Are You A Control Freak?

[Mark L]

I am. Probably why I can't keep a band together. Everything has to be how I want it to be

 

How about you? Are you a control freak?

 

 

[blue2blue]

I am. Probably why I can't keep a band together. Everything has to be how I want it to be

 

How about you? Are you a control freak?

 

Yes and no. Since most of the musicians I know well tend to be outsider types, often as undisciplined as I am, myself, working with people I know has usually meant surrendering all conventional ideas of control.

 

That said, I've known people who, needing total control, basically did the union call thing. That's often disappointing for various reasons, not that there aren't some stellar musicians in the union, but, like on the free range, you still gotta find them and hook up. That said, when you're paying scale, people tend to do what they're told. Sometimes absolutely no more than they're told -- but some folks want that.

 

Most folks I know who regularly hire, though, develop their own rolodex (so to speak), and have a short list of first calls.

 

Me, I've never had the budget.

 

I used to know just who I WOULD call if the heavens opened up and money poured out -- but it's complicated now, because they've basically been Mavis Staples' band for the last 3 or 4 years since they hooked up with her on the Jeff Tweedy/Mavis Staples project (and then stuck around, basically, I take it, because Mavis is just so damn cool ).

[MikeRivers]

Yes. I can't mix without a real mixer. I want controls that I can feel.

[nat whilk II]

I don't think I am in the usual sense. But I'd rather someone was in (benevolent) control rather than no one. Enough control to provide a compass heading at least, to break impasses, to make necessary hard decisions and so on. I'm okay with following or leading, advising, disagreeing, compromising, etc - but I tend to roll a stop after a while in extended unstructured environments.

 

nat whilk ii

 

[Ernest Buckley]

Yes, the more comfortable I get making records and the more skilled I get in programming, the less I want to involve others in music production. On my first record, I had all real players on every instrument and on my second record, I replaced half of the players/parts with MIDI samples and loops and I honestly prefer it. I also played all the rhythm guitar parts and background vocals because I`m doing it exactly as I want. It`s also not unusual for me to record parts over and over until I get it the way I want. I just spent two hours this morning tweaking a bass part for a song thats been in the works for almost 10 years… and yes, this song will be on my 2nd album.

 

I`m already thinking about the 3rd record… and it will most likely be even more programming = less humans.

 

The reason for all this is because I want to control every sound, every hi hat, everything! It`s my record, it`s how I want it to sound. At the end of the day, its about feeding my own creative desires. And the truth be told, I`m not trying to produce music for the masses, I`m creating music for myself.

 

There is the part of me which appreciates the interaction and the surprises that come from a band playing together but I cannot control everything. In the end, its my art, its a very selfish act. Guilty as charged.

[Vito Corleone]

I'm a bit of a control freak, but the way to manage that is to learn to be a good manager of people. Convey to them your vision, get them on board with your plan, and assign them tasks and duties that fit well with their strengths and capabilities. You decided to work with certain people for a reason---let them be the best they can be.

 

And learn to be flexible. A band is a blend of talents and skills and if somebody is better at one thing than another, don't be so rigid with your control that you can't revise your vision to suit their skills.

 

There's nothing wrong with being a bit of a control freak or micro-manager. But don't let it cross over into egotism. Let people who are better at things than you are be better than you are. You might actually learn something from them along the way.

[blue2blue]

I don't think I am in the usual sense. But I'd rather someone was in (benevolent) control rather than no one. Enough control to provide a compass heading at least, to break impasses, to make necessary hard decisions and so on. I'm okay with following or leading, advising, disagreeing, compromising, etc - but I tend to roll a stop after a while in extended unstructured environments.

 

nat whilk ii

I do fine with structure -- when the structure is intelligently designed and well-applied. But I have plenty of authority issues -- while I respect and appreciate good authority figures -- those who impose bad or unworkable structures drive me totally nuts.

 

Quite often I've found myself in groups where there were no structures and only a vague sense of direction and purpose. I used to step into the gap a lot, seemed like, because it kind of drives me nuts to see people milling about purposelessly wondering what to do with themselves -- but after a while I sort of burned out on that role, as I'm a moody guy and there are times when I really don't like others being dependent on me.

 

In the 80s, it's safe to say (and not actually ego-driven, though I recognize it sounds that way) I was the lynchpin in a large set of people, about three overlapping social sets, actually, that I'd managed to knit together -- but I sometimes just need to be by myself. I got tired of the whole, 'well if you're not going, I probably won't go' thing. And then, because I had about 80-100 people's phone numbers memorized, I became like the social switchboard, which really drove me nuts. 'I called because I didn't have so-and-so's number, though I thought I wrote it down last time you gave it to me, but, hey, maybe you could just call them for me, since you know them better...' I felt like the social director on a damn cruise.

 

Anyhow, the strange path of social butterfly to cave-dwelling hermit.

 

 

Oh, wait, we were talking about bands...

 

But... same diff.

[AlamoJoe]

Just if I'm cooking dinner..Stay the hell outta my kitchen...Music wise, collaboration was always so much fun when I had the chance to collaborate I was always open to anything really...Haven't had any chances to collaborate in about 16 years.

[Goober(s)]

I am. Probably why I can't keep a band together. Everything has to be how I want it to be

 

How about you? Are you a control freak?

 

 

I'm a little bit like that with my band... and I've worked with a few dudes, one in particular comes to mind, who would qualify as a control freak which is why their bands are so damn good.

[Notes_Norton]

I find in a band situation, cooperation is the best way. Everybody has something to contribute and everybody wants to think their contribution is worthy.

 

In a leader/orchestra situation, the exact opposite is true. Think Benny Goodman.

 

In the bands I've been in, I do have strong opinions but I do my best to be a cooperator. In the duo I'm currently in, we are both extremely flexible and all we want is to serve the music and have a good time while doing just that.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[Lee Knight]

I'm lucky enough to have worked with some very creative leaders. I have a million ideas. But 9 times out of 10 their idea is better. I'm not a fool. I've got good taste and it is clear to me when their idea is a better one. When there is a lack of ideas... I step in without hesitation.

 

What I love doing is giving direction that inspires a player. To know that player's influences and comfort zone and to tap into their arsenal of goodies. "How about a Brian ahhhh Good Vibrations thing there?" "What if you did a Billy G Sharp Dressed Man harmonic squank in that break down?" "How about we get country funky Cripple Creek on this?"

 

Then people get to do what they love and bring their expertise to the table. The end result is better, I believe. Is that being a control freak? I think that's being a good facilitator.

[WRGKMC]

I used to do that when I was a young spoiled kid be but I believe I've matured enough to know why I used to be that way. You get enough bad stuff happen to you over the years and you begin to realize it isn't just bad luck. People who have their stuff together make their own good luck.

 

I've worked with allot of people who were entirely too anal about things that didn't matter, both in music and my day jobs. That's where I picked up a good deal of the bad habits of being self centered. Some where's along the way I discovered how being that way was exactly what drove away the kind of people I liked working with the most so I was inspired to find a better way.

 

I was then lucky enough to work with some great mentors who used a much better method to get good results. Its done through motivation and inspiring others to want to create great results on their own. Its not easy and it probably has a higher failure rate than other methods.

 

It does result in making both you and others happier, and even if the results weren't exactly what I may have wanted, the overall improvement goes far beyond anything I could have imagined. In the long haul its a world better then using a hammer to slam people or carrot to bribe them. Both are the most immature methods you can use to get good results. Anyone whose raised kids knows how quickly children get wise to that approach. Some adults never learn a better method and remain children their entire lives.

 

When you can get people to work on a mature level focused on a mutual goal, all the petty emotional crap that comes from over inflated egos and lack of success disappears because people are actually contributing to making the big picture advance. They see those results and feed their own needs instead of feeding on others. Sure you occasionally need to stop and refocus when things get bogged down or stagnant but it doesn't have to be the same guy doing that every time.

 

I will never work in a band where some control freak who thinks he owns the show ever again. I don't care if the guy is a major star or millionaire. There are enough good people out there where I can choose not to work with someone emotionally handicapped like that. Its not worth the effort and at my age I just don't have the time to break them of their childish habits.

 

In a band or any working situation, one man is nothing without the other players and you can do nothing to change a glutton besides show him his attitude is unacceptable by not feeding him. What he desires the most is attention. Music is only the means of getting that attention, but nothing ever satisfies that desire. In the Tibetan book of the dead that call that the realm of the Hungry Ghost. He can never obtain a higher level of maturity till he gives up that feeding frenzy based on his own desire and learns to participate in society at peace with himself and others.

 

Trying to please parents and receive love in return is an old story that dates back to mans beginnings. Its the cause of more war and strife then anything else that can be imagined. Seeking love that way is fine for a child that lacks self esteem, but you cant live the rest of your life that way. I know many try to and that's where all their bad luck comes from because most people don't want to be parents to strangers. They get burnt out trying to raise their own kids and have no time for spoiled kids in adult bodies.

 

Its fine for giving a kid a lift when he lacks self esteem but too much and you are well on the path to creating a Frankenstein monster who only knows he desires and will do anything to fulfill that desire including making slaves others to prove how powerful they are. The worst part is they are completely blind to how evil that is and actually convince themselves its a good attribute.

[Goober(s)]

every now and then I work with this one absolutely brilliant musician. he himself surrounds himself with yet other brilliant musicians. but everyone defers to him. he's just got a fantastically creative mind and a deep deep understanding of how music and performances work.

 

calling him a "control freak" cheapens what it is that he does. he has incredible vision, and when we work with him, we do everything we can to help him achieve it.

[Bucksstudent]

The one time I wrote a song with a band, I was the new guy. I didn't go into rehearsal planning on saying or doing anything but what they wanted, but the three guys looked at me and wanted me to pull out riff for them. So, even as the new guy, something about me must have screamed control freak, or leader.

 

I haven't collaborated with any other musician on my albums. If I want a bass line, I play it. If I want a singer, I sing it. But, I'm also my worst critic. I recently worked my ass off on a couple of songs, and decided that the production and composition wasn't worth pursuing as a large scale project. I put the songs on my Soundcloud anyway, but wrote "failed song" in their titles. Even with the substandard production, I felt there were parts worth hearing.

[MrKnobs]

Someone has to make the decisions. That someone doesn't have to have all the answers, he just has to pick a great team of players and listen to their ideas, then pick amongst them. Odds are the leader won't always pick the best answer (how do you even measure that?) but with a great group of players there won't be many terrible choices offered.

 

If I'm funding the project, then, for better or worse, I have to make (or at least be responsible) for the choices as it's my money at risk. With really good players I'll most often defer many musical decisions to them.

 

Now if it's a BAND project, meaning the entire band is PAYING the tab and risking the money, then, well, that just should never happen because there's likely to be dissonance every step of the way unless there's one member who in some way is deemed expert compared to everyone else - like maybe he was in a popular band or had some other large success vs the rest of the band members.

 

Whether you choose to admit it or not, it's business so someone is paying the cost to be the boss.

 

Am I a control freak when I'm the designated boss? I pay attention to detail and I work very hard so in that sense I am. However, in the larger sense, I'm not foolish enough to often go against the advice of team members who are more experienced and qualified than myself.

 

Terry D.

 

 

[Etienne Rambert]

I am....How about you? Are you a control freak?

 

 

 

 

I guess I'll leave that for y'all to decide.