After being away at work Stickless I got out last night to my favorite open mic venue. It was the first time I've taken the Maple Grand out in public which was a little un-nerving momentarily but it wont get better at performance by staying at home. Its just a short 20 minute slot but the PA is great and they have an engineer whos been around the studio traps here for years and seems to delight in really making the Stick crank. I seem to improve his night by handing him those Radial DI's I have since he is a bit of a gearslut. Anyway the best I can do with the Grand so far is instrumental of Mercy Me Steve taught me and then I just launched into a i, IV, V blues thing , which motored along as an Improv really , which I quite enjoy , I have a basic idea and then just go for it. Its the first time I've heard that bottom end of the grand in a venue, awesome.
Those two done it was back to the Alto and a moment of "holy S&^%^$t" this thing is tiny, coming straight of the big one. Last two were the ones I can fly through at quick tempo without any worries, so a good way to finish. All in all this program of going to different places with varying lighting and setups and sounds has been really valuable. These days I really look forward to it, and if I cast my mind back a year , its much much better now confidence wise. Now back to practice...

Congrats.
Learning and performing both evolve with time. There are peaks and highlights and there are plateaus and valleys. Discipline and creative vision will yield more of the former.
Keep moving forward

Steve A

Congrats, Bruce, on what sounds like a good open-mic night!