Last week I had an amazing creative weekend.
On the Saturday I played for a singer songwriter called Paul Bullen. Great evening. I love playing drums. It was so good to play with a load of chilled out accomplished musicians.
I was sharing the drum throne with a guy called Roger Batting, a drummer who earns a living playing drums. A seriously good drummer. We each played half the gig on drums, and the other half playing percussion.
It was really encouraging. And I got to learn stuff from it, it is a great privilege to be around someone who has been around the block, who has been there and done it. So I set out to enjoy myself, but also to watch and learn from him, and to ask questions. A Master, and a student.
The gig was great. Good fun, good music, good people, and my parents came to see me play which is very cool.
Then Sunday.
Sunday I went to work for Andy (My Bro). Now when I agreed to work I didn't really have a clue what it was all about. I thought the plan was for me to help Andy rig up a lighting rig for a music video shoot, and then at the end help take it down...
All of which is true...
What I didn't realise is that the band is a band tipped for "making" it this year, that the video was to be released on MTV2 in a couple of weeks, and that it was a professional film crew turning up, and that I would be taking a professional position (As the playback boy...) in making it happen :-)
What an experience. Really amazing.
The producer and the camera guy were superb. Really very professional, and very good at their jobs. I learnt a massive amount about how real music videos are shot, and about how good people really are at their crafts.
The camera guy was out of this world. He knew exactly what he was doing. It didn't matter where he was, whether at the top of a 12foot tri-ladder or in a circle pit, or hanging out of a tree, he kept everything in perfectly sharp focus. When he was tracking the lead singer during a shot the guy's head never left the centre.
This guy was good. When he jumped between people in the band, he jump the focus perfectly everytime - by hand.
I was very very impressed.
But what really struck me was that the camera man has 3 runners who were helping him, keeping the wires in the right place, holding the ladder down, passing lenses.
These guys were not just minions. These guys were there because they wanted to learn. They listened to everything the camera man said. They watched everything he did.
There was a master, and there were some students.
Then I realised something else.
Why was I there?
Because I can help rig. I know stuff. I am competent at this type of thing.
Why?
Because there is a master, and I have spent time listening, and learning and experiencing.
Want life? Want to do something well? Want to learn?
There is a Master.
Are you a Student?
