The key to success in performing is providing entertainment. Why would anyone go to some place miles from home and pay good money to listen to music they can hear just fine on their stereo system? Because they want to be entertained.

Whether you play music for a living or perform as an avocation, you will be successful if you entertain people. That means knowing your material and being in practice, selecting songs/tunes for variety, making eye contact, smiling, saying the right amount of stuff to introduce each number, paying attention to the audience's energy, using humor, and -- most important -- enjoying yourself on stage. I've heard time and time again from audiences, "You were great! You really looked like you were having fun." They want you to like what you do, so they can relax and enjoy it too.

Don't ignore the fact that making a living at music means that you spend a much smaller percentage of your time actually playing in front of audiences. There are phone calls to make, bookings to book, promo to send, miles to drive, songs to learn. I've been performing for over a quarter of a century, and have no desire to make it my career (and I still have two CDs out that have made a profit). The professional folk musicians I know spend inordinate amounts of time on the road and on the phone so that they can 1) spend a few hours a week in front of an audience and 2) pay the bills. Most of them give lessons, too, since actual gigs tend not to bring the ends together.

All that said, go for it! I'm happy with the choices I've made about folk music in my life. Everyone must make the choices that work for them.

I think there is wonderful advice in this thread. Some enterprising Catter could edit this into a book to sell to aspiring folk musicians.