Hey, Ernest:

I have devoted much of my life to develop a style of playing instruments that hopefully compliment and enrich singing. Last year at the NOMAD festival, I lead a workshop of playing guitar for accompaniment because I think it is such an important, often overlooked skill. I can't agree with your repeated statement about having to learn your instrument well enough so that you can do instrumentals. If you are a singer who uses an instrument (or instruments) for accompaniment, learn how to enrich your singing and the song by playing your instrument well. But, the instrument is there to support the song and the voice. In all the years I ran a concert series I never once heard someone question why a fine singer and instrument player didn't break up the program with instrumentals.

In the reverse, I've heard fine instrumentalists do some painfully inadequate vocals to break up the program. They broke it up alright.

Play to your strength, and bring variety to an evening within that talent.

Jerry