Playing in a band can be exciting, fun, and rewarding but many people don’t realize the hard work required to balance everyone’s sense of importance within the band. I’m talking about the band members’ egos. Before playing on stage, everyone must feel that their opinions are important and incorporated into the band’s performance. This is often times a difficult task because every band member will each have a different opinion and everyone wants their ideas to be heard. Not being able to see eye to eye has been the critical, determining factor in most bands’ breakups.

One good way to make sure that everybody’s opinion matters is ask questions. Gather everyone’s opinion about how the song should be structured and incorporate their ideas thoughtfully. The band should not be treated as a dictatorship, being ruled by only one person. Instead, everyone’s ideas should be carefully examined and explored to ensure that everyone’s ego is being fulfilled and satisfied. A band needs to be a cohesive unit that is all on the same page and working towards a common goal. By simply asking questions and respecting other members’ opinions, a band can overcome most internal conflicts, unify, and satisfy all egos.