Our First Session

I didn't manage to make my way through the list of songs I had prepared for the first session. Actually, it was even more difficult to play for just one person than for the 5 people that were at the audition previously. Perhaps it is because when I play for an audience of one, that person is typically my friend or someone that I feel very comfortable with. It was quite nerve-wrecking to share all my songs with Don at our very first meeting.

Nevertheless, I made it through a good number of songs and Don had quite a lot to say! I think he spent about half an hour talking about how important it was to inject emotion into one's performance... because that's the main thing that would communicate with the general audience. He gave an example of how he had attended Damien Rice's concert in Singapore: before the concert, he was not a fan, but after the concert, he was converted. Although Damien Rice was a young man, Don felt like he had heard the voice of a sage, a grand old master, who could teach him about life itself.

When I listen to Damien Rice or some other artists like Adrian Jones, Charlie Lim, Rachael Yamagata and Swell Season for example, I think I know what Don is trying to say ... Damien Rice put all of himself, his heart, mind and soul into his performances... when you saw him play, it was him.. not a facade or a pretty image.. it was him in the raw, in the full glory of his brokenness and humanity. That was an important point for me to remember... oftentimes, I'm more concerned about attaining perfection than with just putting my heart and soul into my performances. When I play my songs, sometimes I'm thinking 'ok.. next chord, Am..' or 'hold that vowel' ... True, a large part of it is making sure that I get more practice in so that I won't even have to think about these things.. but a big part of it is being able to trust, let go and let the emotion come thru'.

It is a difficult thing to do sometimes.