Live Shows

When I was in eighth grade, the youth group at our church brought in a band. This was at someone's house and the players were "big kids" from high school or maybe even college... oooh! We all listened to records but this was so much better! I remember everything and nothing. The rippling bass lines, the harmonies, the cool guitars, but I couldn't tell you what songs they played or how many people in the group.   

There are two flavors of music, recorded or live. Recording a track or video is harder in some ways than live performance. Because you can play it back, every little flaw is a potential deal breaker. Recording take after take is hard work and it drains the spontaneity from the work. When a fresh idea or a funny quip is repeated for the umpteenth time, the performer has to pretend it's still interesting. But all is not lost. Repetition reveals weak areas which can be fixed. Focus stays on the big picture. Recorded work helps improve subsequent live performance. 

Playing live, we live in the moment. Our expression is more true. We can't conceal our real selves. Obviously what we've missed for the last fourteen months has been this human interaction, the magic I felt as a middle schooler hearing live music for the first time. Well folks, we musicians have been recording and practicing a lot. As the weather improves, we're getting out there again. I think we may have gotten better. I appreciate my audience more now. I look forward to seeing, interacting and playing my songs for you.

Leave a comment