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Underground > Radio & Music >

Professionalism

12:37 / 31.12.01

What are people's views on 'professionalism' in music? Should musicians wait untill they've properally learned to play thier instruments, before trying to perform?

The question is posed because yesterday I was reading the profile of Beat Happening in Our Band Could Be Your Life. Part of the whole philosophy of Beat Happening is the idea of taking performance out of the hands of 'professionals' and putting it into the hands of everyone. Basically taking the punk idea of "anyone could do this" to it's extreme.

So, do people view this as valid? Or are people stuck on the idea that for someone to entertain people, they have to have some level of profesionalism? And if so, how much?

12:59 / 31.12.01

A lot of the people who have engineered paradigm shifts in science and philosophy have been people who are working in an arena that is not natively their own. They have a different perspective from the mainstream, which they attempt to reincorporate into it.

One of the reasons in my opinion why so many people talk pompously about bands' earlier work being better is that many bands produce their most interesting stuff when they don't know what the rules are yet...

That's not to say that there isn't a space for professionalism - I think there is something tremendously rewarding about becoming the best at what you do.

But personally - when it comes to music, my feeling is that virtuoso guitarists and the like are a waste of time, tend to get self-involved and 'experimental' and in the process endlessly tedious.

Personal opinion? Expertise / professionalism is irrelevant to being in a band. Or more precisely - it's not the most important thing - which is that if the people like it, it's probably quite good. Give me a teenager with passion for what he's doing but who's learning along the way rather than Santana ANY day...

15:55 / 31.12.01

The Trash Pit Has Spoken.

A

10:07 / 02.01.02

Professionalism sucks.

Whenever I hear someone say in defense of some terrible band's live show "at least they're tight", my response is "so is my arsehole, but i wouldn't put that on stage and call it art".

Musicians who are technically proficient at their instruments so often seem to play music solely to show off how "well" they can play them.

Bands that can't play their instruments properly are stuck with just trying to play stuff that sounds good.

Matthew Fluxington

10:41 / 02.01.02

Um, I think all of my views on this topic can easily be answered with the statement: I think that Pavement were the greatest rock band of all time.

The Return Of Rothkoid

11:18 / 02.01.02

I don't think all professionalism is a bad thing, though. Professionalism can refer to attitude, rather than business dealings - I think that for a band to have the professionalism to put on a good show (however you want to define that for the band of your choice) for the punters who buy the CDs and show up at the gigs is a laudable thing, surely? I mean, as opposed to a fucking terrible, glass-the-fuckers-offstage experience? Agreed, there's more to it than some kind of musical accountancy, but surely the feeling that there's some kind of interplay of expectation/result and that they've got a part to play in it is a good place for a band to be in, at least in live terms?

Additionally; I don't think this necessarily maps to instrumental dexterity. A band can barely play and make up for it in enthusiasm/gusto/attitude/whatever, I think...

[ 02-01-2002: Message edited by: The Return Of Rothkoid ]

12:00 / 02.01.02

I think that as a musician, Professional attitude is VITAL.

It's the thing that pisses me off about Badly Drawn Boy. Some of his live performances... they're not amusing, they're not clever, he's just pissed and playing shit. No musician should do that. You don't have to be of stunning quality, or signed to a big label, but you don't piss around.

Enthusiasm makes up for lack of talent. Desire to experiment keeps you ahead of the game. I think it's vital. It doesn't require you to be capitalist, or stunningly talented; it just looks GOOD. For instance: band I was in, 14 piece funk outfit. Do you know the one thing that took two sentences to do, and yet made the band look fifty times more professional?

"Don't noodle on your instrument or talk too loudly between songs. Just find the next bit of music and get ready."

It's almost common sense. But not tinkling between songs just instantly makes it SO much better. We didn't have to play well, or play good stuff, and it didn't matter we were all 17; what mattered was that our on-stage behaviour was as good as any pro outfit. THAT'S what makes you look professional. And if you can pull that off, all you have to worry about is the music.

16:07 / 02.01.02

I was afraid I wasn't going to get the whole point across.

I'm not really talking about the bands that are "unprofessional" because they don't know any better. And more bands/people who have no intention of being "professional."

And as soon as I can come up with a definition for what I mean by professional, I'll let you know.