by Vicky Finley
Some people are just born to be musicians. Once they have it in their mind, it is in their blood, and there really is no way to get rid of it. I have found this to be true time and time again. I know many of them, am married to one, and there are a few in my family. I even know a few from the other side of the world. They all have a few things in common. They are talented, and there is nothing that could stop them from playing, even after an illness threatens their lifestyle. The biggest problem they have is finding the right people to play with when one band does not work out. This is when the musician referral comes into play, and this is how many good musicians find each other.
He doesn’t know a damn thing about China ... That’s what makes him an expert. He knows nothing about music, being tone deaf. That’s what makes him a musician ... And he’s batty in the head. That’s what makes him a philosopher.
— William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)
There are many places to find a musician referral, and I know there are many online. The problem is finding someone who lives nearby ,and someone who has talent and the will to give up time for the good of the project. There are many great players out there, but styles and personalities do not always mesh. That is the hard part of a musician referral. Some like to give more time than others, and some have no sense of what it means to be in a band. Good musicians obviously find each other, but it is harder than it looks.
If you need to use a musician referral, but sure to be explicitly clear about what you are looking for in a band mate. You may need a guitar player, but do you need someone that has their own transportation? You have to think about when you practice. Will they be able to be there without fail each time? You also have to think about equipment. Do they have enough? What experience do they have? Do they like the same style of music? Do they have obligations that might keep them from gigs? Those are all good questions that should be answered when using a musician referral.
Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you—like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist—or else it is nothing, an empty formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
It might sound daunting to find someone through a musician referral, but it is a good way to go about it. Just remember to give it time, and don’t just take the first person that responds without finding out if they are a good match. My husband tells me that the best musician referral is other bands, and he doesn’t mean asking them if they know someone. Bands steal members from other bands all the time. It’s not quite fair, but it seems to be part of the deal.