they play an instrument or sing, how many instruments?) - Could be a deal breaker!
• Attitude - (Does it seem that they would get mad easy or frustrated easily?) - Is a deal breaker!
• Dedication/Experience - (Have they worked in a band before if so how long, why did they leave?) - DEAL BREAKER?

Let me tell you about how one of my bands interview processes went.  After getting the list of singers narrowed down to about 4-6 possible candidates for the band’s lead singer position.  Our band asked each person to come to our practice room to interview and tryout.  Some of the ones that showed up had personality others had a lot of talent but no dedication, some didn’t even show, etc.  It was getting very disappointing trying to find the “perfect singer”.  Our band was down to the final two interviewees when it hit us like a ton of bricks, there was the ONE.  You know there was something different about this person.  We had always just sat each singer down in a chair, in front of a microphone and said sing these words with the music that we are playing.  This was one of our original songs, so we knew they didn’t know it.  The band just wanted to know how each singer would put the words with the music.  He got up out of the chair, moved the chair over, picked the mike up off of the stand.  This was something no other person trying out had done.  We just couldn’t believe it.  He was moving around the room, jumping while singing!  When the band finished we asked him if he had played in any bands, he said “No I’ve never done anything like this before.” so we sent him on his way so the band could discuss the interview.  “That went very well, I think” I told the guys in the band.  He had no experience but made up for that in personality and attitude.  So find that balance in your need for band members.