My inner critic and I have known each other for a long time. As much as I would like to send it packing, I know that we are a part of each other. A gift from my inner critic is when I discover its limitations. Without fail, after each low moment when I let that…
Category: creative
Where nearly no one knows my name
For much of my life, I have felt like an anomaly. These past few years of moving around, I thought I had found peace with this feeling. Tonight, I went to my second ever open mic in Lowell at the Back Page. All day, I had felt in a bit of a funk, not myself….
Sometimes scary is okay
I did something scary today. I put myself out of my comfort zone, and it surprised me how very far out of it I felt. There is safety in numbers, and I have experienced this first hand in musical performance. When I went out busking last week, I went with a friend. We kept each…
Make the audience your friend
In my experience performing with ukulele in hand, I have found that befriending the audience helps alleviate much of the stress from being vulnerable on the stage. When I befriend the audience, I am no longer standing up there in front of a bunch of strangers. I can create a temporary community with everyone in…
Performance do’s and don’ts
In my last post, I began a dialogue about musical performance. This dialogue was inspired by a fellow musician, who wrote to me recently with questions on the subject. One her questions was how to remember music when you are in front of an audience. I reflected on this question. Remembering lyrics has always come…
Performance jitters
A musician across the proverbial pond recently sent me a message about performance. The questions she raised were perfect fodder for a dialogue, and I was honored by her words and her willingness to be vulnerable and reach out. For me, becoming comfortable with performance has been a long, bumpy ride, and even today there…
Artist or Busk
Do you ever feel like you are in limbo? In my post-doctorate life, I feel the weight of what comes next. It haunts me day in and day out. When I ponder the question, it is clear in my mind what I would like to be doing, but the desire is a daunting one to…
You can uke!
Seriously, you can! One of the wonderful things about the ukulele is that it is so very inviting. It is small and non-threatening and seems to be saying, “Go ahead. Pick me up! You know you want to. Check out my soft nylon strings. You won’t get callouses from these babies!” Who can say no…
Guiding Song 