Hey, Carly:

Somewhere along the line over many years of performing, I seemed to have overcome my nervousness performing. The only exceptions now are when it's been too long between my folk programs, and I am rusty on some of the material. In the years when I was performing folk very regularly I became comfortable enough to reach the point where I didn't even do a set list. I'd have a list of songs and keys on stage in case I couldn't come up with a song, but for the most part, I let the audience create the flow. It's very helpful if you can "read" the audience. After two or three songs you should have a good idea what they're responding to. A set list composed in your living room three days before may not be the best choice of material for that specific audience. If you're just doing two or three songs at an open mike, or as part of a program with several other performers, this doesn't apply. It's also difficult to do that when you are in a band. Maybe impossible. But as a solo performer, I find it a much better way to make a connection with the audience.

When I play with my Gospel group, I may decide spur of the moment to do a song that we haven't practiced because it seems like the right song to do next. We sing together enough, and my guitar is the only instrument, so we can usually step right into the song with confidence. In the male chorus that I sing in, it's not at all uncommon for the Director to decided to do a song we haven't done in months. If you sing the lead on the song, you'd better recognize the piano lead-in and get up there to the mike. It helps to pray as you approach the mike that the words will come back to you. It's almost as hard for the rest of the chorus, because they have to quickly remember their lines and their harmony part. A couple of months ago, we were asked to sing at a funeral. The funeral was two hours long and we sang without taking a break. We ended up doing songs we hadn't done in a couple of years. It was a real stretch, but exhilarating too. We did a pretty good job on the songs (all done from memory, as we don't sing from sheet music or lyric sheets.)

Only goes to show

Jerry