2011 Picnic Recap

Just completed the now-annual 'neighborhood picnic' or 'dam at the jam.' It's a production of practice beforehand and logistical headaches during. After sweating the few songs I had to perform, I drove the family minivan out for the sake of moving equipment, along with cameras. Fortunately, I didn't have to bring or rent any drums this year. Dan had decided that playing together was too difficult, so we loaded all my songs at the beginning and I played his drums left-handed for the first hour and then switched them back to righty for him to play the rest of the day. While I was hesitant about this arrangement at first, as an attempt to compartmentalize me (which it may have been), I actually liked this arrangement. Through Facebook and a Maine North high school reunion, there were some 300-400 people this year; many of whom were old friends I hadn't seen in decades. So the arrangement actually gave me more time to socialize -- though I was still stuck messing with cameras. There was also another side benefit of diminished anxiety. The songs I was doing were easier to begin with, I had some practice with the guys a few weeks before, I'd heard Dan's interpretations on some recordings, and now I was playing them earlier in the day, before there were too many people and I could get them over with. I actually surprised myself. Maybe it was because we've done it for several years, but right up until the time I sat down to play, I really wasn't a freakin' nervous wreck. (Of course, I still was during, which showed). This may have also had something to do with the atmospherics of the group. I'm not the only one who's had anxiety and frustrations. Dan and Matt have had to coach, console, mediate and manage a host of personality issues. Consequently, I detected a sense of "o.k., it'll be what it'll be" with a bit less pressure. And it helps suspecting that I'm one of the lesser personality problems in this bunch. Actually, my enjoyment was more just hanging out with Dan (stayed at his house two nights) and the other guys; as it really should be.