Can't please everyone

Editor's Note: This semester Seth Forster will discuss his experiences being in a local band.\nAfter seven years of hard work studying an instrument and a year and a half of learning to compromise, I've found out that being in a band is a little harder than I had imagined. Well, at least it's a little more like taking care of a child than I thought. Hundreds of dollars have to be invested. You have to give up some of your space. You go around introducing it to people and talking about how proud you are, thinking of a catchy name, talking about its interests, future plans…The rest of the time you spend justifying the choices you make on its behalf: "No, we don't play any Elvis Costello, but it's the drummer's fault, I swear! No, I don't have any leather pants. I can't help it that I'm not British, but Americans can rock too." But when you first start a band, one of the biggest choices you make is what image you want to put forth.\nThe funniest thing about being in a band is listening to reactions when I tell people I'm in a band and I'm the lead guitarist. I always hear things like, "Shouldn't your hair be longer," or worst of all, "Do you know any Dave?" The latter to which I respond, "Yeah, Dave Bowie is really cool!" You really have to understand what expectations people will have of you. For example, we've already chosen who gets to be addicted to heroin and who gets cocaine, etc., even though I've never smoked a cigarette. Then I get to say ridiculous things like, "Sure I had heard cocaine was bad for you, but did you know the stuff is addictive?" So really, there's a lot of planning involved. \nThen there's that age old question Hamlet poses, "To be a cover band, or not to be a cover band." I didn't get a chance to look that one up, but the point is that a lot hinges on this one decision. It all comes down to image: deciding who you want to please and who you want to hate the band. The guy who bought into the dog chain and all black clothing fad will accuse you of selling out and playing emotionally empty music even before he's heard the first chord. On the other hand, someone has got to keep creating new music. Otherwise Will Smith will have to sample his samples of other people's work or be forced to rely solely on his movie career. As much as I loved "Wild Wild West" I think I'd rather risk giving him new songs to ruin. \nAnd just so nobody gets the wrong idea, I can tell you firsthand that being in a band does not mean that girls will automatically start taking off their clothes and throwing them at you. In fact, the only time anyone threw underwear at me while playing music was when my roommate threw my laundry basket at me during a band practice. And I haven't yet tried the leather pants, but I doubt that's really the problem. \nOf course, the obvious benefits really make up for all these "problems." A bad band practice is still better than a good day at classes, just a little louder. Anyway, if it all doesn't work out in the end, I can always write music for truck or insurance company commercials.