next level

I've been thinking long and hard about this subject, and I've come to a conclusion... I'm ready for the next level (nod to Bobby Jack here).

As I've said before, I pour everything into it when I'm performing. As I've learned to sing, I've learned that it's the best way to relate to the song, to the dancers, etc. The more I put into it the more it shows and comes out.

Well, part of my singing has been to stretch myself. I've already expanded my singing range, and I've also expanded my repertoire. I have expanded my playing, as I said in the last post, as well, and am proud of that. I don't want to stop growing and learning, but at the same time I feel like there's only so much I can do with the group at Halls.

Now let me make this clear. I am not taking anything away from the musicians there or their abilities, but at the same time I don't think there's a lot more they can do. I've done this enough lately to realize that I still have a lot of maturing and growing, but the upside is that I'm still improving. To do so, though, you have to be challenged.

I feel like I've challenged myself with some newer songs and such, but I feel like the crowd is paying the price for it. If the band would get together and practice from the to time I think we could do so much more. But at the same time I don't know that they really care if they do more or not. And if the crowd is happy with the same songs, etc. then perhaps I need to back off of trying to push TOO hard too much and too fast...

So, I think for the near future I'm going to work on doing the songs that I've been doing and try to do them to the best of my ability. I want to still do my best but I think I'm going to go easy on the "new" stuff on Fridays. I'm still going to work on them for myself, of course, and keep doing stuff and trying to improve. Maybe one day we'll get a chance to work on some things, or I may get a chance to move on to another group of pickers and be able to continue to grow.

Either way - I refuse to limit myself, but at the same time I have to think of the crowd. :-)

Sorry - it's late and I'm tired and I feel like I'm rambling, but I wanted to record these thoughts... G'night!