I have an important performance coming up tomorrow, and I am experiencing a bit of anxiety over it. It is important to me for two reasons: it will be my first completely solo performance over two sets, and it will take place at Rendez-Vous. I think it would be nice to perform at Rendez-Vous on a regular basis, but the possibility of that happening will depend largely on how the manager views the success of tomorrow night’s show.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a very busy week at work, and the result has been much less time devoted to practice this week than I had hoped. So much for trying to keep my anxiety under control.

Yesterday I was reading a particular website’s user-submitted reviews of a CD released by an internationally-known and respected musician. For some, his latest effort doesn’t measure up to par. Many of these critics also seemed disappointed in the spiritual/religous content of the lyric. My stomach churned at comments such as “this truly gifted artist wastes his talents” and “[d]on’t mistake this for art”. These remarks betray an ignorance of the compulsion of a true artist. Art is not a medium for showcasing one’s talent; rather, it is an expression of the artist’s soul at that particular moment in time. Concerns for popular appeal are secondary, at best.