When Good Tech Goes Bad...

Let's face it -- tech is cool! It's now. It's wow. It's sexy. Everybody wants to own the latest and greatest tech gear; from wearables to tablets to virtual to AI. And musicians are no exception. Over the last twenty years or so, we've been able to get rid of paper song charts in favor of digital song charts; we've been able to get rid of bulky music stands in favor of small, sleek tablets; we've been able to flip through all of our cheat-sheets hands-free while we're on stage. Tech is great! Except when it's not...
Don't get me wrong; I absolutely adore having my iPad on stage with me! I love having my song charts, notes, set lists, and metronome nearby and accessible. But I can't afford to rely too heavily on my tech. Tech can fail. Batteries can die. Something can always go wrong. If you're too reliant on your tech, eventually you'll be disappointed. Guaranteed.
If we're not careful with our tech, it can make us lazy musicians. Musicians who don't have to learn their parts; who don't have to know the songs. You know. Lazy. A wise man once said that if you don't master your tech, it will master you. Use your tech the same as you'd use any tool. It should help you get the job done, but it can't do the job for you.
Remember the Golden Rule of wireless? Always have a cable nearby in case you need it quick! It's about redundancy -- you should always have a backup in case something fails. We bring an extra guitar to gigs in case something goes wrong. We keep extra picks handy because we know we're going to lose them. We carry extra cables with us in case one goes bad. We bring an extra monitor in case our in-ears stop working.
Don't rely 100% on your iPad to get you through a gig. Know your material. Don't let your tech make you lazy.