by Tish Ciravolo.

Tish Ciravolo

In my experience, getting on a stage or playing in front of anybody is truly frightening. I get angry, I get nervous, but there's nothing like being on stage and playing and feeling good about your playing, or just getting through it. You'll feel nervous, anxious, funny, and have adrenaline flying through you at the speed of sound. The lights are in your eyes, your heart is beating fast as the sweat runs down your chest and this is the moment - your friends are there, your family and everyone you know is there to see your big moment (you hope).

Are you ready? How many hours of rehearsal has it taken to get to this point? Everybody’s experience is unique. Some people take years to hone their craft while others just jump on stage and do it. I think the bottom line is there’s no right or wrong way. The important point is to just have the experience.

Playing your instrument with other people makes it so much better. It’s like magic. It’s more satisfying than playing by yourself, even though that’s how most of us learned how to play.

Whom you play with isn’t necessarily who your best friends are, or who you’re in a relationship with. It’s a different dynamic, and it’s a different relationship in a band. Maybe that’s the reason why some bands stay together and others don’t. There’s a bond that forms with other band members that transcends any other relationships you have in your life, be it with your parents, your better half, your best friend, etc. And it’s really special.

So how did you find your band? Are you still trying to figure out how to get in one? Sometimes just getting out and playing in a band is more worth it than just waiting for the right band to come along. Obviously, the more you do it, the better you get at it. And when you play out, people see you, and that’s how you make connections.

Have you looked in your local Music Connection, Craigslist, MySpace, or Recycler, or whatever is in your community for musicians that want to play the same kind of music you like to play? Are you taking lessons? Maybe they know somebody that wants to start a band. Have you seen School of Rock?

I think the most important thing we’re talking about today is getting out there and doing it, facing all your fears and getting on stage and having fun because women have to rock! That is only way that we will eventually rule the world!

We’ll talk again after NAMM, and I’ll let you know all about the Winter NAMM 2007 show, and I’ll let you know all about the fun times we’ve had. Hope to see you there.

Oh, and did you put out a CD yet?