Okay, debriefing time!

Frankly, quite a disappointment. From the time I arrived, half-hour early, to set up, to the time I left at 9:00, not counting my wife and son there were six--count 'em, six--customers, two of whom were for carryout. Two sets of two to play for, at different times. I was mostly singing for myself and the counter help, and from about an hour into the time, for my family.

My thought in preparing had been in terms of a program, with introductory comments, jokes, and stories. When the only audience is two individuals, and they sit in the overstuffed furniture sort of around the bend from where you're singing, those intros just don't make sense, seems to me, so I just sang the songs. The spoken intros, if given, would seem a little too in-your-face.

One woman, though, could see me from where she was, and she spoke to me, and was complimentary, exacerbated my ego some.

As far as being a seasoned performer, Harpgirl, I've sung for audiences, and big ones, but not as the only performer and for two hours, as I had envisioned.

All in all, it was fun (and I'll do it again) but not as much fun as I'd hoped for.

Both parties left tips, for whatever that's worth. A grand total of six bucks! On the other hand, that's the first money I've earned directly by my singing and playing, out of fifty years singing folksongs.

Dave Oesterreich