Yikes, what did I get myself into?

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks guys. Yeah, R_of_G, I know what you mean. I have played in front of people before with my student band that used to exist before the young guys moved away to college. But actually, this free forming, just go with it, jam with accomplished musicians makes me a bit more nervous. With the student band, I could learn my part, as everyone did, and we were basically all in the same place. This will take more adaptation on the fly, and I will be playing with guys who have done that together for years.

If I relax, use the KISS method, and go from there, hopefully it will all work out.

[R_of_G]

Thanks guys. Yeah, R_of_G, I know what you mean. I have played in front of people before with my student band that used to exist before the young guys moved away to college. But actually, this free forming, just go with it, jam with accomplished musicians makes me a bit more nervous. With the student band, I could learn my part, as everyone did, and we were basically all in the same place. This will take more adaptation on the fly, and I will be playing with guys who have done that together for years.

I've played with a bunch of different people in all kinds of variations of instrument combinations in party settings and often some more accomplished local musicians here would be part of it and I would often get intimidated playing with them even though they were mostly friends of mine who were familiar with my skillset. Sometimes I'd get past it, sometimes not.

I suppose on the plus side, at least for my situation, I'm playing solo, a comfotable place stylistically. It's also my first complete original composition which makes a solo performance easier as I don't have to teach it to anyone else.

If I relax, use the KISS method, and go from there, hopefully it will all work out.

Simplicity rules. Frisell is a huge influence on the piece I'm writing for this. His advice seems most often to be to keep it lyrical and centered on a strong melody which he finds endless ways to phrase.

I'm still not clear on exactly how long I'll be playing so I'm practicing my phrasing to give myself a wide enough pallette depending on how long I have to stretch it.

I wish you the best with it Steve. Your varied tastes in music will serve you well.