The WAKE UP CALL many great musicians will have to face!

Summary

The story follows a guitarist who started playing in their early teens, inspired by Guitar Hero and quickly excelling in real guitar. After joining bands and sharpening their skills, they audition for a well-known band but are ultimately rejected, not for lack of skill, but for image and connections. This realization prompts the guitarist to rethink their approach to success, deciding to focus on not just technical proficiency but also creativity, networking, and stage presence, vowing to become a more well-rounded and sought-after musician.

Takeaways

• 🎸 A young person starts playing guitar, inspired by a relative or Guitar Hero, and picks it up quickly.
• 🎶 They progress rapidly from beginner riffs to advanced metal songs within a year, impressing friends and peers.
• 🎤 After rejecting an opportunity to join a cover band, they finally join a progressive metal band with peers, showcasing their skills.
• 🌟 The band enjoys success for several years, but eventually, members start leaving due to life circumstances, leading the guitarist to look for new opportunities.
• 🎵 They receive an audition offer from an established band, 'Zaap Dingbats,' blending Led Zeppelin's music style with Queen's vocals.
• 😲 At the audition, they face tough competition, including a Viking-like guitarist, a stylish female guitarist, and others.
• 🎧 The audition goes well, but they are rejected, and it’s revealed that the Viking guitarist was chosen for his on-stage look and image rather than musical skill.
• 😔 The rejection highlights how factors beyond skill—like appearance and connections—play a role in band selection, frustrating the guitarist.
• 🎤 The guitarist realizes they need to focus not just on technical skills but also on areas like vocals, style, and networking.
• 🔥 Motivated to become a more well-rounded musician, they start working on songwriting, improvisation, and building connections in the local music scene.

Q & A

What motivated the person to start learning guitar?

The person was motivated to start learning guitar in their early teens, possibly inspired by a cool relative or playing Guitar Hero, which gave them a head start in understanding rhythm and coordination.

How did the person progress in their guitar skills so quickly?

The person quickly advanced by watching YouTube tutorials, learning riffs they liked, and signing up for an online guitar course that helped with music theory and technique.

Why did the person initially decline joining the cover band of older musicians?

The person declined the offer to join the cover band because they were more focused on developing their skills in metal music, which the cover band’s classic rock style didn’t align with.

How did the person's experience in a progressive metal band affect their development as a musician?

Playing in the progressive metal band allowed the person to fully utilize their skills and gain experience performing at various shows, contributing to both their personal growth and the band's success over a span of seven years.

What caused the progressive metal band to fall apart?

The band began to fall apart as members' personal lives changed—one got married, and another had legal issues. These factors led to the eventual dissolution of the band.

What was the person's reaction upon being invited to audition for the more established band, Zaap Dingbats?

The person was excited and saw the audition as a big break, particularly because Zaap Dingbats was a popular band with a unique mix of Led Zeppelin and Queen influences.

Why did the person ultimately not get the gig with Zaap Dingbats despite performing well?

Despite performing well during the audition, the person didn’t get the gig because the band prioritized factors like image and networking connections over technical skill. The person who got the spot, Bjorn, had a strong stage presence, while the runner-up, Beth, had valuable industry connections.

How did the feedback from the band's manager change the person's perspective on being in a band?

The manager’s feedback made the person realize that being in a band requires more than just playing skills; qualities like image, networking, and versatility (such as singing and improvising) are also crucial.

What steps did the person decide to take after not getting the spot in the band?

After the rejection, the person decided to work on improving their overall value as a musician by taking vocal lessons, updating their wardrobe, focusing on songwriting, and networking within the local music community.

What is the person's long-term outlook after reflecting on their experience with Zaap Dingbats?

The person is motivated to become a more well-rounded musician, confident that their improved skills and new approach will make them more competitive and lead to success in future auditions.

Outlines

00:00

🎸 The Guitar Hero Dream

The narrator recalls how they started playing guitar as a teenager, inspired either by a family member or video games like Guitar Hero. After receiving a guitar for Christmas, they quickly picked up the instrument, thanks to the hand-eye coordination learned from Guitar Hero. They began learning songs via YouTube and shocked their friends with their rapid progress, evolving from beginner riffs like 'Smoke on the Water' to complex songs such as 'Hangar 18'. The narrator’s growing skill even attracted attention in music stores, leading to an invitation to join a cover band, which they declined, as they wanted to focus on metal music. Later, they found a teenage progressive metal band, where they felt they truly fit in and the band started gaining success.

05:01

🏆 The Rise and Fall of the Band

After years of performing with their progressive metal band, the group’s dynamic started to crumble as members faced personal issues—some got married or had legal troubles. This left the narrator contemplating their next move. They spent a few years refining their skills in anticipation of a new opportunity. That opportunity came when they were invited to audition for a regional tour with a band called Zaap Dingbats, described as a blend of Led Zeppelin and Queen. The narrator felt confident, having mastered more challenging music in the past, and saw this as the big break they had been waiting for.

10:01

🎤 The Audition Day

On audition day, the narrator arrived to find a room full of other hopefuls. They noticed a range of competitors—from a Viking-like guitarist practicing in a corner to an average-looking man in cargo shorts, and a stunning woman with a purple sparkle guitar who stole everyone's attention. Fortunately, they were called in before having to socialize. Confident in their skills, they showcased their guitar abilities, impressing the band with a flawless performance. Afterward, the narrator made a professional move by turning down their sound to avoid feedback noise, adding to their sense of accomplishment.

😔 Rejection and Reflection

Despite feeling confident about their audition, the narrator received a text the next day, informing them that they didn’t get the gig. Curious, they called the band's manager for feedback. It turned out that the Viking-like Bjorn, who didn’t even play as well as the narrator, was chosen for his 'cool' stage presence. To make matters worse, the runner-up was Beth, the stunning woman from the waiting room, selected for her industry connections and backup singing ability. The narrator realized they had played by the rules and failed to stand out by thinking outside the box.

💡 Lessons Learned and Growth

The rejection led to an epiphany: being a great player isn’t enough in the music industry. The narrator realized that beyond skill, factors like image, connections, and versatility matter just as much. Determined to evolve, they decided to broaden their skill set by taking vocal lessons, improving their style, and becoming more active in the local music community. Though they were passed over for the Zaap Dingbats gig, the narrator felt confident that the next time they auditioned for a band, they’d have more to offer than just guitar skills.

Keywords

💡Guitar Hero

A video game that simulates playing a guitar using a plastic controller, Guitar Hero serves as the protagonist's introduction to music. In the video, it gives the character a head start in real guitar playing, helping him pick up the instrument faster due to rhythm and hand coordination skills learned from the game.

💡Progressive Metal

A genre of music that combines heavy metal with progressive rock elements, characterized by complex compositions, time changes, and technical proficiency. In the script, the protagonist joins a progressive metal band, finally utilizing his advanced guitar skills honed through years of practice.

💡Zap Dingbats

The fictional band that the protagonist auditions for later in the story, described as a mix of Led Zeppelin and Queen. This band represents the 'big break' the protagonist had been waiting for, a well-established group ready to go on a regional tour.

💡Audition

The process where the protagonist must prove his musical skills to join a band. Unlike his first band, where he was welcomed immediately due to his talent, this is his first formal audition, filled with competition from other skilled musicians. The audition is a pivotal moment that tests more than just his guitar ability.

💡Shredding

A guitar-playing technique characterized by fast, intricate solos and technical proficiency. The protagonist often 'shreds' to show off his skills during the audition, but this approach eventually backfires when the band prefers a more holistic musician who fits their image and sound.

💡Image

Refers to the visual appearance and style that bands project to their audience. The video emphasizes how crucial 'image' is in the music industry, as the protagonist loses the gig to a Viking-looking player named Bjorn, despite being a better musician. The band manager explains that Bjorn fits the band's image better.

💡Connections

Refers to the personal and professional relationships that help musicians gain opportunities. In the video, Beth, another auditionee, comes close to getting the gig not just because of her musical talent but because of her extensive connections with club owners and musicians, making her valuable beyond her guitar skills.

💡Second Place

The protagonist’s hope for some validation after losing the audition, he asks if he at least placed second. The manager’s answer reveals that second place went to Beth due to her connections, reinforcing the idea that musical talent alone isn't always enough.

💡Dime a Dozen

An expression meaning something is very common or easy to find. The manager uses this phrase to explain that while the protagonist is a skilled guitarist, many musicians at his level exist, so his technical ability alone isn’t unique enough to secure the gig.

💡Self-Improvement

The protagonist’s realization that he needs to expand his skill set beyond just guitar playing to succeed in the music industry. After losing the audition, he commits to taking vocal lessons, working on songwriting, and building connections, recognizing that these elements are just as important as technical skill.

Highlights

In your early teens, you start playing guitar, inspired by a relative or Guitar Hero.

You pick up guitar quickly, with Guitar Hero giving you a unique head start.

After learning from YouTube and online courses, you're playing advanced metal songs within a year.

Your skills impress people in guitar stores, and you're asked to join a band.

You refuse to join a cover band of older musicians and instead wait for a progressive metal band to approach.

You join a progressive metal band with other teenagers, and the band quickly takes off, leading to many successful shows over seven years.

As the band members grow older, life changes (marriage, DUIs) lead to the band's slow decline.

Years later, you receive a chance to audition for a more established band called Zaap Dingbats, who are about to go on tour.

At the audition, you face competition, including a Viking-looking guitarist, a normal-looking guy, and a talented woman with a stunning purple guitar.

You nail your audition performance, feeling confident and professional.

Despite your flawless performance, you lose the audition to the Viking-looking guitarist, Bjorn, due to his stage presence and look.

Beth, the talented woman, was a close second due to her connections and singing ability, making her highly valuable to the band.

The manager explains that while your playing was excellent, your extra noodling was off-putting to the band.

You realize that being a great player isn’t always enough—connections, image, and other factors matter at higher levels of music.

Determined to improve, you decide to expand your skills beyond guitar by taking vocal lessons, building connections, and working on songwriting and creativity.

Transcripts

so picture this you're in your early

teens and you decide you want to start

to play guitar maybe you were inspired

by like a relative may maybe a cool

uncle or something or you played guitar

hero and thought hey I want to try the

real thing so you beg your parents for a

guitar for Christmas and you end up

getting one and to your surprise and

their surprise you actually pick up on

it pretty fast playing Guitar Hero gave

you kind of this weird uh Head Start you

just get the feel for it down right away

next thing you know you're going on

YouTube you're learning all these cool

riffs that you always liked and now you

could finally play them for real you

might even sign up for an online guitar

course wink wink and uh learn some

details about Theory and some of the

inner workings of Music your friends are

really shocked at your progress because

you went from playing Smoke on the Water

to like Hanger 18 in less than a year

and you're feeling pretty good about

yourself at this point you find that the

response you're getting when you go to

the guitar store and play has been

changing drastically in the last year it

went from the employees being annoyed

with you and telling you to turn down to

people actually gathering around you a

little bit to hear you play one day

while you're playing at the guitar store

somebody approaches you and asks you if

you're interested in joining their band

it's actually a cover band of older guys

and uh you know they play songs from

like the eagles and zzy top and you tell

them that you're not interested because

you really want to focus on your

flashing metal chops and that doesn't

seem to be the right kind of band for

you so you hold out until one day a

group of teenagers comes up to you and

asks you if you want to join their

progressive metal band and uh you say

you're Allin cuz you could finally

utilize the full extent of your talents

now just just like your skills this

metal band starts to take off really

quick because you were the missing piece

and now they're ready to take off now

this goes on for many years let's say

seven years and uh you know you played a

whole bunch of great shows you got to do

your flashy licks on stage under the

spotlight and you felt really great as a

band for a while but then people start

to get a little bit older and things

start to change so maybe the drummer

went off and got married and the bass

player on his third DUI or something and

you just feel like it's starting to fall

apart and so you start to plan your next

move well after a few years of just

practicing in your room you know

sharpening your skills for that next

group that's lucky enough to have you in

their band you get a call from someone

in the band called zaap dingbats which

is a great name I think for a band and

their lead guitar player just quit so

they need someone to fill the spot

because they're just about to do a

regional tour well they're a pretty

popular band they're like a mix between

lead Zeppelin musically and then Queen

Dr vocals so it's a really cool uh

mixture of styles this is the big break

you've been waiting for ever since you

left your first band and you think man

I'm going to be ready for this so you

put a whole bunch of hours into

practicing and even though you're

practicing a ton you know the music of

the zaping Bands isn't super complex I

mean you've played Dream Theater covers

before so this should be no problem so

tryy out day finally arrives after a lot

of anticipation and you drive to the

site and you realize that there are a

lot of cars parked outside and it's kind

of confusing because it's only a

four-piece band so you're surprised to

see this many cars parked in the parking

lot well it turns out they're having

several people trying out for this spot

you know this isn't some startup band

these guys are somewhat established like

I said they're ready to go on tour and

they need someone ASAP turns out the

band did a smart thing and they just

want to try everybody out on the same

day so that they don't have to keep

coming back for more auditions they're

just going to get it over with and one

fail swoop so you get out of your car

you grab your modeler you sling your gig

bag over your shoulder and you walk

through the front door and there you see

a whole bunch of people sitting in the

waiting room with their instruments the

first guy kind of looks like Zach wild

at first you thought it was Zach Wild

and your heart stopped for a second but

it's this big Viking bearded looking

dude you know someone you would never

want to mess with he's in the corner

just practicing you know it sounds like

he's doing some warm-ups with pentatonic

scales or something and uh you know so

you keep looking around the room a

little bit the next person you see is

kind of an average looking dude he's

actually wearing cargo shorts doesn't

really look like it belongs in a rock

band at all and he's just sitting there

with his guitar he's not even practicing

but uh he doesn't seem like much of a

threat to you and then sitting on the

other side of the room is someone who

makes your jaw drop it's it's this

really pretty woman who looks like a

cross between Lizzy hail and like orian

or something and she's sitting there

with a purple Sparkle V guitar and her

sense of style is like breathtaking you

can't believe she's not on tour right

now you know with liny kravit or

something so you know you look at what

you're wearing it's pretty much just

jeans and a black shirt kind of like

what I'm wearing now and you go to sit

down but to your surprise they call your

name and you're relieved because you're

a little bit socially awkward and you

don't really want to sit down and have

to sit in silence or you know make small

talk with these people so so you know

you grab your stuff you're excited to go

in and you meet the band you do your

typical what's UPS you know it's your

first time really trying out for a band

the first band you were in just welcomed

you right away because of your skill but

this is the first time you actually have

to prove yourself but you're very

confident because of all the practicing

you've done over the years you feel like

you've got it handled so you plug your

model into their PA system you whip on

your guitar and you start to just shred

a couple licks almost to kind of show

them that you're serious that you're not

just messing around after you do your

flashy licks you look over at the

drummer who actually looks a little bit

annoyed but uh he does a quick little

yawn and he counts off the for count for

the song that you had ready for the

audition you play the song flawlessly

and when you hit the last chord you look

up and everybody seems pretty happy with

it you know you know in your head that

you nailed it as well and that was the

best feeling you talk a little bit to

the group they ask you what your goals

are you know the things that you prefer

as far as musical style taste you know

what your schedule's going to be like

and everything seems to go smoothly so

you ask the guitar player who's Manning

the soundboard to turn your channel down

because you want to unplug your Moder

and uh you think that's going to win you

some points cuz it's kind of a

professional move that way when you

unplug there's not a huge popping sound

in their PA system so you figure that

they'd appreciate that you grab your

guitar put it back in the gig bag put it

over your shoulder and you say goodbye

as you walk out through the try out room

you could feel all the eyes on you and

you look over to the Zach weld guy and

he nods on approval and he's kind of

like hey man that was badass you're

basically on Cloud9 as you walk out the

front door and out to your car well that

first night you find it really hard to

sleep because it just keeps racing

through your mind how awesome that tryy

out was uh you eventually finally get to

bed knowing the next day they were going

to make their decision and you'd be

getting the call well instead of getting

a call you actually get a text late in

the day and the text just says sorry bro

we went with somebody else at first you

think it's just a joke you just can't

believe that you didn't make the

audition so you text back are you joking

and the followup is no sorry so now

you're just in this weird numb state of

disbelief and all you want are answers

you want to find out what happened so

you text back can I call you he agrees

and you call him directly by the way

this is the band's manager you're

talking to your first question is well

who ended up getting the gig and the

manager says do you remember that Viking

looking dude named Bjorn he's the one

who ended up with it of course the guy

who looks that cool would have that name

right so then you ask well did he

outplay me did he out shred me or

something and the manager's like no not

at all in fact one part of the song

bjorne actually screwed up so bad they

had to go back to the beginning and try

it all again now you could feel yourself

getting actually angry inside and you

ask well then how did he get the gig and

the manager goes hey man I got to just

be honest you played really well but

Bjorn has a certain look that just

resonates with the band and we know he's

going to look really cool on stage you

know it's one of those things where it's

women will want him and guys will want

to be like him so he's actually the

perfect fit for the image of this group

talk about a kick or a boot in this case

to the gut because you know you're not

badl looking or anything like that but

compared to Thor over there it's going

to be really hard to compete in that

department by now you kind of have that

hysterical laughing thing happening as

you're talking just because you're in

utter disbelief so you say okay well

tell me I at least got second place and

the manager's like do you want me to be

brutally honest with you and you're like

yes just hit me with it and he's like

actually second place went to Beth and

you kind of roll your eyes even though

he can't see you but you go let me guess

because she's gorgeous right and the

manager's like well yeah she is gorgeous

but the real reason why she came so

close to getting the gig is because

she's really connected with a lot of

people in different bands and she knows

a lot of club Owners a lot of places

we'd love to play she's friends with and

so she'd be a really great asset in the

band and then he said in fact we're

thinking of actually opening a spot in

the band just to have her in the group

because of all that value she could

bring to us so with two greatl looking

people in the group plus one that has

all those connections we can't lose and

then he said oh I forgot one thing she's

actually a great singer as well and she

could sing backup and then you're like

well I never even knew I was supposed to

sing at the audition and the manager

goes well didn't see that microphone

sitting right in front of you the entire

time you could have just gone up and

started singing back up that would have

been really cool and you get kind of mad

at yourself cuz you realize you just

followed the rules exactly what you

thought they wanted and you did your

best but you could have done more if you

just would have thought outside of the

box a little bit and then with the last

your frustration you just utter well at

least tell me I made it higher than the

Normy looking dude and then the

manager's like man you're really putting

me in a tough spot here I have to tell

you the truth though he finished above

you as well and now you can't help but

be a little bit sarcastic because

because you're so outraged so you say

what is he you know the son of the head

of Sony or something the manager

actually laughs a little bit at this and

he's like well close he's actually

really well off so financially he's set

his dad actually owns this really huge

house and they said we could rehearse

there anytime we wanted to and they have

a golf course next door so all you got

to do after practice is grab a few beers

jump into a golf cart and Bam you're Off

to the Races sounded like a dream

scenario for band practice and so a lot

of people in the band were pulling for

him at first then the manager says that

he fell short though because even though

he's really well off and could really

help the band out financially he just

didn't have the look they wanted and uh

his playing was pretty average to decent

so now you're just looking for a little

crumb of Hope after your heart's been

dashed basically so you ask the manager

well did the guys appreciate anything

about me and the manager's like hey man

don't get me wrong everybody loved your

playing they thought you were very solid

a top-notch player but all that extra

noodling you did before and during the

song kind of turned the band off a

little bit plus when you get to the

level that they're at there are

countless amounts of great players like

you to tell you the truth they're pretty

much a dime a dozen at this level so you

thank the manager for his honesty and

you hang up you go to bed defeated that

night but suddenly the truth begins to

sink in and you realize that you

prioritize the wrong things the entire

time you've been playing guitar all you

really focused on was getting better and

better and better at your instrument but

you failed to realize that sometimes to

be in these band situations you need to

have more than just that it might seem

really unfair but a lot of things go

into the decision- making process when

it comes to being in a band you know are

you easy to hang out with do you have

the look they're going for you know do

you have means you know even just like a

car to get to practice could be a

deciding factor when you're a big fish

in a small pond you know when you're the

shredder at the guitar store that feels

great at that moment but that most

likely won't take you to the very top

unless you're at the extreme Elite

levels where you're just undeniable as a

worldclass guitar player but even then

it can be tough to break through you

wake up the next day to up your value as

a music position so you book some vocal

coach sessions and you go to Ragstock to

pick up some sweet threads you know that

your playing is at a high level so even

though you'll still practice you're not

going to put all your attention on just

your techniques anymore you decide to

work on improvising actually writing

songs too being creative and then you

look to reach out a little bit and get

to know the inner Circles of musicians

in your area so that you have a solid

base and a community that you could

always associate with and even though

the zaap ding bets passed on you and

they're now on tour with their new

guitar players you know that the next

time you try out for a band you're going

to have a lot more to offer than just

what you play on your instrument what

really motivates you is that you know

that the world is eventually going to

see the 2.0 version of you and you can't

wait to see how far that takes you