Rehearsals are important for any band because they allow them to prepare well for concerts or recording sessions. For the band STRAS, rehearsals are crucial, but they take them to an extreme; they're almost a weekly ritual. They spend three days a week, about 12 hours each day, preparing and rehearsing their new songs. It's a grueling schedule, and many of the band members want to rest, but the frontman, Carlos, isn't willing to reduce these demanding and intense hours. He wants the band to be as prepared as possible for recording their next song.
He wants to avoid the mistakes the band made during their previous release season, so he's pushing them hard. Chris is the band's drummer and one of its most important members because the drums are central to their music. Most of their songs revolve around them.
Unlike Carlos, who is arrogant and short-tempered, Chris is a very calm and humble person. He avoids arguments at all costs, and whenever possible, he tries to stop misunderstandings within the band to prevent them from escalating into bigger problems. That's why some of the members like him a lot and have a great deal of respect for him.
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The new song they want to record is a bit difficult to play, so everyone is giving it their all. Carlos gives them a little hope, saying that the recording day is just around the corner and they just have to hang in there a little longer. Everyone has had to make sacrifices; some quit their jobs, others left their partners and families to focus on rehearsals. At least the common goal kept them focused. But something's been happening lately. Chris hasn't been able to attend all the rehearsals, nor does he have much time to chat with them during planning sessions.
He's been isolating himself a bit, but it's more than justified. His mother is sick at home, and he has to be with her to take care of her and do the housework. That's why he's missed several rehearsals and hasn't attended the meetings with the band. Most of the members understand, and that's why they haven't pressured him to come; they're waiting for him. They're willing to postpone the recording date a little so that he can fulfill his duties as a son and then rejoin the band.
For Chris, his mother is the most important thing, and although he's humble, on this occasion he made it clear that he wouldn't return until she finished her recovery. It would only be about 15 days. The band's song didn't have a release date yet, so no one would notice or be affected by the delay. But Carlos couldn't tolerate his absence; once he missed three rehearsals, he couldn't take it anymore. For him, the most important thing was to release the song on the date he himself had chosen. He wanted to release it at the moment he thought was best to maximize his profits.
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By the fourth rehearsal, Carlos no longer called Chris. Instead, he replaced him with another drummer to play in his place so they could move forward with the project. This greatly upset everyone in STRAS, because Chris wasn't just another drummer; he was almost like family or a brother. For many, it was a betrayal, especially knowing that Chris had a justifiable reason. Carlos didn't listen to them and replaced him anyway, threatening to kick anyone who continued to protest out of the band.
When Chris found out about all this, he wasn't angry; patience was part of his nature. But he did let Carlos know that disregarding others' opinions always has consequences. With that, he focused on caring for his mother during the remaining days of her treatment. Meanwhile, STRAS was ready to record now that they had the new member. But when they went to record, the new drummer didn't have enough experience and couldn't play as required or as expected. The result was that they couldn't record anything in the end and had to change the recording date again.
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When Chris finished taking care of his mother, he received a call from STRAS. They were still waiting for him to record the song and told him about the recent setback with their new member. Someone else might have been furious at such a lack of respect and consideration, but he knew peace was more important, so he said he would return. When he arrived back at rehearsals, Carlos was the first to greet him. He was deeply ashamed of his behavior and told Chris he remembered his words: everything has consequences when you don't listen to others.
After Chris apologized repeatedly, Chris forgave him and said it was all water under the bridge. He thanked Chris for being so honest. He simply advised him to count on everyone's cooperation next time, and it would save him a lot of trouble. With that, rehearsals resumed. Everyone had learned a lesson, and Chris was the one who taught it, by being patient and calm. Sometimes you say more with few words than with many.