Sometimes a Feeling Doesn't Translate!

Our band whitewolfsonicprincess is a 6 piece ensemble. We can create a tsunami of sound. Last night, three of us performed at "pop-up art show." A voice, two guitars. We did a mix of originals and covers.  

It was a challenging show. Sort of unsatisfying. The crowd created a much bigger noise than we could conjure. We were underpowered, overmatched. It felt like we were totally swamped by the chatter, and hubbub, of the crowd. Still, like troopers, we powered thru, feeling sort of tiny and invisible in the corner of the room.

We were glad to get through our set in one piece. What's funny, post-show, we got more compliments than a typical full-band show. Lots of folks came up to us and told how much they enjoyed what we were doing. We earned some new fans. Passed out some cds. So odd. 

The audience thought we were "wonderful," and the three of us felt pretty unsatisfied. We are always shooting for a transcendent experience. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But really the show isn't so much for us, as it is for them. And I guess it worked out better than we realized. Sometimes a feeling doesn't translate. Seems just our energy, our presence was enough to make an impression on some folks. Surprising.

We like to say, and we believe, that we learn something from every performance. What did we learn last night? Our feelings of our performance has little to do with what an audience perceives. A small sound in the corner can reach across the room over the tumult of voices. Sometimes our presence makes a bigger statement than our voices or songs. There is no perfection. No matter what is happening, it's best to push through as if everyone is listening and everyone cares. Surprising.