How Do We Resolve Internal Conflicts?
George O'Brien - Arizona Correspondent
This is a series of articles on building an Irish/Celtic band in Arizona.
Part 1 "Do You Really Want To Be A Professional Musician?" and "Do You Really Want To Do Irish Music?"
Part 2 "Can You Fill The Role Of Band Leader?" Who Is Going To Handle The Operational Tasks Of The Band?
Part 3 "What Kind Of Irish/Celtic Band Do You Want To Build?" and "What Performance Style Should You Have?"
Part 4 "Who Should Be In The Band?"
Part 5 "What Is Your Repertoire?"
Part 6 "Do You Have Stage Presence?"
Part 7 "Do You Have The Equipment To Run A Band?"
Part 8 "How Will You Find Your First Gig?"
Part 9 "How Do You Plan To Build Your Fan Base?"
Part 10 "Do You Have Media/Marketing Kit?"
Part 11 " Who Is Your Target Market?"
Part 12 "Are You Prepared To Become A Pub Band?" And "How Do You Get The Attention Of The Pub Owner" and "How Do Rock Venues Differ From Irish Pubs?"
Part 13 "How Do We Make A CD To Sell?"
Part 14 "Agents"
Much of this series has been focused on what might be called "problem solving" - how to organize the band, where to find gigs, etc. However, internal conflicts present some of the most intractable problems facing bands.
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
There is an unlimited number of reasons why bands have internal conflicts. While any collection of people are likely to have at least some disagreements, bands present some extra issues that make things more complicated.
1) DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMMITMENT: There are a number of musicians that practice well over four hours a day - independent of rehearsals and gigs. This is not really feasible for all players due to work and family commitments. It can create issues when there is not enough time available to develop new material, hold extra rehearsals, spend time at the recording studio, etc.
2) CHANGING GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS: Every band needs to have "vision" about what the band should sound like and where it is going. However, the vision is likely to change as the band develops. It is common for the band members to differ on what changes can and should be made.
3) FINANCIAL PRESSURES: Some band members may rely on the money made from the gigs for a significant proportion of their livelihood, while others may treat the money as simply a nice benefit. This may effect the willingness to accept gigs, put pressure to raise fees which risk gigs, and other related issues. It can also lead to issues about how much money is put into upgrading the equipment versus being given to the band members.
4) BAND LEADER IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD MANAGER: Band leaders are usually the strongest musician in the band, but this does not always translate into being a good manager. A good manager needs to have strong people skills, ability to listen, and be creative in coming up with solutions to conflicts. Most musicians lack training in this area and many are simply not very good at it. The ego that pushes the band leader to take the lead musically can stand in the way of being a good band manager.
5) PERSONALITIES: Band members are recruited primarily for their musical skills and what they contribute to the band's performances. Usually this means that they are not necessarily people they would select as "best friends", even though they spend more time with their fellow band members than their friends. The pressures of making the band a success can strain the strongest friendships, so it not surprising that band members tend to get on each others nerves.
6) OUTSIDE PRESSURES: Every band member is subject to pressures and demands placed upon them by ones spouse (or significant others) and family, by the employer, by friends, and even by fans. Top players are routinely being recruited by other bands who may have a vested interest in turning a small conflict into a big one so the player leaves the old band. (This is not as common as one might imagine, but it does happen).
PREPARE FOR PEOPLE LEAVING AND BAND DISSOLUTION
The biggest problems are created when someone leaves the band or at least threatens to leave the band. Since all bands eventually either dissolve or have major personnel changes, this should be anticipated so that the band members know what will happen. Making these decisions at the start is better than waiting until the band members are each other's throats. As a rule, it is best to put the agreements into writing.
1) DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE EQUIPMENT: The easiest way to deal with equipment is to have one individual own the system. It is reasonable for the band to pay the owner of the equipment "rent" for the use of the equipment to provide funds for repairs and upgrades. It does not appear that this happens very often.
In some cases, at least part of the equipment is owned jointly by the band as a whole. It should be made clear what happens to the equipment when a player leaves or is fired.
2) DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NAME OF THE BAND ON DISSOLUTION: The usual case is that the band leader "owns" the name of the band. No one thinks twice about the fact that Frank Mackie reformulated the Keltic Cowboys in spite of being the only original member of the band remaining. But when Chris Turner left One Eyed Fiona, there needed to be a formal agreement that permitted him to take the name. This happened in spite of the fact that the other members of the band remained in tact. They reformulated under the name "Hooligans." This worked out, but it could have been very messy.
3) ESTABLISH CONTINUING RIGHTS TO USE OF COPYRIGHT MATERIAL: As a general rule, bands do not use original material without permission. For cover tunes, this is handled through the ASCAP/BMI license the venue has. But as a general, original material owned by other local bands can be used only with permission. This can create a problem when a band member authors a piece and then later leaves the band. How this is handled should be spelled out in advance.
4) ESTABLISH A POLICY ON PAYMENT OF ROYALTIES ON CD SALES: CD's can outlive the life of the band such with the Rambling Rovers and One Eyed Fiona. Even more frequently, CD sales will outlive the continuity of all the members. Do players that left the band voluntarily continue to have any continuing rights to the proceeds from CD sales?
It can become even more complicated when there are guest performers or when there is original material authored by band members that have left the band. Written agreements are absolutely essential to avoid potentially serious problems.
5) DETERMINE LIABILITY FOR DEBTS ON DISSOLUTION: There are very few people who will loan money to a band with the hope of getting it back. About the only way that a band can get into serious debt as an entity (a band member may borrow money on his/her own, but then he/she retains the liability) is during the making of a CD. Studio time and engineering fees may be incurred that the band itself will owe. If this happens, then there needs to be an agreement as to exactly who owes the money. If it is owed jointly, then this needs to be put into a written contract.
SEEKING MEDIATION
Most general problems can be resolved if all the band members are willing to work at it. Unfortunately, confronting problems runs the risk of making things worse and breaking up the band. One option is to get everyone agree to have an outside mediator work with the band to see what can be done.
The role of the mediator is to determine the underlying problems and to explore options for their resolution. The mediator has to be seen as independent and not closely aligned with any particular band member. It is the job of the mediator to convince the different band members that the problems can be resolved and that actions can be taken that will satisfy the needs of each member.
While a mediated result often involves an element of compromise, it is not a question of "splitting the difference." If one member is being unreasonable, the mediator needs to point that out without seeming to take sides. In most cases, mediation involves finding things that each member wants that can be delivered without anyone feeling he/she is being short changed.
The easiest kind of issues to resolve are the petty things that can drive band members crazy. A strong player that "talks down" to other players, "kidding" that seems to demean the player, bad mouthing the player to others, etc. Failure to show respect is one of the most common sources of difficulty band face, yet it doesn't cost anything to become more sensitive. If the disrespect is a symptom of frustration over some other issue, then both the other issue and how it is being mishandled is essential. Sometimes it takes a mediator to cut through thicket of irritants to get to the truth.
Problems related to the set list and performance style are much more complex. Typically music conflicts are described in such vague terms that they get misunderstood. The trick is to get the various parties to give specific examples of the issues and concerns. Often it is easier for a mediator to do this than another band member. A band member is more likely to become defensive about what is being said and not listen as closely as he/she should.
Problems created by spouses and significant others are another huge source of difficulty. A band is like a family - and you don't get to choose your family. If is very hard for a band member to work with the offending spouse or significant other without making things worse. An attempt to resolve a problem could look like a "come-on" or as an attempt to break up the relationship. A good mediator should be seen as totally independent and maintain an aura of detachment.
NO EASY ANSWERS
Taken as a whole, musicians are a strong willed collection of people. They will clash. The key is for them to learn the skills to ensure that these clashes do not hurt the band or the quality of their performance.
The ideal situation is to address problems before they become serious issues and angry words are exchanged. In any case, the band needs to accept that problems are inevitable but solutions are usually possible.
[This is the 15th in the series "On Building an Irish Band in Arizona"].
By George O'Brien
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