Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Performance

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is a celebration of storytelling, folklore, and the interesting art of spinning tales which attracts around 10,000 people each year to Utah Valley.
We had the priviledge of being the headlining musical event at this year's festival.

The music organizer for the event had this to say about our performance:

"Rob Bennion and the group of musicians who make up his band are amazing. Rob’s band kept an eclectic mix of 2500 folks happy for more than an hour. Rob’s music was meant to be “pre-game show” music, but what happened was wonderful – the outdoor audience, waiting for the main show, quit visiting and listened to a tight, dynamic, powerful, enthusiastic group of musicians with tunes that took them from Chattanooga to Ipanema and back. Rob is a phenomenal musician of his own accord, and he surrounded himself with musicians who truly complimented each other. I was so pleased with the Rob Bennion Band’s performance that I instantly booked them for a private party, and I will place Rob top on my list for musicians I am happy to work with. And – Rob is the model gentleman. ."

Ronda Walker Weaver – Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Committee member over Music, Board Member Timpanogos Singer Songwriter Alliance [TSSA]

Today's lesson is about being prepared for a performance. There are many different types of performances, from playing background music at a restaurant to a festival crowd where ou are the main event people paid to come see. Here are some tips to help you be better prepared for your next gig:

1. Knowing your audience is crucial to pulling off a great performance. What age group is the crowd going to be? Think of which songs and what style to play them in. If you're performing for a wedding reception, you won't want to pull out the hard-rockin' blues chart, unless it's later in the night and people are wanting to dance to a blues song. Be sensitive especially about volume levels. In a restaurant setting, play it safe and be as quiet as possible, volume will naturally increase during the course of a performance as the night goes on.

2. Get feedback from the people in charge/people who hired you. If playing at a bar/restaurant, ask the waiters/bartenders about your volume, song choices, get whatever feedback you can. these are the people the manager will talk to to see if you get to come back again. Make especially sure to motivate the crowds to tip their waiters/waitresses/bartenders well, this gets you extra points. Get feedback before, during, and after a performance.

3. Make a set list beforehand, but don't be afraid to alter it as you go. A well-chosen set list gives the band time to prepare and think about the songs before you announce it on the bandstand. It gives you and others peace of mind and cuts down on time between songs. When making the list, keep your audience, band members, the venue, ll aspects of the performance in mind. A good way to organize your set is to perform 3-4 songs in a row with little to no break in between, then take a 20-30 second breather to talk to the crowd, let the band rest a second. Audiences like to have a breather and talking helps increase anticipating for the next song (in moderation of course!)

4. Take good care of your band members, treat them well and the overall performance will be much better. Bring water for them, help everyone with their gear, compliment them on their playing, etc. Making sure they all know beforehand what to expect as far as times, dress, songs, instrumentation, will avoid confusion and possible conflicts.

5. Whenever possible, carpool. This gives you time to chat and get over nerves on the way to a performance, as well as to ensure that you arrive together and on time. When I perform, I like to bring my rythm section with me, so that even if some members are late, the basics are covered.

6. Be adaptable to the needs and wants of your audience. Take requests when possible, extend songs when people are dancing, change your set list to keep the crowd engaged.

Bebop licks a mouse click away

In previous posts I've discussed improvisation.

"Licks" are certain note patterns which can be played over chord changes. Learning certain licks and patterns is important so that you can recreate cool sounds on the bandstand which you worked on in the practice room.

This site (http://bopland.org/) is great for learning and practicing licks which you can then put into your solos.

Have fun, it's a great database of some of the coolest licks around!

My advice after 15+ years of performance

After over 15 years of paid performance, my advice to the young saxophonist is to stay in the game. Keep involved regardless of wht level. When this picture was taken, I was 17 and playing in a funk band. I wasn't sure where the saxophone would take me. I knew I enjoyed it and I tried to practice a few hours every day.
Now the saxophone pays all of my bills. It's my only job: tonight I'll perform jazz at a wedding reception then reggae at a club. Tomorrow I'm performing in the street for a city gallery stroll with a singer and my backing tracks. The next day I'm performing at a Mardi-Gras themed company party with my 7-piece band. Next week I'm performing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at wedding receptions. This takes care of me and my family (wife and two kids). I had no idea when I was 17 that it could do this.
Lesson for today: stay in the game. Keep involved however minimally, don't let your instrument collect dust. Even if it's just taking it out for 15 minutes, try to play every day, no matter how you feel about it.

Learning to improvise

Improvisation is the art of making up a solo on the spot. The notes you play form melodies and interesting sounds over the chord progression beneath you. Improvisation doesn't just involve the soloist, however. The whole group interacts with the soloist much like a conversation between friends. The soloist with "say" something, the bass player responds, then the pianist, etc.

Soloing seems daunting for the beginning player. What should I play? Which notes are the right ones in this song? Keep in mind that improvisation is a lifelong learning process, something which can always be improved and explored. Here are a few simple thing to try to get yourself started soloing:

1. Learn your scales/keys. Start with the 12 major keys, then learn the minor keys, then dominant, etc. For a good reference on keys look here: (compiled by Paul Elkouss). Start with the "easier" keys, C, G, F, etc.

2. Become familiar with your instrument. Try to imitate songs, play them in different keys. For example, "Mary had a Little Lamb" can be played in the key of C:
E D C D E E E, D D D, E G G
Now try to play the song starting on an A (key of F), then try starting on other notes.

3. Play along with songs you like, figure out how to play them "by ear". By ear means without looking at music or someone telling you which notes to play, you just figure it out on your own, "by ear".

4. Try to balance the difficult activities with the fun activities. Many students quit playing the saxophone because they find it's not as fun as when they first started, it gets "too hard". Discipline yourself by practicing the hard stuff first (scales, excersizes) then the fun stuff (learning your favorite song, playing by ear).

Welcome to my blog

Hello,

My name is Rob Bennion, professional saxophonist and band-leader. I would like to help you to play the saxophone, no matter what level you are, beginner to professional, I think we can always learn from each other. Thanks to technology this is made much easier and I can publish this from the comfort of my own home while my kids are sleeping!

I am a Salt Lake City jazz musician who does this full-time. I've been playing the sax for nearly 20 years, and getting paid for it for 15 of those years. I'd love to share my experiences with you and the tips I've learned over the years on how to perfect your art and get the gig.

Welcome to my blog, come back often!