... a real master can work any crowd ... I dunno about that! I often think about that, and I wonder if turning your mind off to that extent is really good for a creative performer, as distinct from a professional one. A pro, to be very good, has to be able to look and sound as though everyone loves him/her, even when no-one's paying attention, whereas most of us amateurs (i.e. folk-music-lovers) need to be communicating with our audience, even to the extent of having them join in. If there's no response, I start to panic--which is where we came in!

Steve