Teaching Bass

I don't perform music because I like the spotlight. I perform music because I love the way it feels to PLAY music in an ensemble that is working well together. I very clearly recall being in high school and playing in my school orchestra at a concert or competition or some event and having this moment where everything came together perfectly. I wasn't thinking about the mechanics of playing the cello or really even concsiously reading the sheet music. Everyone around me was playing their part just right. And I kind of felt like I left my body and was part of something that was greater than the sum of its parts. Now...a high school orchestra rarely attains that kind of grace (normally it is quite unpleasant) but it gave me a taste of something that I've been chasing every since. The way to really get to that point is to really know what you are playing and know the ensemble around you...and that kind of excellence is only developed by pushing yourself to play in front of others. It's too easy to half ass it if you only play to the basement wall. And that's why I perform music for an audience...to drive myself and my bandmates to excellence that approaches transcendence. It's really just another fucking drug.

ANYWAY...as an introvert, it's very hard for me to be the focus of attention, and so performance is hard for me at a very basic level. Beyond that, I've been surprised by a particularly annoyance of being a female-bodied person in a rock band...which is that people find this unusual and feel the need to comment on it. Women will idolize you for it and men will give you the "wow, not bad for a girl" kind of talk. Both reactions make me livid. Nevermind that being perceived as a female has its own baggage for me. But beyond that, I find it annoying that it is a topic that gets brought up at all. What difference does it make? And it also kind of discounts what you are doing..."not bad for a girl"...like you'd be held to a higher standard if you were male.

So last year I heard that there was a rock n roll fastasy camp being put together for girls. The same has been happening locally for mixed gender kids for several years now...but someone was going to do the same JUST for girls.

I'm no great lover of the "separate but equal" concept, but I know from experience that men and women DO tend to approach things differently often...and that they often communicate differently. Beyond that, right or wrong, lots of women DO feel intimidated by men, especially in a musical situation. And even I have felt impowered on occasion by women-only space.

What I like about the idea of a girl's rock camp is the possibility that it would spawn a new generation of women who would feel like it was ok to join a band. And that, eventually, the kind of things that get said to me at shows would be a thing of the past. It would no longer be remarkable that a women played in a rock band...even bass or drums.

I was interested in helping with the camp from the start, but I'm not a huge fan of children, so I wasn't sure how to help (I'll note here that I actually think I'm pretty good with kids). I ended up helping by carrying equipment around and selling merch. When I heard that the camp was being expanded for adults, I felt more confident in taking a bigger role, but family obligations prevented me from doing that at the inaugral camp last October. So I made a point of commiting to the February camp.

Somewhat sight unseen the camp organizers hired me to be a band coach. And now it seems that they will also need me to teach bass.

The band coach thing, while requiring a level of gregariousness which will be a challenge for me, I feel completely qualified for. I've been in lots of different kinds of ensembles and I play enough different instruments that I have a handle on this. It's all about communication and listening to each other.

Teaching bass is a little more of a challenge.

There are two defining factors in the approach I will take, though, that ease my mind somewhat. First...instrument instruction will consist of two sessions each of an hour and fifteen minutes over two days. Second...the skill levels of participants will vary wildly, but most will likely be very much beginners, perhaps having never even picked up the instrument before that weekend. Beyond that, these will be group sessions, so not a ton of time to get into detail with individuals.

I have the experience of having JUST taken a class in bass last year. That class was something of an overview...but was pretty theory heavy and kind of assumed a basic level of competency. I held my own. But more than that, I could see how much or how little an instructor can really address in a couple of hours. And I have the benefit of taking the class and having wished that it had been better organized and that there had been some print materials to take away and reflect on.

The bottom line is...there's limited amount that can be covered in the time available and the key is probably being well organized and open to the varying levels of skill and understanding of the students. Ultimately they are there to learn enough to be able to play ONE song after a few hours of instruction. This is an introduction for them both to the instrument and to playing in ensembles. Indeed TOO much information or TOO much detail would probably overwhelm them and scare them off. It's supposed to be fun and to encourage them to continue on with music.

My primary challenge is getting over my own fear of incompetence. Anytime I teach a class I'm always worried that the students are thinking that I don't know what I'm talking about and I always fear that they are right. That I'm a fraud. Really though...people are probably usually more worried about themselves. Anyone who had the skills and confidence to play in bands on their own would probably already be doing it. I have had that confidence. They will be looking up to me for doing on my own the things that they wish they could do.

In the end, I think it is going to be good for me.

Oh...and I have to remember to try to smile, or at least be friendly. Being welcoming and accepting is what this is all about. Some people might perceive my normal demeanor as off-putting. Though I think I've been a leader in these kinds of situations enough in the past that I can put on a good face for three days. It's in real life where who I am gets me in trouble.

Edit: Sudden epiphany! There are different kinds of teachers who are good for you at different points in your development. Case in point...my drum lessons. My last instructor was more laid back, and in a way this might have meant that I didn't advance in skills as quickly as I could have. But what I needed then was reassurance and confidence building. I didn't need a drill instructor or an expert. Now...I kind of DO need an expert and someone who will really hold my feet to the fire. The people going to this camp, with few exceptions, need a cheerleader more than a drill sargent. They need basic information, reassurance and confidence-building more than detailed technique. I can be the right instructor for them at this moment in their development...even if I might not be the right instructor for them a month or a year or ten years down the road. And, as someone who is mostly self-taught and a somewhat new to bass playing, I know what it is like to be new and confused. A more advanced player might not be able to empathize and problem solve as well with a beginner.

And finally, I take reassurance in the fact that plenty of people think Kim Deal is a great bass player...even though she herself has said that she doesn't know much of anything about music theory.