Robert Mabe . . . In His Words

 Robert Mabe,  Dry Mill Road Band, appearing at the Lost Rhino Brewing Company March 7th, 2014, 

right before the band's engagement at Carnegie Hall.

4 April 2014
(Robert Mabe - Dry Mill Road Band, Winchester, Virginia, recently posted this on Facebook. I thought it worth a re-print. If you think you want to make music you should read this.)

     "There are so many great musicians out there with lots of talent. They can play anything within seconds of hearing it. They play flawless solos and super fast lines. They can do anything except for one . . .Don't get me wrong. I am very impressed by all this and respect the hell out of some of these "super pickers'" abilities but there is something missing. What is missing is musical conversation, interaction, brotherhood, and building up the guy next to you on stage. Being in the business of music, I see lots of very talented musicians and lots of times the crowd is buzzing about a band of "super pickers" that are coming on stage. Although it's always a very impressive display to see a group of local musicians considered to be the best around get up and wow the audience with their licks, it does get boring, when the expectations are to see a 'Band.'  Each song turns into several 30 second segments of one guy trying to outshine the other. There is no communication. There is no building up your brother. No journey, no imagination, and certainly, no 'song.'

     What seems more difficult and satisfying at the same time, is five personalities and five different instruments working together, making a beautiful sound that sounds like it's coming from one source.  Yes, it's difficult to do what some of these local heroes do on their instruments; and most of us will never even think of all those notes, much less play them.  For me the true talent is in the bands you see working together, helping each other, communicating, and thinking about the group and not the individual. That applies on and off stage.  I am lucky to be in a band like Dry Mill Road.  Bad nights, good nights, bad pay, no pay, 1,000-mile road trips, etc etc. I know that my band mates will be there for me. I also know for sure they give everything to make every song we play sound the best it ever has. I got into music for lots of reasons, but one of the most satisfying things about playing live music for me, is coming off stage with a feeling that you and your band-mates just connected and made amazing music together."

(You can begin in total obscurity in the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge and five years later find yourself standing on the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Dry Mill Road recently accomplished that. It happened because they take their music and their sense of professionalism quite seriously. -  Ed Henry)