Harvard Bands: Getting to the Hard Core

the Undergraduate Council's social committee and head of the subcommittee which will choose the hand, said that all bands that consist of at least 50 percent Harvard students are eligible. Brady and the other five social committee members will hear each band and will try to choose a band that plays danceable music "with a little originality and style." The committee will make its decision on March 16.

The bands that have entered are The Cratchet Family, Commissioner Gordon Joey Thunder and Electrical Strom, Wired for Sound, and Jane's Parents, although The Stickmen and Mirror Image also indicated that they plan to partake in the competition.

Rock'n'Roll in College

Some band members say that while they enjoy performing, the real thrill of belonging to a band is the opportunity of play music with other people. Drummer Richard Peasley '88 said. "There's only so much you can get of practicing the drums on your own--it's not a solo instrument."

Peasley playing with a variety of people, but he said that he'd eventually like to be part of a permanent band "I'd like to find musicians with--then we could start developing a group and a group style. That's more important to me than my own solo playing."

Peasley added. "For me, performing is secondary to getting together to play."

Axelrod espoused an0 alternate view. "Musicians who don't perform are missing out on something--performing is the greatest natural high. Being up on stage, and seeing people dancing, crying, laughing is an incredible feeling," he said.

Salvador G. Rotella '88, bass player for Wired for Sound, said, "I really enjoy playing, but I have the most fun performing. It seems like a reward for practicing--it makes me sit down and go through the tedious parts, like in proving my music theory."

Axelrod added. "Once you do it you don't want to stop. You don't want to get off the stage--you want to perform everywhere.

But other musicians say that being a musician is different than being a performer.

>"It's not the performing, it's the music itself that's important. When I play, there's no stage show; I don't really care what I look like," said bass player Ted H. Schwartz '87, who is in the process of regrouping his band, Robespierre.

He said that frustration comes when an audience goes to see a band and not really to listen to the music. "It's a certain weakness in the audience that they need the visual aspect to make it entertaining," he added.

Axelrod said that he thought that people did appreciate the technical aspects to some extent. "If you're technically perfect and tight, it flows better, and I think people can appreciate that."

"Danceability"

Commissioner Gordon vocalist Eva. J. Yablonsky '86 said that, when it comes to music played by Harvard bands, the most crucial element is the beat. "A lot of the bands at Harvard are trying to be very original, but if often comes down to whether it's danceable," she said, adding, "Many of the bands play music that is unfamiliar. It's great musically, but people just can't get down and boogie to it."

Roper said that his band though a band's energy is most important. "Ours is definitely an energetic performance. Our stage prescience is much more important to us than being musically tight--we like to do wild stuff."

Retella said. "It's a bit ironic that sometimes the most technically talented people get the worst audience response, because people respond a lot to energy."

Schwartz said he does think that playing for other people is important, saying, "Music is like a language, it's a form of communication--you have to share it." He compared a musician that plays only for himself to a painter that keeps all of his artwork locked up.

Peasley added, "Music is self-expression, but it's also communication, and that requires that someone else is listening."

Ample Opportunities

Many Harvard musicians say they have ample opportunities to perform. Axelrod said that his band had played at a number of House parties, as well as at Jack's a local nightclub.

Cookin, the Cabot House nightclub, also showcases talent. "It's great, especially because it offers opportunities for bands that aren't dance bands," Peasley said.

Schultz said that "it's kind of a bassle that they don't pay, but Cookin' is good for publicity."

While there my be chances for band to perform, finding a place o practice can be extremely difficult. "Harvard's done what they can to squash the rock and roll scene," said James A Latham '84-85, guitarist for Commissioner Gordon, adding. "There's no decent place on campus for rock bands to practice."

Musicians said that bands used to be able to play in the Freshman Union, but that it was no longer allowing bands to store equipment there, and had restricted the hours during which bands were allowed to practice o a total of nine hours a week, no more than two at a time.

Joshua A. Berber '88, co-chairman of the Undergraduate Council's social committee, said that social committee might consider helping to find a solution to this practice problem.

"The University doesn't give bands a lot of encouragement. They will help classical musicians out a lot more than rock or jazz," Peasley said.

Latham, who is concentrating in music, said. "They don't care what's happened since 1810 in the Music Department."

Peasley said the University's lack of rehearsal space had resulted in a low number of bands on campus. He also cited academic pressures as a reason for low participation: "There are a great number of talented musicians, but many of them are willing to let their music slide, because of their academics."

Schultz said hat many of Harvard's best musicians are no tin bands. He added, "We're here for the academics, and when the two start to conflict, the academics are going to win."

Does The Beat Go On?

For some band members, music is just a love and a hobby, but others plan to make it their life.

Axeirod said that he hopes eventually to start his own band, make albums, and go on tours. "I believe music has incredible capabilities o affect people's emotions and their lives. My whole ambition is to make people happy through my music. If I can do that, I'll be happy," he said.

Rotella said that while he plans to keep playing in bands in college, afterwards he has no plans to make a music a career.

Miles C. Coolidge '86, currently bass player for The Stickmen, said that for him, music is a hobby. "I'm an addicted record collector, so this is a logical extension of that. It's about time for me to get on the other side of the needle," he said, adding that he loves "the whole idea of being in a rock band after listening for so long."

Latham said that while he'd like his work to revo've around music, he doubts that he will be a performer. "I'd love to work selling radical instruments to rock and roll stars," he said, "but being one is a little different."