Gather the musicians and ask each one what they’re afraid of.
We’re not talking about professional fears here, such as:
— fear of losing an audience
— fear of being unclaimed
— fear of getting screwed over in a venue or advertising
— fear of losing a job
— fear of being “aww” at a concert
— etc.
Let’s talk about your bandmates’ deepest fears. If you’re not interested in what your colleague is worried about or afraid of, then you can be sure that the band will soon either fall apart or many of the musicians will leave.
Find out and help them.
I always do this when I feel like everything is about to go to hell. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mocking people or forcing them to remember something terrible, and I’m not even a collector of other people’s fears. Your fears will stay with you.
That’s not the point.
We can only share our fears with people we trust.
Phrases like:
“I don’t really think I’m afraid of anything.”
“I used to be afraid, but now I’m not.”
“I’m not a child to be afraid of anything.”
Only indicate that the person isn’t ready to open up to you. If this is the case, you need to strengthen the relationship, gain their trust and respect, and only then repeat the question:
“Guys, can you tell us who’s afraid of what or who?”
You can’t demand that your colleagues hide anything from you. We are all human and everyone should have their own secrets and experiences that they will never tell anyone. And that’s okay.
But the problem is that some fears today can be harmful in the future.
Take the initiative; be the first to talk about your fears. It’s hard, but by overcoming yourself and your fear, you’ll show that you trust your colleagues.
Then listen carefully to the others. From experience I know that at least one will begin to open up. Don’t heap criticism on the repentant person. Listen to and remember these fears.
Next step:
Find their fears and break them down into small steps.
If a person is afraid of the dark, come up with a one-minute pause in the dark, then increase it to 5 or 10 minutes (you can do it right on the turnip).
If someone is afraid of girls (and this happens), introduce a beautiful creature into the group, even if it’s not very playful at first, and work in a duet with the object of their fear.
If a person is afraid of animals/insects, then plan a trip to a zoo or insectarium.
Why?! Maybe the person doesn’t want to get rid of their fear. Well, if they didn’t want to, they wouldn’t talk about it.
Simply by helping to get rid of fears or by beginning to get rid of them ourselves, we awaken creative potential in a person. And you’ll notice how ideas, new songs, or crazy lyrics begin to come to the brave “coward.”
Our fears (starting in childhood) have shackled our talents. It’s impossible to completely get rid of fears, and there’s no need to. Over the years, we overcome old fears and then acquire new ones.
The highest skill of a band director or leader is to understand the group’s common fear, find ways to get rid of it and thus strengthen the musical group.
If you are afraid of wolves, don’t go into the forest. We will be afraid, but we will definitely go to the forest.
