There are two aspects to a musical performance - what the music is and how well it's performed. Keep in mind that as a traditional musician, you can play music which your audience can't get anywhere else. If the music is interesting and unusual, it doesn't matter if it's perfectly performed.

Once I was playing early music for an alumnae group with my friend the harper. At one point, an audience member said, "I can't wait to hear the piece from the twelfth century!" Her comment made me realize how important is the kind of music on offer.