Finding a collaborator/music partner

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:19 am

Hey, if this has been discussed somewhere else then please delete this thread and direct me there.

I don't really want to form a band as such in order to play live, but would like to find someone with a similar background and taste in music with whom I can work. Someone who lives nearby, so they could actually be present with me whilst we work on things together. But, the question is, how do I find them? Any ideas?

I can guess this is going to be a bit of a musical lonely hearts thing. I have worked with people that have been great musically, but we didn't really click socially. And of course the other way round. Quite often it can feel like one of us is directing the project and the other one just sort of following. I know there are many kinds of collaboration, but I know the one I'm looking for. Someone like me basically, but maybe plays keyboards rather than guitar, so has complimentary skills. About the same age I guess and the same amount of free time. Oh yes, and lives in South London.

So what do I do? Put ads in music papers? Ebay? Anyone gone down this path before? Cheers all.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:43 am

Never posted an ad myself, but you could give a look at harmony central. London may or may not be sufficiently represented.
-bill

Future Boy · Post by **Future Boy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:35 pm

Do they have craigs list in london?

EDIT: Oh look, they do: http://london.craigslist.org/

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:45 pm

I've tried Craig's List, but NEVER get responses to my ads. And those I respond to NEVER write back. So, clearly that's an option for someone better represented than I.

Here's what not to do (based on what I've done):
- state that I'm somewhat eclectic and trans-genre inclined
- look for creative people rather than "a totally rad bass player"
- state the desire to work virtually, with in-person meetings possible
- offer a website with my music freely available to determine if our tastes are compatible (this is probably where my plan went horribly wrong)
- expect there to be someone, ANYONE, out there who might be remotely interested

Do all that and wait for inevitable failure.

Who needs collaborators anyway? All it does is force you to compromise in order to "put it to bed".

That said, it's lonely on my own.

Future Boy · Post by **Future Boy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:47 pm

Ha ha. It's true, I've never used craigslist for finding a band buddy but I've had to listen to brad and blue gripe about it a lot. Well, actually, mostly just making fun of people's listings.

blue · Post by **blue** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:43 pm

i wrote a best-of-craigslist post on finding band members:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/6927333.html

sos is formed entirely via CL. yes, it takes a long time - but so does just about anything. be willing to compromise, post lots of mp3s, and don't give up.

outside of CL (or flyers in your local coffeeshop / music store, etc), playing open mic things and going to lots of local shows is the best way to find musicians. it aint gonna happen sitting in your bedroom practicing scales.

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:00 pm

blue wrote:it aint gonna happen sitting in your bedroom practicing scales.

well shit NOW you tell me

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:36 pm

CL has worked out well for me, too, though I looked at the London version and it seems pretty sparse. Couldn't hurt to try it, though.

CL may actually be your best bet, because you can describe at length exactly what you're looking for. This increases the chance of no responses (a la Roy) but helps filter out the people you don't want. It seems like you have a pretty clear idea of what you're looking for, so a one-line classified ad is probably not gonna help.

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:11 pm

blue wrote:i wrote a best-of-craigslist post on finding band members:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/6927333.html

Some really good advice in there.

Bell Green · Post by **Bell Green** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:04 am

Wow. This sounds daunting yet promising as well. I used to be in bands a long time ago and started working on my own mainly due to band politics and basically the compromise. You have complete control when you work alone. But you have to motivate yourself as well. When I have worked with others recently it has been playing the role of engineer/producer and there is quite a different work ethic going on. There is this definite feeling of "being at work." I like that, but I don't want to go through all the band stuff again. Organizing jamming rooms, playlists, song rewrites etc.

But I'll check out this craigslist thing and see how it goes. As I said before, I seem to be able to find people that I click with musically, i.e. we can produce something worthwhile together, but don't really get on socially that well. We wouldn't really stay friends without the music, put it that way. Guess I need to keep looking. Cheers all.

blue · Post by **blue** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:42 pm

you know, IRC is a great place to find people to help with stuff, especially on-the-fly. there's almost always someone sitting in there with nothing better to do than wang out a bassline or write and read a half-page history of a wandering ninja tribe.

if you're just looking to make bedroom music with local people, you have to give up the preconceptions about how great or bad or whatever something is gonna be and just RTFO. it's all about the attitude.