The bonds of bands and showing up for each other

In 2003, my life was changed by Jack Black’s best movie.

What movie is that, you ask?

School of Rock.
After seeing that movie, I didn’t want a guitar — I needed a guitar. I was hellbent on playing the guitar and being in a band. 

The former came easy as it can be and often is a solo activity. Being in a band, by definition, requires other people to sign on to what you’re doing.

Since 2010, I’ve been in a band of some sort. Original bands, cover bands, tribute bands, duos, trios, jazz ensembles, sitting in with other musicians — the list goes on.

More often than not, I’ve been in and been the leader of my own band. When I was at Berklee, I thought someone would ask me to be in their band. It didn’t happen.

It didn’t occur to me that I should keep waiting. No. I wanted a band and was willing to put myself out there to get it.

So I asked people to be in my band.

They said yes. It was cool. The first time I ever had other people performing songs I wrote was a rush. It’s still a rush. I hope it’s always a rush.

Every now and then, I enter a phase of self-doubt. I’m not immune to it any more than anyone else is. I think I’m wasting my friends’ time, and they’re begrudgingly coming to rehearsal or agreeing to play a show, or they don’t want to hurt my feelings about a song I brought in, so they grit their teeth as they play through it.

But then, often out of nowhere, I remember the tacit agreement we made:

We show up for each other.

My heart is swelling with joy as I write this:

• It’s a sign of commitment when my bandmates appear at our practice space on a rainy Tuesday night in a neighborhood where parking is often difficult.
• It’s a sign of love when we lug our gear halfway across Boston to play for 45-minutes.
• And it’s a sign of dedication and belief when I bring in a half-finished song and my friends sit with me and work with the pieces I have to complete the puzzle of this song together.
• 
  

It reminds me that I have people in my life who believe in what I have to offer, and if there are three of them in a room with me already, then we can probably rally more people to join us.

Because we, collectively, are not that different from anyone else.

Thank you for reading. If you want to know more about my band, head to www.amymantismusic.com or search Amy Mantis and the Space Between literally anywhere online. ​