Cohesion within a team
When we are part of an artistic project as a musician, regardless if it is a soloist, a band or a large orchestra, we will always be interacting with more people in different types of instances: in a rehearsal, a live performance or a tour of several performances in different places.
Understanding that this team is made up of people, and not machines, it is why we have to consider on one hand that each person is unique, and has its own features and peculiarities; and on the other hand, that these people are part of a group that seeks a common goal, in this case, the success of the artistic instance they are part of.
That is why interpersonal relationships within this team become crucial, because if they are not well managed, they can generate additional stress to that which already exists in an artistic project, especially at the emerging level. Perhaps a rehearsal or a live performance alone is not so complex, but nowadays there are many artists who go out to play outside their cities of residence, and that implies a greater work of cohesion in the team.
Therefore, the important thing is that not only the professional instance will be a success, but also that we will end with very good memories of having shared with good people, and with a feeling of pleasure and enthusiasm to participate in it. Two essential elements are necessary for this: LEADERSHIP AND ADAPTATION CAPACITY.
Leadership, as we have seen before, consists of going in direction of a cause (in this case the success of the project) and also of protecting the team. In ideal conditions, especially when it is necessary to go and play outside the city, this role is assigned to a "Tour Manager" whose job is not only to keep an eye on the situations of the project at all times (logistics, press, negotiations, schedules, etc.) but also to maintain good cohesion within the team. However, at the level of emerging artists, many times that Tour Manager is one of the musicians themselves and the rest of the team/staff are the other musicians in the band/solo, and also perhaps the budget allows only to travel with a sound engineer. In order to protect this team, this leader must have anticipated as many details as possible, so that the team is in a good mood at all times, so that when external stress situations appear, they do not cause frictions in the team.
The other key element is the ability of each team member to adapt to different situations. For this, it is very important that each of the members has a personality that is easy to adapt to change, to the unexpected, and not to put their own ego before situations that could not be foreseen, which will undoubtedly occur. For example, if on a tour, one of the dates contemplated does not have the agreed technical requirements from the venue, but there are already many tickets sold and it is impossible to cancel the date, perhaps you have to play with other amplifiers that are not the best, but that accomplish the minimum requirements to make a good show. Like this one, there are many more examples.
Being part of an artistic project with more people is almost the same as being part of a family, and you need leadership, respect, good treatment and adaptability to be able to carry out the project, and not just be good musically, since as in any human group, it is the relationships in the group that often decide the success or failure of the objective being pursued.