The Sounds Of Silence

This really got to me -- one night, at my Friday gig, I was working hard, trying to get the room involved. Singing with a sore throat, which any voice coach will chastise against. Playing solo guitar until my hands were cramped. The ending of almost every song was met with a roomful of conversation, and not about me. Some people even laughed.

At the end of the night, I had $5.00 in the tip jar. Damn. Am I a joke to these people, or do they just not give a flying fart about what I'm doing? Or is this bunch the mental equivalent to bubble-wrap, who would wait in the rain overnight for a ticket to see Mexican wrestling?

The saving grace was a romantic couple, wanting to dance to a slow song. I fit in one more rendition of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love", and the man threw in two 20's.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating -- musicians who take their art/profession seriously, passionately, don't "play" music... they work it.