Mike, it's a good thread. Glad I happened by. I enjoy your perspective. I'll have some fun with it if I may...

"The play is the thing". Show business. Trod the boards. Up in the bright lights. What's your dream, chuckie? Do you have trouble getting up in the morning (Howdy, Greg). Do you want to meet girls? Be adored by the masses?. Are you unable to be away from your fiddle for more than a few hour?

Dreams and passions and bone laziness, etc., pull us into Music, Folk Music. But Mike is dead on when he says, in effect, when the lights go down (if you had any), you are a small business person. Now friends, that's a different skill set from plucking strings.

Mike is sharing what you gotta do if you aren't 22, a pheNOMINal picker and cute as hell and lucky as hell. If you aren't any of those or even if you are, read, question and get schooled.

...and the aging picker lifted his head and said, Hey Mike can you get me gig?"

cheers,
chance (PS, Greg, me old china, how the hell do you sleep late at your age?)