Growth As A Musician

Cris: You talked about the fact that, if you are a sideman, you have to grow with your front man as he or she is growing and pushing himself. With that in mind, how have your grown in the last 19 or 20 years?

Ben Sesar, drummer for Brad Paisley: I think growth is measured in how you parallel with your artist. I've had to develop certain skills based on the guy I play with. For instance, he doesn't like a whole lot of structure. He likes to change things. He likes to pull verses out or add things or change songs in the middle of a show. So I've learned to be on my toes. I've learned that I need to be attentive and not only manage what I'm doing, but manage where he may go. And that's maybe the number one thing that makes me valuable in his eyes. Because I can just about read his mind now. I can almost anticipate what he's going to do. And for this gig, you have to have that skill. That's why it would be very hard for someone… maybe even a better drummer… you could be a better drummer, but if you can't just about read his mind, it doesn't matter how good you are. You're going to fall on your face. So that's one aspect of growth. 

(from episode 9 of the Bands To Fans podcast)​