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The Secret Lives of “Band Guys” and “Cats”
Topics: band cat, band dude, Cesareo garasa, Bakotopia, Bakersfield, musician, blog, music
Posted by cesareo Thu Nov 15, 2007 16:45:13 PST
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0 responses 5 comments The secret lives of “Band Guys” and “Cats”
Local musician gives his perspective on the musician life - which are you?


By Cesareo Garasa, Bakotopia.com contributor

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cesareo Garasa.

I’ve been a professional musician for the last 17 years and I’ve been making a living by just playing and teaching music for the last two years. I’ve played in a lot of different bands, played a lot of different styles and played with a lot of different musicians.

I’ve been keeping up with a lot of the bloggers here in Bakersfield and I’ve been entertained by stories, perspectives, rants and ruminations. But I felt compelled to start write own story for the sole reason that after reading about myself and the rest of my local music scene (which I’ve cherished and respected since the late eighties) I have never given myself the chance to really reflect and respond to the synchronicity of twists and turns in my career or to the experiences that have led me to this keyboard and the words that you’re reading now.

I thought I would try to talk about a perspective I’ve often shared with friends and colleagues.

There are two main types of professional musicians in general:
1) The Cat
or
2) The Band Guy. 

All aspiring musicians with the idealistic dream of "making it big" will eventually become one of these two creatures. Let me describe them both to you.


'The Cat'

This is the type of player that is a kind of musical chameleon.

Generally, the Cat can play in most situations, can be found playing on weekends with different bands and getting paid for it (which, more often than not, is not the case with the Band Guy).

The Cat isn’t always necessarily a trained musician, but more than likely was in school bands or whose musical foundation is a bit more evolved (through private lessons, music classes, etc.). Most Cats can read music or have a rudimentary knowledge of theory and chords.
Some musicians start as Band Guys' but sometimes fate and/or egos (really any amount of reasons) have a way of cutting the unique type of ties a band has short.
 
So, due to talent, connections, training, starvation, or some other X-factor, certain musicians will find themselves getting involved with certain musical situations that they didn’t expect. Usually, if they don’t screw it up, they get hired for more gigs/tours/sessions/etc. After that they become a Cat.

Musical groups that are comprised of mostly Cats are smooth, professional and generally very good musically. Honestly, what would you expect from people that play music all the freakin’ time? Most of the time, the members are past their twenties.


'The Band Guy'

Band Guy isn’t too far removed from The Cat. 

Actually, no musician is too far removed from all others. Usually Band Guy is mainly interested in playing “his or her kind of music” (whatever that particular type is) and will align with other like-minded musical souls. The main difference between The Cat and Band Guy is that Band Guy is part of his or her band with a mindset of “them against the world.” The Cat, on the other hand, is in it for his or her own self and career.
 
Band Guy will shell out his own money to play The Roxy on a Thursday night if the band thinks it’s worth it or if there is a chance of “something happening” (whatever that “something” is varies by gig). Band Guy will do “anything it takes for the band.”
 
Usually when a band’s members are all Band Guys, arguments are more personal. Sometimes there’s are more internal cliques formed and the song writing process becomes a lot heavier. It’s usually not the vision of just one guy, it’s all of them. Band break-ups are more volatile, vicious and emotional because it’s hard for them to separate the personal from the Professional.

I know generalizing is considered bad form, but these are the two general mind-sets most working musicians have. I have tried to keep a balance between both of these identities for years. I can assure you that these two viewpoints don’t cancel each other out, but sometimes strengthen each other. It all depends on the musical situation and the chemistry of musicians involved.

A 40-year-old keyboard player may have been a Band Guy once. Now, he’s relegated to playing on weekends at a local bar making extra money to feed his family. Or maybe that same keyboardist has no family and is making some extra scratch for himself. He doesn’t dream of stadium tours or the “big deal” anymore. Maybe he’s been-there-done-that, or maybe he has his own definition of success.

I realize that to some Band Guys (or girls - I am describing genders as mostly male strictly on the basis of expediency not chauvinism) this might seem like a depressing sort of hell - their dream didn’t come true so they have to resort to hanging it up and music becomes a hobby. Reality has a way of making ideals become either smoke or steel.

Imagine a 25-year-old guitarist being a Cat. After a few gigs playing while f*$@ed-up or being late, playing too loud, having a real problem with his ego, or just being generally unprofessional, he develops a reputation as unreliable. So the guitarist decides to finally get serious and start his own group.

“F@*% covers,” he thinks. “I’ve always wanted to play fusion!”

Thus, a Band Guy is born from the ashes of a phoenix disguised as a Cat.

I’m not using any particular individuals in the aforementioned examples, but these are very common templates for many roles musicians have played, are playing or will play. Musicians play a role? That’s rich. My point is: these two types are not only interchangeable, but necessary.

Do musicians have a shelf life? Some do. Some make their own.

If a Band Guy or a Cat makes it to his dream of being successful for music he had a part in creating, then he becomes a different type of Band Guy or Cat. He’s not just playing on weekends, he’s playing everyday. He’s not just pursuing a dream, he’s working in it.

The musician’s entire life will be dependent on fiscal success, popularity, momentum and fans his music has. If attention to finances is in place, then that musician will get paid through publishing, performing, etc.

Think about the actor that works onstage and occasionally does a commercial, plays bit parts, or as an extra. Now think of the actor that has dreams of being a star. This is what happens when you combine art and commerce - the ideal and the ideas or the reality of filming a video as opposed to imagining being in one.

I’m playing a wedding tomorrow. The next day I’m playing a benefit. There’s only one commonality that both those gigs have (besides the bands involved): I’m WORKING.

That’s enough for me.

*Originally printed in Bakotopia Magazine, Issue 15, 11 - 15 - 07

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Comment From: matt

Wonderful observance Cesareo, as usual! You're missing the third type of musician - 'The Rogue'. Comment From: soulajarmusic

Entertaining thoughts! Pretty right on, actually. I personally hope to never inner-twine music as a "job" or "work". No offense to anyone who does, more power to them... But I just feel that it would sort of kill the 'art' of it all. For instance, I love engineering recordings, but now that I do it for a living, it's a whole different beast. I still love it to death and probably wouldn't do anything else, but it has lost some magic about it's creation and I'm deathly afraid of that happening to my number 1 art... music! I'm not sure which of the above categories that puts me in! ~Brian~ Comment From: tekwiz

Well Matt, you need to expand on that notion. LOL. Great post, Cesareo. Maybe some ruminations on the great roadie's (i.e., me). Comment From: JulieJordanScott

Love this!! Makes me want to go out and see if I can discern who are "cats" and who are "band guys" and who are one or the other in disguise... Comment From: jennyangel

(the 1st is not a professional type, but the second can be!) i'd like to add "the pipe dreamer" & "the lunatic" to this fine analysis.:) i believe they're both subsets of the "band guy."the pipe dreamers talk endlessly of what's "gonna" happen when they play, make big plans about being big and famous, or just talk talk talk: it's all smoke. the lunatic might be ranting away at home, playing rarely, railing against the world, or like the fabulous guy i'm pictured with, or any number of eccentric to full-blown maniacs, playing all the time to adoring fans! :)then there are people like me: hacks. i don't think we qualify as musicians, but we have our fun! :)