BASS
Jason Smith , aka BpJ , is the bassist for Five Alarm Funk , Eli Bennett , and Warren Dean Flandez . He ’ s an elementary school educator on the west coast of Canada and alumnus of the University of Guelph , Vancouver Community College , and Victor Wooten ’ s Bass Nature camp . He uses Sadowsky Basses through Markbass Equipment and believes that making one ’ s decisions based on multiple perspectives and gathering and analyzing those observations are key to moving forward as a career musician . You can find him on Instagram @ bpj . music and at Facebook . com / bpjbass . www . fivealarmfunk . com .
By Jason Smith
Holding It Together
It ’ s not always easy being a “ yes ” person , and in every adventure , there are the trials and tribulations that build one ’ s character . It is common to be placed into situations where good choices can make one ’ s life grow by noticeable increments , making the opposite true , where that stifled feeling can seize us and hold us to stagnate after missing an opportunity . A musical career over the course of a lifetime enjoys the same principles .
Most great discoveries in life start with a question . The first question I had beginning as a bass player was :
“ Am I Enjoying Myself ?” Yes . In a big way . Music is fun . Even when it is tough , it is fun . As it challenges me on so many levels of my life , it is fun . That is why I choose to do it . This feeling can get lost along the journey , so hold it close . Continually assessing personal enjoyment will allow you to witness your own participation . You can then choose many paths based on a simple yes or no question that you provide to yourself when in need .
I find saying “ yes ” to mean moving forward . Finding musical opportunities can and will be a struggle . The hustle is not easy . Start by asking the question :
“ Am I Willing to Learn ?” Yes . Then dig in . Seek out music . Go to concerts , jams , club shows , and plays . Stay social in the arts scene to draw in what is happening and what people like to listen to . Willingness to learn at every opportunity and a decent practice regime will ensure growth . Saying “ Yes , I am willing to learn ” will also attract the most amazing teachers .
When you feel you ’ re ready to take your game further , you can ask the next logical question :
“ Am I Willing to Take a Calculated Risk ?” Yes . Risks offer rewards . Continue to practice longer and harder . Start to groove with a band and regularly perform and record . Listen deeper into the music of many of the musicians that you wanted to understand more about , then find who inspired them and do the same . I did research and it led me to what is now the Center for Music and Nature outside of Nashville , TN . The risk I took was to research and seek out this specific teacher I was really looking up to and to ask to study with him . He said “ yes ” and my life and musicality changed forever .
After attending in various capacities for several years , I absorbed a lot of culture that comes from playing music . Out of it all I was looking to qualify music as the right career choice , leading to the next question :
“ Does This Make Me a Better Person ?” It was an easy yes , but in the constant energy stream of the performance industry , there are a lot of opportunities to fail socially . Being late , unreliable , and unprepared is correlated to how one contributes to the social climate . Recognizing when you have to work on yourself is beyond the tenants of this conversation and for me cycles back to the first question . Participating in a power struggle or some other socially solvable band dilemma paves the road to stagnation for all involved .
Solve it meaningfully and move on . Staying positive towards those around you and being consistently reliable are standard operating procedures – especially after being on a tour bus with the same group of people for more than a month . Staying true to yourself and others will always make you a better person and make the music sound great . A wise man says : “ Your chops get you the gig and your personality keeps it .”
To even maintain a freelance bass player ’ s work schedule takes tremendous organization . “ There is always a job for a groovy bass player ,” I was told by a great teacher . There are jobs out there , but :
“ Can I Find the Job I Want ?” Yes . Stay ready for that call . I went to postsecondary music school at 32 years old . I met so many thriving musicians and fell into gigs of many genres , including hip-hop , jazz , funk , and a Caribbean party band . It felt great to support myself with these types of performances – always scheduling and hustling , patiently waiting for that call . Polishing my skills , I remained organized , dependable , and positive . I kept my finger on the pulse of the city . It takes time to meet the right situation . Patience is a mantra for the well prepared . In the meantime , there is always something to do to contribute to growth . The jobs will only meet you part of the way . Putting yourself into the scene ready , willing , and able is up to you .
Through patience and training , opportunities will present themselves , like when Tayo Branston of Five Alarm Funk called me in 2015 to fill the bass spot . He could not finish the question before I said “ yes .”
Good things take time . I now have been in Five Alarm for nearly two years and we ’ ve just released a new album and are going on a national tour . Being a bass player rarely gets more fun than travelling and holding down a funk band with the low end .
Saying " yes " to these five simple questions will help with anything ; we just happen to be talking about music here . Along with being available and reliable , your phone will be ringing with jobs . The best calls that come are the ones you never expected . Say “ yes ,” then just take a risk .
WWW . CANADIANMUSICIAN . COM CANADIAN MUSICIAN • 27