There will always be those who praise the abilities of very accomplished musicianship and rightly so. There, too, will always be those who will praise the abilities of excellent entertainers. There is, of course, room for both on any stage, at any venue. It really depends upon the decided direction of your particular personal goals. I've seen/heard musicians who could set their instruments on fire with their amazing skill and could combine vocally with others into harmonies that could bring tears to your eyes. I have also seen/heard folks who, with only words, no music, could have the same audience rolling on the floor laughing with tears of joy and hilarity. I think each method has the capacity to win the attention of an audience either dramatically or comically or in any combination. Entertainment has many facets. The function of musical orchestration to a band member, soloist or singer is not unlike the skill used by any actor/poet/writer/comic who uses only words to set a mood. Each uses simple elements like notes or words combined with techniques like timing to balance those elements with emptiness to express a feeling, make a point or tell a story and ultimately entertain an audience.

I've tried to offer both to the folks that have been kind enough to take the time to listen. I have also had friends of the "musical" sort misunderstand my choice to offer both. They could not find a comfortable role to play or felt too out of place during the nonmusical entertainment portion of the show. As a musician, they only saw the value of the music and felt that anything else was not as important or simply did not understand how to function outside of a musical context. I recognized their inability to know what to do with themselves during those parts and began suggesting ideas that would compliment/supplement what I was attempting to explore while on stage together. It worked perfectly. Now, instead of not understanding what to do and feeling out of place until the next song started, they had a defined role or task that made them a part of what was happening. Their additional support during the nonmusical portions made those parts as strong or in some instances stronger than the songs we played together. What a revelation that was for me as an entertainer.

I don't always understand how to best direct those who are uncomfortable outside their musical roles, and some just plain refuse to see the value of anything beyond their very serious musical pursuits. That's okay. There's room enough for all on the stage of life.