Hi all. My last gig in front of a real audience was in 2007, when I opened for a prog rock band at, of all places, a "biker" bar in Carbondale, Il. It was gratifying to see this quite drunk, rather rough looking audience quiet down and really listen. Several even cried - I guess Shine on You Crazy Diamond (with beer) has that effect on a lot of people. Since then, the only audiences I have had have been very small, captive audiences where I work.

That will change on Saturday, when I play in front of over 100 folks at a friend's wedding. Considering that she works with me, so has been in many of those captive audiences, I guess she knows what she is getting herself into. I will be playing as the family and friends enter into the church. She has left the song choices up to me, so I've chosen about a dozen songs from Hal Leonard's Love and Marriage Fake Book ( or as I like to call it, The Big Ass Book of Sappy Songs). I am playing Pachebell's Canon in D as the parent's and grandparents enter (her choice). Apparently, there are a large number of parents and grandparents. For the wedding party, I am playing Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, which I have fused with Ode to Joy. I have just learned Jesu in the last two weeks, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. Well, not literally - hard to tap that way. Finally, I will play The Bridal Chorus as she enters. When I first suggested this, she was violently opposed to it. So I recorded it, and, once she heard what it sounded like on Stick, she changed her mind enthusiastically.

I am playing my 12 String Bamboo, MR, with a brand new set of strings, through a Pod HD500, either through the church PA, or a large acoustic amp the church has. Or maybe my Peavey PA.

I am a little nervous, but have really been looking forward to it, and it has motivated me to practice more in the last month than I n the six months before that. So wish me luck - or better yet, those poor folks who get to be my biggest captive audience yet.

Hey! Good fun. I´m sure all will go well. Have fun and good luck!

Hey man.
You're going to kill and people are going to dig it!!
Have a good show and spread the sticky goodness.....

cheers,
k

Hey Jstorm! I am certain you will be great. Jesu is a lovely piece, are you playing the whole thing or just a round of the main part?

I hit that back in week #29 of song of the week if it helps to see it played. The most challenging part for me was the 17th measure of the exposition - that was definitely the toughest performance to date given the length of the piece.

We are all rooting for you!

Gene

Good luck and have fun ! You'll let us know how it went, right ?


Cheers,
Bas

If you are nervous, you are normal, that just means you want to do good.

I am sure you will do fine.

Best of luck! Just relax and do your best. When the day comes, the bride will probably focus more on other stuff such as key guests arriving late, floral arrangements, catering, etc etc and not so much on the music. Remember that you may be the only one who notices when you play the wrong note...

Jim, having heard you play those many years ago, I can say that you are an innately soulful musician. You'll do fine!

Thank you every one. I'm nervous, but also very aware that I'm not the main attraction, and any small flubs I make will probably not be noticed much. Per Gene, I will only be playing a round of the main part, in a lower register, which i then transition into Ode to Joy, same key but higher, then, if I need to play longer, I go back into Jesu, only an octave up from where I started.

Greg, thank you for the kind words. I have probably said this before, but you have been my primary inspiration on the Stick. It was your video on the Stickist page that compelled me to get one in the first place; you were the first Stickist I met; I have had more one on one instruction from you than everyone else combined. When I get stuck, I always ask, "What would Greg tell me?" and the answer is almost always found in my hand and arm positioning. So, thank you for everything.

Tomorrow is the rehearsal, so I should have a sense of how it's going to go by tomorrow night.