To expand on Deckman's point, at least from my point of view:

It is ego that drives us to even get to the point of performing - getting up in front of an audience and talking is daunting enough for most - singing should be out of the question, no? Yet something drives us to practice our song(s) to the point where we can get out there and show the world what we can - ego. Come on...admit it...it does feel good.

Ironically, it is the same ego that causes us to worry, sometimes to the point of stage fright. "What if I screw up?" "What if they don't like me?" To think that an entire room full of people have nothing better to do than to spend all the effort you think they will to judge your good or bad performance is...well, a manifestation of one's ego.

Performing, to me, is way more about the audience than the performer. Somebody much smarter than me observed: A good performer walks on stage, looks out, and thinks, "Here I am!" A great performer walks on stage, looks out, and thinks, "There you are!" It is often pretty easy to tell which is which.

dw