Which do YOU prefer .... performing in public or recording at home?
I have performed solo in public on occasion over 50 years, but it has never ever delivered anything for ME personally ... apart from mental and physical discomfort!
Preferring complex songs and being a control freak, I would have to practice a set for hours to get things right as I believe a performer should not use cheat sheets. Songs I perform usually have instrumental breaks and embellishments, requiring substantial extra effort in the arranging and practice.
So ... totaling the hours for preparation/practice, travel to/from, setups/teardowns, backup gear, wear and tear on equipment (and sanity) ... the true hourly rate earned was way, WAY below the breadline! There are also the hours of nerve build-up, on-stage discomfort, inevitable bad acoustics and audience noise, and the heat under bright lights ... I HATE playing guitar with sweaty hands. While performing I can’t help but be ‘out of body’ and view myself from the audience's perspective, and I’m very self-critical. This not only greatly reduces pleasure but also kills concentration, especially the remembering of chords and lyrics Finally, at home, there’s at least an hour of ‘coming down’, while the next day can be flat (mental exhaustion) and introspective (how did it go?). I hope I’m conveying MY problems!!
My last ever gig was as a community-volunteer performer at a conference dinner with approx. 200 guests. They were appreciative but as soon as the wine was served I discovered I was playing purely by sense of feel due to the raised volume of normal dinner conversation ... my PA speakers were within 3 meters of my head but I still couldn't hear a thing!! Even though I had been volunteering (playing for free) just to remove any pressure of having to give value for money, I finally accepted that performing is just not my thing.
By contrast, I find there are so many benefits that suit my personality when I’m writing, performing, and recording at home:
· no preparation, practice, or travel
· no time pressures and no backup for gear/travel etc.
· only playing/writing when the mood is right
· no pressure to be 'entertaining' at all times
· not having to be socially upbeat with venue owners/customers
· no haggling over money
· no insurances
· no worry about gear getting stolen/damaged
· no problems with acoustics or boozed-up audiences
· not being a living jukebox and repeating songs endlessly
· freedom to create multi-layered and multi-instrument productions
· no need to wear a performer’s hat or close my eyes to show a faked deep emotional connection to the music I’ve played a 100 times before
I'm always amazed and amused by the frantic and competitive scrimmage involved with musos getting their names on boards at Open Mics (those flying elbows can do real damage). Practically every article, interview, and podcast about "singer-songwriters" focuses on gigs and touring ... i.e. the public performance of songs.
Do YOU prefer backroom/bedroom recording compared to public performance? If so, why? How do you get your music heard? What forums have you found for non-gigging singer-songwriters?
