From Flashband to Real Band: How to turn your ragtag bunch of new musicians into a functioning group

I formed a band in DC’s first ever Flashband showcase.  That small house party started one of the most interesting journeys of my life, where not only did I find a great group of musicians, but I also went on to co-found with Neal the Flashband you see today.  This post isn't about the business, though.  This is about the band, and how we stuck it out.

At the showcase, we performed as a 5-piece hip-hop group with drums, bass, guitar, a rapper and a piano player. (Notice that I didn’t say we had a keyboard player: This guy literally rolled in with an 80-lb. weighted key digital piano.) Although we didn’t sound nearly as pulled together and professional as many of the bands playing in today’s showcases, I still felt drawn to the drive and musicianship of these players. At the time of that first showcase, I was playing in a Top 40 cover band, so the thought of being able to write some original music intrigued me. The rest of the members agreed, and we began performing under the name allthebestkids.

Three years later, the core of the band is still together; we’ve had to replace players, but we have kept the basic style of instrumental alternative hip-hop. We’ve replaced our guitarist, singer, and drummer, and added a horn section. The piano player ditched his goliath for a much more portable keyboard and synthesizer. We’re about to release a full-length album, and have played almost every venue in DC – from the small, cramped house show to the Howard Theatre.  

Finding bandmates that mesh with your playing style and abilities can be tough, but we’ve navigated those challenges quite successfully. Here are the 5 lessons I’ve learned in this process that can hopefully speak to the longevity of our band.

1. Don’t worry about style; your sound will come through. Everyone in the band may agree that they want to be a rock/funk band like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine, but then they’ll throw out any song ideas that don’t fit the mold of that sound. Every musician has a unique style that contributes to the overall sound of the band, so embrace that and let it direct the songwriting. You may end up with a better, more original style than you could have imagined.
2. Maintain momentum. As amateur musicians, we all have lives outside of our band. If you can dedicate even a few hours a week to practice, you will keep your band tight and focused. And, given that most amateur bands can only practice once a week, having an agenda can really help you feel like you’re being more productive in less time.
   
   Allthebestkids starts and ends our practice sessions with things we know we play well, because really nailing a song is a great motivator. It’s why we never finish a practice with a songwriting session. Instead, we always play a song that we play well, as a sort of “pick me up.”
3. The best musician may not be the best musician for the band. Having a band is like having a relationship. Ever date that super hot guy who never texts back? Think of him as the flashy guitarist who whips out a face-melting solo but is always late to practice and demands to be louder than the singer. I’d postulate that those behaviors are the leading cause of band breakups, so consider that when looking for musicians for your group.
   
   When auditioning new members for the band, we avoid people whose sole positive characteristic is that they were the most talented musician. Instead, we choose a talented person who we know we’ll enjoy spending time with. When you build a friendship with your bandmates, you’ll be less likely to bicker over the music, and the chemistry that forms based on this friendship will transfer to the shows.
4. For the majority of the audience, there are only 2 instruments; the vocals, and everything else. Unless you’re Dream Theatre or some other crazy prog rock or jazz band, the majority of fans who come see you don’t care if you have huge fills every 4 bars or complicated, lightning-fast guitar licks. For the most part, people want a catchy melody and a good beat, and it’s often easier to accomplish this by simplifying what you’re playing.
   
   As a bass player, I know the only people who are intently listening to my bass lines are other bass players and perhaps my mom. Everyone else just cares about the overall feel of the song, and, if it sounds cluttered, the average listener will pick up on that.  Simplicity is your friend.
5. There are no bad ideas. Writing music is a creative and inherently subjective venture.  Don’t take ideas off the table just because you don’t like them, or you don’t think they’re cool. Some of my favorite songs that allthebestkids have written started out as ideas that I didn’t like, but I still took the opportunity to write a bass line that I thought turned the song into something I’d really want to listen to.
   
   In another example, I randomly suggested one evening that we play the theme song from the Serial podcast. While practicing it, our singer, who had missed practice that evening, called and heard what we were doing. She asked to be put up to the microphone and freestyled over our Serial jam, and it turned out more awesome than anyone could have expected.  

Finally, remember that creating and performing music is supposed to be fun, and shared with people you care about. Yes, for many it’s a job. But for the serious hobbyist, there is nothing more exciting than playing a show in front of a group of hardcore fans, or recording an album, or just hanging out with the people you enjoy playing music with. So go have fun, and turn your Flashbands into the next big thing in your local scene!

If you’re a musician in DC, don’t wait: Sign up for the next monthly Showcase!

~Caleb