I think it’s clear that no one person can do it all: write songs, play all the instruments at once, and then book gigs. Even if such a poor soul exists somewhere, the quality of such work certainly leaves much to be desired.
That’s why musical groups and collaborative creative projects are created—so that all responsibilities are distributed among the participants. One person writes good arrangements, another can design album covers, a third does a wonderful job of setting up lighting, and so on. And together, they create a strong team with amazing music.
Therefore, the most effective method, I think, is when one person does only one thing and, accordingly, is responsible only for it.
Giving one person a lot of tasks and then demanding a report is like having a multifunctional phone: it makes calls, makes phone calls, and does radio, television, the Internet, and performs a bunch of other functions. It seems like it can do so many things, but each function is much worse in quality than if everything were separate.
Putting too much work on one person will result in a loss of performance quality. It’s rare to find a super-versatile talent who can handle all the work quickly and without sacrificing quality.
To avoid going crazy searching for such a gem, use the very sensible principle of “one person, one job.”
Let’s say you need to process a track – hire or ask an experienced sound engineer.
If you want great lyrics for a song, look for a songwriter.
An arrangement needs to be made – let the composer-arranger do it.
And so on.
In my experience, I’ve encountered bands in which the bass player is also a composer, a lyricist, and, on top of that, a financier. Or the vocalist, who rightfully considers himself the leader of the group, takes on the job of concert organizer or some other, completely unrelated, task.
A great way to distribute responsibilities can be recommended for such groups. You simply find out who does what best, what their passion is, what they can do not only to prove themselves but also to become much better at (i.e., where there’s potential).
The question arises: how do you know who’s good at what?
Let’s say your guitarist sings well, but your vocalist is not a good singer. It’s easier to replace a guitarist than a vocalist. Or, a keyboard player can sing amazingly on backing, but she has trouble with her instrument. Well, put the future Whitney Houston on the backing track. Maybe she’ll develop into a strong soloist.
I remember once, in college, in our choir, tenors became baritones and altos became mezzo-sopranos.
So, if you’ve been playing the drums for a long time, for example, it doesn’t mean it’s your best skill. Over time, you may realize that you are strong in drawing or singing. And once you jump over the barrier and start doing what is truly “your” business, you will feel constant growth. It’s an incomparable feeling.
Do everything you can! At rehearsals, take instruments and microphones from others and try your hand! I can say with certainty that you’ll achieve significant results in at least one area!
Find your passion! Good luck!
Try swapping places at the next rehearsal. What effect will it have?
It’s simple: one person – one job.
