Funny, I just read this thread and there is my band mate Sharon, right before me. I aggree with everything she said... so now I don't have to say it, but here is a singer's.....

I often sing at our local session and have sung in sessions in Ireland last year. I have a couple of comments to add. When I sing at a session, I dive into the song. Although I am oblivious to much of the crowd I am aware of ever widening circle of attention forming around me as I sing. I want to reach those people, to give them my song. Sometimes that quiet area is bigger or smaller depending on so many variables out of my control (the drunk guy at the bar, the table in raucus conversation, etc.) If the circumstance are right, it is my connection with the emotion of the song (and I am not talking about emotional singing, but what is happinging within me) that focusses peoples attention and can occassionally quiet the whole bar. I don't think they even really get the words, but I do and that is what counts.

I point this out because touching the song and giving it to others is the motivation for singing (in my case). If that raucus table is having fun, I don't worry about it, I just breath toward those that are listening. Sometimes it feels like I and the respectful musicians around me are the only ones that are listening and that is ok with me. There will be other times.

That said.... I choose my session songs carfully. I choose to sing only a couple an evening and I choose to sing them in pace with the rest of the tunes being sung and sometimes I just sing an up tempo fun song because I feel like it. If the bar is loud, others are often more worried about it than me, but I guess if that were always the case, I would feel differently.

Of course, I really really appreciate it when others listen.

Claire