After many weeks of preparation and rehearsals, we finally had the opportunity to perform for the residents at Norwood House. Arriving to the location in good time, we had to set up in what was quite a compact space – far smaller than we had anticipated. As a group with experience constructing a live sound rig, this was familiar to us but the challenges before us were space and power. We managed to find adequate power supplies from the walls but we were down one kettle lead which was needed to power my bass amp. Luckily, the care home had one spare and was able to lend it to us, solving that issue. Like I mentioned before, the location was small, so we essentially had to set up everything inside the bounds of a bay window. It was cramped but with some smart arrangements, we were able to sit everyone down with a stand in front of them to hold their standards book, and just about enough room to breathe. This added to the intimate feeling of the performance.
I would say that I performed quite well throughout the performance, showcasing new techniques and ideas that I have learnt during our rehearsals. I managed to implement moving around from the root note to the fifth note of a given chord, which makes the bassline sound more active and interesting. I also tried to vary what I played whilst maintaining my rhythm, ensuring I didn’t stray too far from the original plan. I did this by changing where I played on the fretboard; I was mostly playing down within the first six frets but, at times, I would go up an octave, introducing a higher-pitched bassline. This creates a more interesting composition despite not changing a note that is played. I also trying to keep my head up and engage with the audience and my fellow performers where possible, particularly when the audience got up and had a dance. I really loved this and I think it showed in my expression and my performance, the energy helped me, giving me a great confidence boost.
As for where I can improve, I think attempting to improvise would be a great next step. I have shown good ability in playing jazz standards in a variety of styles – which is a great foundation – but a key part of the jazz tradition is improvisation. Being able to improvise here and there, even in small amounts, would be a fantastic ability to add to my repertoire.
Overall, I am very much pleased with the performance! I showed great progress as a bassist, playing in a style I’m not particularly familiar with, as well as performing in a rather unique setting. The audience were lovely and I had a lot of fun, I think that showed and it allowed me to feel free to enjoy the performance. At certain points I missed a note or two and I even caught myself losing where exactly the group was at, but I composed myself and joined in once I figured out what I was meant to be playing. This is something I am very happy with. Of course, I’d rather not have to adapt in such a way, but it is reassuring knowing that I am able to recover from my mistakes. Like I mentioned earlier, I am playing only the foundations and there is certainly plenty of room to expand into and improve, but foundations are important and I am pleased with the quality of my performance.