Zappa.com

In early 2010 we will begin auditioning keyboardists. We are seeking an accomplished player with an authentic feel in multiple styles including jazz and rock who also has great reading skills. Equally as important we are hoping that who ever we hire possesses a strong tenor vocal range and can really belt it out. Must live in California. Must be between the age of 25 - 45. Must also be well familiar with the technological requirements of setting up and maintaining their own equipment and have a good ear for sound design. Especially analog synth sounds and keyboards from the 70's. Obviously it would help to be familiar with a large amount of Frank Zappa music.

Songs to prepare for the audition:

Inca Roads - interludes and comping
The Black Page - melody
Dog Meat - melody
Uncle Remus - intro
Eat That Question - intro

We do not provide music for the auditions. We prefer people to transcribe the music and perform it as they hear it. That way we can get a much better sense of a player's ability to hear the rhythms and melodies on their own as well as gain insight into their professional attitude and motivation.

Vocal Tunes:

A Verse and Chorus each of:

Bamboozled By Love
Inca Roads
Doreen
Illinois Enema Bandit

Hearing elements of these songs performed well will be a strong indicator of overall skill.

More specific info will be posted as we are ready to start the auditioning process.

In the meantime, if you feel you're up to the challenge ... please post a live solo performance video of yourself playing/singing the aforementioned tunes on the video portion of this site. Please do not play with the record in the background.

Once you navigate to the video area you will find the link for video auditions. Please understand that we are only interested in viewing videos from people who seriously think they can handle this gig and do not wish to be inundated by folks with delusions of grandeur. The audition videos will be accessible for public viewing as well. Please do not post anything other than the aforementioned tunes. And once again, please do all involved a favor and do not post if you do not have the required skill for this job.

http://dweezilzappaworld.com/articles/1

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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ALL THE FUN IN THE WORLD?

Isn't it illegal to discriminate by age? Or does that not apply to entertainment acts? I'm being serious here!

Quite narrow profile, good luck...

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

I guess that rules out Bobby (Robert) Martin then...

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Alan Thicke: ''Now Frank, for those of us who have seen you as some kind of guru over the years, that's a kind of nihilistic assesment of music. Where's the hope ?''
Frank Zappa: ''Well, there isn't any...''

You bring up an good point. It would be interesting to know the labor laws as it applies in the entertainment (and especially) the music industry. Anyone?

I doubt that age is going to be a problem. Dweezil just turned 40, Joe Travers is 41, and Scheila is 38.

Once people begin to understand some of the realities of living in a tour bus for a couple weeks at a stretch, they'll know whether they're too old or not...

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I missed it by one year! Dammit! Oh, and any musical talent. That wouldn't have helped either.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

I'm thrilled they're working on this. Just not the same without that Rhodes filling in the space.

Dang. If it weren't for that accident I had when they said I would never be able to play the piano again.

I'm curious how it works in a biz where image is key. I think about this whenever I visit a nightclub/hotspot type establishment. Seems the only prerequisite to work the bar/floor is to be a gorgeous gal or hunky dude. In the litigious USofA, I can't imagine why some fat, ugly mother hasn't sued yet...unless there is an image clause or something, where the projection is integral to the bizniz. (on a similar note: there is a guy here who goes after bars that feature a free/reduced price "ladies night" as this is discriminatory toward men. I guess the guy was rejected one too many times and seeks revenge...).

Again, a good question. There was a "King of the Hill" episode where Dale Gribble tested this theory by applying to be a waitress at Hooters. He ened up being hired. Don't know how it works in real life.

I dont think it can be Discrimination because the place(person) has not been Chosen too be discriminated.

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

He may have well just put "No Alumni"

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"Ya like horses?"

I'm hoping to get an audition. I've been practicing Chopsticks fervently.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

It's what I do for a living. The only time you can have a facially discriminatory policy is if you can establish that the restriction is based upon a bonafide occupational qualification of the job. (ie, you can't be blind and drive a truck, etc).

Does anyone see why an accomplished 50 year old (who may well be the most qualified person for the position) should be prohibited from consideration here? Practically speaking, however, no one is going to file suit against Dweezil.

*shrug

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The fun hasn't beginned yet, uh, later on apparently The Mothers are gonna hand out the bingo cards and everything, you know

It all depends on what is meant by age. His effective age appears much lower than his actual.

You wonder why anybody would put that in a job recruitment though. Anybody who does any hiring may have a mental picture of who he/she wants but you certainly don't say that out loud or put it in writing for the world to see. The ZFT certainly isn't shy about suing people so I don't know why you would assume that nobody would sue Dweezil.

It also seems odd that Dweezil would put 25 on the minimum age when his Dad hired many musicians who were much younger than that. Vai was 20 when he first joined the band. Wackerman and Thunes were both about 21. Ike was 22 or 23. Bozzio was 23 or so. Kinda makes you go hmmmm?

Yea, but the young ones of today are a bunch of spoiled brats. It's not the same.

Shouldn't the number one requirement be how well you play tunes and the damn instrument? Followed by how well you fit in with the band? I just don't get the reasoning.

"Who cares if hair is long or short
Or sprayed or partly grayed...
We know that hair ain't where it's at
(there will come a time when you won't
Even be ashamed if you are fat!)"

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Music > Everything
CLETUS must now, regretfully, dispose of the ones who refuse to alter their unmusical ways.
http://www.vulturesawait.com

One of the things the Dweeze said when he started ZPZ was that he wanted a fairly young set of band members, in order to appeal to the younger audience he was targeting. Given that, he may have done better to make the age spread even smaller. Say, 20 -35 or something.

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Everytime we picked a booger we'd flip it on this one winduh. Every night we'd contribute, 2, 3, 4 boogers. We had to use a putty knife, man, to get them damn things off the winduh. There was some goober ones that weren't even hard...

DZ is outta touch with the real world, just like Obama, the good difference is DZ plays guitar very well.

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Confusion will be my epitaph

I recently saw the Adrian Belew Power Trio with Eric and Julie Slick on drums and bass respectively. I believe they are 21 and 22 years old respectively and have been in Adrian's employ for a few years now. They kick ass, especially Eric in my opinion. I gotta believe there are some other exceptional young musicians out there.

Kind of off-topic, but has anyone seen Jeff Beck's bass player, Tal Wilkenfeld? She's 21 or 22, although she looks 16, and is incredible. If you haven't seen 'Live at Ronnie Scott's' (including Vinnie Colaiuta on drums) it's fantastic. Incredibly tight band, and watching her groove with these 'geezers' is a trip. At first you're confused by the apparent age chasm while at the same time you start to see that she's a perfect fit. By the end of the DVD it stops looking weird and you're just blown away by what a great performance it is all around.

I guess maybe I am slightly on-topic after all. Age isn't so important as fitting into the group and being a master of your instrument. So there.

This is exactly who I was thinking of when age was mentioned. She's very good.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday