FEATURE: Team Spirit In A Band

 Often invoked and never questioned as often as in recent years, the legendary team spirit in a band. While the music industry has been doing everything for decades to make a “real” band with all of its individual musicians appear obsolete, keyword Superior Drummer 3, prefabricated loops, Melodyne and much more, the image of the “4 Friends Harmony” is still the ultimate one External representation for the classic rock / pop fan. While the typical electronic musician has always been used to carrying out any form of frequency formation alone in a quiet little room, the majority of the newly created constellations still cling to a band construct, which was invented over 7 decades ago for purely technical reasons (“we don't have any volume down there, we need a bass player”). Nowadays you have more of a problem making a bassist audible in the dead-compressed downtuning stick area, but that's a different story.
Why is team spirit still so important in a band?
To answer this question, you should first answer the question of why you make music at all. Let's leave out the area of professional musicians, who are in the constant battle of "art versus money" and only deal with the clientele of "ambitious hobby musicians", who are also responsible for over 90% of the total sales in the musical instrument sector draws.
Yes, exactly, ask yourself why you make music. The two classics “fun” and “joy” are probably coming straight out of the box, which are also the central driving force behind an activity in many other leisure activities. If you dig a little deeper, you will probably also see the areas of recognition and popularity. A lot of the colleagues who started making music with me made no secret of the fact that their goal was almost exclusively to get to know girls more quickly, but that's another story.
So what does this have to do with team spirit? Well, as we have already read, technically speaking, you no longer need fellow musicians these days, as the technology and craftsmanship, whether with or without preparation, will be completely taken over by machines, and in a few years will also be completely taken over by AI. Maybe the answer can be found if you consider that the greatest songs of all time, at least in the rock / pop sector, were always composed and written by at least 2 musicians. Why? Because you can manage your creativity better, faster and more effectively when you work with other musicians, rather than having to spend a lot of your energy making sure you don't repeat yourself by constantly inbreeding your own ideas. This means that the more people you can place around you who are pulling together with you, the faster it will move in the direction in which you want to move.
It makes a big difference whether one person is responsible for text and music, or whether this area is divided, for example. I know top composers who can't get a deeper line of text out of it and lyricists who can't offer a proper harmonious progression to their statements. Finding out individual strengths in the creative process is the be-all and end-all of every successful collaboration. “Is it all that simple?” No way…

The optimal band constellation
If it were that easy to put together a “good” band, the world would probably be full of happy musicians who go through life holding hands and singing Kumbaja. Instead, the world is full of partly hopeful approaches, which after a comparatively short time only leave behind scorched earth in combination with a great loss of invested energy and time. Why is that?
If there's one thing I've learned in my time as a musician/producer, it's the fact that I only want to surround myself with people I like and respect, although the relationship can vary depending on the person. Everyone has probably had a musical “colleague” in their life who was a real enrichment for the band in terms of their craft, but who, apart from their instrument, was such a human disaster that, strictly speaking, you didn't even want to be in the same room with them.
Such a constellation is always doomed to failure, it's just a question of when the bomb will go off. This usually happens shortly before a big opportunity for the band, such as a lucrative tour offer or otherwise climbing the next rung on the ladder of success. Believe me, no one can provide as much benefit to a community in terms of craftsmanship as to make it worth putting up with an unpleasant person in your free time. Therefore, seek conversation, address the problem, allow time for improvement and if that doesn't work, get out of it. One rotten fruit in your fruit basket will ruin your entire harvest!
Who does what or the chief/Indian problem
Sometimes you could get the impression that a typical band is divided into two camps beyond the operation of their instruments: the band members who do almost everything and those who do almost nothing. Isn't it almost always the case that the person who writes the songs also takes care of the booking, books the van, maintains contact with the organizer, arranges the hotel, creates the schedule, creates the merchandise, does the billing, the rehearsal room paid, looked after the technology, fed the social media and so on. Wouldn't it make much more sense to divide the diverse tasks within a band equally so that on the one hand you don't have a constantly overworked and overworked "maker" and on the other hand a latently bored fellow musician who complains with the humorous statement " “I can’t do it as well as you” leans back and takes the fruits of other people’s labor with him?
I'm currently thinking hard about whether I've ever come across a band in my entire life that divided the work equally between each other so that the bottom line is maximum efficiency. I don't believe. What makes a big difference is the form of booking. I know some bands that handle it in such a way that the person who organizes a show stays in contact with the organizer and can keep 10 - 20% of the fee for themselves in return for their performance. This means that the person has an incentive to try harder to get shows.
Everything else should be distributed equally among the band if possible, because this is the only way to ensure a balance in terms of work performance and team spirit. There may be exceptions but no one, really no one around me doesn't get green pimples when it comes to social media. This constant, daily delivery of content and the associated promotion of your band until it is no longer possible sucks you out completely if you are serious about the band. After songwriting, this area has become by far (unfortunately) the most important point within a band. If this also needs to be done by the band's main songwriter, you can close the place down almost immediately. If you can show team spirit, then it's in the areas that no one enjoys and it's precisely in these areas that you can see whether a band can survive.
However, the greatest explosive power for a band is the financial area. As soon as the first measurable income flows, even if it is only comparatively small income, everything changes within a band. Long-suppressed issues, combined with very individual sensitivities, make this topic a minefield of a very special kind. However, I would like to consciously exclude this topic because it is far too extensive and would probably require its own article. We are therefore focusing on a constellation that can cover the travel and technical costs with the fee and generate a small profit through the sale of merch.
The bottom line is that nothing makes a band more resistant to external influences than a good team spirit, although this also requires that you speak with one voice and have exactly the same idea of the band's career. You should keep in mind that even the biggest bands in the world, perhaps apart from Led Zeppelin, did not reach their peak with the founding line-up, so make the right decision in good time. For every door that closes, a new one opens.

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Additional Informations:

In the dynamic and collaborative world of music, a band's success is often contingent on the cohesion and synergy among its members. When a music band fails to stay unified and individuals pursue their own paths, a once harmonious ensemble can quickly devolve into discord. In this detailed exploration, we will delve into the myriad consequences that can unfold when a music band loses its unity and each member ventures down a divergent musical journey.

I. Fragmented Musical Identity:

A. Loss of Unified Sound:
   1. Without collective vision and collaboration, the band may lose its distinctive sound, making it challenging to stand out in a saturated industry.
   2. Individual pursuits can lead to a disjointed musical identity, causing confusion among fans and potential industry connections.

B. Creative Stagnation:
   1. The lack of collaborative input and shared creativity often results in individual members stagnating creatively.
   2. The absence of diverse perspectives can hinder the band's ability to innovate and evolve its musical style.

II. Deteriorating Relationships:

A. Interpersonal Strain:
   1. The breakdown of communication and collaboration can strain relationships among band members, leading to resentment and animosity.
   2. Trust issues may arise as members prioritize personal ambitions over the collective goals of the band.

B. Erosion of Team Dynamics:
   1. Team dynamics, once the bedrock of a successful band, can disintegrate as members pursue separate interests.
   2. The sense of camaraderie that fuels creativity and resilience may be lost, negatively impacting the overall morale of the group.

III. Impact on Live Performances:

A. Inconsistent Performances:
   1. Without unified preparation and rehearsal, live performances may become inconsistent and lack the tightness that defines a professional band.
   2. Individualistic approaches can lead to conflicting onstage performances, disrupting the overall cohesiveness of the band's presentation.

B. Audience Disconnect:
   1. The disconnect among band members can extend to the audience, resulting in a lack of engagement and emotional resonance during live shows.
   2. Fans may sense the disunity, affecting their loyalty and diminishing the band's overall appeal.

IV. Dwindling Opportunities:

A. Limited Booking:
   1. Venues and promoters may hesitate to book a band with internal conflicts, fearing unreliability and potential disruptions.
   2. The band's reputation may suffer, limiting opportunities for lucrative gigs and collaborations.

B. Industry Skepticism:
   1. The music industry is highly competitive, and a disunited band may be perceived as unprofessional or unreliable.
   2. A lack of industry support can hinder the band's chances of securing record deals, endorsements, and other valuable opportunities.

V. Impact on Recordings and Releases:

A. Hindered Productivity:
   1. Disparate goals and priorities can impede the band's ability to complete recording projects in a timely manner.
   2. The quality of recordings may suffer as a result of compromised collaboration and communication.

B. Incoherent Discography:
   1. A band that drifts apart may release music that lacks thematic coherence and a consistent narrative, diminishing the impact of their discography.
   2. Fans may struggle to connect with the band's evolving but disjointed musical output.

VI. Long-Term Consequences:

A. Band Dissolution:
   1. If the disunity persists, it may lead to the eventual dissolution of the band as members pursue separate musical endeavors.
   2. The dissolution can be accompanied by legal battles over band assets, branding, and intellectual property.

B. Impact on Individual Careers:
   1. Members who veer off on their own paths may face challenges in establishing successful solo careers, particularly if the band's breakup is marred by negativity.
   2. The fractured reputation of the band may linger, affecting individual members' credibility within the industry.

Conclusion:

The consequences of a music band losing its unity and each member pursuing individual paths are far-reaching and multifaceted. From the erosion of a unique musical identity to strained relationships, diminished opportunities, and potential band dissolution, the fallout is a cautionary tale for aspiring musicians. Navigating the complexities of interpersonal dynamics and prioritizing collective goals over individual ambitions is crucial to sustaining a harmonious and enduring musical journey. Only through commitment to the shared vision can a band weather the challenges of the industry and leave a lasting impact on the musical landscape.