Reading this thread, it comes over that most of the best moments of playing come through interacting with audiences and 'making a difference' not, as some would think, with well-paid, so-called prestige jobs.

There have been a few good & varied gigs lately for us, mainly because we diversify and do pop, country, blues, old time music hall and our favourite, traditional folk. I learnt this absolutely beautiful song called, I Wonder What's Keeping My True love Tonight, and we sang it in a festival singaround with Ray Fisher at the helm. Now over here, (UK) Ray Fisher is a big star and hers was one of the albums that got me into traditional folk, so I was understandably nervous about singing. My legs were shaking, which gave me a tad more tremelo than I normally employ. But the audience were totally silent, and when I dared to open my eyes and look at them, many were wiping away tears, (and it's only a song about unrequited love, no death or anything.) My husband then sang one of his own songs and Ray Fisher asked us to perform later, because she liked us. THAT was the moment when we knew all that practising had paid off!

WE floated for the rest of the weekend, with festival- goers asking if we were booked at the festival and where they could see us, and us saying no,we weren't booked, we had to pay a fortune to get in, get terrified,get upset and have shaky legs.

Still shaking...much later...